Full squad to pick from!

At last we have the squad that started the season on fire all back available to us. And of course the big news is that this means Tom Cleverley must fit be fit and ready to go. It's an absurd state of affairs that a 22 year old who has only started about four full games should be so important to us, but there you go, he is.
From the press conference i toook Fergie to mean we had a full squad, but the official site reads slightly different, if Cleverley isn't back on Sunday, one i won't be as confident and second when will he be back, he has been out for a long time now.
Eric Harrison argues that in his opinion Tom Cleverley is the pick of the youngsters coming through at the moment and claims the youth coming through at the moment is the best crop the club has seen since his team, "the class of 92". He also backs up my point that Cleverley made the team tick at the begining of the season.
He is probably right about the youth coming through, but we shouldn't forget that Pique and Rossi played in the same youth team and they are aren't a bad pair of players.
Danny Welbeck, who Harrison also tips to be a regular for United and England, is in talks to treble his wages in yet another long term deal binding our youth to the club for the medium and long term. Harrison tipped Cleverley to be the best of the bunch at the moment but there is every chance it could just as easily turn out to be Welbeck, he is a completely different type of forward to the ones we have at the club and is only going to get better. When Pogba and co start to come through, the competition for places will be frightning.

The official site tells us that Rio is back to fitness after his absence in midweek, but does that mean he will play. Vidic is a given but i'm not sure who will partner him, Smalling reminded us in midweek what a fantastic centre half he is going to be and i haven't forgoten what a fantastic game he had against these lot during the 2-1 win at home last season.
As Daniel Taylor warns in this Guardian column, time is runing out on his United career and there is every chance that this could well be his last season. I think that will probably suit both parties to be honest, as we saw with Pique you can't talanted young players waiting forever and both Jones and Smalling have got what it takes to be top Manchester United centre halves.

Mark Ogden looks back to last season's Old trafford derby and the stunning winning goal scored by Wayne Rooney and looks at how it was seen around the world. Unfortunately i can't really say i care what somebody from AON or Nike think. Yes we know that the world will be watching, but couldn't he have found one red from Manchester to ask what it meant to them.
If the unthinkable happens tomorrow, town will be a pretty dry place tomorrow, does that not tell you how much it matters in Manchester.

This is actually a pretty decent article from a blue, describing what the derby means to the city, plenty of stereotyping but that's alright with me. Although they never really get it do they, they meant so much to us because they were such a joke it was unreal. I mean just where do you start and where do you finish with those classic City moments, Alan Ball and the 2-2 draw that meant relegation to the balloons at Bramhall lane, the list is endless.
Even now flush with Arab money and with as strong a squad as there is in the premiership you had Cook making the one gaffe too many that has been inevitable since the day he walked into the club and the Tevez affair which is almost certainly behind the reason that he had to go, comedy club still.

Paul Parker thinks that City have a slightly stronger squad than United but also thinks that they must lose the arrogance. They have to start winning trophies regularly before they start bragging "United are scared of City".

Nani is looking ahead to playing a central role in tomorrow's game, a far cry from the man who two years ago was critical of Fergie's handling of him and would have probably left in the following summer transfer window if he hadn't have turned it around.
I can't say i will ever love the player or that i think that he will stay with us in the long term but there is no arguing with his importance to the current team. I agreed with Fergie's decision to leave him out at Wembley, but have to admit it was well of the money, he should have played. He can still be infuriating at times, but even when he isn't at his best he can and does pop up with the crucial goal or the crucial cross. And that is where he has improved out of all recognition.
In his earlier inconistent days, when he was good, he was very good and when he was bad, well, oh dear. Even then he could and did score when it wasn't going his way but he very rarely created anything in fact, moves would often break down with the ball at his feet. That is where things have changed, that very rarely happens now. He makes things happen and has become a player for the big occasion.

Jonny Evans reveals the support he received when his United form dipped and how he was aware that he wasn't playing well after honest analysis from family and friends. He has played in almost all the big games this season, it will be interesting to see where he fits into the picture tomorrow. He has been much improved this season but has still had a moment or two, and we don't need any moments tomorrow.

David De Gea seems to be silencing his critics, as too quick to judge as they so obviously were. Mark Ogden who didn't jump on the bandwagon reported last week that he passed his big test of nerve with his assured display infront of the Kop.
He has done reasonably well so far, the biggest praise i can give him is that i have not once said if only Van Der Sar was in goal that wouldn't have happened. Unfortunately when Kuszczak or Foster deputised for the big Dutchman that was always on your mind. So it's a thumbs up, so far from me. And with Lindegaard having done nothing wrong either, this as strong a goalkeeping situation as i can remember at the club.

Tariq Panja of Bloomberg reports on how Manchester United conquered the world to become the valuable sports brand in the world. Well it could be because they have the best manager in the country, a history second to none and are the most successful club in the most watched football league in the world.
No United fand would disagree with the fact that the club know how to make money nowadays, just that it would be nice if these articles gave Fergie's achievements the credit they deserve for helping to make the club even more of a money machine.
It would be nice if those profits could be used to subsidise ticket prices, who knows when the gimps have gone, hopefully that will be on the agenda, well you live in hope.

Andy Mitten with a MEN column looking at Ole Gunnar Solskjaer who is on the verge wining the Norwgian title wth his club Molde at the first attempt. He is gaining a lot of plaudits for his achievements over there and for the way he has gone about it. If an ex player became manager of United there would be none more popular than the baby faced assasin. And from everything i have seen written about him he could indeed be the one eventually.

These appear to be worrying times for Cameron, seemingly out of nowhere the European question is threatening to tear them apart once more. Steve Richards bemoans government by petition.

Meanwhile the Eurozone crisis rumbles on and on as France and Germany squabble on. Simon Jenkins compares the blindness that aflicts European leaders to the 1930's. Jeremy Warner argues that Britain can't save Europe but might still save ourselves, but surely for us to have hope of a better future we have to try to help save Europe. We will not be immune from the blowback of European disintegration, Eurosceptics can dream all they like, but the fact is we are intriniscally a part of Europe from trade to sport to holidays and the rest of the world sees us as a part of Europe.

Andreas Whitam Smith joins Paul Mason in comparing the current situation in mainland Europe to 1848 and argues that revolutions don't give much warning that they are about to happen. If revolutions happen, and they might, they will happen in the south first, but would the contagion spread?
It was interesting to note how Gaddafi's execution, for that's what it was, took all eyes of what was happening in Athens the same day. Communists fighting anarchists outside the Greek parliament on the day a crucial vote was taking place.
So farewell to Colonel Gadaffi, or more suitably good riddance. As has been said it would have better to have seen him tried. But let's face it how many of the NRC that had defected from his regime and were almost certainly complicit in some very murky deeds would have wanted to see him in the witness box. And how many western governments, corporations and former leaders would have dreaded that scenario as well. So whether it was spontaneous revenge in the heat of battle or something more cynical it suited all parties, as Robert Fisk implies.
Sabotage times look at the unorthodox diplomacy carried out by the originator of the green book.


Former LSE teacher Leonidas Pitsoulis explains that returning to Greece after years abroad opened his eyes to the way corruption pervades every corner of life. He argues that they need to start afresh, but how?

Richard Murphy applauds financial journalist Michelle Perry for posing the question to finance directors, " why do you use tax havens", as the country cannot have an argument about their use until they openly acknowledge they use them. I think we know why they won't admit that they use them, because their arguments will not stand up to scrutiny and will be shown to be gree pure and simple.

So RIP, the whole Neocon strategic agenda has finally bitten the dust with the news that the US will finally remove all their troops from Iraq fullfilling one of Obama's electio pledges and that the Iraqi's have rebuffed the US request maintain military bases in the country after the withdrawl. Iran are already pulling the strings behind the scenes in Iraq, how long before they are pulling the strings in public for all to see.
Saudi Arabia can't be very happy with this development, their close ties to the Bush regime didn't work out the way they expected. The tension between Iran and the Saudi's will go up another notch.
The Economist's Lexington's notebook column isn't impressed with Michelle Bachman, the Minnesota congresswoman's reaction to the news, wondering whether she really understands the maning of democracy.
Meanwhile Obama's foreign policy gets the thumbs up from Paul Abrams as he acclaims the President's concept of leading from behind. If that really is his strategy, then i too would appalud it. I always thought that should have been their strategy from 9/11 on, quietly getting their revenge, as the saying goes, don't get mad, get even.


Matthew Norman warns Ricky Gervais not to follow the path of John Cleese in becoming the persona of the people he portrays in real life as he comments on the twitter row over his use of the word mong.
Richard Herring who i follow on twitter had blogged pretty intelligently on the furore earlier in the week, only to cop a load of abuse from Gervais twitter followers.

Music

Eric Dolphy - Last date: This is argued to be his final recored performance, it's shows off the full range of his talents from Sax to flute and if you loved Out to lunch you will love this.

Platikman - Sheet one: The first recording from one of the most influential artists in the techno genre in the 90's. Though i love minimalist techno, it took me a few listens to really get this, but grow on me it most certainly did, it's not a classic, but i can listen to it again and again.

Puressence - Solid state recital: It's a mystery how Failsworth's finest are so little known after releasing some fine albums down the years. This could well be their best, though there is healthy competition fo that accolade. Will this break them, it's not that different to their trademark sound, so i would guess not. It's the public's loss though , because they are a cracking group.

Tindersticks - Claire Denis film scores: I'm a big fan of this group, but wondered how they would fare on a soundtrack album. The answer was like a duck to water, this is abolute quality.

White Denim - D: Their first British released Fits album was a tremendous affair and this doesn't throw that away. When i first heard this i though there were a load of guitar overdubs before reading they had added a second guitarist. I was wondering how on earth they would transfer that sound live. The muscianship is absolute top notch, they won't be knocking on the singles charts any time soon but i don't think it has as hard an edge to it as D did.

Wild Beasts - Smother: The critics have lauded this to the skies and whilst it is very good, i'm not sure it's that good. The songs are even stronger than before though it's a smoother sound and i'd have liked a couple of more powerful tunes to vary the pace a bit.