Changing of the guard

It seems that Wes Brown and John O'Shea have decided that Brucie's Sunderland is the club for them after all as it looks like both  of them have been having medicals before they take the plunge and leave United. They have had their detractors but they have both been great servants to the club.
What can be said about their careers at United is that neither ever really lived up to the rich promise they had showed as youngsters. In Brown's case he never really got over the injuries he received early on in his career, in fact it could be said he has done well to have had such an excellent career with the club. The highlight to Wes Brown's United career was easily the 2008 season when he made the right back position his own with a rare injury free season that ended with that brilliant night in Moscow.
O'Shea has been an outstanding utility player for the club, as Hansen once said, this type of player is invaluable to a club and was the type of player that most of our rivals lacked. The type of player who could come in and do a job. His best position was always full back, though he did a reasonable job when asked to fill in, in the middle of the park, your heart sank when you saw him starting their as was never a sign of attacking intent.
Both players i am sure will always get a teriffic reception when they come back as Sunderland players. This isn't meant to be nasty but i hope that Brucie doesn't land Gibson because having sold Henderson, even though i don't rate him too highly, if he replaces him with Gibson i'm sure the locals will not take long to think, what the fuck. If Gibson is a premier league player it's at a lower level than Sunderland are trying to achieve. As a youth player i always thought Gibson had a chance, but he just doesn't have that little bit extra that is needed to convert youthful promise into the real deal. He was never going to replace Scholes but i thought he could be a Lampard type scoring midfielder. I was wildly off the mark i'm afraid.

Stuart Mathieson comments on the erosion of home based talent in the squad with the departure of three home grown talents, added to retirements of Scholes and Giggs last season. I don't think the picture is nearly as bad as he makes out. As points out towards the end of the piece we have Cleverley and Welbeck coming back, and i expect them two to develop into decent squad players at the very least. Add Tunnicliffe and Morrison to that and maybe even Will Keane and things could look very different i three to four years time.
It's to be hoped that will be the case anyway as that nucleus of players were a big big part of the Manchester United renaissance under Alex Ferguson. I think it was Wenger that once said that it was them that gave us the edge of our rivals. And that was a great picture.

As the summer transfer window speculation continues Rene Meulensteen muddies the waters with glowing praise for Inter's Dutch goalscoring midfield ace Wesley Sneijder. He could have only done that with the blessing of the boss, which begs the question what are they up to, was there an unlterior motive. I still  can't see that happening for a myriad of reasons even though Paul Harward of the Guardian also tweeted this morning that Sneijder was our top target. The news that Nasri is to tell Wenger he wants to leave leads me to believe that he is the man we either really want or have decided is the most realistic option. The Guardian have reported that we have already got a £20 million bid on the table that Arsenal have rejected as they want £25 million. That is a lot of money for a man about to enter the last year of his contract. If they weren't about to lose Fabregas as well it would probably be a decent bit of business for them. Wenger and Arsenal have a lot of problems and a lot on their plate and i have no idea how this is going to end.

Paul Scholes has become pretty opinionated since his retirement, he obviously doesn't have a lot of time for Wenger or his methods. You can't argue with the view expressed though, Arsenal could very well be scrapping for fourth spot and i mean scrapping. Maybe it's payback time for Wenger insinuating that the ginger prince was dirty, something it's becoming increasingly clear he isn't too fond off.

At long last the redevelopment of Lancashire C.C.C looks like it can go ahead as they finally defeat Derwent in the courts. The biggest day in the clubs history was how Jim Cumbes described it. I walked down Matt Busby way last night and thenew floodlights were on for some reason and it has to be said they look tremendous. Great news even if i can't stand the plans i would sooner have an ugly looking stadium than no more test match cricket in Manchester.
How the cricket authorities could think that not having test match cricket could be good for the long term future of the game is another thing.

Peter Oborne has gone to town in his stinging attack on the British establishment and it's craven worship of the dirty digger over the last twenty four hours. In the Telegraph this morning he has really slaughtered David Cameron and described his position as being in the sewer. I find it really fascinating that Guardian editor Alan Rusbridger had a private meeting with the tory leader and told him what was likely to come out Andy Coulson and that Cameron still went ahead and appointed the ex Murdoch man. He obviously felt an ex Murdoch man would be untouchable, happily he was wrong. As for Clegg, as much as i would like to say everything he touches turns to shit, i'm not too sure too much blame can be attached to him over this, as far as we know anyway. Vince Cable and his war on the Murdoch empire looks overwhelmingly vindicated, a pity about the stupidity of the Telegraph and their sting. Did that turn out all for the best though?
US online magazine Slate gives praise where that praise is well and truly due as it describes Nick Davies of the Guardian as Murdoch's Captain Ahab as they finally spear the media mogul. They haven't quite finished him off yet, hopefully that day isn't too far away.
Matthew Norman wrote in Wednesday's Independent that now as the moment to stop Murdoch, he was totally right of course but this thing has got a momentum all of it's own. I can't see how the government will possibly allow the BSkyB takeover now or even how BSyb would even now consider being contaminated by the News of the world brand.
Wapping is in turmoil as hacking saga hits Murdoch where it hurts and David Allen Green describes News international's position as that of the bully being bullied.
It is definitely not looking very good for Andy Coulson, he seems to be the victim that News international are trying to offer up as a sacrificial lamb. This piece of blatant perjury on his own could be enough to send him down. It aint good news for Cameron either, what does this say for his judgement. Does he take it lying down and go quietly or very noisily taking the ship with him is what remains to be seen.