Party poopers are red

If United manage to defeat Chelsea for the third time in a row on Sunday, we can go on to secure the trophy on May 14th at Blackburn Rovers twenty minutes before the kick off of the FA cup final, that manages to involve which club? How ironic would that be, shades of 1967-68, still we have got to do the business on Sunday yet though, so i'll think about that after Sunday. The FA are confident that the FA cup final will not have its thunder stolen should that happen, they cannot be serious.
To be honest this is more what the FA deserve than City, the FA cup final should be last game of the season and in it's need to make as much money as possible to pay of the building of the stadium the FA was willing to trample all over tradition. I suppose at least they can't blame that on United. It would be nice to embarrass the FA and piss of City if we did lift the trophy at Ewood park it.
I'd like to see United put Old trafford up for a future Champions league final as that would get the FA back, in a small way admittedly, for them seemingly making the rules up as they have gone along against us this season. I presume that would mean that Wembley wouldn't see another champions league final for many a long year. You'd get a better atmosphere at Old trafford anyway.

Unsurprisingly United will ring the changes tonight with a two goal first leg cushion and Sunday's crunch encounter with the rent boys. As soon as we ended the first leg with a two goal cushion i expected this, i don't think Sunday comes into it, Fergie would have rung the changes anyway. Sunday does throw into stark relief as have other games that our squad isn't strong enough at the moment to cope with three big games on the trot.
I'd expect Smalling to start in place of Ferdinand, who is not 100% fit and hasn't really been since he came back to the squad, but his experience has been vital. He can't really believe that he is back to his very best though, surely, he's just about getting through games, that isn't the Ferdinand of 2008. Evra may well be rested and i expect Carrick will not start. Fergie has already made it clear Rooney will not start and has intimated that neither will Hernandez. Whether Rooney actually has anything wrong with him, you can only wonder.
That would leave Scholes to re-enter the centre of our midfield but who plays alongside the ginger prince? I would like to see Fletcher as if he is going to be properly match fit and 100% for a possible champions league final he needs to get some game under his belt. He will be vital for that game, he may not have had his best season, but i would want him in the team, or at least on the bench for a Wembley final. The thought of Anderson or Park in the centre of the park against Xavi, Iniesta and con would fill me with dread. Berbatov up front picks itself, though i'm not sure where the MEN gets its headline from. He will either be in Fergie's future already or he won't, i don't see tonight making any difference whatsoever.

After last night's sealing up of their semi final victory against their old enemy Real, Pepe Guardiola admits he expects to face United in the final and expects a different proposition to events in Rome. We fucking hope so, that was such a non event, it was untrue. It wasn't that we got beat so much as the lack of fight when we were trying to chase the game. Don't get me wrong they were worthy winners that night, but they didn't have to be at their best to beat us, they didn't have to play anywhere near their best. That was what hurt that night.
We couldn't keep the ball, were totally ineffectual up front apart from the first ten minutes and conceeded two soft goals. It wasn't our best night, at the very least you want United to go down fighting, and it has to be said that on that night we went down with a whimper.

How many games ban would Rooney have got for this!

It seems blindingly obvious that he meant that, one rule for us...

Mervyn King warns than an interest rise would be be unwise for an economy facing massive challenges. Hamish McRae argues that one beneficial side effect to the news that the Obama ordered US operation to remove Obam Bin Laden will be the slighlt larger chance that Obama may be able to start getting measures through congress in an effort to start cutting US debt. I would imagine that will be a small window of opportunity and he had better strike whilst the iron is hot.
The Economist reports on the problem of the decline of the working man, will Obama getting to grips with the debt, be good news for these i wonder. On a similar note Jeremy Warner reports on the scourge of inequality which has been a growing problem all over the developed world effecting even Scandanavian countries. I can't accept that the long term answer is better training, it's miles more structural than that.

Caroline Proust, star of Spiral gives us the run through of the third series of the biggest French TV export that broke the mould in its native copuntry.


Music
Big star - Radio City: The follow up to the brilliant debut No. 1 Record, recorded after Chris Bell left Alex Chilton isn't as perfect an album as its predecessor, but it still has some great tunes on it.

Femi Kuti - Africa for Africa: Another excellent piece of afrobeat from one of the Kuti musical dynasty. His sons stuff is probably more accessible than Fela's stuff due to them leaving the extended jams out. Cracking stuff though.

Gil Scott Heron -I'm new here: This is a blinding album from the veteran protest singer, short but very sweet, in the right way.

Lobi Traore -Rainy season blues: Malian guitar blues and very nice too, in a similar vein to Al Farka Toure. Great guitar playing and some decent songs.

The Decemberists - The king is dead: The latest effort from the US indie folk rock, it's pretty good, i can hear the influences of Neil Young, REM, some Bruce Springsteen and British 60's folk rock. Peter Buck appears on the album so that explains the REM influence.

The Sand Band - All through the night: The latest scouse band to gain critical kudos, their inspiration is more US alt country than psychedelia. I have seen them to bands like Calexico, and that's fair enough. It's not bad but not as good as say Calexico at their best.

Warpaint - The fool: Debut album from the US all female indie quartet, and this really delivers the goods. I'm not sure who to compare it to, it's on the progressive art rock side of things and boasts some excellent tunes.