Captain Nemanja Vidic belives that United are favourites to retain our championship if you look at our run compared to City's. Despite rumours a while ago that he could play some part in the run in, the plan is to be back in training for July for the start of next season. After all our defensive troubles this season it's to be hoped he is fully over the injury.
I had expected Rio Ferdinand to move on this summer and whilst there must still be a fair chance that will happen, it's not the sure bet it was. So the last thing we need is for the Serbian to come back and to start to show signs of wear and tear as he hits the early 30's.
Nicky Butt warns Paul Pogba that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but hopes his appearances from the bench recently mean that Pogba and Fergie have patched up their differences and Pogba is now commited to the United cause.
Paul Pogba played last night in as strong a reserve team as has been seen in ages with Jones, Smalling, Fabio and Cleverley stepping down to gain match time i presume. I also wonder whether it was to get some of them used to playing with each other for the future. It was no suprise then that it was a reasonably one sided game with United running out 3-1 winners.
It didn't take United that long to take a 2-0 lead. They hadn't actually done that much up to that point, but once they got the goals and they were two crackers from Will Keane and Jesse Lingard they played some really good stuff. It was interesting to watch Matty James who has spent so long out injured alongside Cleverley and Pogba, he looked pretty good.
Going off this mornings Fergie press conference i wonder if Pogba might even start on Monday night, as he said he was took off because he will definitely play some part against Fulham. If he is to make a start this season it will have to come sooner rather than later, i'm presuming the game time he has all of a sudden started to get is an effort to keep him at the club for the long term.
The Mail link us with Crystal Palace's right back Nathaniel Clyne, i don't really understand this to be honest, we have how many players who can play right back. If we have a limited amount of money to spend, which we must assume to be the case, right back can hardly be a priority. To be honest when i saw him last season, which wasn't much i'll be honest he never really stood out that much for me, he certainly didn't look that much better than what we have got.
Speaking of which Fergie came out with a pearler this morning about Viera's suggestion that Scholes return and Morrison's departure showed a hint of desperation. I suppose it was an open goal, but he certainly lifted the roof of the net off with his response. It was a more humourous response than the press have made out since, which made it all the better.
A fascinating article from Simon Kuper about Barcelona's unique style of play and what makes it work. They are a great team, as good as i have seen, if not the best, but i do have a problem with some of that. That's more regimented than i would ideally ever want to see United play, i don't think George Best would have fancied playing in such a regimented system of play. It doesn't allow for anything off the cuff, in fact i still wonder how much Messi makes it work as magnificently as it does.
Without him i'm sure the tactics that Mourinho used with Inter to knock them out in 2010 and which Chelsea were unfortunate to be knocked out in the 2009 would probably workd against them far more often. Seeing as he very unlikely to leave Camp Nou any time soon, unless he has a bad injury, which as a football fan i hope doesn't, we aren't going to find that out any time soon.
Oh dear George Osborne was getting it from all sides after Wednesday's budget, as ConHome Editor tweeted yesterday his reputation of being the tories master strategist just took a hammering after seeing the morning after budget headlines.
One of Osborne's original Plan A supporters, Jeremy Warner of the Torygraph asks does Plan A actually still exist. Gary Gibbon's suspicion is that Grannygate will be a short nasty storm that will eventually pass, he may be right, though he seems to be in a minority. I suppose it depends whether his friends in the press turn out to be fair weather friends who though they probably agree with the 50p tax rate cut, know they can't sell it to their readers. Robert Peston blogs on why Osborne found it easier to pensioners than rock starts. He did find some support from the liberal conservative economist columnist Bagehot who described it as a Notting Hill budget. Peter Oborne seems to admire its risky nature but worries he may have buried the tories chances at the next election.
Larry Elliott doesn't generally do invective, but i presume that budget so disgusted him, he let the coalition have it with both barrels. David Blanchflower wonders whether it might be Osborne's last, now two years after taking power it has to take ownership of the mess they have created. He also lambasts the OBR, whose credibility he describes as in tatters, that is surely an absolute certainty and i'm suprised more hasn't been made of that. If Labour do regain power at the next election will they abolish it or reform it, it certainly hasn't covered itself in glory.
Unsuprisingly Richard Murphy wasn't impressed either and blogged his overview of the elephant traps laid in it.
Paul Krugman notes the snag with US conservatives economic receovery narrative with a graph comparing Keynesian US post crash recovery with conservative austerity Britain.
It seems that just as New Labour seemed to have a soft spot for Manchester, helping our recent renaissance, the coalition seemed to have decided that Manchester is to be their poster boy city, if the special treatment we were given in the budget is anything to go by. Liverpool, Birmingham and the rest must spitting in their corn flakes. It sounds like the lobbying Jim O'Neill and others have been doing on behalf of the city have borne fruit.
This piece by Damien McBride explaining the process through which budget's were arrived at was re-tweeted all day yesterday, but it is absolutely fascinating.
Will last night's Newsnight scoop signal the death knell for A4e if proven true, which i throrougly expect to be the case.
And Craig Murray doesn't like Dubai, i have never been, but i've read about it a plenty and i'm not suprised he couldn't stand it.
I have gone on record at how little i care for the plans of L.C.C.C ground's redevelopment, but it seems to be coming along well at the moment. That view next to the new media centre behind the bowlers arm, now the wicket has been turned round 45 degrees looks very interesting, especially high up on the second tier, i will have to give that at least a try when it's fully developed.
I had expected Rio Ferdinand to move on this summer and whilst there must still be a fair chance that will happen, it's not the sure bet it was. So the last thing we need is for the Serbian to come back and to start to show signs of wear and tear as he hits the early 30's.
Nicky Butt warns Paul Pogba that the grass isn't always greener on the other side, but hopes his appearances from the bench recently mean that Pogba and Fergie have patched up their differences and Pogba is now commited to the United cause.
Paul Pogba played last night in as strong a reserve team as has been seen in ages with Jones, Smalling, Fabio and Cleverley stepping down to gain match time i presume. I also wonder whether it was to get some of them used to playing with each other for the future. It was no suprise then that it was a reasonably one sided game with United running out 3-1 winners.
It didn't take United that long to take a 2-0 lead. They hadn't actually done that much up to that point, but once they got the goals and they were two crackers from Will Keane and Jesse Lingard they played some really good stuff. It was interesting to watch Matty James who has spent so long out injured alongside Cleverley and Pogba, he looked pretty good.
Going off this mornings Fergie press conference i wonder if Pogba might even start on Monday night, as he said he was took off because he will definitely play some part against Fulham. If he is to make a start this season it will have to come sooner rather than later, i'm presuming the game time he has all of a sudden started to get is an effort to keep him at the club for the long term.
The Mail link us with Crystal Palace's right back Nathaniel Clyne, i don't really understand this to be honest, we have how many players who can play right back. If we have a limited amount of money to spend, which we must assume to be the case, right back can hardly be a priority. To be honest when i saw him last season, which wasn't much i'll be honest he never really stood out that much for me, he certainly didn't look that much better than what we have got.
Speaking of which Fergie came out with a pearler this morning about Viera's suggestion that Scholes return and Morrison's departure showed a hint of desperation. I suppose it was an open goal, but he certainly lifted the roof of the net off with his response. It was a more humourous response than the press have made out since, which made it all the better.
A fascinating article from Simon Kuper about Barcelona's unique style of play and what makes it work. They are a great team, as good as i have seen, if not the best, but i do have a problem with some of that. That's more regimented than i would ideally ever want to see United play, i don't think George Best would have fancied playing in such a regimented system of play. It doesn't allow for anything off the cuff, in fact i still wonder how much Messi makes it work as magnificently as it does.
Without him i'm sure the tactics that Mourinho used with Inter to knock them out in 2010 and which Chelsea were unfortunate to be knocked out in the 2009 would probably workd against them far more often. Seeing as he very unlikely to leave Camp Nou any time soon, unless he has a bad injury, which as a football fan i hope doesn't, we aren't going to find that out any time soon.
Oh dear George Osborne was getting it from all sides after Wednesday's budget, as ConHome Editor tweeted yesterday his reputation of being the tories master strategist just took a hammering after seeing the morning after budget headlines.
One of Osborne's original Plan A supporters, Jeremy Warner of the Torygraph asks does Plan A actually still exist. Gary Gibbon's suspicion is that Grannygate will be a short nasty storm that will eventually pass, he may be right, though he seems to be in a minority. I suppose it depends whether his friends in the press turn out to be fair weather friends who though they probably agree with the 50p tax rate cut, know they can't sell it to their readers. Robert Peston blogs on why Osborne found it easier to pensioners than rock starts. He did find some support from the liberal conservative economist columnist Bagehot who described it as a Notting Hill budget. Peter Oborne seems to admire its risky nature but worries he may have buried the tories chances at the next election.
Larry Elliott doesn't generally do invective, but i presume that budget so disgusted him, he let the coalition have it with both barrels. David Blanchflower wonders whether it might be Osborne's last, now two years after taking power it has to take ownership of the mess they have created. He also lambasts the OBR, whose credibility he describes as in tatters, that is surely an absolute certainty and i'm suprised more hasn't been made of that. If Labour do regain power at the next election will they abolish it or reform it, it certainly hasn't covered itself in glory.
Unsuprisingly Richard Murphy wasn't impressed either and blogged his overview of the elephant traps laid in it.
Paul Krugman notes the snag with US conservatives economic receovery narrative with a graph comparing Keynesian US post crash recovery with conservative austerity Britain.
It seems that just as New Labour seemed to have a soft spot for Manchester, helping our recent renaissance, the coalition seemed to have decided that Manchester is to be their poster boy city, if the special treatment we were given in the budget is anything to go by. Liverpool, Birmingham and the rest must spitting in their corn flakes. It sounds like the lobbying Jim O'Neill and others have been doing on behalf of the city have borne fruit.
This piece by Damien McBride explaining the process through which budget's were arrived at was re-tweeted all day yesterday, but it is absolutely fascinating.
Will last night's Newsnight scoop signal the death knell for A4e if proven true, which i throrougly expect to be the case.
And Craig Murray doesn't like Dubai, i have never been, but i've read about it a plenty and i'm not suprised he couldn't stand it.
I have gone on record at how little i care for the plans of L.C.C.C ground's redevelopment, but it seems to be coming along well at the moment. That view next to the new media centre behind the bowlers arm, now the wicket has been turned round 45 degrees looks very interesting, especially high up on the second tier, i will have to give that at least a try when it's fully developed.
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