Jones to United!

Well yesterday's events came as a bit of a shock, and a pleasant one too. I had read all the reports linking Jones to Liverpool, which had alarmed me because his performance against us in the 1-1 draw at Ewood was as good as we have had against us in the premiership for some time. If Liverpool had been able to buy him and start to build a team around him they may well have been back in business eventually. Daniel Taylor wrote that the thought of United missing out on the teenager to our rivals forced Ferguson to sign the Blackburn defender ahead of schedule.
But from what i can gather it was Arsenal who had talked to him first and needless to say the same goes for Arsenal, how they could do with a top notch British centre half even if only 19. I suppose it's a bonus for Fergie that he can play all along the back four as well as do a job in midfield. But i'm sure he has been bought to eventually pair up with Smalling as the pair replace Ferdinand and Vidic. In fact this signing must mean Ferdinand must start to get use to playing less regularly, injuries or not.
So a very good start to our transfer activity, as Redknapp has said all the top clubs were in for him as he is going to be a top player.
Henry Winter claims the transfers of Jones and Henderson means that they lead a revolution in youth player development in English football. United have been producing players for years, how many players are plying their trade in the premiership that started in United's youth ranks. English football is now catching up with United. Let's hope this latest batch start to make the grade at United, as that is where we have not been so great, though i still think Pique and Rossi were United material and should have been given more of a chance than they were even if Pique would still have left eventually we might have got more like his market value, i mean £6 million was a steal for Barca.
It looks like a bad day for Jack Rodwell, if there  were any truth in the rumours that we were interested in him, i expect that interest to have just died a death.

It was no surprise to me that Wes Brown and Gibson have been shown the door at United, but it was certainly a surprise that they have also accepted a bid for John O'Shea. I was only saying at work yesterday that Fergie will never let him go, doh as Homer Simpson would say. He never lived up to his potential, i won't forget his debut season, but he has done a solid professional job for United during his time here. But with the new faces coming in and the youngsters coming through players had to go and Fergie has shown his ruthless side.

Mark Ogden writes of Ferguson deciding on revolution rather than evolution for his last great Manchester United team. I think it's more a bit of both, Smalling and Hernandez were both bought last season to bed in but both did far better than expected. Whilst Cleverley and Welbeck were always going to come back this season as our youngsters will now start to get the chance we have always wanted to see them get.
I'm starting to wonder whether Giggs will have as much of a role next season and if it is more of a bit part role will he be able to adapt to that or will he follow Scholes into retirement at the end of the season. I hope he can adapt and carry on if just for the example he can give to the young players on the training pitch.

Evra has admitted that it was United's home form that sealed the 19th title triumph and that the club will have to find a solution to last season's disappointing performances on the road. I think we all know most of the problems stemmed from central midfield, we all knew we needed more quality in their before the season began but now with no Scholes next season that has to be addressed in the summer.
What we couldn't really have expected and what was more worrying was how often we were just plain outfought against even mid table teams. Of course Fletcher's loss of form and then illness didn't help but
we won't go on winning trophies unless that problem is solved. If we are going to carry on playing 4-4-2, i'm not totally convinced we will play it as often next season, but if we do, we need a dominant, dare i say it, Robbo or Keano type alongside carrick or Fletcher.

David Sadler uses his MEN  column to admit to his surprise at the success United enjoyed over the course of the season just finished. As he says it has been a strange season, but he is surely echoing most United fans in his surprise at the end to our season. I couldn't see us winning the league after last summer's underwhelming transfer strategy after we had all seen how we fell apart during the previous season when Rooney did his ankle in Munich.
And the last thing i expected we for us to reach a third champions league final in four years. And to be honest i was quite comfortable with that as i was worried what would happen to our midfield if we should drawn against Barca at some stage. Of course i would rather have reached the final than not, but my fears and that that of others weren't unfounded as we saw on May 28th. As for the semi final defeat to them, at the time it hurt like fuck, but in the long run it probably helped us to clinch the title as we beat Chelsea and gave ourselves a comfortable run up to the champions league, not that this did us much good against the brilliance of xavi, Iniesta and Messi. As Andy Mitten writes United were second best, but only to sheer genius and there is no disgarce in that. Not that i expect us to stand still, as Fergie said Barca have put down the challenge and we will have to rise to it, as tall an order as that is.

Mark Ogden thinks that Fergie's keeness to offer Michael Owen a new one year contract was his desire to have as much experience in the squad to pass down to the youngsters coming through the ranks. I can understand that, but was that enough for Owen to want to stay at United for another season. With Welbeck to come back from Sunderland and the possibilty of Berbatov staying how much playing time will he get, whatever Fergie says about starting him in more games next season. Still if Welbeck and Hernandez do learn from him it's win win for United in the long term i guess.

The one signing it looks like we are certain to make this summer if all the sources are right will be the signing of Ashley Young from Villa. I would be more than happy with that, he has done well for Villa, and as importantly he usually does well against the top sides. He can play all along the front line and in the hole which gives us plenty of options which is a nice bonus.
I am not quite sure where Fergie see his position long term or whether somebody will exit to make room for him, but it looks a decent signing to me. It was a bit of a worry how easily he got knocked off the ball at times when he came on as a second half sub for England on Saturday but his introduction was one of the few bright spots for another lacklustre England performance. Opinion seems to be split over his signature amongst United fans on the various messageboards, but just think, some wanted us to sign James Milner last season and look at him now. He didn't make much of an impact at the boo camp and he was non existant on Saturday for England. Let's hope we have another Dwight Yorke on our hands, who i thought was a decent player when we bought him but turned our to be an excellent buy for us, even if his career didn't kick on as it should have done.

After the news that Josh King was going to Broussia Monchengladbach on loan for next season the MEN report that Nick Ajose has plenty of suitors for next season after his highly impressive loan spell at Bury last season. I like this lad, he has something about him, an ability to find the net being high on the list. I'm not sure he will be good enough for United but i'm sure he will have a decent career in the game.

That lad chicarito just can't stop scoring goals can he, after the disappointment of Wembley he returned home to hrab a hatrick for Mexico during a five goal romp against El Salvador.

Jonathan Wilson gives an end of season tactical review of the 2010-2011 season. He makes some good points, especially the primacy of club football over international football. Look at the knockout stages of the champions league last season compared to the dire fare offered up in South Africa, no contest as to which competition any real football fan would sooner watch.
As for 4-4-2 or as he more accurately calls it 4-4-1-1, i'm not sure there can be too much of a comeback, Euopean champions league wide anyway whilst Barca rule the roost. After seeing United dismantled at Wembley i'm not sure anybody else will risk going in a man light in midfield against them any time soon

Ferdinand gets twitter rage as he continues his recent feud with the Mirror's Oliver Holt. Whatever the rights and wrongs of Holt's argument, he hasn't won many friends by disclosing Rio's DM to him.

Sir Matt Busby way is getting a bit of a makeover as traffic is shut out to make the front of the megastore pedestrian only. I'm not sure what the point of this is, we'll see i suppose.


David Blancflower questions the IMF's credibility in forecasting the British economy after it once again backed George Osborne's economic strategy. Andrew Grice of the Indy looks at Osborne's careful repositioning as he agrees with Blanchflower's analysis that Osborne has already embarked on the plan that dare not speak its name, plan B.
Osbornes dismisses his critics as left wing academics, a politician to his fingertips, a liar too of course. There will be a few of those critics a bit annoyed by that description. Martin Wolf argues that the road to recovery gets steeper and reiterates his belief that interest rate rises should not be countenanced at all for the forseeable future.

Guy Adams argues that Ronald Reagan would have been too left wing for todays Republican party whilst David Blanchflower looks at what Britain could learn from the failures of Reagonomics. Larry Elliott looks at the US economy and wonders if it can emulate the feat of emerging stronger after the great depression. I don't think he has much confidence that it can.
It did take the second world war for the US economy to become the powerhouse it became, who knows what would have happened to the global economy never mind the US economy if Hitler had never rose to power.
Likewise paul Mason is far from confident that the European project will withstand the forces ranged against the Eurozone wondering where Europe's social sloidarity has gone.

A report from a panel distinguished ex world leaders call for an end to the war on drugs. The emphasis should be on "ex", as Tom Chivers writes in the Telegraph, politicians always seem to see the light on this topic once the have left office, a lack of leadership or cowardice?

The renowned British historian of the Spanish 20th century, Paul Preston has a new book out that looks like a must read. It's easy to go to Spain nowadays and completely forget about Franco and his dictatorship and what a nasty piece of work he really was. It looks to have been well recieved in Spain if this review is anything to go by.

Bagehot of the Economist looks at the peculiar rage that that the BBC inspires amongst the modern Tory party. Well it's far from left wing as they would have it, but anyone who is not a fellow traveller is suspect to a modern tory who in their free market zealotry are the new marxists.

Dusty Springfield