They derby hype starts to simmer

Ferdinand hopes that Scholes will give it one more season, he is one of the reasons for United going into Monday night three points to the good. He will do his best to persuade hime to stay on, though recognises he has always been his own man.
It was interesting to see the football writers place Scholes third in their player of the year award. Some have rubbished that because he has only played 13 league games, but in terms of his influence on the season i would say that was fair enough. It will be interesting to see whether the ginger prince starts on Monday night, i'm sure Fergie wants too as i'm sure he wants as much as experience in the team as possible. I wouldn't be at all suprised if Giggs starts the game as well, though we all know how much of a gamble that will be. The formation will either be 4-3-3 or 4-4-2 with Rooney so deep lying it's almost 4-5-1.
The only certainties that i can see for Monday night are Evra, Brown and Ferdinand at the back, Carrick in the middle and Rooney up front. To me every other position is up for grabs. Some would say why is Valencia isn't there, to which i would answer, he hasn't quite been on song over the last few games. I expect he probably will play because of his workrate and strength and the fact that he had a pretty good game at the boo camp in January. I would like to see Nani start but i feel he may go with Giggs on the left who will do a Park and tuck inside, with Rooney dropping deep. We shall see.

It was ironic that Fergie began describing Jonny Evans as possibly the best defender in the country ahead of last Sunday's game. He wasn't the worst defender on the day by any means, but he didn't cover himself in glory in those last ten minutes. I still think he's a good player, but remain to be convinced he is near the level Fergie was putting him at. If we are to prevail on Monday he is going to have to be at his very best and both hime and Ferdinand will have to have better protection in front of them than they had against Everton who at times seemed to just run straight through the middle of our spine towards goal completely unopposed.

Bryan Robson believes a title win will be up their with the very best for Fergie, but whatever happens, the summer will see change. We can only hope.
Andy Mitten writes that even Fergie can't really tell you who United will be bringing in this summer. It's interesting that i have read a few times recently that United thought they had Alexis Sanchez from Udinese in the bag in the summer until Barca entered the scene. He was never really mentioned last summer when all the talk was about Nasri and Sneijder. He is a good player, but i'm not really sure he was really a priority last summer, unless he was first choice and Ashley Young was the fall back player. If that was the case then we miss the bus.

It's been fascinating watch the Murdoch's at the Leveson inquiry this week, bad memories must run in the genes. Harold Evans remembers his time at the Times under old Rupert documented in his memoir of the time, Good times, bad times and describes Murdoch's vivid imagination.
After James Murdoch's evidence and the publication of those embarrassing e-mails, Peter Oborne wonders whether topple David Cameron. As with others he believes Jeremy Hunt is being used as a human shield by Cameron and believes there is as t least the whiff of a bargain between Cameron and Murdoch, for News international to support the tories at the last election and for the tories to help News international's commercial interests, ie to take complete control of the cash cow that would have been BSkyB.   
Ian Martin reports on a surreal night that he saw Jeremy Hunt hide before a tree before a dinner with James Murdoch.

Topically Larry Elliott goes back to 1975 to remember the last time this country suffered a double dip recession and sees an economic disaster area that must make Osborne's prized triple AAA rating a certainty to be down graded.
David Blanchflower reminds the chancellor that he was warned and argues that it is time for a chancellor who at least understands the importance of growth. Fellow Keynesian Will Hutton tells us our Kamikaze chancellor has a primitive understanding of what makes capitalism tick and that whilst events in the Eurozone haven't helped, this recession was made in Britain. Paul Krugman remarks on Cameron's remarkable achievement and predicts that the coalition's economic strategy as a death spiral of self defeating austerity. Paul Mason describes Britains current economic position as fantasy island.

Prem Sikka argues that history teaches us that squeezing ordinary people's finances always leads to disaster and that the rate of wealth transference from employees to state to corporations is unmatched in any developed country.

Manchester United 4-4 Everton

Unbvelievable, you just couldn't write this script, Sky must be creaming themselves. All those, myslef included who thought the league was a done deal might have a lot of egg on our faces after next Monday night. One thing is for sure if we defend like that at the boo camp, we'll come away with nothing and deserve to come away with nothing.
Almost every team that has decided to give it a real go against us this season has joy, i won't say Everton came all guns blazing, but they competed right from the word go. In fact they set the template for the game right for the kick off keeping the ball and keeping it in our half for the first five minutes. Jelavic was a handful for our defenders as time and again he kept on finding himself in oceans of space. For some reason United were unable to deal with Fellaini yesterday, i'm no fan of his, but we just couldn't handle him yesterday.
It was another of those flat lethargic performances from United that i was hoping we had kicked out of our systems last week. It took that opening goal from Jelavic for United to get any rythm and puropse into the game. We looked shaky at the back, weren't controlling the game, Valencia wouldn't take his man on and only Nani was playing anywhere near his best. And it was from a superb Nani cross that Rooney headed his first of the game to send us in at the break all square.
United didn't really begin the second half much better than the first, but then Welbeck popped up with a stunning goal that seemed to spark him and the rest of the front line into life. Five minutes later Welbeck turned provider and Nani hit athird goal which we hoped would kill Everton's challenge off. No such luck, United went to sleep on our left hand side and Hibbert was given a free pass to put a cross in which Fellaini unmarker vollied home. It was apoor goal to give away whichever way you looked at it. United still looked the business going foward and when Rooney and Welbeck combined a la Cole and York at Barca in 99 for the fourth you hoped that this time we had sealed the three points. We weren't to know it at the time but Evra's header that hit the upright was to turn out to be crucial as United completely went to pieces at the back and Everton got a third and then two minutes later carved us open again to get an equaliser.
United went in search of a fifth and almost got it but for a magnificent save made by Howard from Ferdinand's left footed shot. So where are we now, well i have read the reports that put City as favourites and say it's in their hands. Obviously it tilts there way if they win, but it's also still in our hands, if we go there and get a result. Only a fool would predict anything ahead of next Monday night, the way this season has gone. And of course if the worst does happen next week, City have still got to go to St. James park to face a Necastle side fighting for a champions league. A city win would still not be the end of the title chase. How on earth have we got to this point after the City defeat at Arsenal. I suppose as was intimated in the latest issue of Red Iss United are probably in a false position, but we shouldn't have looked a gift horse in the mouth.
The crazy thing for me is that we have looked as good going forward in the last two weeks as at any time at any stage in the season. But yesterday we just went to pieces at the back, we never looked safe all game long and even at 4-2 i wanted a fifth because we needed that much insurance. Fergie has bigged up Rio's consistency over the second half of the season, but the fact remains he can't run and if a team really go at us we look vulnerable. Getting Vidic back next season must surely mean fare fewer performances for a man approaching 34 with a bad back who some games is barely mobile. 

Fergie was not a happy bunny after the game, we threw the game away, he said and told the press that next week will be the biggest derby he has been involved with. I'd love to know what tactics he will be taking into the match and what personnel. I would have expected us to either play a real 4-3-3 with Rooney up front on his own or a 4-4-2 with Rooney so deep he is almost in midfield. But after yesterday's defensive lapses i'm not sure how he will go.

A decent interview with Dani Alves in last week's Guardian. One of the most interesting snippet's is his description of Gareth Bale which i would completely agree with. If we had no debt and could compete at the top end of the market i would be attempting to buy him to replace Evra at left back. I find it hard to see Tottenham regaining form in time to reclaim a champions league spot, though the way this season has gone, who knows. If that did happen they will have a few unhappy players on their hands though, a second consecutive season without champions league football.

Will more follow the lead shown by the Danish government with the news that it has fired Moody's and was supported by the countries leading investors. It seems that the world's financier's are finally starting to be taken to task for the mess they landed us all in after the 2008 debacle. Barclays are leading the way in teir spat with pension funds over the renumeration policies.
David Blanchflower does a hatchet job on Mervyn King's time as a governor of the Bank of England and a couple of his minions along the way. He has to be right, he can't go down as a success in the job. Simon Nixon is equally critical of the Bank of England's performance over the last few years though he lumps that in with the rest of the econmics profession.

Larry Elliott argues that George Osborne's Friday bragging about austerity and the British economy is baloney. Robert Skidelsky says down with debt, calling for debt forgiveness, i don't think the Germans will buy that argument. William Keegan wonders why with recession and economic despair some commentators still fixate on an inflation rate rise of 0.1 % to 3.5%.

Will Hutton is not suprised by Argentina's oil grab and warns that it may become more common. He makes an interesting analogy between that and any Russian attempt by Gazprom to buy Centrica, not being in our national interest. I have thought for a few years now that our energy providers will be re-nationalised one day.

Steve Richards reckons David Cameron's problems stem from his government trying to do much, not too little, he doesn't buy the line that he is a dilettante prime minister as described by Anthony King a couple of weeks back. Peter Oborne points out a few home truths about the present governmenst predicaments to his critics on the right.

De Gea happy with life

De Gea has been pleased with his first season at United and is happy the fans are behind him, he thinks his last minute save at Stamford bridge was a turning point for both himself and for the club. I won't say i thought we had bought a dud, i very rarely do that after a single season, but until Lindegaard's injury we didn't really see the real Spaniard. But football can be cruel, and for Lindegaard doubly so, he was all to take the gloves for the rest of the season and then he gets a season ending injury. To make matters worse for him, having no competition for number one jersey seems to have relaxed De Gea and brought the best out of him. He certainly looks like he belongs now.

It's been almost as enjoyable watching some of the youth and reserve teams displays this season. In fact my three season highlights so far would be the 8-2 Arsenal game, then the 5-0 youth team win at Swansea, my personal favourite and then Monday night saw United's second eleven go to Newcastle needing a win to sow up the reserve title and winning 6-3. But that was only half the story, unbelievably United found themselves 3-0 down approaching half time only for Will Keane to produce two moments of genius to send us only one goal down at the break. I say unbelievably as United had looked good going forward, unfortunately our defending was shocking, playing as if they had never met before.
It was a pretty strong team with Pogba, Tunnciliffe, and Petrucci in midfield and against a team on a very poor run, United started the better but couldn't quite convert a couple of decent chances before going behind. The second half was a procession and once United took the lead it threatened to get embarrasing for the home team. Not far behind Keane in the man of the match stakes was Italian youngster Petrucci who was in the thick of the action and took his goal superbly. I can't see him making at United but he is talented, it's a pity he missed so much football due to injury. Although he has worked his way back to fitness and form he has never quite looked as quick and sharp as he was when he was in the youth team. I've no idea how reliable this is, but if true suggests that United still see something in him, a three year contract would be a big sign of faith.
The Paul Pogba saga just goes on and on, i see, what makes me laugh, is just how many people have actually watched him play this season. His performance in this match wasn't far off par for the course for the reserves, those two over hit free kicks in the first half were scandalous. The first can be put down to a mistake, but to do exactly the same thing again, not long after was a bit of a joke really. Sat watching the game when we were 3-0 down, i mentioned that the fuss around him was surreal really, from what i have seen of the reserves this season and from last years youth team campaign Will Keane looks nearer to being a first team player. How prescient was that.
Another to sadly disappoint was Ryan Tunnicliffe, i had read good things about his loan spell at Peterborough but he hasn't really shown much since coming back to United. When you look at his contribution to the game compared to the unsung Jessie Lingard who goes about his business, has a hand in three of the goals, could have had one himself and yet never seemingly has his praises sung.

The future for Fabio seems to be up in the air still as Ian Herbert of the Indy claims Fergie would prefer him to stay in the premier league. He writes the feeling at the club is that Fabio needs to come out of his shell to develop his game away from his brother.
It will be inetersting all round to see which youngsters are sent out on loan and who stays at the club next season. Does Will Keane stay at the club with Berbatov and possibly Owen surplus to requirements or does he go out on loan to gain valuable first team experience. To me he is the nearest of the youngsters to potential first team material. No doubt Fergie is already planning all this in his mind as i type.

De Marcos of Athletic Bilbao is our latest target according to this morning's press, a hard working skillful central midfielder, surely this can't be true. No seriously he had two cracking games against us and looked a good player, though when i watched Bilbao in the next round it has to be said he didn't scale the same heights. Let's hope that dossier is thicker than a couple of games long.

Gary Neville thinks Ryan Giggs could and should carry on playing into his forties, seeing no reason why he can't still be playing for the first team when he is 42. I'd agree with that though i don't think he will be getting as much first team playing time asl last season. Will he be happy with that situation i suppose would be the call he will have to make.
It can't be as easy to keep a steady level of form going the less you are playing. The reason Scholes has been such a revelation since he returned from retirement has been that he has been basically playing every weekend .


I caught up with Dominic Sandbrook's new series about the seventies on i player last night and was pleased to see it was pretty good, with some an idiosyncratic take on a few things. He put forward a compelling case for his theory that it was home ownership that made Thatcher and not the other way round. Either way it hasn't been beneficial to the British economy in the long run, i know sub prime started in the States but we obviously had crazy lending over here.
The Mail of all papers report on this countries interest-only mortage time bomb, 4 million UK borrowers face losing homes when rates go back up. I suppose the upside for those unlucky millions is that interest rates aren't going up any time soon. I don't know what will happen when they do go back up though as it's obvious that our economy couldn't survive such a catastophe.
The good news was that unemployment went down slightly this month, i don't think anyone was predicting that. The bad news, Faisal Islam reports, is long term unemployment is likely to stay high and that rather than the workforce skilling up there are likely to be more wokers dropping there aspirations to compete at the low skilled end of the market.
Max Hastings argues that we must hammer rich tax dodgers rather than charities, i actually think the government are on the right lines on this subject. The bankers and there city chums still don't get it, it seems, but a wind, there is a blowing, he says hopefully. Barclays, Bob Diamond and the rest of the usual suspects have been coming under fire from dangerous quarters in recent weeks.

Faisal Islam and Larry Elliott comment on the IMF's world economic outlook published earlier this week, with Larry Elliott welcoming a less slavish attitude to neo-liberal orthodoxy from the organisation under Olivier Blanchard. Jeremy Warner isn't as impressed, but sees some hope for the Euro, in the long term though, as he argues that keeping the Eurzone together, as painful as it will be for the Germans to bail out the south, would be far less pleasant than seeing it all go to the wall.
Another cracking column from Aditya Chakrabortty spelling out the failure of the economics profession and of the political scientists and sociologists in failing to offer any alternatives.

Music

Bowerbirds - The clearing: More indie pop than the indie folk of their last album Upper air, but just as good a listen, probably more radio friendly.

First aid kit - The Swedish sisters leave the more leftfield Kate Bush type Big black & the blue for a more coventional american sound. I like it, there a couple of belters on it, i'm not sure whether i prefer it to their previous album or not.

Lambchop - Mr. M: I have to be in the mood to listen to these usually, i like them but even for me it's dark and moody. But this is as good as i have heard from them, every track a winner.

Laura Gibson - Tragedy: This has had some rave reviews and it mostly lives up to the hype, it's cracking left field americana. As has been mentioned in some of the reviews the best song sounds very Calexico like, but Calexico at their very best.

Mark Lanegan band - Blues Funeral: Over the last decade Lanegan hasn't really done average or alright, and he hasn't with this. Outstanding album, that gravelly voice is as good as it gets and it rocks effortlessly when he decides to go for it.

Various artists - Simla 70 -71: I love this kind of late 60's early 70's psychedelia, but never really thought i would listen to as good a compilation from India.

Manchester United 4-0 Aston Villa

That was more like it, the first half in particular was the best football we have seen from United in quite a while. Though Villa probably had their best moment and possibly their best chance in the very first minute, it ended with a tame shot straight at De Gea. United started at a higher tempo, Welbeck for one seemed to have whatever shackles had been on him removed, it makes a big difference to United when he plays well. The only thing missing from his game was any luck in front of goal until a minute from half time anyway. Every time he was in, a defender would make a great block or Given would make a fantastic save as when the cross from the right hit Welbeck more than Welbeck hit the ball.
Of course it always helps to get an early goal, and that we got through a contentious incident involving Ashley Young for the second week running. I haven't seen it again yet and even though it was right in front of me, i don't know whether it was or wasn't. I do know he went down like he had been shot which didn't look too good it has to be said. Rooney made no mistake and any nerves quickly dissipated as United looked for the second, attacking more fluently than we have seen in weeks. Scholes was in imperious form and hit a couple of long range shots from corners that reminded us of his real glory days.
For all United's pressure the second goal wouldn't come, until Villa switched off at the back as Evra attacked put in a cracking cross from the left low acroos the six yard box. It should have been cleared but the Villa defender Baker left the ball, probably fearing he'd score an own goal only to see it fall to Welbeck who made no mistake. Just what the doctor ordered a second goal before half time.
United slackened off for some reason at the beginning of the second half, when a quick third was surely the game plan to take players off and give Cleverley and Nani to name two some minutes on the pitch. I have been saying it for a bit, but even though Rooney has been amongst the goals, his actual play has been very in and out. Yesterday despite the two goals it was a lot more out than in, his first touch and passing got worse the longer the game went on. He nearly managed to make a mess of his second goal.
It was nice to see Nani back in the team and even though he wasn't at the top of his game, understandably, he still showed why he offers far more than Young on the left, cutting inside and taking his man on, on the outside. In the short time that he was on the pitch he put one on a plate for Berbatov who should have done better and then added the fourth in the dying minutes.
So we cut City's goal difference to a more tolerable level, but the big plus on the day for me was that we actually scored a few goals and that we created more chances than we have for quite a time. A performance like that next week against Everton should insure we got the boo camp with the five point lead intact and give us that nice little cushion. I won't tempt fate by mentioning what else it means.

Fergie admits that Ashley young overdid the fall but is adamant that it was a penalty. He was none too pleased with Rooney's performance and said that Rooney needs to play on the edge, well he should be up for the day out at the council house then.

Meanwhile Fergie is already planning ahead for next season and he has told Fabio that he needs regular football next season and is sending him out on loan to make sure that this happens. The Telegraph report that it will be for one season at Benfica as part of a transfer deal that will see Macheda also go to Lisbon and see Gaitan come to United. The part about Fabio going there makes sense with him speaking Portugese, but as to the Gaitan part who knows, it's been reported and rubbished too many times to be sure what's going on there. I will say from what little i have seen off him, i like him and would welcome the move if true.
'
Weekend reports that the Glazer's Singapore IPO is to be re-launched this summer are wide of the mark according to a gimps spokesman the MEN claim today.

Lancashire didn't have the best start to the defence of their county championship title, the ten wicket defeat was a bit of a mauling to say the least.

Larry Elliott writes that the Eurzone single currency has arrived at a three pronged fork in the road.

Reuters Nick Edwards claims that China's weekend currency reforms means that fears of a hard landing for the Chinese economy can be discounted. Will Hutton isn't as sanguine about the long term prospects for the Chinese state never mind the economy warning, beyond the scandal lies a crisis at the heart of China's legitimacy.

Ginger prince to the rescue !

I wonder if there are a few pundits who are regretting handing the title already to United earlier this week in the press. Henry Winter put our likely triumph to Fergie's man management skills, claiming that the game is about character as well as about tactics and skill. Actually that is part of his skill, it was interesting watching his response to the press after the game and noticing the marked difference to Mancini's bumbling efforts recently. Unlike earlier in the season, all the praise was for the opposition, you wouldn't have thought we had got totally outplayed by a team near the botton. Keep clam and carry on was the message, which of course is experience that he himself had to learn after the 91-92 title run collapsed under the wight of expectation.

The season's saviour will return to the team for Sunday's encounter with Villa on Sunday afternoon. I wonder if Fergie regrets not having him on the bench at least during Wednesday's clash at Wigan. Before he made his comeback i had lamented the fact of his retirement after the home defeat to Blackburn as the kind of game we probably wouldn't have lost with him in the team. Of course that's a pretty damning indictment of the rest of the squad, but there you go.
Fergie also said that Wednesday's defeat should be put into context after the excellent un we have just had. As bad as Wednesday was i'd go along with that to the extent that we really had no right to expect the kind of run we have just gone on, given the fixtures involved, the injuries we have suffered and really the mostly moderate form we have shown.

Andy Mitten writes how United themselves are shocked that they are in the position they are in after the season of injuries and squad transition. Interesting to note that within the club there is a recongnition of what a fair few of us believe that the premier league is as weak as it's been for some time. I can't really believe that anybody can argue the case against, i have read Gary Nevilee explain he thinks that it's a blip, can anybody seeing it being that much better next season. If we spend some money we may be better equipped, the same could go for Arsenal if Van Persie stays and maybe with one season's more experience, City will be better equipped for European top level football. But will we be that much nearer Barca or Real, it's hard to see.

Ferdinand is close to ten years at the club and claims he aims to play and stay as long as he can. Well maybe, he has been absolutley vital to our title challenge this season, but when Vidic comes back next season you would expect our Serbian captain to be the ever present at the back next season. After the season Evans has had and the progress he has made during the title run in, and as along as he carries on the good form the long term future of the club demands that he partner him really. Of course there are those who argue Evans plays better with Rio rather than Vidic and i wouldn't really dissent from that view myslef. In fact i would even say that Vidic plays better with Ferdinand next to him. We could do with Smalling having an injury free season next year so he can start to make the progress we need to see in his game.

With season ticket renewal time just around the corner and any price increase also near MUST call on the Glazer's to cut ticket prices. That's obviously never going to happen, which they must know, but will they keep ticket prices basically frozen as they did last year. My bank balance certainly hopes so. Would ticket price freezes be good news for the supposed IPO that we keep being told is going to happen later in the year.

Andy Cole disparages the notion of playing semi finals at Wembley in an absolutely bang on column, and he is as right for the fans as for players in saying that semi finals are usually better than the finals that follow them. That is obviously even more the case now as if you get through the semi it just feels like one more trip to make instead of the big day out it used to be, however umemorable most finals were.

I'm no fan of Alan Davies but i can't see what he said wrong of Liverpool's refusal to play football on the anniversary of the Hillsbrough disaster. As far as i know every other club that has suffered disasters throughout their history manage to do it.
Talking of which David Conn looks at the actions of the South Yorkshire police and it's handling, should that be mishandling of the battle of Orgreave and the Hillsbrough tragedy. The allegations have the ring of truth about them.

The budget aftermath just keeps on coming as fuck up after fuck up is picked up by interested parties and the press. Richard Murphy asks if we have reached a tipping point on tax avoidance. Whilst Polly Toynbee harps back to an old hobby horse of hers asking for the tax and finances of every citizen to be made open to public scrutiny. Camilla Swift looks at the case of Norway, one of the Scandanavian countries that alreay operate a scheme like this.

The Euro nightmare has resurfaced this week, Amrose Evans- Pritchard reports that Spanish Bond yields head back to the dangerous 6% mark. Jonathan Portes describes the European commision as doing its best to destroy the Spanish economy. Charlemagne in the Economist warns the Europe must think the unthinkable, as the worst outcome would be a disorderly break up of the Eurozone.

Paul Krugman argues we are already in a great depression and it could be a long time before we get out of it.

It' been an interesting couple of months in China to put it mildly, Martin Jacques explains why Beijing's current power struggle is more important than the forthcoming US presidential election. Jonathan Fenby argues China is deeply flawed and its future domiance is not inevitable. I have recently bought a couple of his books on Chinese history, though it will be a while before i get around to reading them as i'm trying to rip through everything i have got about Lloyd George at the moment.
The Economist plots the recent downfall of Bo Xilai in what surely the most surreal political story around at the moment. 

There is some cracking stuff on this psychedelic compilation from India of all places.
 

Wigan Athletic 1-0 Manchester United

Squeaky bum time has come to us over confident reds, of who i'll have to admit i was one. I expected us to win last night, or at the very least, to not get beat. A look at the table and a look at the form, not with standing Wigan's recent resurgence suggested United's unbelievable record against the pie eaters would continue. In fact i was even talking about how we shouldn't want Wigan to go down really, before the game because they were a guaranteed six points a season. Famous last words.
But though the result was a shock to the system, it probably shouldn't have been. We have been getting results without really playing well for quite a while now. In fact, one of the remarkable facets of that run was just how rarely we have really put a top performance in. How many times have we said we didn't really play that well, but we got the three points and that's all that matters at this stage of the season. Of course the three points are paramount but performance levels do matter as well and we couldn't really carry on as we had been without being brought back down to earth somewhere. It's just that last night seemed the least likely time for it to happen.
I didn't have too many concerns about the team selection except a slight worry about Jones at right back who seems, to borrow a horse racing term, to have gone over the top for this season. His early season form and confidence seems to have disappeared since the injuries he suffered after the new year. But Rafael wasn't that brilliant either on Sunday so if there was a game to give him a run out during the run in, last night seemed as good as any i suppose. On the night, whilst not being terrible he wasn't the force of earlier in the season.
The first few minutes gave cause for slight concern as amazingly United just couldn't get hold of the ball, not a usual occurence against Wigan of course. After twenty minutes or so of that Fergie was furiously on the touchline giving Rooney tactical instructions. I suppose you have to give Martinez credit as his tactics took United by suprise and for the first half worked a treat. They flooded the midfield and completely stifled our wide men at the same time. So United hardly saw the ball and when we did we couldn't do anything with it.
For all their possession Wigan didn't really create much, but did manage to find the back of the net only to see it ruled out. I couldn't really see much wrong with it at the time and replays didn't suggest much either. But as the saying goes, decisions tend to even themselves out and the two decisions that went against us in the second half gave that some credence.
Fergie had to change something at half time and did so by bringing Cleverley on and matching their three men in midfield by putting Rooney wide on the left. Young who hadn't managed to get into the game in an attacking mode, but to be fair to him worked hard, made way. The change made some sense, but leaving Hernandez up top on his own in a front three didn't, as we have seen time and time again, it's not a situation that brings the best out of him. Unsuprisingly Welbeck was brought on with about half an hour to go.
But it wasn't just being out numbered in midfield that had hindered, but yet again, the way United can't handle teams getting about us, working hard, dare i say it wanting it more. As i have been banging on about for half this season it seems, the pace of our game is just too slow, there is not enough energy. Giggs took some stick last night in the boozer i watched it in and it has to be said he hasn't been at his best recently. People were moaning about his work rate, but that's not what he is picked for, he's picked to bring experience and vision that are needed in the tight games, a la Norwich. My theory is that since Scholes has come back, Giggs hasn't really played enough football, hence the slump in form. I'm not really sure what we can do about that. Of course one answer is, that we really shouldn't be relying on a 37 and a 38 old, but we do and that's where we are. Hopefully Cleverley will have an injury free season next year and maybe Pogba will start to come through, if he does actually stay that is. But we really do need at least one extra quality midfielder at the club for next season if we are to stay competitive, but how long have we been saying that for.
Of couse their goal when it came, didn't see the officials or Wayne Rooney's defensive qualities at their best. It never even looked like a corner, no wonder Jones couldn't believe it had been given. But Rooney was beaten far too easily to allow Maloney the room to hit a superb bending shot that De Gea couldn't save. United huffed and puffed after that but never really looked like blowing the Wigan defence down. Once again if the opposition can put a straight jacket around Valencia United's attack looks far short of the creativity that's needed to open up a determined defence. The frustration eventually stated to get to Valencia last night and as the game went on he got progressively worse. I thhink he is a cracking player, but even his biggest fans have to admit he is very one dimnesional.
So it was nice to see Nani come back to the squad and it was when he was brought on instead of Rooney that United actually started to look like they may eventually hace a goal in them. But was Fergie right to take off Rooney, i'm not sure to be honest, he is our most likely goalscorer but he hasn't actually been playing that well recently, he has been giving it away outside the area just as much as everybody else, maybe Fergie was sending a message to Rooney and the rest of the squad.
United should have had a penalty, but it was one of those nights and we didn't get. I can't complain too much we didn't really deserve anything out of the game, getting a penalty looked about the only way we would score on the night, which says it all.
I have always been an optimist and i still think we'll win the league, but not so much because of my confidence in United, more in that i think City will drop points on Tyneside and Norwich away won't be an easy game for them either. Though i think they will be glad to play their game before us this weekend. I suppose it spoke volumes for City at the moment that when the pressure was seemingly off them, they put in their most convincing result in weeks. Of course with the gap back at 5 points and a sniff of the title back in their nostrils the pressure is back on them, how will they handle it this time.

Fergie wasn't thrilled by the officials but concedes that United didn't deserve anything from the game. Mancini tries to take the pressure of by claiming the title race is finished, and that's just not mind games.

Rene Meulensteen admits Fergie's recent vist to watch Lille was to have a look at Belgian international Eden Hazard. Unless United actually know they already have him tied up, i'd think that means he won't end up at United next season. United don't announce to the world who they are going to sign any more, that just leaves City and the rest to offer the player more money.
So presuming he is a red herring, who are we looking at. I have to admit that quite like the look of Gaitan at Benfica, especially as he can play on the left. My worry there would be his nationality. Once Real or Barca come in for him he would be off there in a shot. After that i'm not sure, i didn't think Eriksen of Ajax stood out enough against us and i'm not convinced about Dortmund's Japanese international we have been linked with either.
A couple of years down the line Daehli will have matured enough to start to force his way into the squad, he really looks a special talent to me, then there is the Belgian already at the club Perreira, he is only 16 but he looks like he could be some player, though we have of course said that before. There are plenty of top prsopects at the club. What we really want is a 28 to 30 year old experienced top class midfielder to get us through the next few years.
If Fergie isn't convinced that Fabio can do the job at left back then a replacement for Evra has to be a big priority, sad to say the Frenchmen has become almost as big a liabilty in the premier league as he he has been at champions league level for a couple of seasons now. I suppose the fact that Evra has been almost the only ever present amongst that back four for the last couple of seasons hasn't helped his game. I wouldn't write him off totally yet, but we have to be looking at an eventual replacement or at the least, somebody to back him up and give him the odd game off.

It was a busy weekend for the younger reds earlier in the week with the under 19's playing in a tournament in Dallas, the squad comprised mostly of our youth team. They acquitted themselves well getting to the final only to lose 2-1. An under 17 tournament held in Amsterdam saw a squad made up mainly of our academy also get to a final against hosts Ajax only to get beat on penalties after surrendering a two goal lead. Daehli once again took the eye in a final that i saw on Eurosport. United played pretty well, they were definitely the better football side but ran out of legs in the last ten minutes on a tiring pitch. Hopefully i'll get to see the highlights of the rest of the tournament.
It's a big night on Friday as the youngsters take on Chelsea in the semi final second leg of the FA Youth cup. It will be a hard task but i wouldn't put it past them to turn it around, the first goal will probably be crucial.

Paul Wilson argues that this seasons premier league woes reveal the strength's in the English game as well as the flaws. I don't really buy that, i have heard others say that United and City didn't treat the competition as seriously as the champions league, did they watch City for the last twenty minutes of their tie at home to Porto, they tried all right.
And United were trying all right, just because they decided the tie was gone in the second half doesn't mean that we weren't giving it our all in the rest of that tie against Bilbao. The plain fact was that we weren't good enough over the two legs and Fergie knew it, and he knows that it's back to the drawing board as far as the team and the tactics are concerned, next season in the Champions league

Manchester United 2-0 Q.P.R

I have to admit i couldn't wait for yesterday, i couldn't see us not taking care of Q.P.R and i couldn't see City coming away with the three points they needed if we did the business. So safe to say yesterday turned into some Sunday, when that goal went in at the Emirates the Tollgate fucking exploded.
As for the games themselves they didn't really go the way i thought they would, i didn't expect us to make such heavy weather of a team who are probably destined to go back down to the championship after the briefest of stays in the premier league. And even though Arsenal took the three points they made harder work of it than i thought they would, especially given City's abject performance. I suppose i shouldn't have been suprised at United's laboured performance, i mean when was the last time we really did play well. I know that this is the stage of the season when it's results that matter not performances but yesterday showed why the Champions league isn't on the agenda in May.
The opening goal set the tone for the match with away team giving away a penalty and going down to ten men. Needless to say TV pictures showed that Young was actually offside and shall we say made the most of Derry' challenge. Things don't go for you when you're at the bottom as Wigan would no doubt testify after Saturday's daylight robbery at Stamford bridge.
The sending off may well have set the tone for the rest of the match, Q.P.R's match tactics had been to get everybody behind the ball anyway, after going down to ten men, nothing really changed except they became even more determined to keep the scoreline down. It may well have affected United as with the comfort of the one goal lead and the man extra United didn't exactly bust a gut to try breaking down the defensive wall the visitors had set up. There were a lot of moans in the crowd about United trying to walk the ball into the net, but that is what we should be good enough to do. If we want to be competitive in Europe we have to be quicker and more imaginative than we were yesterday.
We were a little better in the second half and were probably unlucky to only come away with only the two goals. Rafael was unlucky with his effort and Carrick even more so, that would have been one of the goals of the season but for the woodwork. It was left to that man, Paul Scholes to settle the game with a superb shot from outside the box. Desperate or not, his decision to come out of retirment was absolutely crucial to what looks like a 20th title. One little bonus from the day was Cleverley's introduction late on, for the first time since his second lenghty lay off he looked like the man who got us so excited earlier in the season. I know it was only against ten men, but even so it was a encouraging.
To be honest the most exciting part of the day was getting back to the Tollgate to watch City throw the towel in. Arsenal started as i expected throwing everything at City but when the goal didn't come i thought City would start to get back into the game, a decent side would have. Of course City are a decent side but they don't seem to have any bottle or any togetherness either. I would have settled for a draw, but that late goal was just dream time really. I still have to pinch myself thinking that we are going to collect that 20th league title, our football has been very mundane after that first month of false promise, but beating them to the title, especially after that disastrous derby mauling at our place has made it oh so special.

Gary Neville talks about the changing mentality surrounding diving and gamesmanship. Fergie heaped the praise on Scholes after the game emphasising his importance to our improved form since he returned to the squad, I didn't know we had taken 34 out of 36 points since his return, that's some record. Giggs takes the piss, i presume the massive is a dig at our noisy neighbours.

William Keegan tells Osborne that he must learn from history and admit his mistakes. I'm slowly coming to the conclusion that he would gladly take being a one term chancellor if the tory can make the changes to the NHS, keeping the City happy and ruthlessly cutting the size of public sector workforce that Labour would probably be too craven to reverse.
Larry Elliott warns that preventing the next housing bubble must be a priority for the Bank of England.

Fergie's finest ?

I don't know whether the journo's get bored of writing these Fergie's finest moments, but i can't say i get bored of reading them, though it seems a touch on the realy side for Daniel Taylor have penned it. It has to be up there amongst his finest prmier league title triumphs, for any number of reasons. The loss of so much experience, even if we did get Scholes back half way through this season and how vital has that been. An ever changing back four, mainly injury induced and a young foreign goalie whose English wasn't great. And finally a midfield that has needed rejuvenation for a couple of seasons at least, that lost the hoped for coming man Cleverley and during December saw Rooney moved back to admittedly better effect than i expected.
A season that has seen Carrick and Evra at centre half and Park and Fabio in central midfield at one point and Valencia wasted at right back at others and yet if things go according to form we won't just beat money bags City to the title we could win it by as big a margin as we have won it by for a few years. The football hasn't been great and i would think there will be a few changes in the summer, with a couple more, other than Berbatov on his way out. But it's not been that bad for a team in transition, again. We have truly been spoilt under Fergie's leadership. As Robert Duvall as Colonel Kilgore said in Apocalypse now, someday this wars going to end, so one day will Fergie's time as manager. A day every United fan must dread and every fan of every other club yearn for.

Valencia is going to need an operation at the end of the season, but apparently wants to delay it so that he can play for Ecuador in a couple of world cup qualifiers in June. A hard decision for United, you would ideally want him to get a full pre-season in, but you also want to keep the player happy. I suspect they will take the latter option.
Rio Ferdinand belives this has been a tough league this season, with the improvement of City and teams like Swansea and Norwich coming up and playing football. English football's record in Europe tells a different story. Obviously those two promoted teams have played good footbal and deserve to be where they are in the league, but for all that there has been some special matches, the fact that United defensive record is only marginally worse than City's and could be the best in the league by the end of the season, after our injury nightmare during the first half of the season tells you the quality of defence has not been the best.

The mail claim United and Chelsea are in a race to capture Broussia Dortmund's Japanese international Shinji Kagawa. I have seen a little bit of Dortmund in the Bundesliga over the past month and i can't say he has stood out to me. If there was any truth in this, the cynic in me would say that with Park's United career winding down the Glazer's are desperate for another Asian star at the club for "commercial reasons".

Andrew Cole thinks Mancini's mistakes have hurt City in the title chase. I think that's obvious to everybody, not just reds and probably blues. His statements have been absolutley bizarre at times, slagging Balotelli off in public, saying United wouldn't win at Blackburn and claiming if City go eight points behind on Sunday the title race is over. Regardless of the fact in the latter case he is surely right, you don't say it publicaly.
If the manager throws the towel in, what does he expect his players to do, i have to wonder more and more whether he knows he is on his way out at the end of the season.

This article for Labour Uncut describes why Ken Livingstone's candidacy for mayor of London could end up hurting the party very badly, not just in London but nationwide. I have never had much time for the newt lover, he has always been an opportunist to me, and his current campaign is just confirming that ssumption with knobs on.

Frasier Nelson has a decent piece on the current controversy over the government's plans for national security and civil liberies. Naturally i would be against, it's just another land grab by security interest that once given up will take years to claw back.
But the part that really interested me was his description of Clegg's part in the mess. You really do have to wonder some times how much of a Liberal Clegg really is, how could he not know that he grass roots and even his back benchers would be up in arms over this. Every time he puts in a performance like this surely his standing in the party must be less and less secure, what on earth are the Lib dems actually for if they coalesce in putting this act onto the statute books.

Interesting times in Italy as the Northern league's Umbert Bossi gets the old heave ho. I suppose you would have to say you couldn't make it up, the party that only came into being to protest about corruption and government largesse south of Rome and here they are, in it up to their necks along with everybody else. John Foot tweeted yesterday that it was no coincidence that this has come out now Berlusconi is no longer in power.

Music

Arctic Monkeys - Suck it and see: They seemed to change their musical direction in more of a heavy rock style on their last album with reasonable if not really memorable results. This is an improvement, an excellent album with better and more memorable tunes.

Avishai Cohen - Seven seas: I like this fusion of jazz with north African influences well to the fore from the Israeli born bassist.

Darondo - Listen to my song (music city sessions): Another lost classic from the seventies, it's amazing music as good as this never found an audience. Funk/soul at its very best, right from the first track there's a great groove, and to think these were only sessions.

Jonti - Twirligig: Catchy electronica from the Australian based South African, there are influences galore, pop, techno and bits of hip hop.This track reminds me of Aussie outfit The Avalanches.

The Juan Maclean - Everybody get close: I loved his first techno album Less than human and this carries on the good work from that. Hints of New Order every now and then, though it's more aimed at the dancefloor than indie cross over.

White Denim - Last days of summer: This is more like a session or B-sides album and so doesn't really show the group at their excellent best. It still has it's moments, at times more pop than the first two proper albums.

Blackburn Rovers 0-2 Manchester United

City gave us an opening on Saturday and last United took full advantage, it took 80 minutes to break through but they showed great patience, experience shone through. Thankfully it was a far better performance than we saw last Monday against Fulham and it probably needed to be as the home team are obviously fighting for their lives and didn't make it easy for United.
I can't say i was that enamoured with the team selection, i didn't mind the change to 4-3-3, my beef was with playing Hernandez up front on his own. To be fair Hernandez didn't have a bad game and if luck had been on his side he would have been on the scoresheet, but the woodwork and Robinson conspired to keep him off it. United started far better than we have of late, keeping possession and looking likely to penetrate the home teams rearguard far more than we did last Monday. Blackburn got everybody behind the ball and we hardly saw them as an attacking force until just before half time. But they then created two pretty good chances and De Gea had to be at the top of his game to keep them out. The injury to Lindegaard was very unfortunate for him, but it looks like it has been the making of the Spaniard who is now beginning to seriously look the part. What has been most impressive recently is how he can be out of the game for long periods but do the business when required, which is just what a top class goalie at top club needs to be able to do. It looks like our scouting system deserves some gold stars for picking him out to replace Van Der Sar.
United came out in the second half determined to stick to the game plan and kept plugging at it. Unfortunately it wasn't really happening and as time went on i started to look at my watch, but though we weren't really creating real clear cut chances the team never seemed to panic. The bench was the strongest it has been in ages and that couldn't have come at a better time. Fergie brought Welbeck and Giggs on as United started to really turn the screw. But it was United's man of the moment who cracked open the home teams defence with another great run and finish with the outside of his boot. I thought he meant it, even though after the game he said it was fifty fifty, it wouldn't have been a very good cross anyway.
Just to emphasis the depth and strength of the squad it was third substitute Ashley Young who made sure of the points with an excellent shot five minutes from time. He probably feels hard done to, having been on the bench for the last two games, though i'm sure a championship medal will soothe that pain. The scene has now been set for what promises to be a very significant Sunday afternoon in the 2011-2012 title chase. If we do the business on Sunday against QPR at Old trafford the pressure on City at the Emirates will be something else. I shouldn't tempt fate but i thoroughly expect United to have on hand on that championship trophy on Sunday night as i can't City getting anything Arsenal

The late goals were typical Manchester United Fergie told the press after last nights welcome victory. His hugging of the touchline showed that Fergie knw how important last night was and probably he was as tense as most of us fans.

Andrew Cole wrote ahead of the weekends fixtures about experience counting at this stage of the season and thinks we will find out how much City are made of in the coming months. Paul Parker thinks Viera's behaviour has been embarrasing for Manchester City and that their actions in banning the reporter who quoted Viera was small time.

It was fitting that such a big match in our season was played out in front of our biggest away following of the season who didn't let the team down with a top performance of the pitch. A lot of talk about crowd atmosphere recently, most of it negative. The atmosphere has been dire for a few years now, but this season has been a nadir, especially when we have witnessed the top backing that Ajax and Bilbao brought to Old Trafford. It seems to me even the club bigwigs have become embarrassed how quiet it has become.
Whether the new proposals for a singing section if and when the away fans are moved to tier three and that corner is adopted as a new singing section will work, i don't really know. It really depends on whether the club want it to work, it seems to me. If the stewards behave as they do everywhere else, telling them to sit down at every opportunity it will be a damp squib.
Putting the disabled scetion in K-stand was a big factor in destroying the atmosphere,  it would be great if that could be moved and the old K-stand atmosphere could be recreated. Even if it does work and the crowd to their left join in the disabled section will probably stop the atmosphere going round the ground. I suppose anything is better than nothing. I wonder whether it's Fergie and the players who have urged the clubs suits to do something, it must be like playing at a church sometimes.
I watched the Bundesliga game between Dortmund and Stuttgart of Friday night which was a storming 4-4 game played in front of the kind of atmopshere that we can only reminisce about nowadays. And it has to be said, it's hard to see how you could ever hope to replicate that kind of atmosphere without a return to standing at matches. That wall end that Broussia Dortmund have created is absolutely the dogs bollocks.

Anandu Unnikrishnan writes come in munber thirteen your time is up, claiming Park is not the player he was. We will see if whether the oft quoted " he's only here to sell shirts ", really holds any water this summer i feel. It can't have gone unnoticed by the player himself that Fergie doesn't really seem to have the same faith in the player as he did. He hasn't really started too many matches this season and hasn't had the best of times when he got on the park. It seems to me that the way Barca have changed the bar with their play and tactics have made players such as Park redundant.
At the age of 31 you wonder whether Park himself is happy to be playing a bit part role for the club with just a few years left in the game. As for United with Pogba and Cleverley coming more into the picture next season would any money from a Park sale free up funds to bring in some much needed new blood.

It's not been a great couple of weeks for blues whether football or politics. Andrew Sissons argues that with our economy on the edge, two key factors inturning things around will be exports and productivity.
Phillip Inman looks at a chancellor who wants to tap into a world awash with money instead of turning Britain into a country who earns its own money. 
Even institutions as conservative as the Dallas federal reserve think that banks are too big and too powerful writes Robert Reich.

Larry Elliott argues that the shock Bradford by election result was a symptom of the north south divide, other countries have their depressed regions but nowehere else are they so big and the will to fix them so little.

The New Yorker takes a look at how the Daily Mail conquered England, interestingly that it specifies England and not the UK. I wonder whether it sells as many copies in the north and midlands as it does in the south. It has been the one of, if not, the biggest critics of the BBC's move north. The Daily Fail is a decent nickname.