A MANCHESTER UNITED FANS VIEW

Apology accepted !

2012-02-14T16:33:00.000Z

United issued a statement thanking Liverpool for the apologies issued yesterday after Saturday's events yesterday afternoon, and now hope the issue can put to bed.
We can all put two and two together, i'm just amazed it took so long for the owners on the other side of the Atlantic to knock some heads together to act in a manner that was yet more continual shots to the clubs foot. No doubt the fact that the non handshake made the New York Times yesterday and Boston's and worry that that the whole sorry saga would start to hurt the Liverpool "brand" concentrated minds yesterday.
Ian Ladyman hit the nail on the head in the Mail today, Dalglish's handling of this affair has been woeful , he's made himself and his club a laughing stock. It's blindingly obvious that his apology has been forced on him, i was looking forward to readin the latest Red iss this weekend, there were supposed to be some juicy bits about the inner goings on at Anfield since this affair broke. I wouldn't be suprised if neither of the villain's of the piece will be at Anfield come the beginning of next season.
Kenny's golfing pals are trying to let Dalglish down gently, blaming Suarez for letting Dalglish and the club down. Hansen used his Telegraph column to argue that Suarez's actions were quite simply incomprehensible, of course he is talking about a man that was known as the cannibal of Amsterdam after his time at Ajax. During this whole affair i've not heard a single commentator mention the fact that he has form for being an absolute aresole.

I mentioned my disappointment at not being able to read the latest Red Iss, i had read that something had happened before the game, so i wasn't toally suprised to see no sellers on Matt Busby way. I guessed correctly as it turned out, that the only possible reason could be the Suarez picture. GMP police seem to be getting as bad as the club over the last couple of years, though in this instance the club had nothing to do with it.
Mick Hume correctly argues that this anti-racist censorship should make us all see read. How on earth could this be accused of being provocative, who was at home on Saturday. After learning what had gone on, i half expected the police to try and arrest Evra on the pitch for celebrating in front of his own fans at the end.

Lest we forget a game went on on Saturday morning, David Pleat writes that United's old guard were too slick for too defensive Liverpool. I have to admit to a bit of a concern with th side when i saw that both Scholes and Giggs were picked to start. I'm not sure why, especially at home, that side was certainly better than Liverpool's, helped by the fact Dalglish didn't pick Bellamy.
There has been a lot of suprise at the form of Scholes, count me out of that. I have always thought he could play until he was 40 if he wanted, pace isn't a part of his game. Not playing regularly enough was behind his less than stellar form last season. So the one benefit of our injury problems is he can play reasonably regularly. He won't play in Amsterdam obviously, erm i think he won't anyway, but if he is used similarly to Giggs there is no reason why he can't give us another season after this.
It hasn't taken long for Scholes for England bandwagon to start, with the heir apparent Redkanpp claiming he would take Scholes in the summer if he were manager of England. Well he's giving him enough notice, unlike Capello ahead of South Africa.

Ryan Giggs tells Mark Ogden that playing in central midfield has helped in prolonging his career and he could tell the difference in his body after playing on the left wing on Saturday. It was noticeable he wasn't quite on his game against the dippers, you felt that when it went to 2-0 if Nani had been on the other wing we would have really opened them up. He can still do a job there though, who was it that crossed for Hernandez's equaliser at Stamford bridge.
He's right about the pre-match handshake, yet another ridiculous Sky invention that the game would do well to see the back off, Liverpool must surely agree with that at least.

Another good win for reserves against Bolton last night as Paul Pogba headed the winner in a 2-1 victory that looked like it was never going to come as United missed some sitters as well as seeing the away goalie make a couple of tasty saves. I was suprised Pogba started to be honest i thought he would be in contention for Thursday night. Apparently Fergie has insisted we are taking this competition seriously and announced that he will be picking an experienced team, that's Park in central midfield then.
I would like to see Smalling and Jones paired at centre half for this match, though i suspect that might have to wait for the home leg. It will be nice to see Cleverley starting the match, he says hopefully, will Fergie take both Carrick and Scholes or will he give one of them a complete break.

Another great week for football governance as both Rangers and Portsmouth look like they will both seek administration as they both fight for survival as HMRC look for monies owned.

Is it only a matter of time now before George Osborne's whole pack of economic cards comes tumbling down around him after yesterday's announcement that Moody's credit agency has put Britain's triple AAA rating onto negative outlook, as Peter Hoskin writes it wasn't meant to be like this.
Jonathan Portes resurrects a month old Independent column to argue that this is bad news for Osborne and Ed Balls. He isn't alone to argue this morning that the credit agencies don't know what they are doing and we shouldn't have ever based an economic policy on pleasing them.
David Blanchflower sticks it to the coalition, wondering who they wil blame for the mess the economy is in next and then outlining policies to try to kick start some life into the economy. Meanwhile Private Eye point out Labour's abysmal record on the honours system and their sucking up to the city in a pretty lengthy and embarrassing column.
The Telegraph's Daniel Knowles pens a very un torygraph article talking about fiscal stimulus, ending by arguing that we need a world wide economic stimulus led by countries that can afford it, we all know that Germany under Merkel isn't going to provide this.

Larry Elliott lays it on thick with the footballing metaphors as he argues that we have to own up on the UK economy, we are not a big club anymore. Never mind mid table he has us fighting off relegation, it's probably inevitable in the long term, in fact if the neo liberals cling on to power it's the championship here we come.

With the future of the Sun now seemingly in the balance, with all that would mean for the Times and the Sunday Times, Ian Burrell asks how far will Rupert go to save the currant bun. There is talk of civil war at the Sun with journalists there unhappy about being thrown to the wolves, Steve Richards thinks they protest too much, who was it that was cheering on Yates of the yard, short memories haven't they. No one is above the law.

The Economist's Bagehot is baffled by the oddity of Britain's human rights debate, the right should be careful what they wish for. What they wish for is for the clock to be turned back to before 1870, where the sun never went down on the British empire and Johnny foreigner knew his place.

Music

Albert Ayler - The Hilversum session: Free jazz at its most free, Ayler was one of its pioneers. I like it, but i admit i have to work at it, it needs a few listens before it becomes totally enjoyable.

Gillain Welch - The harrow and the harvest: The latest offering for the Americana/country duo lives up to past very high standards. Americana doesn't really get any better than this.

Laura Marling - A creature i don't know: The follow up to her excellent debut is probably even better, cracking song after cracking song.

Male bonding - Nothing hurts: This was a pretty good first effort from this UK indie punk/power outfit, there aren't enough UK groups like this.

Tom Waits - Bad as me:Another excellent offering from US one off Waits, the usual mix of blues, jazz and rock but not as experimental as the last studio effort Real gone. I love Hell broke luce.

Walls - Coracle: An excellent piece of Electronica, i have read it described as a cross between ambient and krautrock, which goes some way to give you a clue as to its genre.

Manchester United 2-1 Liverpool

2012-02-12T18:39:00.000Z

I would have taken any kind of win before the game began, but when the second goal went in, we were so on top it could have been anything. Rooney could and maybe should have had a hatrick, but when we stopped playing with quarter of an hour to go we just invited them back into the game.
United can do your head in some times, i don't mind United trying to see out 2-0 leads with 20 minutes to go, although it's not something i want to see all the time. But when you look at United this season, our weak spot has been our defence, so to have had the scousers on the ropes when we could have killed them off completely, and then basically invite them back into the game, beggared belief. Still we saw it out, thank fuck.
Of course the big talking point after the game was the refusal of Suarex to shake Evra's hand, in the heat of the game live, we didn't even know all that had happened to be honest. You can't believe that this won't have big repurcusions for Suarez and Dalglish, whose post match reaction was in keeping with his inept handling of the whole affair. I can't believe the yanks are happy with any of this tarnishing off their "brand".
As to the game i didn't think United started that well but gradually got a grip on the game. The away team were always going to have a fair bit of possession with the extra man in the midfield but our poor passing at times during the opening stages of the game stymied our momentum.
The one real star of the first half and in fact the whole game was Danny Welbeck who put in a real storming performance and put it in when it mattered. It was a pity he couldn't finish it off with the chance he had right near the end, but the fact that Fergie didn't bring him off during that spell spoke volumes about how integral a part of the team he has become. The best chance of the first half fell to Scholes who could only direct his header straight at Reina when you'd have put your house on him burying it. Liverpool had a couple of moments, noticeably when Johnson ghosted through our defence and hit a curling shot just wide, but not much else.
The second half didn't take long to burst into life as United actually managed to score from a corner as a Giggs corner saw Henderson nod the ball straight to the boot of Rooney who volleyed home imperiously. Minutes later Valencia robbed the ball from the opposition in their half and fed an inch perfect pass for Rooney who made no mistake to send Old trafford into delerium. United could and should have made it three before they decided to shut up shop and give us a nail biting last ten minutes or so. True to form we let in yet another soft goal
There were cracking performances all over the pitch for United but it has to be said that Scholes and Carrick were magnificent. And praise should also go to Evans who was also magnificent and with the less than mobile Ferdinand next to him he had to be.

Ryan Giggs goes on and on and on

2012-02-10T14:20:00.002Z

It's not exactly a suprise that Giggs has signed on for another season at the club, the suprise will come when he doesn't i suppose. But when you stop and think about it, he really is something else, because let's face it, this isn't sentiment on Fergie's part or Glazernomics even, he really is an invaluable part of the squad. Just look at his performance last week
After he signed it, Giggs showed exactly why Fergie loves to keep him, as he talked about loving the 19th title, but looking forward to the challenge of winning more titles.

Fergie told the press this morning that the Suarez/Evra issue doesn't come into things tomorrow, they have not even thought about it.Yeah right. As Andy Mitten has written this afternoon Liverpool are onto a loser even before they take the pitch, there is only one victim in this whole saga and he doesn't play for Liverpool. Fuck me can you imagine what the atmosphere would be like tomorrow after recent events if this game had been played during the mid seventies to the late eighties. I was hyped up to fuck before the derby at City and i'm absolutely certain when i wake up tomorrow, i'll be exactly the same. We better do the bastards, we should have got something in the cup, i'd be gutted if we didn't get the three points tomorrow.
I noticed he answered questions about racism in the game earlier in the week but than says we are just focused on the game in his press game. I don't blame him, we have to be focused on the game tomorrow, the last thing we want is for tomorrow to turn into a grudge match, if we play our A game we should win, of course if it does turn into a battle, we better be up for it.
Before the start of this three game run against Chelsea, Liverpool and Tottenham i would have hoped for seven points but more than settled for five, I hope the Norwich game takes care of itself. But i was hoping and to be honest expecting to beat Chelsea, so last week has put even more onus on getting a victory tomorrow because the Tottenham will probably be the hardest game of the three.
Good news that Tom Cleverley will be involved tomorrow according to Fergie, though it's hard to see him starting the match tomorrow, having him on the bench would be a big bonus. It's also good to hear that Jones should be fit for the Thursday Ajax tie, he has been out for quite some time now, it's a month out where we thought he would be back within a couple of weeks.

Fergie agreed this morning that De Gea's confidence will have been boosted by his late save against Chelsea last week. Earlier in the week, Van Der Sar was quoted as saying that De Gea must learn to cope with the pressure, United paid a lot of money for him and he has to come through. I'm not sure how much of an endorsment that is, especially as he praises Lindegaard whose form he calls magnificent.

The official site ran an interview with the Keane twins ahead of the reserves derby yesterday, they both seem to have their heads screwed on nicely, and of course both have good potential. It was a pity about yesterday's result, 4-2 flattered City, i thought United played the better football, when space opened up. United's second goal was a belter, the run and thenvision of Will Keane underlined why he is potentially a first team future star.
Danny Welbeck impresses his interviewer Stuart James with his modesty and his self belief in a Guardian interview this afternoon. I have watched him since he was in the youth team and i always expected him to make it, and i believe there is still loads to come, Fergie is right that he will be a United striker for years.

Mark Ogden acclaims Eric Cantona as his most influential foreign import into the English game, that's a pretty good article, there were a few foreign imports before the modern influx led by Eric but he was the catalyst for the premier league we see today, for good and sometimes worse.

Andy Cole isn't suprised that Capello has walked and ponders the media's part in the circus that is the national team. He is absolutley spot on, in all the talk about Redknapp taking over or just taking the job for the European championships this summer, everybody is still talking as if England have a chance of winning it. That just isn't even remotely serious, i've said it before, if the authorities are serious about having a team that can compete at the highest level in the future then this should be a tournament that is used to blood and experience the talent coming through the ranks.
Yet you know this isn't going to happen, you wonder how long it will take for the clamour to take Scholes in the summer to start. If he was used in the right way, to lend some experience to younger legs and inexperienced players then fair enough, but i can't see it. It's a pity for England that it looks as if Wilshere will miss the tournament as i'm sure that he has what it takes to mix it with the best in the world. The problem is that there are too many other positions where that class of player isn't there. Take Jones and Smalling, they both have fantastic potential, but they are not Vidic and Ferdinand yet, and that's if Jones is even a centre half which is open to debate. The problem is that England have real class in certain positions, but only potential in others.
I can see a new manager being told on the quiet that Terry will not even be eligible for selection for the tournament as it would be too embarrassing commercially and that they don't want a repeat of South Africa, which would almost certainly be on the cards if he did go. To be honest it's not as if he is half the player he was anyway, he was garbage in South Africa, not alone admitted, but he hasn't exactly shone this season either. With Ferdinand not the player he was and with a cchronic back problem, the centre half partnership is a big problem.
I'm totally in agreement with Keano in his assertion that England's players should be keeping their thoughts to themselves as far as to who the next England manager should be. Of course they can have an opinion and if asked in private they should give it, but if for some reason Harry didn't get it, every man and his dog would know that the new manager was not the players choice and that would put the new man at a disadvantage straight away. And in that job, that would be the last thing that he'd need.
One last thought, i can't help laugh when journo's say that the England manager is the biggest job. All i can say to that is, we'll see about that when Fergie finishes and somebody has to follow that act.

More stink coming out of the Leveson inquiry as Gudi Fawkes admits pictures of Hague's advisor in a gay bar were bought by the news of the from him. Coulson's appointment looks even more dodgy.

Steve Richards warns modernisers, tory or labour, to either run the NHS better or scrap it but stop trying to reform it. That's the point though, they are trying to privatise it by stealth, i have said it before these free mrket fundamentalists are Soviet style Marxists in their blinkeredness.

Richard Murphy refers to an Economist article on Swiss banking secrecy to argue that the war on tax evasion that the US has begun is the sign of things to come and that Swiss style offshore banking havens are doomed.

Julian Baggiani has been examining American atheism and asks why won't the US accept its atheists, but argues that the internet is coming to there rescue. As has been said a million times before it really is a different country.

Chelsea 3-3 Manchester United

2012-02-06T15:33:00.002Z

I'm still not really sure whether that was a point gained or two dropped, but i am sure that yesterday was a reminder of why we all love United. And what a fitting day to have poduced that display the day beore we remember the Munich tragedy. It reminder me of the 3-3 at Hillsbrough during the 92-93 season where United despite playing reasonably well found themselves 3-0 down but instead of feeling sorry for themselveskept going for it and eventually thrillingly fought there way back into the game for the 3-3 draw. Of course we have pulled off some spectacular come back's before but probably not against such high profile opposition.
Having said all that it was the least we deserved i thought, how we found ourselves 3-0 down escapes me, we didn't defend brilliantly but there was a huge slice of fortune for two of their three goals. It was important that we have started to get bodies back, and yesterday showed why as all the substitutions proved vital. It was a suprise to see Young in the team and Nani not even on the bench, i'd assumed that Nani was nearer playing than the ex Villa man. Apart from one decent shot in the first half, Young once again failed to deliver really, i don't know if he needs a consistent run in the side or he just isn't really as good as i though he was.
United went 4-4-2 once again against the rent boys and whilst it makes us more threatning when we attack it does sometimes mean we don't dominate games. But i thought United did well enough in the first half and if the foul on Welbeck had been given and Cahill had been sent off the day may have been a lot more comfortable if less spectacular. Their first goal came out of nowehere, Evra should have done better but once he was beateb Chelsea still needed a big slice of lack as De Gea kicked into Evans and into the net. United upped their game and though we went into the break a goal down you felt reasonably confident we would fight our way back into the game in the second half.
So to find ourselves three goals down five minutes into the half was a shock to the system to say the least. Even so you felt if we could get a goal back quickly we would be back in the game. Courtesy of a poor challenge from Stuuridge the chance came via the penalty spot. I have to admit after his recent miss i wanted Rooney to leave it for Hernandez, but all credit to our number ten, he made no mistake smashing it past Cech and sending him the wrong way.
The second penalty was considered dubious according to most pundits, i'm not too sure why, it was soft, but he made contact. Just as City's the day before may have been soft, but was still definitely a penalty. Anyway after the two decisions not given in the first half and the way we have had so many contentious decsions go against us at Stamford bridge ove the last few years, justice was done. The second penalty was eve better as Rooney went the other way, again sending Cech the wrong way. It was all one way traffic now and when Giggs cross was headed home by Hernandez you greedily wondered whether we would go on to snatch all three points. It wasn't to be and to be honest the home team looked more likely to score with De Gea making a fine save near the death. Talking of the Spaniard he had a mixed game, his susceptibility to anything in the air was there for all to see as he punched terribly when he should have caught a cross unchallenged in the first half. On the other hand, he made two superb saves in the second half.
I had been pretty confident before the game with a stronger team and stronger bench and with Chlsea missing their two best defenders in Terry and Cole. But having said that i would have been happy with a point before the game. But if we had defended as well as we attacked it would have been an even better day. You have got to hope that if we are to suffer any more injuries they don't come at that end of the team.

Fergie was unhappy with the officials and proves there is nothing wrong with his memor. It seems obilgatory for all the broadsheets to now have a Monday five things we leaned yesterday column, so here's today's Telegraph's five things column.
Ferdinand thanked Chelski fans for the inspiration they gave him and the lads on his twitter timeline, i wished they had shown Terry's face as our third went in as they did when their third went in, i'll bet that would have been worth seeing.
Carrick admitted that the players were slightly disappointed to have come away with just the point, after the third went in they fancied their chances of getting all three points.

I wonder how embarrassing the Huhne resignation and the court case to come will be for the Lib dems, hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Raphael Behr writes a departure widely unmourned, but there is no upside for the Lib dems. Iain Martin claims David Cameron should start preparing for an early election.
Amongst all the talk about Huhne's replacement Ed Davey and future reshuffle's i can't help wondering what happened to the Lib dem left, or the successors to the social democrat tradition. If it has been completely captured by the orange book free market rightit will have lost my future support. Talking of free market right, Mathhew Norman completely demolished David Miliband's attack on social democracy in last week's Independent in another brilliant column.

Larry Elliott names the guilty men, in his column " who to blame for the great recesssion ?", as he says there are so many to choose from. I would have added Blair to the list, he is still an apologist for the free market, and seems to have learned nothing.
Paul Krugman is happy some of his anti Keynesian opponents are grudginly admitting that they were wrong. Jeremy Warner worries whether the great interest rate gamble will pay off.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard sees the strrings of French socialists leading a latin revolt against a Germany that has badly overplayed its hand over the Eurozone crisis. Maybe, but i'd judge the French socialists by their actions, not by their words, obviously, i hope he is right as the Germans are leading us on the road to nowhere.

Lindegaard out for a month

2012-02-02T14:01:00.004Z

Anders Lindegaard will be out for at least a month Fergie has confirmed. With De Gea miraculously recovered from his Tuesday illness/injury it looks like he will have another extended run in the side.I don't mind that too much, though i would have preferred Lindegaard in goals, the main thing for me was to stop goalkeeping rotation as it doesn't work.
It looks like our absentee's are creeping back into the frame as Fergie announced this morning that Rooney, Nani and Jones would be fit for Sunday. Young could make and Cleverley will make the trip, which sounds like he has an outside chance of being on the bench. It's great to have Rooney and Nani both available for Sunday. I can't wait to see Cleverley back in the groove too, can he stay injury free until the end of the season.

Fergie is still unhappy with Hansen, the Indy believe that he thinks Hansen's comments were a dliberate ploy to rile United, well it's certainly annoyed Fergie.

Rio unsure whether to shake the ex England captain's hand, now he's been stripped of the honour, it shouldn't be as hard a decision. Fergie told the press he would have a word with Rio, and by the sounds of it try to convince him to shake hands.

Quinton Fortune pays tribute to the "unbelievable Tony Valencia" who he compares to Scholes in his aversion to the limelight. I'm not arguing his importance he has been one of the main reasons we are up level with City, if only he had a left foot though, he would be almost unplayable.

I don't want to go over the top about last night's youth cup victory, but it's hard to not do. It was a pretty close game until United hit the home team with that three goal burst during the last 8 minutes of the first half. But United had shown signs that the football to come was on the cards. Yes Swansea's heads went down after the fourth United goal, minutes into the second half and yes they were a very tired team during the last quarter of an hour when United made substitutions and could have scored a bucket load more. But they were tired because they had been given such a chasing. How i would love to see our first team playing that style of football.
They all worked hard, they were all comfortable on the ball, they all seemed to appreciate the angles to make passes, they all seemed to be able to dribble past at least a couple of players and that was defenders as well as attackers and most of them will still be eligible for the competition next season. We have got to hope some of these boys make. They were all that good it's hard to single anybody out, but Blackett the captain who played during last season's run was immense, pace, power, technique and leadership. I was going to say that if he can play left back, i'm not suprised United aren't prepared to pass on Fryers contract demands, but of course he can play left back, he played there last season.
The whole of the midfield was outstanding, different people mentioned different players as their stand out midfield performance, which sums up how good they were. If i were to pick one myself it would have been Norwegian Mats Daehli, but Rudge and Hendrie weren't far behind. Even the substitutes looked world beaters, but Swansea were a broken side by then.
If the next round is at Old trafford i think a visit will have to be payed, that was the best football i have seen by a United team this season.

Paul Hayward reports on Ravel Morrison seeking salvation after his transfer window move to West Ham. Morrison's camp have claimed his hangers on will not follow him down there, to which you can only think, we'll see. I'm not going to be hypocritical i don't really wish him well, on the field anyway. Players that have given United great service deserve that, Morrison doesn't.
I suppose i was as suprised as anybody that it was United who enticed as young blue over to the red half of Manchester and not the other way round, it makes you wonder just how good their youth set up is. I don't know how good he is, but after watching Tyler Blackett's performance last night he'll need to be good. You can only take it that Veseli must have something to captain a country to an under 17 world cup.

Jon Snow wonders if anybody feels sorry for Stephen Hester as he argues that vilification of the banker won't do anything to address the worry that a second financial crisis may already about to hit us.
Bennedict Brogan argues that Hester's decision leaves David Cameron substantially weakened. I'd agree but for totally the opposite reason Brogan advances, the tories still haven't really got it have they, this isn't about giving into anti-capitalist mobs, it's about fairness and the reason Cameron looks weak is because he was pushed into doing something his heart isn't really in, he is following the supposedly weak Miliband's agenda.
Alistair Campbell fesses up to the fact that Labour were as much to blame for the financial mess we're in as anybody else but warns the bankers they still haven't engaged in a process of reconcilliation for the events leading up to 2008. If Sir Fred is the only one to lose his K, so what.
Aditya Chakraborrty claims that it wasn't the bankers who came up for the model for the excessive pay gains made over the recent past, it was academics, who then jumped aboard the gravy train. I think he is referring to what Paul Mason would call the neo-liberal elite.

Ben Fox argues that as culpable and virtually corrupt as the ratings agencies were in the run up to 2008's credit crunch they have done us a favour at every stage of this crisis as action has been forced on the politicians.
Duncan Weldon reports that after this weeks money supply figures we may well already be in a second credit crunch.
Martin Wolf warns the government to end this masochism in economic policymaking, as he ends up saying it isn't going to happen, but it should. David Blanchflower declares the verdict in, austerity has failed, he is spot on the money again.

A brilliant piece about the scandal of the firm the last set of clowns let loose assessing disabilty benefit eligibility and why this governments attempts to reform the welfare system make my blood boil.
Faisal Islam reports that unlike the UK, the US is waging economic war against Switzerland over US tax evasion, one more reason to hope the Democrats do well in 2012's elections.

The New York Times asks will Israel attack Iran? it sounds like the military thinks it would be mad, whilst the politicians are coming round to the answer that the time could be approaching, scary. It also reveals to nobody's suprise the lengths the Israeli security force Mossad's have been going to stop Iran's effort to develop Nuclear capability.
I'm never sure how any of this is supposed to help the Iranian opposition in their efforts to bring a cleaner form of democracy to the country. And how this would help the global economy, which is already teetering on the edge.
Ali Ansari uses the pages of Prospect to argue that the Iranians are bad at Chess, Iran has piles of Uranium but no endgame. I suppose if there is any kind of endgame, it is more to do with getting a bomb before the Saudi's do than anything to do with Israel.
Robert Fisk laments an attack on Iran would be madness so don't rule it out.

The tird part of the BBC's excellent documentary Putin, Russia and the west is on tonight. Peter Oborne admires it but believes it's too sympathetic to Putin, and worries about the BBC's coverage of modern day Russia.
I'm not too sure it has been too sympathetic, it has certainly shown the Russian version of events, but as long as you have followed Russia since the Soviet Union imploded you can pick out the lies. Last night was just the same, the programme never actually said that Yushchenko had been poisoned by the Russians or Russian backed elements, but you didn't have to be mastermind to work it out.
As for new labour, yes they were appalling, but any worse than the tories have been, Michael Foot a communist spy, come on, and we haven't forgot the Peter Wright affair. The tories are just as in hock to Russian oligarch billionaires and money as new labour were.
I'm glad Powell came out and admitted the spy rock fiasco, it helps us to not believe everything, that even our state tells us. Scepticism of power is always a good thing, as watching Putin's youth movement last night proved.
The Russian liberal opposition are even more upset with the documentary and queries once again about the role of Angus Roxburgh

Craig Murray quotes a NATO report, “Afghan civilians frequently prefer Taliban governance over GIRoA [the Afghan government], usually as a result of government corruption, ethnic bias and lack of connection with local religious and tribal leaders”.

Music
Bjork - Biophilia: Another excellent leftfield album from Iceland's premier export. I have only listened to the album but i can imagine, the whole experience would make it even better.

Feist - Metals: The Canadian singer/songwriter follows up the success that was her last album the reminder with a less commercial sounding album but for me an even better album.

Imelda May - Mayhem: Rockabilly meets jazz and it works for the Irish singer. I have seen her a couple of times on the TV, she was good but the tunes were catchy rockabilly tunes, the album shows off her jazz leanings and really enhance her music.

Janelle Monae - The ArchAndroid: Yet another female artist and another cracking debut album. I'm not sure what this would be classed as, there's funk in there, soul, rock it evens starts getting really out there at times. It's may be a tad overlong, but it shows some ambition.

Noel Gallagher high flying birds - Noel Gallagher high flying birds: On the evidence of this he should forget about ever reforming Oasis, this is easily his best work since What's the story. I was suprised quite how much i liked this, i have barely been able to listen to Oasis since they degenerated into their own tribute band
.
Tarwater - Inside the ships: German indie/electonica band that comes close to Krautrock at times, pretty good if not that memorable.

Manchester United 2-0 Stoke City

2012-02-01T15:26:00.000Z

A pretty ordinary performance, but with our injury problems last night was all about the three points and they were delivered pretty comfortably, with the result coming in from Goodison last night turned into one to remember.
Stoke have a terrible record at Old trafford since they returned to the big time, but the law of averages says they must get a result or even put in a performance here at soome time. So i can't say i was totally confident of our chances ahead of last night's game. I should have known better, once again Stoke didn't turn up, United didn't really play that well, unsuprisingly, but then again they didn't have too. That was one of the easier games of the season. Third choice keeper Ben Amos might start to think that premier league goalkeeping is a doddle, he hardly had a save to make all night.
Once again Paul Scholes started in the first eleven and this time he stayed on for the full ninety minutes, we have looked far better since he has returned. We all know he isn't the player he was, but he is still able to dictate games like this.
Stoke's manager Pulis complained about the penalty decision's after the game, he was surely having a laugh, they were both nailed on penalties and the only thing the referee got wrong was not awarding us a third that was even more obvious than the two given. It was nice to see Hernandez get on the scoresheet, and even better that, whilst he wasn't brilliant, it was his best performance for a while. Berbatov had an in and out game, though to be honest there was much service to him.
I was suprised to see Pogba given his little cameo and even more suprised, to be honest that it was such a promising one. He looked class in the youth team but i have been disappointed in his performance level when i have seen him in the reserves this season. It was a pity he couldn't tuck away his chance to really cap the night off.
Once United went two up, United decided to coast the game, happy to take the chance if it came along but more than content with the 2-0 victory and no more injuries. Which of course is where having Scholes back is so crucial as he just keeps us ticking over controlling the tempo of the game. The night would have been even more perfect if Berbatov had converted the chance that the excellent Valencia put on a plate for him, but when the result came through from Goodison that was totally forgotten.

I have to admit that i fancied Everton to get something from the clash with City before last night's game, but if i had known Everton's back four line up i wouldn't have been so confident. And to top off everything Darron Gibson scored the winning goal.

Liverpool 2-1 Manchester United

2012-01-29T15:17:00.001Z

Gutted, with the team that almost picked itself due to yet another injury crisis, to have put in such a good performance at Anfield and to get knocked out five minutes from the end wasn't what we deserved. But if you give such soft goals away you get what you deserve, i suppose.
It's being said by some reds today that what use was there in controlling the game if you don't really look like doing anything with it. I don't go along with that at all. When was the last time we went to Anfield and bossed the game, it's that long ago i can't remember it. Even the last couple of times when we actually won there, we were poor and basically nicked the three points. To have gone there with so many injuries and to have controlled the game was an achievement. It hasn't escaped my notice that it was done with a three man midfield with Scholes in the middle of it. I think Scholes delivered a fitting reposte to those who though his return from retirement was a retrograde step.
To be honest i'm not sure why Fergie brought him off, i know he probably isn't 100% fit and he may struggle to do 90 minutes, but he didn't seem to be tiring when brought off. And one again i would have to query Fegie's decision to bring Hernandez on. I know he had a great season last year and i know he's a goalscorer, but almost every time he has been brought on lately we look less like scoring when he comes on than we did before. If we had to make changes i would have kept the same system 4-3-3 and brought Berbatov on for Park and stuck Welbeck on the left.
Having said all that it shouldn't have mattered as the winner was such a soft goal to give away. Evra who had a decent game all things considered should have done better and i thought De Gea didn't cover himself in glory either. I wouldn't put as much blame on the Spaniard for the Liverpool opening goal, i thought that showed how much we are missing Vidic. What were the defenders doing pussy footing around before the corner was taken, they should have been all over those Liverpool attackers letting them know they wouldn't be bossed around, instead we got a couple of half hearted shoves, and then no jump at all as the ball came over. It does have to be said though, that De Gea doesn't inspire confidence, physically he just looks like he can be bullied every time. I wouldn't have played him myself, but that would be more down to the fact that with an ever changing back four we should at least try to have one position of stability at the back. I can't think that will have done much for his onfidence, he is going to have to show some cojones to come back from this .
If the injuries keep on coming as thick and fast as they have all season then the league title is going to be an almighy ask, which is why yesterday was so galling. I have thought for a while that the FA cup was our best chance of silverware this season, and it's about time we won the thing. Old jug ears might not be the trophy it once was, but it' still a trophy worth winning.

Fergie laments the sickening blow that was the scouse late winner, but he is happy with our new midfield signings, i suppose, for once, he might have a point with his favourite mid season catch phrase.

Andy Cole likes what he sees in Danny Welbeck and belives that Capello should be taking him into the England squad for the European championships in ths summer. I don't for a minute think believe Capello will leave him at home.
It looks like Mame Biram Diouf is to move on to pastures new with a move to Bundesliga Nurnberg on the cards. I'm not sure how good Nurnberg are these days, to be honest i would have though the Championship was more his level.
Yet more contract problems at youth level according to the People, if there is anything to that,a big if, it beggars belief on so many levels, it's not true. I can't say i'm that convinced by him to be honest, last season Thorpe was the young defender who looked the business, Fryers didn't really stand out. He has done alright in his first team appearances this season apart from one terrible mistake that he got away with. But his distribution hasn't looked good enough for me.

Robert Skidelsy asks does debt matter, not if your the boss of RBS it doesn't, Aditya Chakraborrty argues that the payout to Stephen Hester is a disastrous deal for the taxpayer. Was anyone ever in doubt that this deal would go through, the tories were never going to block this. Though to be fair to them, i don't for a minute believe Labour would have behaved differently. It does sicken me sometimes watching Labour berate the government over incidents like this when you look at how they behaved in office.
George Monibot wasn't impressed with the governments proposals on executive pay reform, as modest as they are i wouldn't be suprised if even these aren't enacted.

After last weeks news that Britain's national debt rose to over £1 trillion, Frasier Nelson argues that George Osborne owes Alistair Darling an apology, he really had it in for Osbornomics last week. Larry Elliott writes that last weeks dismal GDP figures spell trouble for George Osborne and wonders how long it will be before the credit agencies start to seriously look at Britain's triple A rating.
William Keegan doesn't mince words in today's Observer, claiming the George Osborne is the most dangerous chancellor he has ever known
Faisal Islam argues that as a UK slump returns it would be hard to blame the Eurozone crisis for its re-appearance, it won't stop them trying and probably succeeding in getting the electorate to believe them though, will it.

Anfield revisited

Utd reserves hit barcodes for six

2012-01-27T12:46:00.000Z

You would never have guessed that they were going to net six times at half time but it's not the first time that piled it on once the opposition are out of the game. Will Keane showed nice flashes, though he ruined a great run in the first half by trying to beat one more man instead of passing to his left. He made up for that with his well taken first goal.
Paul Pogba actually showed the kind of form that had pundits raving about him last season. One drag back to beat his man on the bye line and cross to Lindgard in the first half, was worth the admission alone, just a pity Lindgard couldn't finish it off. It will take more than one impressive reserve outing before i change my mind about him though.
Michael Keane once again impressed especially the longer the game went on, it's amazing how much he has shot up since last years youth cup and looks like he is still growing. He makes some brillianr foward runs the longer the game goes on and the more stretched the game becomes. I'm not as sure as i was that we have future first teamers in this squad as i was but they are great to watch. Once the the game is there they go for the jugular, something i wish the first team would do more often. Though to be fair the first team have shown more signs of doing that this season when not decimated by injuries.

Welbeck has still not finished growing according to Fergie, i'm not sure whether that's good news or not. He seems strong enough as it is, he has certainly not been bullied by any centre halves this season. The worry would have to be, not fully grown means there are still more niggling injuries to come, when United have played well this season he has been a big part of the reason why.
Steve Bruce argues that his time at Sunderland was crucial to his improvement, time on the pitch enabled the boy to become a premier league man. I would dissent from that for one minute, i watched them a fair few times last season and they were always a far better team when he was in the side as the stats would suggest. I thought he was the man who made them tick, even alloing for the goalscoring of Darren Bent. We certainly need him fit for the run of fixtures that started at Arsenal and continues at Anfailed tomorrow.
Speaking of which Fergie has called for calm, telling the players to act responsibly. I don't really expect any fireworks on the pitch, though you can never be sure, but i can't really expect it to be very calm off it. I would take a one nil all day long, but it would be even nocer if we could actually put in a performance at Anfield for the first time for years. It's hard to see though, it's hard to see past the usual 100 miles an hour battle that it has become over recent years. If Jones is fit i would like to see him in central midfield as he was earlier in the season.
I thought Dalglish's decision to play Bellamy up front against City was a big part of the reason for their improved performance against City. The good news for United is that Bellamy doesn't generally play two games in four days, he looked fucked just before he came off on Wednesday. So there must be a fair chance that Carroll will come back into the team tomorrow. If Bellamy does start it will be interesting to see how long he lasts.
The bad news for us, is our injury list just never seems to come down. It looks like Park will come in for the injured Nani, it's hard to see Fergie bringing Young, if fit, straight back into this game, that obviously blunts our attack. I hope that Fergie is bluffing when he warned that Rooney was not certain to be fit. If he isn't and Rooney is missing we will be woefully short on creativity. I couldn't see Giggs starting this game but if Rooney is out i can see Giggs standing in for him just behind Welbeck. It would be nice to see Ferdinand fit for tomorrow, but i mean fit, not the half fit that was struggling through 90 minutes throughout January. If not it has to be Smalling and Evans in the centre of defence with Rafael and Evra at full back. There can surely be no thought of leaving Evra out.

Steve Richards warns the coalition to drop NHS reforms before it's too late. Lasnley doesn't seem to be going out of his way to take the medical professions with him as he carries on his detested reforms. I'm not too sure it's politcally a wise move to start slagging off the doctors.
Peter Oborne returns to his attack on the moral decay of the British establishment. I wouldn't argue with the two cases he brings up, but i can never see how his policy prescriptions would alter anything.
Apple are slammed over their attitude to the Chinese wokers who produce their massive profits and who pay the price. If that firm was a blue chip British outfit would Peter Oborne be slaughtering them?

Freddy Gray in the Spectator asks whether American conservatives have given up, looking from this side of the pond it would seem so, you can't believe that Obama could possibly lose to Romney or Gingrich.

Happy days from 85, more of the same tomorrow please, you can see me on the pitch at the end, what a night.

Arsenal 1-2 Manchester United

2012-01-23T13:53:00.000Z

After events earlier in the afternoon i suppose it was imperitive that we emerged with the three points from the game and thanks to Welbeck's goal ten minutes from time we did indeed manage to keep the pressure on City. If that final ball had been better in the first 45 minutes it could have been so much easier.
I was hoping that Jones would be paired alongside Carrick in central midfield, but Fergie chose to start Jones at right back and pair Giggs with Carrick in the middle of the pitch. I was definitely hoping that Jones would start in the middle of the park at Anfield next week, but the twisted ankle that saw him leave the pitch after just a quater of an hour has put paid to that. Just what we didn't need another injury, let's hope it's not as bad as it looked.
United completely bossed the first half, the only disappointment being it took us until the last minute of the first half to actually get on the scoreboard. Wenger chose to put Vermaelen on Valencia meaning Valencia was never going to be as dominant as he has been over the last few weeks. This meant that Nani had to be more on his game than he has been recently. But as easily as Nani found it to be his man, the out of position Djourou, he couldn't produce the final ball when it mattered.
Once again Welbeck was causing the back line of the opposition all kinds of problems, but Rooney was slightly disappointing again. Giggs and Carrick dominated the middle of the park as Arsenal starngely sat back. When the goal did come, it was simplicity itself as Nani fed Giggs who put in the perfect centre for Valencia to hit the back of the net with a rare header. So the first half domination didn't go to waste as looked like happening.
The second period saw Arsenal remember that they were the home side as they started to cause our back line problems. All the talk before the game had been about keeping Van Perise quiet, which United had managed fairly easilyup this point. But a Smalling slip saw Arsenal break forward and saw Van Persie produce the miss of the match. It was now end to end and Welbeck saw an effort he hit unbalanced cleared off the line by Mertesacker. That looked like it could be a crucial miss when Van Persie equalied with twenty minutes to go.
Inexplicably Wenger then took off Chamberlain who had probably been the home teams most dangerous player to replace him with the Russian Arshavin. It didn't take long for the Arsenal fans jeers to be fully vindicated when Arshavin lost Valencia all too easily who then produced one of his runs and put the ball on a plate for Welbeck who made no mistake. United deserved the three points but we made harder work of it than should have been the case. I would imagine next Saturday's fourth round tie at Anfailed will be a tougher encounter than yesterday regardless of their defeat to Bolton. We will need to be stronger in the middle of the park than we were yesterday, because it will be a battle, i don't expect to see much pretty football next week.

Fergie was happy with yesterday's performance singling Smalling out for praise, whuilst Wenger has to face the music as his relationship with his own fans takes a turn for the worse.

The official site profiles the much mis-understood Michael Carrick, he is playing well at the moment.

Daniel Taylor profiles Ravel Morrison and argues United have never had a player like him, thank fuck for that. Ahead of the north London Manchester double header Gary Neville picks City as his team of the season so far... It sounds like he fancies United's chances.

United and money

2012-01-20T11:56:00.001Z

The Indy have reported that Ravel Morrison was demanding £30k a week to sign for a new contract. It hasn't taken him long to reach for the old Twitter to deny ever asking for £30, £50 or even the £12 k that United supposedly offered him. Some spinning going on here, is this coming from the Glazer's people , it's pretty embarrasing really. If United want rid because he is a bad apple, fair enough, just sell him and have done with it. If they really won't pay what Morrison or Pogba want it will come out, especially in Twitter happy Morrison's case, so all the spinning in the world won't help.
It does seem that he wants to stay but United want him out, if that's the case accept a bid.
Contract talks have now apparently broke down over a new deal with Welbeck, i can't really stand talking about footballers wages, as they are just totally immoral to me. Commentators always point out that people complain about bankers but never say anything about footballers, i don't know too many people who think footballers even remotely earn the astronomic wages they earn. Who knows what to believe in all these contract negotiations, all i will say is that he should be a similar wage band to Jones and Smalling. It's all a bit worrying to be honest, to me Welbeck is a huge part of the United future, i really think he is going to be a top top player.
If it has gone from no value in the market, ie we can't compete with the City's, Real's and new money flooding into European football to not even being able to keep local talent that have come through the ranks, we are in even more trouble than i thought.

Interesting words from Bayern's top men during the week, abhoring the Arab money Manchester City model, the leveraged buy out model of Manchester United and worrying that Platini is going to go soft over FFP. I can't help but see that as a shot across Platini's bow, i'm pretty sure the Glazer's would have been right behind those worries about Platini if Hoeness had not gone on to tell the world that if it came to it, he would prefer to be taken over by the Arabs than by a leveraged takeover.
It was interesting that the Glazer's through a United spokeman replied almost straight away, they do seem to be worried at the moment don't they. Andersred has blogged on United present financial situation and why they will not be spending any time soon, the debt of course.

Vidic seems to be on the happy pills whilst starting his rehabilitation after his knee operation claiming that only one club from Manchester will be amongst the sliverware come the end of the season. We have a chance of course, but i can't believe he is that confident, maybe it's all a startegy to put the pressure on City ahead of Sunday's clash with Spurs.
I wish i was as confident about our chances on Sunday as i am about Spurs chances of getting a result at the boo camp on Sunday. Don't get me wrong i don't fear Arsenal, if we perform we will win, but this season its hard to predict which United will turn up, the first half United against City or the second half United.
The one thing we definitely need is bodies back, especially indefence, and here the news appears to be good as Fergie has confirmed that both Smalling and Jones have trained this week and will be fit for Sunday. It's nice to hear encouraging news about Cleverley for once as well as Young, you just know when he is fit we will hear that phrase "it's like having a new player".

Lindegaard seems to have a lot to say for himself, he's a confident chap as good old Ray Wilkins would say, i think he's a good goalie, but i'm not sure he's shown himself off to be as good as he seems to think he is yet. Still he hasn't had a proper run of games yet, so presuming he is now our number one the next couple of months will tell us just how good he is.
As for De Gea i was always worried about relying on such a young goalie who didn't speak that much English, it does seem those fears weren't unfounded. I suppose the timing of the news that the Spaniard has long vision and will need eye surgery in the summer to correct it is unsuprising. I still feel he has the potential to be our number one, but he has to bulk up and learn the language enough to be able to command the back four in front of him.

Steve Richards warns us not to buy into the current media narrative that paints Milliband as a busted flush, current assumptions should about our political may prove to be wholly wrong. Matthew Norman totally slaughters Cameron's moderate tory image as if to point out how current perceptions of tory hegemony could turn out to be miles of the mark.

I always wondered whether there was more to this story than was let on in the press at the time, but Blair's head honcho Jonathan Powell admitted yesterday that Russia had us bang to rights over the "spy rock" affair. It always pays to have a sceptical eye over western denials when countries accuse them of meddling in their internal affairs.
I would love to know what intelligence we were actually trying to get hold of, i would like to think we were trying to help the democratic opposition, but i'm pretty sceptical about that as well.
The new documentary series Putin, Russia and the west threatens to be must see TV, as David Hearst writes Norma Percy's death of Yugoslavia was as good a historical drama as there has ever been.

Indy owner Alexander Lebdev reminds us why we should be trying to assist democratic forces punish the oligarch's theft of Russia's wealth. I'm not that sure he's the best advocate of this argument, but there you go. Putin's been having a go at the oligarch's as part of his electoral campaign no doubt, was Abramovitch listening.
Hungary looks as if it may well become the first former iron curtain country to decide to turn its back on the EU and democracy. This has been a prediction from observers who have warned that the financial crisis could have serious consequences. I suppose if there was one country this was going to happen to, Hungary may have been the one predicted, it seems to have reactionary outbreaks sporadically through its history.

The Economist has lead with a special report on the rise of state capitalism and its challenges to free market liberalism, social democracy doesn't seem to merit a mention.

Nick Cohen's new book about this countries abysmal libel laws are one of the reasons oligarch's, dictators and white collar crime love the city of London, makes you proud to be British doesn't it.

Danish TV seems to be on one hell of a roll, the Killing has now been followed up with another excellent political drama Borgen. The first series has started and is already must watch, apparently there is a second series and a third one to be filmed. Following that a Swedish/danish co-production, lovely jubbly.

Ha-Joon Chang tells us not to blame the credit agencies for Eurozone turmoil, Europe is strangling itself with its flawed strategy. Paul Mason points out the six points that if sequenced right could help Europe to get out of the self inflicted mess it has found itslef in. He doesn't sound very convinced they will follow them.
Ambrose Pritchard-Evans points out the World banks fears of what will happen if they do indeed get it wrong, it will be worse than 2008, don't panic, don't panic.

Private eye continues to police our incompetent HMRC and discovers another sweet heart deal with Vodaphone. This really should be as big a scandal as Hackgate, but you just know the majority of our media owners don't want to expose any of this as they are at this themselves.

A new report has been produced for the TUC looking at what lessons should be learnt from the exporting powerhouse that is Germany. I have no arguments with it, that is definitely the way to go, i have my doubts that our unions would be capable of simulating the role that German trade unions play in Germany even if out of nowhere we discovered a social market style government.
Don't get me wrong i believe in unions playing a constructive role in an ideal world, i just don't think much of a majority of union leaders.

United's youth problems

2012-01-18T14:47:00.001Z

Sam Wallace of the Indy thinks the Ravel Morrison saga throws the spotlight on teenage talent and half way though quotes an old interview that he had done with Brian McClair in which he had asked our academy director whther one day he would like to go for a big job. Wallace now realises that the Morrison/Pogba story shows that McClair wasn't kidding when he asnwered that he was in a big job. It still seems to me that cashing in on Morrison seems to the best course of action unless he changes his attitude, which seems very unlikely. As for Pogba, he hasn't shown anything in the reserves to show he is worth what other clubs are supposedly willing to pay for him.
Others seem to think that this is all down to Glazernomics with the club unwilling to pay the going rate for young talent. I honestly don't think that this is the position in the case, Pogba has proved nothing so far and Morrison doesn't seem to want it enough and is a disrupive influence in the dressing roon by all accounts. We all knew that winning the Youth cup doesn't automatically equate to guarenteed first team potential regular and whilst these two did seem the most obvious candidates there are still others with a chance. To be honest i'm more gutted about the Morrison situation because he really does have the talent to be a big Manchester United player. As for Pogba, i have never been as sold on him as others have been and i'm no fan of poaching young players from other clubs. So if we lost him to others with deeper pockets, i suppose it's poetic justice.

The return of Paul Scholes has provoked much debate in the fanzines and on the messageboards with a probable majority thinking it's a backward move. There is no doubt that we should have been looking to bring in some central midfield quality during the last two to three seasons to replace the quality we were going to lose in Scholes and potentially Ryan Giggs. But we are where we are, we didn't replace him and we have had injury after injury and even lost Fletcher for the season, so for me i can only see it as a great move.
I know he has always been one of my favourite players and i didn't think he needed to retire anyway, i always thought he would be able to do a job against the teams in the lower reaches of the table at Old trafford. But the players obviously love him, the celebrations after his goal on Saturday showed that. This doesn't mean that i think the situation is ideal, this summer is now crucial. I don't know if Fergie will be given the money or if he would swallow his pride, but if Sneijder does become available again this summer he is the sort of player he must be looking at.
Bizzarely the Mail are half heartedly linking us to Ronaldo, you just can't see that can you. One, the money, where does it come from, two, do you take a player back that spent his last two seasons at Old trafford agitating for a move and thirdly whatever money we have must surely be spent in central midfield. If yet again we won't splash the cash in midfield then central defence would seem more of a priority than attack. The only way i could see Ronaldo returning would be if the Rooney rumours were true and United cashed in on him in the summer. But though Rooney going is definitely no long shot, Ronaldo coming back surely is, i would put shorter odds on him coming back to Manchester to play in blue and white than red and white, a horrible, horrible thought.

Back to our midfield woes, Rob Smyth has penned an article on Phil Jones season so far and come down on the minority view, which i share that he could well end up being one of the long term answers to our midfield future and move further back later in his career. It would be nice to clear our defensive injury problems up to see him move back into the central midfield. Our best recent form was definitely when he partnered Carrick in the middle of the park where he could make those surging runs.
I'll cross my finger and hope but if we can get Cleverley back and fit for the rest of the season, then our midfield options would look far healthier. Carrick and Jones, Carrick and Cleverley or Cleverley and Jones with Scholes to make the occasional appearance would probably see us give City a fight for the title. Of course the way this season has gone, there's probably no chance that things will go that smoothly. Hargreaves parting shot about our medical staff, whether true or not doesn't seem as desperate a claim as it did at the time.
If Jones is fit on Sunday i would like to see him back in midfield alongside Carrick, i pressume Welbeck will play up front with Rooney in a deeper role, unless we go 4-3-3 that is.

David McDonell of the mirror asks has Antonio Valencia become United's most important player, to which the answer at the moment would have to be yes. He is a great player to watch when he is on form, but i do have problems with the implications for United's game when this is the case.
The problems i have are as i said after the last two games, when Valencia hits form and becomes undroppable on the right, as he has become once again, Nani moves permanently to the left. For some reason, because being pretty good with two feet it shouldn't really be a problem, Nani always seems to lose his form when he plays permanently on the left. Nani's best form last season came during Valencia's absence.
The other problem leads on from that, we end up relying almost totally on Valencia having a good day, with almost every creative move coming from him down the right. With not much creativity elsewhere of course that shows opponents where they can try to stop us, if a team can stop him at the moment they are basically stoppingUnited. This where i feel Welbeck is so important as he is the only other player to be making things happen, at least until Rooney hopefully regains some consistency.

With the rumours over Berbatov's future flying around again after his flight to Germany was all over Twitter on Sunday, Mark Ogden focuses on the man who polarises opinion like no other amongst reds cheekily comparing him to Kinkladze.
I can't believe we would sell him at this stage of the season, but under Glazernomics who knows. I admit i loved him at Spurs and was excited when we bought him, but ultimately despite scoring so many goals last season he has been a disappointment. It's away from home for me, when he plays up front for us it just doesn't happen. It will be interesting to watch Will Keane's progress at the club, i see the Sheringham comparison, but whilst he doesn't have the beautiful first touch of the Bulgarian he is the nearest thing to Berbatov at the club. Will his style of play take him all the way at the club, i think it will, but Berbatov's relative failure, given the fee especially has been a real disappointment of the last few seasons.

Fergie thinks that Solskjaer could turn out to be the former player best equipped to become a top manager. Though i didn't read anything that he actually said that justifies the headline that he's tipped him to be a future boss.
I do think that he is one to look at for the future though. Post Fergie, managers will not get as much tolerance from the fans now Fergie has raised expectations so high and we have so many daytrippers. Which of course won't be fair as the new manager will be following one of the best football managers the world has ever seen.
Even though Fergie has said managing United isn't a young mans job, i'm not sure that's the case, how old is Guardiola. One thing Solskjaer would have going for him if in a few years he were to be appointed would be the fact he is already such a well loved figure at the club. We even know he isn't a fan of the gimps even if he won't come out and say such a thing in the future. But that popularity would help him if he took his time getting his feet under the table in the job, the patience that others probably wouldn't get would be afforded to Ole.

Music

Black lips - Arabia mountain: Another pretty good helping of 60's garage/punk high energy rock n roll from one of the states best retro bands.

Carl Barat - Carl Barat: The first proper solo album from the former Libertine is quirkily good, more Kinks type tunes than the more indie rock of previous band dirty pretty things

Cee Lo Green - The lady killer: Not my usual type of listening, but this is too catchy not to like, 15 tracks long and pretty consistently excellent. Fuck you is a brilliant song, but it's not on its own.

Dengue Fever - Cannibal courtship: I have read bits and pieces and have been meaning to getting around to listening to this US/Cambodian outfit for a few years. I should have got around to it before now if their latest album is anything to go by. A superb mix of 60's pyschedelia, indie rock and bits of world music.

Goldfrapp - Head first: A return to a more mainstream electronica which disappointed me at first after the last couple of more left field albums. But it's got some great tunes on it which won me over in the end.

The left banke - Walk away Renee/pretty ballerina: A classic mid 60's piece of US pop. Of course i had heard the two classic singles but i felt as if i had heard the whole album before, which i hadn't.

Manchester United 3-0 Bolton Wanderers

2012-01-15T14:45:00.000Z

This turned into a run of the mill three points against the division's bottom team, but in reality until that second goal went in with fifteen minutes to go the three points were in the balance. United played reasonably enough especially in the second half when Valencia and Rafael started to create havoc down the Bolton right but once again we always looked slightly vulnerable at the back.
The main reason for the vulnerability would have to be Ferdinand's back problem, once again he barely looked mobile. It was good to see Evans back, but it would be nice to see Smalling and Jones fully fit as well, especially for the nest two weeks. I have been reasonably confident about our chances at the Emirates, but if Ferdinand has to play again next week, he will need protection from the midfield in front of him.
United started the game fairly well, though Scholes took time to find his feet again and the satnav took it's time to function up to the standard he would have liked. Fortunately Carrick played as if he had been liberated by the thought of having some real class at the side of him at last. Our best early chance came from a magnificent ball from Carrick that was well met by Welbeck, whose first time shot was well saved by the Bolton number one Bogdan. Welbeck had another fine game, he is fast becoming as important to the team as Rooney, indeed when Rooney has as an indifferent game as he did yesterday it could be argued that he is more important. His movement, work rate, vision and skill are in a different league compared to our Mexican hot shot, who once again looked out of touch in his late fifteen minute cameo.
It was Welbeck who earned United the penalty that we had hoped would set us up for an easy victory half way through the first half. I have to say i wasn't very confident when Rooney stepped up to take it, he just doesn't seem a natural penalty taker to me, and a look at his conversion rate from the spot this morning would seem to confirm that. As with last weeks effort at the boo camp he may have hit the ball well but he hit the ball at a nice height for the goalie to save. My other gripe about his penalty technique is that he doesn't really attempt to send the goalie the wrong way. The best penalty takers try to beat the goalie before they have even kicked the ball, how many times did Eric seem to roll the ball into an empty net as the goalie had already dived the wrong way.
Just as it seemed that we would be going in at half time frustratingly level, up popped the ginger prince at the back post to roll back the years. I had been watching him closely and he had a made a couple of trademark late runs into box during those last five minutes but this time the ball found him and he made no mistake. I don't think there has been a more popular goal all season amongst players and fans alike, the players seemed just as excited about Scholesy returing and finding the net as us fans. The second half saw United search for that second goal to kill the game but even though Valencia was tearing Bolton apart on the right the goal wouldn't come. Nani's frustrating performance must be mentioned here, he wasn't alone, Rooney seemed to be having on those days as well, but Nani seems to have lost his form altogether at the moment. Just as Valencia regains his form, Nani seems to have lost his, i don't know whether it's to do with him being posioned permantly on the left to accomadate Valencia on the right, but it would be nice if we had both wings functioning to the same effect.
The second goal came eventually with Welbeck getting the goal his performance deserved and Carrick capped his fine performance with another excellent goal. Carrick has never been a prolific goalscorer but when he does find the net they are invariably goals worth seeing. So after Tottenham's suprise draw at home to Wolves, can Wigan do us a favour on Monday night. I suppose the odds are against, but City are going through a sticky spell, so you never know. A final thought on Bolton, after reading Coyle admit that Bolton's finance's aren't too healthy and admit relegation would be disastrous for the club yesterday morning and then watching their performance at United yesterday afternoon, the future looks grim indeed.

Fergie told the Beeb that Paul Scholes still has it. The longer the game went on the better he got, in fact for the five minutes before he was taken off he was looking as good as ever. If Gibson has been sold to finance the return of Scholes, classic Glazernomics, at least we have got a player that should see us suffer no more Blackburn's at home. I don't expect to see him start the next two games at Arsenal or Liverpool but the way our injury problems never seem to go away i wouldn't be 100% on that.

Robert Fisk argues that it's not a few bad apples over the news of US troops urinating over dead Afghan soldiers that surfaced last week, this is what all wars produce.
Nick Broomfeild argues that new evidence proves conclusively that US armed forces have covered up the attrocities that occured at Haditha in Iraq. I can't remember watching that documentary, i will have to try and look it up.
Meanwhile teflon Dave visits Saudi Arabia the country proud to swim against the Aran spring tide, i have said it before i hate the way the British establishment conducts its business with a country that stands for almost everything we puport to despise.

The weeks events in Burma suggest that the junta is steadily coming out from the cold, it doesn't seem very clear to me why they have suddenly seen the democratic light or why now.
Hugh O'Shaughnessy argues that Iran and Venezuela have more in common than the west imagines, namely western hypocrisy and meddling in their internal affairs. Events in Iran this week suggest it's still going on, the hypocrisy and wrong headedness of the wests stance on Iran defies belief. Surely the last thing the global economy needs is conflict with Iran. As despicable as the theocracy of Iran may be, there is a rational and democractic opposition in Iran that is far nearer power than anything similar in the Wahhabi theocracy of Saudi Arabia.

Steve Richards argues that neither Cameron or Salmond are in control of the independce referendum debate, well at least that's good for democracy. The more the costs of independence are spelt out, the more it's hard to see the Scots voting yes to independence. Even if Salmond is never to be under estimated.
Simon Jenkins laments the fact that nobody is arguing the case for "devo max", he argues that this would tick all the tory boxes by maintaining the Union whilst making the Scots more fiscally responsible, John Curtice calls it the solution that dare not speak its name.
Hamish McRae believes that Scotland would easily be able to make a success of independence and that it may even be beneficial to us south of the border.

Robert Peston shows us why the Eurozone credit rating downgrades matter, and that Eurozone leaders claiming that they don't matter may be indulging in wishful thinking, i don't Sarkozy thinks it doesn't matter.

Samuel Brittan claims that even with all it's current woes, there is still nothing to touch the market.

Morrison for sale?

2012-01-12T13:35:00.000Z

The Telegraph are reporting that United have called it quits with Ravel Morrison and have put him up for sale with Newcastle having already had one bid turned down. I'm afraid it's all too believable, something has been going on over the past month, that has seemed quite obvious.
It's a shame as he was definitely a talent, but it was always a question of how much he really wanted it. As i'm sure i'm not the first and won't be the last to say it today, if he can't get his arse in gear to make a go of it at United, it's hard to see him ever achieving what his talent suggests he should do in the game. I can't argue with the decision to try and make some money from him, if true of course, he was lucky that United stuck by him after his court case. He was easily the best of last year's youth cup squad, you have to wonder how many of that group will actually make it at United, will Pogba still be here next season, he looks miles away from the first team from what i have seen of him in the reserves this season.
I watched Tunnicliffe play for Peterbrough last week against Sunderland last week, but it was hard to judge his performance as he was given a role that was totally deifferent from his role at United. He didn't do anything wrong in a defensive role but his passing wasn't as accurate as i would have liked it to have been. I still think Will Keane has a great chance, he looks a real player, i would have liked to see him go out on loan for the rest of the season, but i suppose it's harder to get games on a regular basis when you play up front.
Of the others who knows, Will's twin Michael Keane seems to have shot up and his game has come on, but first team potential, i don't know. Larnell Cole looked good last year, but is he strong enough, Fryers has played for the first team and looked decent at times but has got away with a couple of bad mistakes. Lastly one of the players i really liked the look of last year has hardly got a look in this year, and when Tom Thorpe has played it has been in midfield. It's too early to say the hopes that we placed in the youth cup winning team of 2011 has not lived up to the hype, but they all have a lot of work to do.

The Mail report that Everton are hoping to clinch the signing of Darron Gibson. I don't rate him, but i suppose with the size of Everton's squad and their lack of money he could turn out to be a decent signing. As for Gibson, it has to be a good move for his career overall and for his chances of going to European championships in the summer with the Republic.

Mark Ogden claims that Fergie is glad to have Scholes back for his experience as much as anything as he regrets selling O'Shea and Wes Brown after losing Van Der Sar, Neville and Scholes as well. I had wondered whether Fergie regretted letting O'Shea go in the summer as he would have filled a few holes for during this injury crisis.

Andy Mitten speaks with ex United youth player Bojan Djordic after the player was released by Blackpool recently. He looked a really good player in the youth team, maybe not good enough for United but i thought he would have had a career as premier league football. I suppose he has had an interesting and varied career but he would have made a better living if he made it as a premier league player. I can remember the chipped goal he scored at Celtci, it was a real beauty.

Ahead of last Sunday's derby Daniel Taylor profiled Roberto Mancini and compared him to Fergie, well we are going to see if there is any validity to the claim with the dismal run City are currently going through. They were shocking last night, and what about that crowd, 36,000 for a semi final, massive indeed. I'm looking forward to seeing that City line up take on Spurs in a couple of weeks time.

I enjoy reading Peter Oborne even if i don't really agree with him on most of the big issues, but i would go along with almost all of this column prasing the Union and hoping that the Scots don't vote for independence.
Of course if Osborne is thinking he is playing a win win game, hoping to thwart the Nationalists but if not making sure that England will become a one party Tory state, five, ten years down the line when England's loss of influence becomes obvious he won't seem so clever. Oborne is totally correct that the four constituent parts of Britain were piffling inconsequential places in the grander cheme of things before the act of Union. I read one nationalist comparing England's attitude to Scotland as typically imperialist, fuck me has he ever read the history of the empire and the disproportionate role the Scots played in it. Scotland wasn't a conquered nation.
Michael White compares SNP leader Alex salmond to the English Euro sceptics with his blame game, Teddy Taylor won't be pleased to be described as English.

I have just read Paul Mason's Meltdown : The end of the age of greed, which was fantastic read and am looking forward to buying and reading the follow up. The Guardian ran an extract from it last week, it seems to continue with some of the issues touched from Meltdown, such as the network and i love the way he uses historical comparisons whether or not they turn out to have any validity it makes you realise what a historicaly important time we are currently living through.
Another book i'm going to have to read eventually is Richard Murphy's new book, here in his blog he argues what the new social democracy will have to look like. Whether he is right or wrong, and i would think that is the way we have to head the one thin all these articles are surely right on is that we will not be able to go on doing things the way we have done them for the last 30 years.

Mason made much of the forward march of the east and the developing world in Meltdown and Martin Wolf used his FT colum to look ahead to the economy for this part of the world in the year 2012. He sees high hopes for them but argues that they will not come to the developed world's rescue, we will have to sort things out for ourselves.

John Gray pens an fascinating review of a new book by Philip Coggan called Paper promises: Money,debt and the new world order in which he agrees with Mason that the Neo-Liberal era is over and it's time that our politicians and economists woke up to the fact.
Hans Kundnani fears that the Eurozone will pay a high price for Germany's economic narcissism espoused by its pursuit of ordoliberalism which will leave deficit countries facing greater austerity.

Manchester City 2-3 Manchester United

2012-01-09T12:37:00.000Z

There were some reds who thought the missed chance to get City back for the 6-1, with our slipshod second half performance, spoilt the day. Count me out of that, sure i was really looking forward to the second half and as Keano said on the TV there will be more goals, but you couldn't see them coming at our end, but as Keano also said who is in the fourth round.
The day started well with the news that Scholes has come out of retirment for the rest of the season. Again for some reds this is just an embarrassment, showing our lack of financial clout. I don't really go along with that, Fergie hasn't really got him back for games like City away, i'm sure he will be used more in games like Blackburn at home. If he had been available and picked for that game we would not have been dropping those three points. He looked rusty when he came on, unsuprisingly, and the second City goal turned what should have been a nice thirty minute fitness exercise into something altogether different.
It's a fair while since we saw a goal like Rooney's opener away from home in a big game. Up until that moment it had been all City with United getting everybody behind the ball bar Welbeck, i wasn't sure whether this was the plan, to sit deep and then counter attack or whether we just couldn't get hold of the ball. Rooney confirmed in his post match comments that counter attack was indeed the policy. Well it worked to absolute perfection as with United's first foray into City territory, Rooney passed wide to Valencia whose first time cross was met by the head of Rooney who powered home the ball.
Then came the defining moment of the match, Kompany's sending off, I've changed my mind about three times over this. As it happened i thought it was a straight red and the ref had got it right, replays then showed that it may have been a touch harsh. But last night i saw a gif of the incident where you see it over and over again an watching it like that it looked like a straight red again. Anyway the ref sent him off and United took complete control of the rest of the first half.
The second goal saw Danny Welbeck cap a tremendous performance with a stunning finish where the chance seemed to have gone but he showed why it's always nice to have as many Mancunians as possible in a red shirt as he showed the City defence that he wanted it more. You could sense there were more goals there to be had and that United knew that and as importantly were going to go for it. Another fine move saw Welbeck brought down and though the reserve goalie Pantilimon pulled off a great save Rooney made no mistake with the follow up.
Half time arrived just in time for City as United threatened to run riot. City took Silva off at half time as Mancini appeared to conced the tie to United. But instead of more United goals the beginning of the second period saw City pull one back almost straight away with a brilliantly struck free kick from Kolarov. The free kick had been given away due to another dismal lapse from Evra which saw him recieve a yellow card. For all the talk offUnited hanging on at the end, we should remember that whilst it was 3-1 United should have been awarded a second penalty. If that had been given and we had scored, vengance for the 6-1 at Old trafford would have been on again. Scholes came on for the, once again frustratingly inconsistent Nani, but Valencia was doing his stuff on the right. The second City goal saw Scholes and Evra combine poorly to concede the ball that ended with Aguero reacting first to Lindegaard's fumbled save. He didn't seem to receive any criticism for the goal but i thought Lindegaard should have held onto the original shot, it was straight at him. The last five minutes were anxious, but when that whistle went, the feeling was immense.
I don't know why but whilst the draw was being made for the fourth round i just knew we were going to get Liverpool at Anfield and wasn't unhappy that we got them. I can't wait for that, i hope i'm not being over confident.

It seems most commentators such as Alan Hansen think that United and Liverpool have to make peace before the FA cup tie later in the month. But what exactly are United suppose to aplogise for, we haven't done anything wrong. All the turmoil that surrounds the fixture emenate from the actions of Liverpool FC, as most neutrals seem to agree.
Things just seem to be going from bad to worse for the scouse reds don't they, Friday night's second racism row and now Downing, i suppose the only suprise is that it was Downing and not Carroll.

Paul Hayward thinks that Fergie has made his point to Rooney and also that he wasn't happy with United's second half performance. Nicky Butt thought the Scholes move was a brilliant psychological move by Fergie to take the attention away from City's home record. Sam Wallace wrote that Rooney obscures United's flaws, in a pretty fair piece, i would agree that our defence is very wobbly at the moment. One of our problems is not so much that Ferdinand's form is poor, but that he isn't really fit and he is basically hobbling through games. It will be good to get Evans back and hopefully he and Smalling can get a run of games together.
The new edition of United we stand will be worth getting for the cover as much as for what will be in it.

Roger Bootle thinks that the economy will bounce back strongly eventually, we will just have to go through hell first. Heather Stewart writes regulation on unrestricted capital could be on the cards.
Larry Elliott talks about le vice Anglais and how it has become the fetish Europe wide.

Money, no problem?

2012-01-05T20:37:00.010Z

Mark Ogden reports that rumours that United can't spend are wide of the mark, the Glazer's have assured Fergie. However Fergie won't buy unless he is convinced they are right for the club long term. I think that it's more likely that he won't spend now because he knows eventually he would have to balance the books. For whatever comes in, player/players would have to go out. Which of course makes the Rooney situation all the more important to keep an eye on. I don't think i'd be too thrilled if i had wrote that article to see the headline attached to it, it's a bit of a credibility killer.

Obviously after the decision to leave Rooney out of the Blackburn game, the spotlight has fallen back on his career, lifestyle and future at United. David McDonnell wonders if Fergie is preparing to cash in on Rooney at the end of the season to release money to continue the rebuilding process. James Lawton is more concerned at the waste of a talent, i think it's fair to say that are a more than a few reds who think that he has never really looked like realising the potential we all thought he had when he was bought.
I would have to count myself into that number, don't get me wrong he is a top player, easily the best player in our squad, but he just has too many ordinary games and when his form deserts him his first touch is so far from what it should be for a top player, it's not true. I always thought there wasn't that much between Rooney and Ronaldo at United but Ronaldo has obviously pushed on. But neither of them approach the genius of Messi and Ronaldo may even be behind Xavi, sure Ronaldo flat track bullies the lesser teams but when it matters the two Barca players turn up and are counted.

Sam Wallace thinks United are dogged by too many problems, the areas of concern for Fergie are pretty widespread. We all know what the problems are and the injury list has just exacerbated them even further. With the squad they have assembled and the players we have lost last season and the injuries we have suffered if City don't win the title this season, there will be questions asked.

The other talking point this week has been who should Fergie put his faith in for the number one jersey with almsot all pundits arguing that Fergie would have to opt for the more experienced Dane Lindegaard. I would have gone along with that before the Blackburn game, but after the disaster he suffered at the weekend i would have stuck with De Gea for the barcode clash for fear of affecting his confidence. As it is it didn't really matter, neither goalie would have saved the first two crucial goals. But now he has gone for Lindegaard i hope he sticks with him for the next few games. With the chopping and changing we are having to do amongst the back four we could at least continue stick with the same keeper.

Ian Ladyman writes that Fergie claims that Chelsea won't do business with a title rival during the transfer window aftert the reports that United are after Lampard. Reading t'internet forums it would seem that there is something in this though. Given our crappy finances and the state of the current squad i have to admit that i would welcome his signing if we could prise him from Stamford bridge. One thing he would bring to the squad that we sadly lack is goals from midfield.

Robbie Brady joins Tunnicliffe in spending the rest of the season in his Brady's case with Hull City on loan, He got some rave reviews earlier in the season, things seem to have quietened down over the last couple of months. I have to admit i have never seen a future Unted first teamer in him, but then again when Cleverley first went on loan to Leicester City i would have said the same.
Brady could be joined by Josh King at Hull City apparently after his injury struck time at Borussia Monchengladbach. I was always excited by King, he looked a real prospect, so this looks like a good move for him.

Liverpool are not winning friends in there bizarre behaviour after Suarez was found guilty and banned for eight games, King Kenny was on top form after their abysmal surrender at the boo camp on Tuesday night.
Martin Samuel wonders what on earth Liverpool football club are playing at, doesn 't John Henry realise the damage the club are inflicting on themselves and even on his own reputation in the States.

Maurice Glasman has a big piece in the New Statesman this week in which he advises Ed Miliband to seize the initiative whilst being less than glowing about his and the Labour parties performance. It has made big waves in the Westminster village, Paul Waugh wonders how Glasman has ever achieved this so called importance.

Why the Hungarian crisis is so alarming, Hitker or Mussolini would have been proud of this. Of course Hungary was on the wrong side during both world wars. Europe can't allow that to happen to a country in the EU, so surely unless all that legislation is rescinded they will have to be threatened with expulsion and if they don't comply kicked out and ostracised. Of course they can always make common cause with Belarus and Putin, i'm sure that would be really popular with the Hungarian people.

Train fare rises always make the news, less so bus fare rises, i'm sure most commuters will notice bus fare rises of up to 20%. Birmingham is one of the big marginal seat area's of the country, this won't do their electroal prospects much good during the next election. Of course most tories won't have the foggiest how hard this will be on ordinary people, most of them still probably regard bus service peivatisation as a rip roaring success. Most of them work in the only city in the country to still have an unprivatised transport system. A real progressive goverment would reverse that, allowing localities to arrange their own transport systems, unfortunately that means we will have a long wait.

Music

Jim Ford - Harlan county: Another lost classic according to Mojo that did nothing when it was brought out, even though the guy was a reasonably successful songwriter. It's absolutley superb, an unusual mix of soul, funk and country. It makes you wonder how it never sold, in a similar way to the Rodriguez album that came out a couple of years back.

Kyle Eastwood - Songs from the chateau: Clint's son is the bass playing leader of this jazz ensemble. And it sounds pretty good, it's a quite funky modern jazz. There's more than a bit of Miles Davis in this piece.

Peter Bruntnell - Black mountain: Country rock along the lines of Ryan Adams, that occasionally sounds a bit Elliott Smith as well. It's a reasonable album, though it doesn't really threaten to match either of those excellent artists.

Shabazz Palaces - Black up: I'm not a massive fan of hip hop but i love this, they're from Seattle but there are the occasional moments that they put me in mind of trip hop Massive Attack.

The Kills - Blood pressures: The latest release from the UK/US duo is a real cracker, they have done some cracking stuff in the past, but some pretty average albums as well. I have read it reviewed as a dirty, sexy album and i'd go along with the dirty part of that.

The young knives - Ornaments from the past: The third proper album from the UK indie outfit continues their path away from the post punk guitar sound of the voices of animals and men album. As with it's predecessor, it pretty good, a few cracking tunes but it doesn't match the excellence of Voices.

Newcastle United 3-0 Manchester United

2012-01-05T12:41:00.006Z

Another stinker and another performance to forget in a fixture that i had been worried about for a while. I honestly thought before last night that Arsenal away would be an easier game for us, right at this minute. The one thing you knew about last night was that it would be a hundred miles an hour, they would be in our faces and our ever changing back four would be tested. At least at the Emirates it will be more of a game of football and that we hopefully won't get bullied there, though at the moment you never know.
The battle came to pass and as i feared the present United weren't good or up for it enough. The team didn't look too bad on paper, with Ferdinand back in the team allowing Carrick to go back into midfield and Lindegaard back between the sticks. I have to say though, at this stage in his career, Jones is a last resort as a centre half. He just doesn't win enough balls in the air, i can't believe i'm saying this but Evans wins more and will walk back into the team when he regains fitness. Jones best position has to be full back or midfield and for me, even though he has had a couple of stinkers he still has to be picked to get those forward bursts back into the team.
Next to him it seemed obvious to me that Ferdinand had been rushed back and isn't really fit. The penalty that he should have conceeded in the first half was an example of him not really being right. You can tell when he is not really right as he lacks mobility and can seem statuesque at times. With Evra at left back seemingly in permanent decline and a right winger at full back, when you looked at our back four objectively it didn't fill you full of confidence.
The midfield two looked good on paper, but didn't have the best of nights, Park contributed little and Nani have one of those nights where nothing came off, of which i'm afraid he has too many. My other worry when i saw the team was the pairing of Rooney and Berbatov up front. They seem to work well enough as a pair at Old trafford but as we saw numerous times last season, away from home they just don't seem to click. Berbatov just never got into the game, the difference in movement between United's attack when Welbeck has started away from home to when either Berbatov or Hernandez has partnered Rooney has been all too obvious. To be fair to the Bulgarian though, he was no worse than Rooney who was sadly off his game. Worryingly Rooney's body language looked a bit suspect, one poor away game is too soon to say something isn't right, but i'll be keeping my eyes on him. That was the kind of performance from him and from United that we saw during our troubled start to last season.
For all that it still took two brilliant goals to put us to the sword. Jones should have done better with the challenge to the headed knock on that Ba volleyed in to give Lindegaard no chance with. I'm not saying that he should always be winning those, but he should at least trouble the forward enough to stop them getting the perfect knock down in. I'm not sure if the inquest to the second goal actually mentioned that the free kick given away from which the French man scored such a brilliant goal from was totally unnecessary. I still don't know what Jones was thinking off, he just seemed to panic, i suppose we have to put it down to the learning process.
Once the second went in i couldn't see any way back for us, and that was before the substitutions and the tactics which lacked any imagination. Bringing Welbeck on first was right, but it was too late to change the game and at the moment throwing Hernandez on is just hoping for the best. The Mexican is so anonymous when on the pitch at the moment it's embarrassing. As i mentioned after Saturday if the opposition can stop our attack from the flanks we become completely devoid of ideas. Our best chance of the second half came straight after Welbeck was brought on and his centre to Rooney who probably should have done better with the chance. That apart though we rarely looked threatening and the third goal jus about summed the night up.
This aint the best shape to be going into Sunday in obviously, but it's the cup and it's a derby, so who knows, fingers crossed anyway. I hope Smalling's back so we can put him alongside Ferdinand and allow Jones to fill central midfield. Of course that's presuming the forgotten man Cleverley isn't sprung upon an unsuspecting world. We need bodies back that's for sure and then just as importantly a run of games with injuries kept down to a minimum. I still think the FA cup is our best chance os silverware this season so i hope Fergie is taking this game as seriously as the fans are.

As we prepare to face City Mark Ogden warns Owen Hargreaves that time is running out if he is to prove to Fergie that he was right to let him go. Of course he was right, did any body have the slightest doubt that he would hardly ever leave the physio's room.

Michael White reminds the Euro sceptics that after ten years of the Euro, they have got things wrong too and still have no convincing answer to what the alternative to belonging to the Eurozone actually is. I have just finished Hugo Youngs brilliant account with Britains relationship with Europe since the war This blessed plot and that is a superb account of this countries failure to come to terms with it's declining role in the world. I'm pro-Europe and i probably would have voted to join the Euro though i had big worries about the Euro being run as a Europe wide Bundesbank. But even as those worries have turned out to be justified, and it's obviously the case the sceptics were right that the Eurozone was poorly thought through, the Euro won't go away as the sceptics hope as Robert Skidlesky predicts the Eurozone will shrink instead.
Bryan Appleyard takes a look at the options for this country asn wonders if as part of a retreat from Europe, this country should accept it's fate as a declining power. In Time to shrink Britain he wonders can accept our loss of influence and adopt a policy of rational isolationism.
At least that is intellectualy honest, i would answer that even if we wanted to adopt that policy the real world would get in the way as it always does eventually. At the end of the day we are a European country, we always have been and always will. Read your history and name one century where this country wasn't in the thick of historical events concerning Europe. Of course a sizeable number, though not all Eurosceptics really yearn to be the 51st state. Which is about as intellectually dishonest as you can get, they whine about losing powers to Brussels but would hand them over to Washinton in a heart beat.
As if the economic prospects for Europe weren't challenging enough, Hungary as many commentators have warned over the last couple of weeks is set to give the EU a deomocratic crisis.

Paul Mason's latest blog views the role of central banks during the current crisis, their historical evolution and their role in the future as they have become part of the debate during the Republican primaries in the US.
Martin Wolf inpsects the economics propspects for the high income countries, what was known as the westernised first world i suppose and concludes by wishing us good luck because we are going to need it.

Nic Jones with a track off the classic lost album Penguin eggs

Manchester United 2-3 Blackburn Rovers

2012-01-02T11:23:00.004Z

We have complained of the mundane nature of the last couple of seasons, that's one thing we can't really complain about this season. Given the transitional nature of the squad and our mounting injury list i can't see this being the last unforseen defeat we will suffer this season. I don't know how many times i heard disgrace mentioned and we should be beating them at the stadium, walking back to the Tollgate and in the Tollgate. It's not a disgrace to lose a football match and obviously though you would expect United to be beating the bottom side at home, it doesn't always follow that we will, which is what makes sport so enjoyable surely. Look at all the other results over the weekend for evidence of that
Fergie's team selection and tactics also inevitably came in for much criticism, obviously it wasn't the kind of line up you would have wanted to see. I had always expected Rooney to be rested but had presumed he would be on the bench in case of emergencies. Well we at least now have a pretty good idea why he wasn't even on the bench. Whether you think he was right or wrong we certainly payed for his absence. He would have been the perfect player to bring on into that central midfield area, not just giving the creativity that Park and Fabio unsuprisingly didn't bring to the table, but also helping us to keep possession better.
The othe main bone of contention was playing Valencia at right back especially in light of his brilliant second half performance. I am on record as saying that i'm no fan of him being played at right back, but i don't really think that would have altered the game that dramatically. At the end of the day we are paying for the incredible injury list we have built up over the season. I mean just look at that back four again. We have all moaned about our lack of quality in central midfield and yet over the last few weeks as our form has returned and the goals have flowed we seemed to have found at least a short term answer in the form of Carrick and Jones together. And yet where were they both playing on Saturday, central defence, that sums up our problems at the moment.
We need bodies back and fast, i had written that if we had been playing our christmas fixtures away with the defensive line ups we have had to put up i would have been worried. Well it only needed the bottom team to find a bit of self belief to use their size to out muscle us. Red News editor Barney tweeted yesterday that the two defeats in the league so far this season have basically seen us bullied. I would go along with that though i think it's not going to be a long term worry, just that in the here and now the injuries and lack of depth in quality in central midfield are hurting us badly.
Which brings us to my real gripe with team selection, the return of De Gea in goal. I still like De Gea as a goalie but against a side the size of Blackburn, and they were giants compared to the United team, it made sense to stick with Lindegaard for now. We were basically in trouble every time they put a cross in. With no Vidic and no Ferdinand and a central midfielder at centre half in front of him i feel a bit sorry for him.
As in almost every game we have lost this season, we were turned over because we conceeded soft goals. I though the first was a penalty, though the jostling for position before the ball was delivered could just as easily have seen Samba penalised. With that referee on Saturday that was never going to happen, he seemed to be gloating in the fact that he wasn't giving United anything. Most reds wondered how he hadn't booked the goalie, but were all screaming for it in the second half. Unfortunately, though it was pretty blatant time wasting, it was all perfectly legal, but in the first half, there were two or three occasions he could and should have been booked. The second goal was down to poor defensive work from Carrick, let's hope the new found confidence he had been showing isn't knocked for six as it has been in the past.
United's fight back was basically driven by Valencia having ain inspired ten minutes skinning his man time after time and learning from the first half. In the first half United had delivered cross after cross only to see the giant Blackburn defence easily snuf out the danger. Both United goals came from low crosses, even if there was a hint of fortune to the first. It wasn't really pretty football, but it was effective. What we did see on Saturday was how limited our tactics have become at times with no creativity in the middle of the park. Our tactics seemed very limited , it was basically get the ball to the winger and hope they can beat two men and get the ball in. As we saw against City at home, if the opposition are good enough to stop our wingers or our wingers are having an off day, we are in trouble. Watching Nasri get hoisted off again for City during the most enjoyable part of the weekend for a red makes me wonder how much he must rue his decision to follow the money.
Unbelievably United now completely lost their rythym and the chances stopped flowing. I always thought that if we didn't get a third our defensive game was so weak we could still end up losing the three points. At this point though i would gladly have took a point, but when we need to be able to shut up shop this season, it just doesn't happen. The third goal was the worst, De Gea made a complete horlicks of it, but Fergie was right to blame the rest of the defence for not doing more after that mistake.
The rest of the players heads went down after that, not really what you want to see, but understandable enough i suppose, after having fought their way back into the game only to go behind again. United huffed and puffed and did have chances but no luck especially with one chance right near the line that was cleared off the line from our own man on the line the prostrate substitute Will Keane.
At least he was the one bright note of the day for me, he may not have created any chances or even had any chances, but he showed signs that the promise he has shown in the youth and reserves has a fair chance of being fulfilled. I always look at whether a young player carries on playing his natural game when he gets a chance in the first team and whether he makes the right decisions. His first touch was good, his movement was good, and when he had the chance he invariably saw the right pass and executed the right pass. Not as easy as it sounds when the last five minutes are seeing United chasing the game against a packed defence. We can all remember Macheda coming on this season and mis controlling the ball. Pretty good news considering Hernandez had another annonymous game, even if it was only for 45 minutes.

As far as the Rooney mystery goes, taking what's been reported and the rumours going around, i would have to back Fergie's stance even if it turned out that it cost us big time. If Rooney turned up to training the worse for wear, Fergie had to do something and with the Morrison situation rumbling on in the background an example had to be made.

It sounds like Giggs is going to give us another years service, how badly he was missed on Saturday. I will say this about the changes made against Blackburn, i hope Fergie didn't take Blackburn lightly because that was always going to be the harder game. But as far as Giggs goes that's obviously good news because he can still do a job. It was muttered aloud after the game what a pity it was Scholes wouldn't give us another season, that was the kind of game he would still have looked the dogs bollocks. Still as Keano rightly pointed out after the Basel defeat United should not be relying on 38 year olds.

Ahead of the weekend fixture Paul Hayward talked of Ferguson and retirement and how Fergie has become retirement-phobic, Glazer's apart i think United are in reasonable shape as far as the long term goes, but only as long as Fergie is in charge of the ship. I still think that the gimps will have to bail out, the only question is will they make the profit from the sale of the club that they hope to. Under present economic and market conditions, the answer must surely be in the negative.

Again written ahead of the weekend's fixtures, Andy Cole wrote that he thought that the end of the season would see United retain the title. I thought he was right to pick up on some of Mancini'c recent moans, even if Mancini was spot on the money in saying ths xmas fixture list hadn't been kind to City.
I think we have a chance but not with if we continue to suffer injury after injury, the big losers of the weekend for me were Spurs, they had a great chance to really force their way into the title race. Their game against City in a couple of weeks will be a game to watch and will be a pointer to how the title race will go. If Spurs could come away with the three points from there they would be right in there with a chance.

It sounds like the Vidic injury whilst still bad, wasn't as bad as it could have been. He has undergone the operation and no complications were found with it, though it will still be the following season before he will be able to resume training. Hopefully that means that he may be fit to return nearer the beginning of the season than originally hoped.

John Campbell looks at the legacy of Thatcher as the new film starring Meryl Streep brings her back into the spotlight. It's fair up to a point, the Union's did need to be made to brought to their senses, but not destroyed. But he comes perilously close to saying that Howe's economic policies were right, even thoug they drove a lot of sound manufacturing businesses to the wall. Those very same industries that everybody, left or right, accepts our economy needs more of.

Jon Snow looks ahead to 2012 and borrows from Clinton's presidential campaign the phrase " it's the economy stupid ". And warns us to watch the Iraq/ Saudi Arabia cold war.
Noam Chomsky with an interesting piece about the decline of America and lays the blame at the hands of the financial elite. John Kampfner tells us to look at Brazils' success as a clue as to where the future lies. He also goes on to lament the lack of realism as regards this countries declining influence.
William Keegan warns George Osborne austerity will be bad for your ratings, having a go at him basing your startegy on pleasing the discredited credit ratings agencies. A piece from Liberal conspiracy looks at the Labour parties city problem.
Peter Oborne's latest Telegraph article argues that it's modrnisation, not morality, that is the dirty word of politics, which of course was the theme of his book the triumph of the political class.

Polly Toynbee urges the Labour party to back the BBC against the tories and Sky, i can't see this happening new labour were almost as anti Beeb as the tories. No arguing with her messgae though.

The Irish times looks Richard Herring goes after the big fish of comedy as he takes his new tour around the economy. One of the shows is at the Lowry, if it doesn't intefere with United i may go.

Manchester United 5-0 Wigan athletic

2011-12-27T19:34:00.002Z

Fergie rotated the squad , partly down to the busy xmas period and partly down to yet more injuries to our defence meant Carrick had to drop back to partner Evans in the heart of the defence. Our injuries this season have become something else. To make matters worse Evans left the field at half time to leave a centre half pairing of Carrick and Evra. It was a good job it was only Wigan and a good job we were at home. We need to get bodies back and quick because that defence would have been well and truly found out by a better side than Wigan.
And speaking of Wigan, just how bad were they, that was aabout as bad an away performance as i can remember. The second half was virtually a traing ground performance, in fact United hardly got out of first gear for the whole 90 minutes and yet we ended with five goals and it could have been more.
Once again United got off to a good start taking the lead after just 8 minutes, the goal coming from our first serious attack as Evra beat two men so easily it wasn't true and crossed for Park to side foot the ball into the back of the net. I have to admit that at the match i thought the ref had made the right call with the sending off, from our view it looked like he had elbowed Carrick. Obviously the TV pictures showed that it was very harsh and effectively killed the game off. There was no way a ten man Wigan were going to get anything out of this game.
Berbatov added a second just before the break and after that it was basically a question of how much United wanted to improve the goal difference. Eve though he claimed a hatrick and the two goal from open play were pretty good goals, i didn't actually think Barbatov had that great a game. His second goal was classic Berbatov though, an exquisite first touch turn and toe poke to make ti 3-0 on the hour.
Valencia was playing right back, not where i'm happiest seeming play to be honest, but he was basically playing as a second winger. It was now his turn to get in on the action as he hit a pile driver into the corner of the net to make it 4-0. The finishing touch to a highly satisfactory day came from the penalty spot as Rooney allowed Berbatov the chance to claim a hatrick after Park had been upended.
When the rest of the results came in a very happy Old trafford crowd left for their post match pints. I hadn't really fancied West Brom to do us a favour so that was a bonus. I do fancy Sunderland to give them a hard game next week under new manager Martin O'Neill, so fingers crossed.

The injury woes don't get any better with the news that Jonny Evans will be out for two weeks, God knows what out defence will look like for the FA cup tie at the boo camp. If it's anything like the line up we finished with yesterday i think i'll leave the country.

Fulham 0-5 Manchester United

2011-12-22T11:51:00.006Z

I was hoping for more of the same, an unchanged line up and more of the free flowing football we have been served up over the last few games. But Craven cottage has become a hard place to go, especially for United over the last few years, so i would have taken any kind of win at kick off. So for us to come away with a 5-0 was beyond my wildest dreams.
Fulham were poor, there is no getting away from that, but the United of a couple of months back would never have wiped the floor with the west London outfit in such a manner. As on Sunday United started well, a high tempo and with attacking intent. But when Nani got the ball on the half line five minutes into the game, i don't think anybody would have guessed he would just head straight down the touchline to cross for Welbeck to get the goal his recent play deserved. It was yet another great start for the reds and they didn't take their foot of the pedal.
Unfortunately even when things seem to be going great we can't stop picking up injuries. It didn't look good when Jones went down and stayed down, he got back on the pitch, but eventually had to go off with what is suspected to be a broken cheekbone, which if confirmed will keep him out for six weeks. That would be a right bastard, because i have been looking forward to seeing him against City in the FA cup. It doesn't look like that that is going to happen, we are going to need all our best players for that.
The second came via the head of Nani, a collectors item surely, once again i suppose Fulham would be asking questions of their defence. Jones superb displays have been a standout feature of our recent run, but just as influential for me has been the return of Danny Welbeck to the team. He is going to be a great player and United have played almost all their best stuff this season with him in the team. He brings more to the table than Hernandez, the forward line has a lot more fluidity with him harrasing the opposition defence, creating, making space and getting on the end of things. I'm crossing my fingers that he can have an injury free run. It will be great to see him and Cleverley back in the team together, evidence that the future is bright.
The third goal from Giggs, if fortunate killed the game stone dead. I have to say i got a bit greedy at this point i was hoping for a hatful when at the start of the game i would have gladly settled for a 1-0. But to be honest most of the second half was a non event, United coasted through it, Fulham managed to show some fight and i ended up hoping we would keep the three goal lead to better our goal difference.
Then towards the end United picked it up again, Welbeck lifted over the bar when he probably should have scored and then Rooney blasted from distance like we haven't seen for ages. What a great shot, more of that and less of the silly chips please. Berbatov was suprisingly brought on near the end and ended things up to perfection with a lovely back heel type finish. I talk to a guy at half time at Old trafford and after the City debacle i proffered the thought that they would struggle to get that out of their system and we wouldn't see the kind of football we saw during the first six weeks until Christmas, fuck me i got it down to the very week.

It was a tad bizarre how most of the papers yesterday morning seemed to pile the eulogies onto Giggs after last night's performance. Yes he had a decent game but he has played better this season, Michael Crick made a good point on twitter, all the press have mentioned his goal and reported it as his 20th consective season scoring a goal. Try making that 22, there was a world before the premier league. It's sickening the way the pre-premier league are sometimes treated as if they never happened.

Good news on the Phil Jones front, Fergie has told the press this morning that he hasn't broken anything and could be in contention for Monday. Best news of the week that.

United have lost their battle with City over the 3rd round FA cup allocation, suprise, suprise, i suppose there was only going to be one winner. If the FA concede to the home team every time health and safety is brought up we'll end up with no the same allocation as for league games for every cup tie.

Andy Cole reminisces about his time with Roy Keane under Fergie, he was a winner, but knowing the two men he can't see them resolving their differences any time soon. I just can't picture Keano and Denis Irwin toe to toe.

Paul Hayward believes Liverpool's siege mentality over the Suarez case is misguided, they can't help its in their genes.

Peter Oborne sensibly doesn't think giving Margaret Thatcher a state funeral would be a good thing. If they go ahead and have one it should be interesting, i can see some former mining districts having street parties to celebrate her death. I'm no fan obviously and think Oborne is totally wrong to put her in the front rank of prime ministers.
Winning three elections on the bounce and a little war against Argentina, do not a great prime minister make. What will she have actually left behind her that will survive, she decimated british manufacturing, which Thatcherites said didn't matter, it was survival of the fittest. That was always bonkers and of course 2008 was the proof of that.
She liberated the city of London, an d once again we now know that this was a disaster. Her housing policy has proved to be a disaster, you can just go on and on. She set the political climate alright and led this country way to the right of where it was in 1979, but it can't be said to have had a happy ending. She was supposed to have got the country back on its feet after the Butskellite post war period of 1945-75, and here we are in 2011 after 30 years of Thatcherite economics in an even worse position than we were in 1979. And before tories try to pretend that was Labour's fault, get serious they didn't oppose any of the policies followed by Brown that got us into this mess.

Simon Jenkins warns that the cause of this recession was economic pundits ignoring histories voice. Adair Turner talks about shrinking the City, we can make banks safer, but not safe he admits, the big band was a really great idea wasn't it. You can call that admitting that the neo-liberal agenda pushed by all three of our political parties still has been a gigantic disaster.
Yet another arm of the economic consensus, the credit agencies come in for ridicule from Jonathan Portes. For such a useless industry how much do these people get paid, that's what makes me laugh or rather band my head against a wall, they get paid rather well.

Duncan Weldon reads the latest blog from the IMF's chief economist that seems to blow an intellectual hole in the coalition government's economic startegy.

Is Argentina set receive a new wave of European immigration, the guardian report on Europeans arriving in South America in search of a better life.

It's the best albums of the year time again, this is Piccadily records top 100.

Evra vindicated!

2011-12-21T09:28:00.007Z

I can't say i was thrilled that this case got to this stage, not because i don't think racism isn't a serious problem and should be tackled, i do, but because this basically boiled down to one man's evidemce against another. Compare to the John Terry scenario, which seems to be an open and shut case for me, even if the police don't prosecute how can the FA not come down on him like a ton of bricks after this. It's hard to see hime going to European championships in the summer as captain, though given our FA, who knows?
From what evidence we have, all along United and Evra have observed the FA's intsructions not to talk to the press, you can only imagine that Suarez has effectively hung himself out to dry, unless the full details have not been made public that is. The Liverpool statement released after the decision was announced was farcical, as one wag said last night, Gary Cook is alive and well and back in football. Whether Suarez had been found guilty or not Liverpool FC's conduct during this whole episode is almost as worthy of investigation.
James Lawton wrote this morning that a completely independent panel found the cannibal of Ajax unequivocally gulity, so i think we should assume that the evidence was there.
Things are going to be hot the next time we play the fuckers, and even hotter the next time we play at Anfailed as needless to say this is more than a bit of a disaster for their season. Andy Carroll and Liverpool's transfer strategy is about to receive some unwanted attention.
Mark Ogden writes that Evra is bound to feel vindicated by the decision after his four game ban over the Chelsea groundsman incident.

On a more wholesome note Phil Jones tells the MEN that he is having the time of his life at United, it's got to be said he is making United fans life that bit more pleasurable at the moment. He tells them he can't believe that things are going as well, well i suppose he probably couldn't have imagined being such a big hit in the middle of the park.
Wilf McGuiness warns reds not to burden Jones with comparisons with the incomparable Duncan Edwards, he's good, very good but Edwards was a one off. Saying that he sees echoes of Keano and Robbo in him and argues that midfield should the position that Fergie utilises him in, like me he thinks you would be wasting too much of his game as a defender.
As for us tonight more of the same please, that means an unchanged team as much as performance. I know there are going to be plenty of chopping and changing over the new years period, but this is one of the harder games of this run and we need to keep the form going as well as keep the points coming. If Rafael is fit i would bring him in on boxing day as well as giving Hernandez a run out. Of course that means keeping Welbeck and Rooney together again tonight.

A decent piece from the Irish examiner that was on Red News website yesterday comparing the way Fergie operates to the way Keano still blazes about. The nub being that Keano is too honest, and whilst that makes him a brilliant interviewee, it's not going to help his managerial ambitions. That is pretty much the crux of the matter, i would find hard to disagree with anything Keane said about Fergie and yet, would i have any other manager at United to replace him? not on your life, i dread the day he goes.
Andy Mitten gives thanks for free speech and Keano's willingness to go where others won't, whether it incurs Fergie's wrath or not.

United have a decision to make over the future of Dimitar Berbatov, Mark Ogden wonders whether they will invoke the option they have on his contract or will they allow him to talk to interested parties. The option that allows the Glazers to recoup some of the £30 million sjelled out on him i suspect, so they will take the option and then sell him in the summer. Unless they are really desperate right now that is. With the plans to part float still on hold, who knows where we are at financially, with the state of the financial markets i can't see that going ahead any time soon. There no more popular in Florida these days it seems.

The Beckham bandwagon has stalled, it was assumed that his next decision would be gay Paris and PSG, but he hasn't made his mind up apparently. Maybe he is waiting for the word from Fergie, well we need a creative midfielder.

Lancashire CCC batsmen Stephen Moore shares his thoughts on last years success and hpo Lancashire are planning for long term success as pre season training begins. Pretty interesting to hear him talk about the small squad's part in the success, of course you have to have luck going in that direction.

Michael Billington reminds us that we should remember Vaclav Havel the playwright as well as Havel the statesman.
As one modern great dies, one modern tyrant shuffles of this mortal coil, i have to admit that every time i saw a picture of Kim Jong Il it always led to me thinking of the film Team America: world police. This Independent piece reminds us why we shouldn't falling into the trap of just laughing at such evil men.

David Hearst desribes Putin's rule of Russia as a giant car boot sale with its wealth and brains flowing out of the country. I'm not much of a fan of Mary Dejevsky's musings but this was worth a read, she wrote that there is a palpable concern in Russia's power structures that a decade of stability could be drawing to a close. That may well be true, but it doesn't really explain the booing and demonstrations that seem to have sprung up out of nowhere. It wasn't the power structure out on the streets demonstrating.
The Economist talks of cracks appearing which show that Putin should clean up the Kremlin and the Russian economy for the countries sake and for his own. With all those oligrachs and all that bent money, surely easier said than done. Jonathan Steele describes the protests as the end of an era as the people finally run out of patience with the rigid, lawless elites.

I have just finished watching the excellent City of men which was written and made by the same people behind City of god. It's more light hearted than the film, even though it still examines the tensions behind the surface of the Brazillian city. But one thing i do get from watching it is how alien Manchester must be to any Brazillians that end up at either of the Manchester clubs.

Music
Amos Lee - Mission bell: Decent stuff from the US singer/songwriter, not the best of the genre, but very listenable.

Battles - Gloss drop: The second album and first down to a three piece, it got middling reviews with most thinking it was step down from their excellent debut. I actually think it's almost as good, just one or two songs short of the debut.

Chilly Gonzales - The unspeakable: An orchestral hip hop album, doesn't sound promising, but it's actually pretty good. As usual it's the music that hits me first and that's excellent.

Grateful dead - American beauty: I had honestly never heard the San Francisco hippy giants before listening to this. From everything i have read this seems to be pretty atypical, but i really like the folk rock Byrdsian ytpe songs on it.

Gruff Rhys - Candylion: I 'm not going to suprise anybody by saying i love this, as with his recent Hotel shampoo this is on the poppier side of the super furries.

Wayne Shorter - Adam's apple: Excellent stuff again from Shorter not quite at the top of their game, but there's some brilliant stuff on the album.

Q.P.R 0-2 Manchester United

2011-12-19T12:11:00.005Z

United took the pitch at Lofus road with that collectors item, an unchanged team, which the way the season has gone was probably the only time he has been able to actually name one. After last Saturday's encouraging response to our champions league exit, an unchanged line up was just what the doctor ordered.
Pleasingly the team carried on where they had left off at home to Wolves, starting at a fastish tempo, keeping the ball well and carrying the game to the opposition. And just as last week we looked a lot better in midfield with Carrick and Jones keeping the ball better, protecting the back four reasonably well and combining with the front line. All the plaudits will once again got to Jones, and deservedly so, he was magnificent again but Carrick has brought as much to the team. It is no suprise that we have looked a lot more assured at the back, well through the middle anyway, with Carrick patrolling the space in front of the back four.
Evra had another stinker, it's almost every game with him now, i don't know whether Zeki Fryers will be the answer eventually but if Evra is a liability against even QPR, you fear for him against a Barca or a Real Madrid. He was disastrous at home to City, lest we forget. I am reasonably confident for the cup tie at the boo camp, but if they can get at him again, well it doesn't bear thinking about.
I wouldn't be as hard on Smalling, full back isn't really his position, in fact when the twins get back i would like to see him move him into the middle. But he has had two less than stellar performance last week and this. He isn't a full back and for the last couple of games hasn't really looked like one. Stiil given the twins inability to last a game or stay fit for any kind of run of games, he will probably be our right back for most of the rest of the season.
The goal inside of the first minute was the ideal start it goes without saying, a great cross from the reinvigorated Valencia somehow made it's way to Rooney's head and he made no mistake. As much as you might dominate the game, in such a tight stadium the home side were never out of it whilst whilst only a goal down, so it was pretty galling that United failed to take advantage of the numerous chances to make it two before half time. And there were some chances! Jones made another of his now trademark runs but was foiled by a great sto by the keeper Cerny. Cerny also made a great stop from Valencia but Evans was gulity of missing an open goal.
United started the second half just like the first when Rooney was put through, but his first touch was poor and the chance was missed. The second and decisive goal saw a rare sortie up front from Carrick who ran half the length of the pitch before before slotting home to score his frist goal in 70 games. Maybe that is a good sign, if memory serves me right he does tend to get the odd goal or two when he hits his optimum form. We could have had a third when Jones burst forward again to hit the post, but the last 20 minutes saw United on cruise control . It was a pleasant suprise to see Hernandez on the pitch and get half an hour on the pitch in the second half. That half hour cameo though, did show us how much more dynamic United are when Welbeck plays up front. He may not be the finisher that the Mexican is, but he brings so much more the teams play.
It was a pity about the two results later in the afternoon, but at least City didn't looks as convincing in victory as they might have. They don't look unbeatable any more and i have a feeling the second half of the season is going to be very interesting.

I thought this was a pretty lame, lazy piece from Sabotage times trying to warn us not to get too excited about the emergence of Phil Jones and then going on to compare him to John O'Shea. Anybody who has watched for United for more than five minutes can see that Jones is the real deal.
It's not just anybody that can make the runs from midfield that he has been making from midfield during the last two games. And lets not forget he was making great runs from right back and even from centre half. And it's not just the runs, there is invariably an end product to those runs. He isn't the finished article by a long shot, but that is what makes watching his emergence all the more exciting, i mean just how good is he going to be.

All yesterday's and today's back pages are suggesting that Benfica's Gaitan transfer to United next summer is a done deal,well we'll see i suppose. I notice Mendes is involved in a potential United purchase yet again, i'm not too thrilled at that news. Still with half a season for the Argentine to push up the asking price i wouldn't mark this down as a done deal yet. If not City then i wouldn't be suprised to see Real Madrid sticking their noses into this, another club to have close connections with Mendes of course.
Alan Hansen doesn't think that we will be entering the transfer market in January unless a top class defender becomes available. I don't think he will full stop

Fergie finally broke his silence on the Pogba rumours, giving credence to the chances of the youngster moving on. I can't fault him on this, he hasn't done anything to warrant what he is reportedly asking for. He may turn out to be the player United hoped he would become when he was poached from Le Harve, but he is nowhere near it yet.

I was expecting Keano to have a pop back at Fergie and sure enough in an interview in the Sunday times yesterday he did. If the watching world didn't know before, they do now, relations are at a permafrost temperature, no love lost at all. Knowing Keano it's hard to see diplomatic relations being restored.
I would back Keano up with quite a lot of his grievences, but he will be fighting a losing battle going public with it, if i were him i would have waited form him to retire before commencing battle.

It wa sad to hear of the death of Czech playwright, dissident and ultimately president Vaclav Havel, truly one of the great European figures of the second half of the 20th century. He was also one of the last great Liberals, name a great Liberal European statesman still alive, because i'm struggling to think of one.

George Monibot unmasks the press and wonders if we have ever been so badly served by the press. Of course they are supposed to hold power toaccount, but when there owners are part of that power elite, it's not really going to happen is it.
Robert Fisk is fed up with reading the drivel written in the western press about the Arab spring, arguin that the true comparison between the situation in the Arab world and the protests that we see in the west is that the bankers are dictators of the west.
I'm fairly sure that Ambrose Pritchard-Evans wouldn't really go along with that, but this piece arguing that the disasters that have befallen the European left, that he thinks should see them rethink their whole approach the European left isn't a milion miles away from what Fisk was getting at. Ha-Joon Hang compares the Merkozy proposals to 18th and 19th century capitalism revisited, and wonders whether we will going back to a world of child labour, debtor prisons, workhouses and bank runs.
As Aditya Chakrobortty writes Britain is ruled by the banks for the banks and wonders why the city of London deserved David Cameron's kid glove treatment whilst it fails to pay its way nor lends effectively.
Ahead of today's announcement in parliament Ben Chu described the cities lobbying against meaningful reform as dishonest and damaging.

Neil Young & Crazy horse with like a hurricane from the live rust DVD, which i finally watched this last week, it's excellent, shame the quality isn't as good as it might be.

Flecther the lastest midfield pin to be bowled over !

2011-12-16T11:03:00.004Z

I can't say i was amazed by the news that United have officially announced that Darren Flecther is taking an extended break from football for health reasons. As i have wrote, the fact that he was left out of the Basel game was the most obvious sign yet that something was amiss.
As the Telegraph writes he is basically fighting to save his career and after reading up on the illness on Wikipedia you have got to wonder how much chance he really has. It's amazing that he managed to get back to playing at all this season after what he must have been going through. But we have to be honest, it's been all too apparent he hasn't been the player that made him a player Fergie always went to for the big games. We all know how much we missed him in the 2009 defeat in Rome, even if after our defeat last May at Wembley we now know we aren't on the same level as Barca.
It seems that he is very well thought of as a man as well as a highly regarded footballer if that is any comfort to him as he faces his fight to regain his health, as much as, hopefully save his career. Henning Berg talks about his first appearance in the United squad and how the first teamers were taken aback by the quality and self confidence of the young Scot. It's easy to forget that Fergie wanted to put him into the first team at just 16. Of course he then suffered injury after injury and i have often wondered if we would have seen the best of him in a red shirt earlier if he hadn't basically missed two to three years of football.

Of course this was probably the last news that Fergie needed at this particular moment in time, the loss of yet another central midfield player. If we are going to be critical, we would wonder why Fergie didn't make at least one midfield acqusition in the summer, when he must have had an inkling that Fletcher had every chance of a relapse. On this it's hard to be too critical, we know he tried to get Sneijder and Nasri, and that financial demands meant we had know chance with those two. I can't say i am a fan of buying for buying sake, they have got to be United quality and have the kind of character that Fergie wants in a player. I know we laugh when Fergie says no value in the market, but there is something to that.
I can't see us buying in the transfer window, all the rumours suggest that is the last thing the Glazer's will sanction. But the summer will have to see business done or City will start pull away from us, and the rest, to dominate the English game the way we have done. How much faith can you have in the gimps though.
Given that papers are in the business of making money, more than selling us facts, it aint going to stop them speculating and that has already begun. The Telegraph look at Rodwell as a player that United have looked at in the past and could go back in for. I'm in two minds on him, he can obviously play but what is his position and will he be consistent or good enough for us. Everton are in a mess financially and would probably have no option to sell if we went in with a big enough bid, but i really can't see it happening. Is yet another young player of potential really what is required at this moment in time, probably noteven if fuds were available.
If we weren't still suffering the financial pain of paying for the priviledge of the Glazers borrowing to buy us the ideal signing would be an experienced player, 28-30 years old who could see us through until the youngsters start to hopefully make the grade. But how does that fit in with the Glazer's ridiculous policy of not buying players of 27 or over because they would have no sell on value. This current period of time is making that look like the totally preposterous nonesense it always was.

Paul Ince thinks United need to spend to take the pressure of Wayne Rooney, and he has some shopping list, fuck me, is he even partially aware of the financial state of the club. When he mentions Modric and then Iniesta he shows he seems to have lost all touch with reality. I agree that those are the standard of player we should be looking at, but even if we could afford them, doubtful as that is, Modric apparently wants to stay in the smoke and why the fuck would Iniesta want to leave Barca.

I would have loved the draw we have just had in the Europa league if i wasn't skint, Ajax aren't the club they were and having watched a bit of Dutch football in the last couple of weeks, even in our straightened circumstances it's a tie we should win. But a trip to the Dam, that would be shit hot, i haven't been there since the 2006 pre season tournament that saw Rooney get sent off. It's certainly an easier tie than City's trip to Portual and holders Porto

The Mirror think that Cleverley will be the man Fergie looks to see us through our midfield crisis. I'm not doubting him as a player, i rate him highly, even if as others have pointed out it's ridiculous to be relying on a 22 year old who has about 5 or 6 first team starts to his name, but the bigger problem is so far in his career he has proven to be pretty injury prone.
Mark Ogden reveals that Fergie has ralled his troops ahead of the run of games in December that could see us make ground on City. The ironic thing reading that, is that Fergie's motivational speech was given ahead of the Basel debacle. Still this is the time to try and put some pressure on the divs, it will be interesting to see how they respond to their first league defeat on Monday night at the Bridge.
That was a weird game, there is no getting away from how far superior as a team, City are to Chelsea and for the first 25 minutes, City showed it, taking the lead after a minute and then having a blatant penalty knocked back. If that had gone in i would have feared the worst for the rent boys, it could have been another big Cuty away win.
But after that bright opening City coasted and allowed the home team back into it, even if Chelsea didn't particularly look like scoring. The equaliser came out of the blue and if i'm being honest so did the rent boys winner.
City didn't really come out of the traps in the second half, but when Clichy was correctly sent off i thought Mancini would revert to type and set City up to not lose. That he did and to be honest i couldn't see the home team scoring and barring the penlty i don't think they would have.
City's game against Arsenal couldn't have come at a better time for us, we will get a glimpse of how they will fare at the business end of the season. If Arsenal score first how will City react to the first bit of pressure they have faced this season. It's usually a pretty good ground for the gunners so there is some hope for us. After saying all that though, and even allowing for the form Arsenal are in, thanks mainly to Van Persie's current hot streak, i would be suprised to see Arsenal come away with anything.

It seems as though Ryan Tunnicliffe is doing reasonably well at Peterbrough even if he isn't playing as much as he would like. Darren Ferguson wants to keep him for the rest of the season. I went on Red Cafe's forum, i'm not particularly a fan of it, but it's probably the best United forum for keeping up to tabs on United's youngsters, and Peterbrough fans were impressed with him, but though him best as an impact sub at the moment.
That's a fair enough performance at this stage of his career, coming on and being able to change games in the championship and getting the occasional 90 minutes is almost certainly a better learning curve for his career than turning out for the reserves on Thursday night's.
It looks like Robbie Brady will be staying at Hull City where he has impressed during the first half of the season. It's good news when the players can force there way into championship clubs and those clubs want to keep them, it can only do them good.

I watched the reserves stuff a ten man Liverpool 4-0 on a heavy pitch at Altrincham last night and we didn't really learn too much to be honest. It would be nice to see Will Keane and Pogba both going out on loan to get some proper first team experience, but looking at them i get the feeling that neither is really physically ready for it yet. At least that was the most encouraging performance from the Frenchman this season, who knows whether that is good news or not, his contract negotiations haven't appeared in the back pages for over a couple of days.
I was watching Larnell Cole in particular after seeing him in the youth team last season, Scholes singling out of his quality and his promtion to the first team bench for the league cup this season. But i'm afraid he didn't really catch the eye, he couldn't get into the game in the first half stuck out on the right. He was brought into centre of the pitch in the second half and got far more involved in the game. He was neat and tidy but i can't pretend there was anything that got me excited. I will keep an eye on him as i know he has talent and he seems to be well thought of within the club.

Brain McClair is happy with the new academy rules that has seen the 90 minute rule scrapped. I'm not so sure, we should be able to find player from all over England, i think that's right. But i wouldn't want us to go down to the route that he seemed to be suggesting we should go, when discussing that youth team from Barcelona that won one of our tournaments. It's no business of United or any other English football club coaching foreign under 16 players.
Surely we have learned our lesson through Pique, Rossi and maybe even Pogba that youngsters from aboard will have no loyalty to United, they will follow the money or hotter climate's. Of course under the present ownership the thinking may well be that this is good business. That would say something about where we are as a club.
Talking of which, no wonder the Glazer's chose Singapore to host the potential part float if Hong Kong see United as a risk not worth taking a chance on for a pre-season frinedly price of $3 million, i'd be a keeping an eye on that Chinese economy if i was the gimp family. Things aren't looking for a £2 billion valuation at the moment.

This was a pretty disastrous week for Clegg and Milliband, i was going to say leaders of bothe of Britain's centre left parties, but whilst the Lib dems may still just be described as centre left Clegg could never be described as that.
The week was far worse for Clegg, i couldn't believe his response on Friday to Cameron's veto and was sure that there would be some Lib dem response to this tactical disaster, whether resignations or leadership challenge talk. As it was it was Clegg who came out trashing the veto, though a few suspect that he was under orders from Ashdown amongst others to show the Lib dems disgust with what had happened.
Steve Richards claimed that Clegg must now realise to the true nature of his coalition partner, whilst Alistair Campbell thought his Monday no show was pathetic. Bennedict Brogan argued that Clegg's sulk made Cameron's veto look even better, the tories could brealey disguse their glee even if under orders not to show it.
Matthew Norman got to the rub of the matter in his Wednesday Indy column, Clegg is helping his enemies to annihilate his own party, or in even harsher words, he is just not very good at this politics thing is he, i would be winding if i was a Lib dem member every time i saw Clegg and naive in the same sentence at the moment. Frasier Nelson left it until Tuesday to look at where the fallout from the Cameron left the state of British politcs and to be honest it was pretty fair.

At least a bad week for Ed Milliband ended on a bright note with Labour's by-election win in Feltham, but once again the murmerings of unhappiness with his leadership became a talking point of the chattering classes.
As Frasier Nelson pointed out Labour didn't have a coherent response to Cameron's veto and vereybody knew it, once again it made him look indecisive. Then came Wednesday's PMQ's which turned into an utter disaster for the younger Milliband brother, it is not going unnoticed that elder brother David seems to " be on manouevres as one commentator put it, Nicholas Watt wondered if Ed Milliband had just suffered his Westland moment.
I was never a particular fan of either brother, both seem charisma free entities to me, but David does seem to have more gravitas. I have to admit i just can never picture Ed as prime minister in this TV celebrity age, not that that is a good thing. But even worse he appears to be completely out fo his depth when facing Cameron, he doesn't seem to be able to think on his feet.
Andrew Grice is far from alone in thinking that the backbench sniping over his leadership and the tory upturn in the poles should be worrying the labour leadership.
Peter McHugh thinks Cameron can't believe how his fortunes have turned from zero to hero without any planning. Bennedict Brogan appears to think that his present status amongst tory backbenchers won't last as reality bites in Europe.

I am not a fan of Facebook, i never really understood the attraction but i'm a fan of twitter and the death of Christopeher Hitchens is a good example of why it can be so useful. Article after article and quote after quote, serious and ferociously funny have just kept on coming today.
I have read a couple of books and the site that compiled his articles and he was a brilliant writer, nobody could ever agree with everything he ever wrote, but he was always worth reading. I remember the night that Clinton was first elected where he chose to go against the liberal triumphalism, claiming the Clintons were just lwayers on the make. He was way ahead of the curve on that, though whether he was as correct about Clinton's sexual shennanigans in his book No one left to lie to, i'm not so sure.
Of course he was probably most famous for his strident aetheism, especially in god fearing USA. I have always preferred his attacks on religion to Richard Dawkins for the humourous way he went about them. I suppse it was ironic that the last Bitish interview was conducted by Richard Dawkins in this weeks New Satesman.

What the secularist world has lost

Manchester United 4-1 Wolves

2011-12-11T14:49:00.004Z

What a weird week, the disaster on Wednesday showed up our deficiencies in midfield once and for all and yet yesterday i left the ground thinking we may have found a like for like replacement for Roy Keane at last. Phil Jones was bought as a centre half but after watching his sensational performance yesterday i can't help thinking that would be wasting half of what he has to offer. Alright i might be going over the top, it was only Wolves after all, but with our current resources, i would be sticking with him in midfield for the rest of the season
Just like a Robson or a Keane he was as effective in his own half as he was in the opposition half, the driving runs he made in the second half were something we haven't witnessed in a red shirt for years. In fact they were more reminscent of Robson at his peak than Keane. I have a feeling we will eventually revert to a 4-3-3 in the not too distant future but as long as we stick with a 4-4-2 Jones is just what we need, a dominant figure in the middle of the park. He was helped yesterday by having Carrick alongside him, but i would like to see Fergie give him an extended run in midfield.
As for the game we were slightly better than in recent weeks, the midfield looked better as i have mentioned. Up front, Rooney started to look a bit like his old self, helped no doubt by having Welbeck next to him. It was good to see them link up so well, we can only hope that Welbeck manages to avoid injury to get his stop start season really going.
Nani had a pretty good game, though as usual he had his frustrating moments. It was good to see Valencia get back to something near his best, not just taking his man on, but getting telling crosse in as well. It was no accident that Rooney was back on the scoreboard and could and but for Macheda he would have had a hatrick. Rooney thrives on the service from Valencia. I think the time has come for an extended run for the Ecuadorian, even if it means a period on the sidelines for summer signing Ashley Young.
Thr real difference bewtween yesterday and recent performances was that we actually managed to convert more than one of the many chances created. It was good to see Nani and Rooney regaining their shooting boots. I did wonder if it was going to be a case of here we go again when they got one back almost straight after the break as Wolves started to target Evra at the back post but the third goal gave us a nice cushion. As usual when we play Wolves the left winger Jarvis had an excellent game, how he is still at Wolves i really don't know. I'd gladly have him in a red shirt, he gave Smalling a torrid time in that second half. It was nice to claw a few goals back on the goals different front, but i don't think we will be troubling City on that front unfortunately.

There was a load of media attention for United's exit from the champions league, amongst the doom and gloom ti was at least nice to see the Glazer's getting it in the neck. Daniel Taylor claimed the financial restrictions are hindering United even if Fergie won't admit it, the omerta line was pretty good. It's not as if we all don't know this to be the case, but it's nice to see it make the sports headlines none the less.
Mark Ogden reported that Gill was to lead an immediate financial review to assess the ramifications of United's early champions league exit. I mean, really, have they even thought about what will happen when Fergie is no longer here and this could potentially be the norm. The latest issue of Red iss details our financial woes in pretty stark terms.
James Lawton thinks Keano has identified United's central flaw, the central midfield and the lack of funds needed to address it. Whilst that is obviously true i'm still not convinced that Sneijder was the man to rectify that, i would have preffered Nasri, which makes watching him warming the bench most of the time at the boo camp pretty painful. Morrison could prove to be better than either, of course.
Paul Hayward thinks that the shoot from the hip Keano got his target wrong, the kids weren't to blame the experienced players were the ones who failed to perform.

The news on Vidic seems to get worse by the day first it was a few months, then the season and now he may be out for a year. Maybe another reason why getting knocked out of the champions league now was for the best, can you imagine us going to the camp nou or the Bernabeu with our midfield and no Vidic.
Paul Parker thinks Fergie will have to spend to replace Vidic if we are to stay in contention of silverware, as if, Fergie has already come out and said he will not be replaced.

The ripples haven't turned into waves yet, but it could well be only a matter of time before the fallout from Cameron's veto are fully felt. Gary Gibbon reports that years of UK blackmail could be at an end, that source isn't French by any chance.
The Economist was really scathing of Cameron and his negotiating stance and the Eurosceptic argument. Bagehot was equally unimpressed and wondered if we do end up quitting the EU for the sake of the City of London those financial interests will just end up walking away anyway. That would be the ultimate irony. If i was Arthur Scargill i would be laughing, this all makes a real socialist republic emminently achievable.
Jon Snow wonders just how comfortable David Cameron is in his newly defined position. John Kampfner wondered why the Lib dems went along with this, i'm not sure that we have the whole story on this yet. WilL Hutton writes that Vince Cable is seriously considering his position, i can't believe he is on his own in this. This seriously goes to the heart of what are the Lib dems actually for.
Robert peston writes that Cable won't resign, but is not happy, whilst business leaders he has spoken too are worried over Cameron's veto and the loss of Britain's influence.
Faisal Islam is totally nonplussed at the events of last week.

Ahead of the summit Larry Elliott wondered what happened to rebalancing the economy as David Cameron supposedly went tinto battle on behalf of the city. Nicholas Faith argues that the selfish city won't repay a national scarifice and lists a history of its shortcomings.

Basel 2-1 Manchester United

2011-12-08T10:07:00.003Z

Well we have been reading and watching reports of impending Eurogeddon for weeks now, well this was bad, but not that bad. I know at a similar stage of last season i said we had no chance of winning this competition and then we ended up getting to the final, but this season, we really had no chance. Only the easiest draw imaginable and and an unforseen upturn in form helped us get to Wembley last May. The qualifying group we were presented with was about as easy as we could have hoped for and we have still been knocked out. Imagine our present squad getting drawn against Barca or Real Madrid over two legs, it doesn't bear thinking about.
It still hurts of course, it hurts all the more because we know it is our just desserts, we just weren't good enough. We dominated possession, but though we did create chances, how did Rooney manage to hit the ball backwards from six yards out, we didn't create enough and never really looked really opening them up. There just isn't enough that extra bit of class that we should be showing against a decent, but nothing more Swiss outfit.
It's been said enough times and it's being said all ove again this morning that our midfield isn't good enough, this is only partly correct, we have good players there but not enough depth. Losing Cleverley for the first half of the season has turned out to be a disaster of the first order, but that tells you everything about the depth of talent available.
The suspension of Carrick probably didn't help last night, given the resources available i would have had Carrick holding and either Giggs or Jones playing further forward. But agains what does that say about the squad, a 19 year old learning the game and the 38 year old Giggs, who as Keane pointed out was probably our best player and who is unarguably still the most creative player at the club.
What can you read into Fergie's selction of both Jones and Park ahead of Fletcher last night, before his illness Fletcher was an automatic choice for all the big games. That obviously isn't the case any more. Whe Giggs does call it a day if we don't go into the market in a big way the future looks decidedly uncertain. We have promising youngsters, but none of them are certain to make it at United and none are ready yet anyway. This really has to be addressed sooner rather than later, but i wouldn't be putting my money on that happening.
Having said all that, the real reason we are not in the competition is because we have not defended well enough and almost every goal we have conceeded have been at best soft goals to give away and worst shots to our own foot. This is where there aren't really any easy answers.
We have all known that the squad has been regressing since the 2008-09 season, but we have been able to continue to challenge and win honours due to an experienced, consistent back four and goalie. During this period Ferdinand has seen time catch up on him and then this summer Van Der Sar finally did what most of us have been dreading, retiring. I have to be said i was suprised that Fergie went for such a young goalie in De Gea, but i have to say i have mostly liked what i have seen so far. But he is still learning the game and mistakes were bound to happen. Unfortunately they all seem to have happened in the champions league.
Losing Vidic early in the season and now again is just another in a long line of injuries that has seen Fergie have to chop and change to the point where it's a different back four everey match. This obviously isn't the best enviroment for our nucleus of potentially outstanding young defenders to be thrust into the team. And just to make matters worse Smalling, the Da Silva twins and even Evans have all suffered stop start seasons. There is only Jones who has had a consistent run and i think Fergie has done the right thing just fitting him into games wherever possible as he isn't really ready to be a permanent centre half just yet. All our success has generally been built on solid foundations and they have been conspicuos by there absence so far this season.
Last night ultimately came down to defensive blunders, we started the game pretty well it should be remembered. Then nine minutes into the game, after one unconvincing punch from De Gea, Smalling and Vidic clashed and more unconvincing work from De Gea with a strange attempted kick out saw Basel take the lead. Suddenly any nerves the home team may have hador ambiguity about their game plan went out of the window. They had something to hold onto and had seen that our backline was emminently breachable. United took time to regain their composure and Nani had one of those games that veered from brilliant to Rooney tearing his hair out at him. I thought Jones and Giggs played reasonably well in the first half. Rooney was decent but couldn't seem to finish, Nani got strongerand Smalling and Evra were overlapping well.
I suppose the big downside of the night performance wise was Young, what has happened there, he started the season so well. He never tried to take his man to the byeline once, hardly ever beat the first man with a cross and showed noconfidence in his own game at all. He isn't what can be labelled a youngster, we can't be waiting for him to become the finished article.
The longer the second half went on the more i was resigning myself to an early exit, but i didn't really see the second goal coming. Obviously Smalling was badly at fault, but i haven't heard anybody mention why he wasn't given a shout. Surely De Gea should have been screaming at him to clear it, he could see the man behind him. The wonder is that we actually managed to score one goal after that, because we were never going to get two. On the balance of play and chances created we probably deserved a draw, but if you defend like that, you get what you deserve.
So we can expect to have Thursday night, Channel 5 rammed down our throats for the rest of the season, not a pleasant experience. Hopefully somebody can get our own versio going with reference to the part the gimps have played in bringing us to this point.

As Paul Hayward writes, the Glazer family are in the spotlight, in the most balanced column on United's plight at this stage of this season. It's only a couple of days ago i was reading rumours that Fergie had been denied £10 million in the January transfer window. At the time i was in two minds about this news, if it was true of course, on the one hand of course our midfield need strengthening badly, but on the other hand i'm not sure to what extent £10 million would alleviate the deficiences we are suffering from. The one thing to be certain about is it was a disastrous day when those twats gained control of our club.

As Andy Mitten writes we are short on class and guile, i could hardly get my head around the fact that we got to the final last year. Of course the one time we played a team of any real ability, we were pulverised, and that 3-1 scoreline did not tell the true story of that game. In my view, even though i couldn't bring myself to sit down and watch it again, performance wise it was a bigger drubbing than the 6-1 this season.
Last season i thought that it was quite possible that the champions league final may be out of our reach for a few years, it's hard not to think that now.

Fergie wasn't happy with Keano's assesment of United's performance last night, especially his attack on United's youngsters. There is some history there, all right, i can't help feeling Keano enjoyed putting the boot in. Keano was right to lambast our performance as not good enough, i'm not sure the youngsters were the right players to be singled out for blame. I know the two defensive blunders came from that department, but overall they weren't particularly helped out by our so called experienced players.
Even so i can see where Fergie was coming from when he had a go at Keano's record in management, man management doesn't seem to be his forte does it. All this is abit like deja vu for me as i have just finished reading Daniel Taylor's book This is the one, which of course covers the last time we suffered elimination in the qualifying stages of the champions league and saw Keano leave at Christmas after his MUTV blow out and then Ruud leave in the summer. I can't help wonder who will be moved out in the summer and who if anybody will come in.
This is doing the rounds today all over the net, not Fergie's finest moment, after reading Taylor's book, i wonder who will be the brave soul that brings this up. It was obviously a fair question, even then, even more pertinent now.

Mark Ogden reckons that Fergie should use the Europa cup to blood the youngsters, it will help their football education and also the firstteam who will now have plenty of Sunday and Thursday games as their punishment. Fergie said that would not be ideal, he can say that again, Thusday night football, that just isn't a night for football. I can hardly remember us ever playing on a Thursday night, Southampton at home if my memory serves me right on the disastrous 91-92 title run in, is the last i can remember.
I would love Fergie to be able to do that, but it seems a bit fantasy football realms to me. I'm not really sure that many are are ready for the first team, full stop, and even if they were would the Glazer's allow it. That is a big unspoken here, it was rumoured that Gill got a dressing down when Bayern knocked us out in the quarter finals a couple of years ago, what will there reaction be to this. This can't be an ideal scenario to their proposed partial float in Singapore, providing that is still on the cards any thime soon.
Patrice Evra was honest enough to admit being embarrased to have been knocked out of the champions league and to admit he wasn't mad about playing in the Europa cup. What will any potential new recruits be reading into our failure to reach the knockout stages i wonder. As it is we can't compete with City in the transfer market, this hasn't exactly helped our cause in that regard either.

2011-12-06T17:29:00.006Z

The Swiss don't think we took them seriously before the first game, i don't think there is any argument there. Although to be fair to United we were still in reasonably good shape, the City debacle had not yet happened. Though the three goals we conceeded that night were perhaps harbingers of what was to come.

Reports claim that Hernandez will be out for four weeks with his ankle injury, i would still be suprised to see him back that quickly. The Mail are speculating that Danny Welbeck will come into the side tomorrow night to replace Hernandez. I'd be suprised if it works out like that, i think we will play with one man up front and that will be Rooney. Welbeck could well start, but if he does i think it's more likely he will be on the left or right. I think that Fergie likes the work rate that he provides as well as the ability he brings to the party in that position.
Fergie let slip the other day that Basel would have to attack United but he wasn't sure when that would be. That's a good point, will it be cat and mouse or will they fly at us from the start. To be fair to them they didn't hang back at United, but tomorrow the pressure is on.

It's not going to be a great crimbo for ex red Ronnie Wallwork, who was sentenced to 15 months yesterday.

I find it laughable why Mancini seems to find it so hard to wonder why the rest of Europe are having a go at City and their new found wealth. It does appear to be the case that the Germans in particular have a really big bee in their bonnet about it. Kit Holden looks at the differences between Bayern and City and whilst he thinks Bayern are certainly not spotless, he obviously prefers the Bavarian model of a football club.
Alan Hansen looks at the qualifying stages of the champions league and argues that the premier league's domination of the competition is over and thinks that ther will probably be only two English clubs left after tomorrow night. He is probably right, but he did predict that we wouldn't get to the final last year, so.

Craig murray has been banging on about the west's diplomatic posturing towards Iran recently and it does seem as if it could be Iraq all over again. Paul Valley explains that the war has begun and it's madness, if there is one country in the middle east that already has what could be the foundations of a rational functioning democracy.
Peter Mackay, not exactly a liberal leftie writes that the west is turning Iran into the new Iraq and points out that it's the west that is being totally irrational not the supposedly mad mullahs. I can't even begin to believe that anybody in their right minds thinks that attacking Iran would do anything other than completely destro the last vestiges of the western or indeed the global economy.

Nick Clegg has been in the news promising to share out the pain over the last few days, Robert peston looks at what he means about getting tough on bosses pay. As if the tories are going to let anything serious on that front, they are their bosses too, who bank rolls them.
Prem Sikka used today's Guardian to show a graph that showed how the plans to make sharholders more accountable will be worse than useless. That is an eye popping chart, the role reversal between individual and foreign shareholders beggars belief. Yet another Thatcherite idea that didn't even workd on its own terms.
It's come to something when the civil service has to do something like this, at least somebodies trying to stop the establishment of this country dragging us down to the level of a banana republic in the pathetic attempt hold onto a wealth that everybody knows that they don't deserve.

Two days ago in this Eurozone crisis seems like an age ago but this still seems applicable from Larry Elliott's Monday Guardian column, welcome to the living dead economy. The German proposals that the French seem to have caved into still don't deal with the lack of growth. Jeremy Warner argues that Fiskalunion is the worst of all words, if proposals aimed at growth don't appear soon, he reckons it will be time to see whether the Germans blink first or light the fuse. Felix Salmon warns of the Eurozone's biggest mess yet and predicts if this enacted it wont work out well.
Jeffrey Sachs wants the Eurzone project to succeed but doesn't really sound optimistic and is pretty damning about the workings of the European union.

Jon Snow blogs that a grown up debate about where this countries future lies is probably now overdue. Jackie Ashley predicts that this crisis will be bad for the Euro sceptics as well and that the voters are terrfied, calling for a referndum now is daft. But of course they are fanatics it's what makes half of them get up in the morning.
John Kampfner writes that the BRIC countries are enjoying the moment after being lectured for decades by the left. I don't blame them, but of course at the end of the day a disaster in the Eurzone won't be good news for them. What's not good news for Chine won't be good for them.

I know you can use statistics to prove anything but this is another eye popping graph, this time supplied on Paul Krugman's blog.

I watched Charlie Brooker's latest TV work Black mirror on sunday and was impressed, it wasn't laugh out loud or laugh a minute but it was watch to the end TV. This Indy piece highlights the way the piece looked at how social media seems to now have a life of it's own, whilst Brooker explained before the show aired, the themes he was trying to explore. I thought he was expolring reality TV in that first episode as much as social media.

Music

Augustus Pablo - Augustus Pablo meets Lee Perry at the black art: Two of the giants of dub collaborate on this release from the last decade that was recorded in the seventies i think. It's as good as you would expect.

Feal Kuti - Confusion: A single 25 minute track and a cool slice of afro beat that start off on a nice jazz groove before the beat breaks in. I could listen to tracks this good that go on for twice as long.

Little Barrie - King of the waves: I'm a big fan of this outfit and this whilst not as good in my eyes as their last album is certainly no let down. There is more of an indy rock vibe to this, the funk has been toned down a little, it still sounds great though.

Pains of being pure at heart - Belong: The US indie band's second continues the good work of the debut with more of the same catchy power pop.

The Fuzztones - Preaching to the perverted: A pretty good piece indie garage rock that starts off witha real bang on first track My black cloud. It doesn't quite live up to the promise of that, but it's above average stuff.

The Horrors - Skying: The last album was pretty hard to follow up and whilst this very good still it's not quite at the same level as Primary colours. It's seriously promising to have albums two and three as good as this however. It's been compared to 80's rock and one red claimed that he'd already heard the Chameleons and what was the point of it, a bit harsh, but it does have that eighties sound to it.

Wayne Shorter - Juju: It's not just the playing that makes his albums so good, i have read he is regarded as on of the great modern jazz composers and on albums such as this it's hard to disagree.

Atson Villa 0-1 Manchester United

2011-12-04T11:54:00.004Z

Not a game that will live long in the memory, but a welcome three points after last weeks disappointment. If you took Chris Waddle's word for it United were excellent yesterday evening, but i thought we were a little above average against a woeful Aston Villa who hardly managed a meaningful attack all game.
Fergie didn't tinker too much with the team after last week's welcome return to form. I would have put money on him playing Lindgaard, i don't know why, he seems to put him in when least expected. More of a suprise to me was the inclusion of Jones in midfield, some are unconvinced about playing the ex Blackburn man in midfield. I'm quite happy for him to play there myself, i still think centre half will be his long term position but he is good enough to do a job for us there.
He did more than a job for us yesterday, linking up well with Carrick and even scoring the only goal of the game, and it wasn't just his first goal for United, it was his first ever league goal. Having seen him this season for us, i really do find that hard to credit. Still you do have to pinch yourself to remember he is only 19. It seems to me that Fergie rates him so much he is just happy to play him anywhere to give him game time and to gain all the experience he can.
United grabbed the game almost from the kick off, dominating possession for the vast majority of the game. United lost yet another player to injury when Hernandez went down with no one near him. Replays showed he had gone over on his ankle, the press are speculating that he will be out for up to 4 weeks. That sounds optimistic to me, if it's as bad as it looked it could be from 6 weeks to a couple of months out. I wasn't perturbed that Fergie stuck Nani into the middle and brought Valencia on the right as i think that Nani offers something different in the middle. I remember the game where Bayern knocked us out of the champions league a couple of seasons ago, in which he had to play up front on his own after Rooney was substituted and Rafael sent off, and i thought did very well.
My problem with out performance was for all the possession and the nice link up play the final ball was so often lacking. I know Vila were sticking everybody behind the ball in a home performance so negative it was untrue, but we should have been creating more. The last 8 minutes of first half injury time were unbelievable, Villa the team at home, just stuck everybody behind the ball and played to go in one down at the interval.
The second half was just more of the same, Villa showed a little bit more, but not much more. A Heskey header, where he possibly should have done better was the only real scare for Lindgaard until late in the game Collins saw his header tipped over the bar by the big Dane. The rest of the half was dominated again by United, though for all the possession, once more we didn't create enough chances. It was nice to see Welbeck back and the day almost ended on a high whith Rooney almost finishing off a fine move with a brilliant goal, but it flew just over the bar. I would have took a 1-0 scoreline before the start, so i can't complain too much. Now for the game that we didn't expect to matter as much in Basel on Wednesday night.

Fergie told match of the day that he was happy with our rhythm after yesterday's game.

James Lawton writes in the Irish Independent that Fergie should be apologising for his failure to bring in a quality midfield signing in the summer rather than the pitiful showing we saw against Crystal Palace on Wednesday. I know where he is coming from, but the performance of Morrison showed me that we have got the answer in our ranks, the quality is there, that was there for all to see. It doesn't take long to see when somebody has really got it, he has got it. It's just whether he can get his head screwed on right, that is the problem.
In fact for all the talk of the talent to come through last years youth squad, it has to be said none of them are guarenteed to make it at United. Yet again Pogba has made the headlines this morning with the People claimning he has turned down a contract of £15 ,000 a year. First thing to say is that this is the People, and they have quite possibly just read the rumours on Red iss last week that City are offering him 5 times what United are and have made this up.
If it's true that he has turned that offer down though, and it's entirely possible with all the reports and rumours swirling around him at the moment, i would saying bye bye, this is a guy who anywhere near our best reserve team player we are talking about. He is nowhere near the first team yet and to be turning down a contract of that size is just taking the piss. I would be saying thanks but no thanks to him, even if it means losing him to City, which is where i'm sure he will end up if he does go.

The Sunday Times and the National report that Fergie will go for revolution not evolution in the summer by letting both Ferdinand and Vidic leave the club. I think that's fairly believable, Ferdinand must be a cert to be off and the speculation around Vidic sounds plausible.
That would leave us short on experience at the back though. I'm not sure i can see Fergie being happy with just Smalling, Jones and Evans. There was speculation in the Italian press about Gary Cahill's future and Inter's chairman claimed that United had him in their sights, if he is letting Vidic go that that seems a good move if there is anything in it.

Andy Mitten reports on the issue of atmosphere at football matches and how Europe leaves us for dead. I'm sitting this watching Feyenoord at home to PSV and the atmosphere is second to none, i notive almost everybody is standing in an all seater stadium. I've watched a bit of Bundesliga football recently and have been impressed with the crowds there as well. Dortmund against Schalke in the recent derby was reminiscent of the old United liverpool games, helped by having a standing end.
I'm afraid i can't see us ever getting those days back, the people in charge of our game aren't interested in atmosphere, they are enthusiastic for the prawn sandwich brigade so rightly mocked by Roy Keane.

They don't make footballers like this any more, in fact they have never made footballers like this in these islands, I suppose Eric is the nearest thing to Socrates the Brazil footballing legend who has died aged 57. As with many others old enough to have seen that 1982 national side, they were one of the best teams i have seen and absolutely fantastic to watch. The 3-2 defeat to Italy is probably one of the all time great games of football.

The New statesman report that David Milliband gave a brilliant speech in the Autumn statement debate taking apart Osborne's shattered economic strategy. I didn't see the speech so i can't say much about it, i was never really sold on him, i have to admit, but would have been better than his brother, who knows. The one thing that is certain is that he would have had solid support throughout the party and his position would have been much more solid than Ed's currently is. Uber Blairite John Rentoul ponders brother's Ed's parlous position as leader of the party in his Sunday column. There are one or two too many what ifs in that for may to take it seriously, especially what if our economy has hit the bottom and might bounce back.
The green benches website argues that Labour wouldn't have added single penny to public debt if tax evasion had not occured. I can well believe that to be the case, but i would have to ask what was the labour government actually trying to about tax evasion. In the words of Peter Mandelson, it seems to me they were entirely relaxed about it.

Who would have guessed anybody connected in any way whatsoever would an ounce of atste in them as Manchester Confidential talks to ex corrie actor Graeme Hawley about Radio Republic, the new online Manchester radio station. I have listened to a bit of it and it's pretty good, although i'm not overstruck on the webstreaming platform.

Will Hutton writes that George Osborne has no idea how to revive the British economy but wonders who has, we are at a turning point and if we dont find some visionaries this country will see decline turn to rout.

A bit of a twangy guitar fest

Manchester United 1-2 Crystal Palace

2011-12-01T13:27:00.003Z

Well that's that then, we won't be in the league cup final, that's one Wembley trip we won't have to make, or that's one good day outwe'll miss out on, take your pick. It could have been our best chance of silverware this season, though having seen City defeat Arsenal and the dippers victory at Chelsea i'm not so sure of that.
Fergie has aplogised for the performance i see, but i'm afraid it's the selection that he should be apologising for, if there is any aplogising to be done. It was a poor selection, though if i'm honest i thought it would still be good enough to take us through to the semi's. It was a poor selection because there was no balance in either midfield or attack.
The midfield had no quality, though i would have expected better of Park, but putting him alongside Gibson just showed our lack of depth in the middle of the pitch. Macheda put in yet another totally ineffectual performance and whilst i don't rate Diouf, it wasn't fair to play him wide on the left. My main problem with the side Fergie decided on was the amount of players picked who we know have no future at United. If they were picked in the hope of putting them in the shop window and maybe attracting a decent price then that backfired pretty spectatcularly.
What did we learn from last night? nothing that we didn't already know really. Gibson who to be fair to him has only just got back from injury is not a United player, i'm actually not even sure if he is a premier league player, he is just too slow in body and mind. Diouf is another who might not even make a craeer in the premier league. Macheda needs to go out on loan in January for the sake of his career, never mind his future at United. There is talent there, but he seems to be going backwards.
Another worry has got to be the twins, i praised Fabio for his performance on Saturday, but yesterday, yet again, he broke down, with what looked like a hamstring. It's just one injury after another. And then to add insult to injury, brother Rafael limped off after he came off worse in a strong tackle. I don't see how they will ever make those full back positions their own if they can never put a run of games together.
As for the performance, it was dire, the first half was just a non event. I'm sure i saw Berbatov shaking his head at one point thinking what the fuck am i doing here. Fortunately for him he got a knock at the end of the first half and didn't reappear for the second half. That was both good and bad, the positive being we got to see Morrison get a decent run out and he was the one real plus point of the night. He is definitely going to be first team material, that was certainly shown last night, whether we'll ever get to see that who knows. He is just a footballing natural, he has great range of passing, great vision and seems to make the right decisions most of the time. The negative was that without Berbatov up front we lost the one bit of experienced quality we had there.
When they took the lead with a goal that could be a contender i honestly thought that was it, that we were so lacking in quality we wouldn't get an equaliser. I was wrong as Diouf won a penalty that Macheda tucked away and that saw us have to endure another half an hour of this pain. I haven't seen the penalty decision on TV so i'm not sure if it was the correct decision, it looked a bit soft when i saw it live is all i can say.
I wasn't confident that we would end up victors even now and the lack of confidence wasn't misplaced as Palace scored from a set piece with a pretty soft goal from a United point of view. I don't know if it was a positive that we saw Pogba or not, with the ongoing contract speculation. But he confirmed my view that he is nowhere first team potential yet, Morrison is way ahead of him. So all in all a pretty dismal night, i hope we can get a couple of nice draws in the early parts of the FA cup in the hope that we see more of Morrison and maybe a couple of the other kids will get a go. I would like to see Larnell Cole given a first team start as he looks to have something about him.

Paul Wilson asks if the real Manchester United will please turn up and wonders what the real Manchester United is at the moment. I think most of us think the last two games have been pretty good actually even if we can't seem to eradicate defensive mistakes. I expect to see the real Manchester United on Saturday, whether that means three points , who knows.

Eric Harrison salutes Ryan Giggs as he starts to approach is 900th game for the club and thinks that he can play on into his forties. On the evidence of Saturday i think he may well be right, and looking at the state of our midfield it's a good job. Scholes thinks the future for United's youngsters is bright singling Larnell Cole out for special praise.

UEFA's new Financial fair play regime is becoming more news worthy by the day. David Gill has put his head above the parapit to warn that appropriate sanctions against clubs who don't comply with the new rules, whoever could he mean.
Ian Herbert looks at the contrasting fortunes of City's ex Arsenal players and mentions that Nasri's unhappiness must be made worse knowint that United was the club he had originally wanted to go to. I'd fell sorry for him but guess what..... The irony is of course he would have walked into our midfield and would have been an automatic choice.
The news on Pogba changes by the day, the lastest club linked to him being City, well what a suprise that is! It's been rumoured or Red iss that he has been offered five times his current wages at United, well i'm not expecting him to be signing that new contracy any time soon then. As others have said, Le Harve will be laughing their socks off if he does leave for more money. In fact i'm not sure that any of the players we have poached have or look like they could make into our first team.

After the Autumn statement/mini budget announced to the world the bankruptcy of George Osborne's plan B, Rafael Behr writes that though it is George Osborne whose plan has failed, Miliband will have to move on as well. Paul Mason argues that Tuesday was a turning point in British history, it will set the political tone of the decade.
Paul Krugman looks at bleeding Britain and its disastrous experiment in austerity. Martin Wolf had argued that Osborne's strategy might come to this and thinks that we are now in the middle of a lost decade. John Cassidy joins Krugman, arguing in the New Yorker that what has happened here is a warning to the Yanks what could well happen if the Republicans seize power next November.
Robert Skidelsky who was fairly good on newsnight last night claims that Osborne's cutting fantasy is over, events are forcing him into measures which will be state interventionist, and it will happen faster than he thinks.
Steve Richards writes, close your eyes and it seems like we are back in the seventies, will we find a liberal social democrat Thatcher type figure to lead us out of it, if there is i haven't heard or seen him or her. John Harris warns that the economy needs a big push but that the coalition are prisoners of their own dogmatic stance. The only push it's getting at the moment is a push over the edge of a cliff.
Peter Oborne wanrs the tories and the country that it can't afford to have a part time chancellor and that the realtionship between Cameron and Osborne is too close. One thing i wil say after watching his performance in the commons on Tuesday is that i can't imagine ever becoming prime minister. And i had come to that conclusion even before Balls ripped him a new one.

Meanwhile back to the other disaster waiting to happen, Poland's foreign minister Radek Sikorsky warned in a speech in Berlin that he was the probably the first Pole in history to say that he feared German power less than German inactivity. Powerful stuff, but are the Germans going to take the warnings on board.

George Monibot takes aim at the common agricultural policy and the rich that are subsidised by it.

This is some rant

Manchester United 1-1 Newcastle United

2011-11-28T12:00:00.005Z

It seems we have left the boring 1-0's behind and are back to the more free flowing football of the beginning of the season. Trouble is we seem have to have forgotten how to win temporarily, hopefully. If i'm honest i would prefer to watch the last two games all day long compared to the run of 1-0 victories we ground out recently. Trouble is if we are going to challenge for the title the 1-0's are the way forward.
Unlike Tuesday night though, this was a game we should have won by a hatful. Though we produced a cavalry charge at the end creating chance after chance that somehow wouldn't go in, it was in the first half and in the period between Hernandez flukey goal and the barcode equaliser that we let ourselves down.
The first half was a mixed affair, we played some cracking stuff with some brilliant counter attacks, but the finishing had gone absent without leave. Hernandez seemed strangely hesitant in front of goal, missing a couple of decent chances, where you would normally have expected him to
convert at least one of them. Newcastle's goalie Krul made an outstanding save from Giggs as the game was swung end to end. The vistors were not slow in coming forward and did have a couple of chances, De Gea making a couple of fine saves. But it was United who looked more dangerous , albeit not when they got into the box.
The second half saw United really take a grip on the game, and it was only what they deserved when they finally took the lead. The irony being that after the great moves and great chances United had earlier created, when the goal came, it was a total fluke, the ball hitting Hernandez rather than the other way round.
Now United stepped up a gear, going for the geordie jugular, Fabio missed a great chance and when a brilliant flowing move ended with Ashley Young taking past his man on the edge of the box and then firing wide you wondered whether there might be a sting in the tail.
There was but of course, there shouldn't have been. Fergie has said the only person in the gound who thought it was a penalty was the linesman, and i would think that was not an exageration, it was a howler. Newcastle's Ba converted the gift and it was game on.
Newcastle did have one more decent chance, saved well by De Gea, but from now on in, it really was one way traffic. When Guttierez was sent off with about ten minutes to go, i wondered whether that would be a good thing or not, as you knew theywould now put everybody behind the ball and hope for a draw. And that they did, how they managed to stay level, i don't know as United completely pulverised them for the reminder of the game with an unbelievable amount of chances. Great saves, goal line clearances, the woodwork and bad finishing conspired to two points dropped.
Because of the disappointment, i don't think Giggs got the credit he deserved for an absolutely outstanding performance in central midfield. When he puts in performances you have to pinch yourself to remember that he is 38. Until Cleverley gets back Carrick and Giggs is our best midfield pairing. I thought Fabio had a pretty good game, he hasn't had that many outings this season, so it was a nice reminder that when Jones and Smalling become our first choice centre half pairing, we have the future right back in the squad already as well.
The one player i'm worried about, even though he got better as the came progressed was Ashley Young. He could hardly put a foot wrong in the first half, his crossing was piss poor, he doesn't seem able to shield the ball at the moment and he can seem a bit of a one trick pony at times. It's all a far cry from the beginning of the season. I suppose we have got to hope it's just a lack of confidence that will return. What makes it worse for him is seeing the man he is really replacing on the left, Giggs put in such an effortlessly brilliant display inside him.
All that said, it was a great game of football, you can't win every game, and if you are going to suffer, at least it was an exciting couple of points lost. With the result the day after leaving us exactly where we were i suppose it really was two precious points dropped, but there is still a long way to go.

The Telegraph wonder whether Fergie has talked himself into a ban from the FA again, it would be pretty scandalous if he got done for this, if you can't criticise the officials when they make a mistake that bad, he might as well not talk to the press.

Contrasting news for two members of our central midfield as Fergie announced last week that Anderson would be out until at least next February with a knee injury which will see him travel to Portugal to visit the man who operated on it last time. It's not a nice thing to say, but as far as i'm concerned he will not be greatly missed.
At least we had some potential good news with the Mirror reporting that Cleverley is ahead of schedule in his bid to get back to full fitness. Two caveats there, it's the Mirror and if they are right, let's hope that he hasn't been rushed back as the rumours had it, after his injury on his return at Goodison. It will be good to have him back as we know Giggs can't do two games on the trot any more.

Andy Cole talks of his liking for 4-4-2 and his dismay for it currently being regarded as outdated. Well i like it, but i think the order of the day is for tactical flexibility, and i think United are as good anybody out there for that.

Fergie explains the process of singling out youth team players who have a chance of making it to the first team at United and how United go about introducing them to the first team. It's interesting that he mentions Michael Keane but not Will, unless he has mixed them up that is. The fact that Michael made his debut at Leeds would suggest not.
Fergie is hinting that we may see some of the youngsters involved on Wednesday against Palace in the league cup with Pogba close to a full game. I have been disappointed in the couple of games i have seen him in for the reserves so far this season, that said he was shunted out to the right in one of those and that isn't his position at all. It's now being reported that he is close to signing a new deal, good news.

Peter Oborne wrote this piece about cricket's obsession about money and the risk to test cricket between two aboslutely magnificent test matches, the South Africa-Australia and the amazing drawn test match between India and West Indies. He is absolutely right that it was a nonsense that there wasn't at the very least a third test match in South Africa.

Steve Richards argues that George Osborne is breaking away from his plan A, even if he will not admit it, and doesn't think the tories present strategy is an electorally winning one. Bagehot explains the pressure on David Cameron to go for growth and then argues for the same old neoliberal agenda that got us into this mess, that's a D- then.
Will Hutton thinks that the coalition has started to get constructive, if only in a small way, but it has a long way to go, pointing out some of the measures he thinks it must take to get the economy growing again.
Andreas Whittam-Smith argues that any growth will have to be fairer growth, making the rich pay their tax will be one way to achieve it.

Sir Christopher Meyer shows his diplomat roots warning of the return of the German problem and of British foreign policy which was traditionaly geared to the balance of power theory. Fabian Lindner compares the current crisis with the great depression years and argues that the current German position mirrors the US position of 1931, which is a pretty good analogy.
Jeremy Warner thinks that those who think that the Eurozone crisis is an opportunity for Britain, shouldn't bet on that.

Charles Moore has another column dedicated to the problems of modern capitalism, arguing that Margaret Thatcher knew that it must work for the masses. But paints over the fact that her destruction of our manufacturing base has left us in a poor position to reap any benefit from our depreciated currency. That it was on her watch that big finance was allowed to let rip, that the current housing policy shambles all have their root in the eighties or that that she positively gloried in the trickle down economic theories that have left inequality on the present gargantuan scale. And maybe even that one of her goals was to encourage the left to have a leader as far to the right as Blair, so that under 13 years of new labour, the neoliberal project was followed as happily as under a tory administration. As Frasier Nelson argues at the end of the day there isn't that much seperating Labours approach to the economy, even now.
She was too much in control of her own party and maybe even the zeitgeist of the times to be compared to Harold Wilson, but for all the electoral success she had as little impact on the long term fortunes of this country as pipe smoking Yorkshireman.

Not very good quality, but the album this was from was class

Manchester United 2-2 Benfica

2011-11-23T17:59:00.003Z

That was the most enjoyable game for a while, shame about the result though. We don't seem able to get that balance between attack and defence right at the moment. Having said that i thought it was an encouraging performance, i liked the way that we managed to really got on top of the game after they had took the lead. The problem was and obviously still is, we just can't stop shipping in soft goals when we are plying the football that we all want to see.
When i read the news that Rooney had sat out training i thought it was pretty unlikely he would start and i hoped that he would go for Berbatov. So i was doubly glad that he was picked and that he had a pretty good game. Not perfect obviously as that late missed volley could yet end up costing us dear. He took his time getting into the game as indeed did United following the Jones own goal conceeded after just four minutes. But once United took a grip on the game he was involved heavily.
Nani was another to have a fair game, hopefully a much needed return to form, though there were still the head scratching moments where he made the wrong decision. And it was from a Nani cross that the equaliser eventually came as Berbatov glanced his best cross of the night past the Benfica number one Artur. Seconds later Ashley Young, playing in the hole, in place of Rooney had a great chance to put United in the lead but could only hit his shot straight at Artur. That seemed to sum up his night, his poor form continued i'm afraid. On the evidence last night i'm not sure i would be tempted to play him there any time soon. He didn't seem to have the vision or awareness of the game to be a viable alternative to Rooney in that role. Which is probably a bit of a blow to Fergie if he is forced to drop Rooney back into midfield later in the season.
The half time scorline was probably a fair reflection of the game, they had started brightly and had pressed us high up the pitch a la Barca disrupting United's game. But the longer the half went on the better United coped and eventually took control of the game which saw us leave the field the team in the ascendency.
United started the second half in the same vein and went close a number of times before another concerted period of pressure ended with Fletcher converting a cross from Evra at the second attempt. The lead lasted less than a minute as United's defence imploded again leaving Aimar to put the vistors level. The defending was comical i'm afraid and you could point to any of Jones De Gea or Ferdinand, but collectively it was their finesth hour. The worst part of it was that it completely punctured our domination of the play as Benfica got back some self belief. Eventually United started to create chances again and they were serious chances, Berbatov and Fabio had great chances. But the night could have turned into a total disaster as the opposition missed a great chance themselves right at the death.
So we need to pick up a point in Switzerland, a point that i'm confident we will achieve. I can't really tell you why i'm so confident as who can predict anything with United this season. I would sooner be in our position than City's anyway.

Fergie was happy with our performance bar the kamikaze defending of course, but thought that we did enough to have won the game. I would pretty much go along with that and add that it was a cracking game of football.

Maybe City's precarious position in their group is even more dangerous than we thought if Nick Harris piece about Shiek Mansoor's greatest gamble is proved right.

Samuel Luckhurst writes of a second rare night of excitement in the qualifying stages of the champions league. I wouldn't write that i don't mind if we get knocked out of the champions league at the first hurdle, but equally i'm not sure i would want us to get to another final that we are ill equipped to win. It's a while since we won the FA cup, i wouldn't mind us adding to our record of FA cup wins even if the idea of two trips to Wembley doesn't greatly appeal.
Andy Mitten writes that Fergie is still a confident man, more confident than the average fan about United's chances this season and about the quality available to him in our midfield. I totally take the point about the fans being spolit, there's no arguing with that. I can't share the optimism about our midfield, but i wouldn't rule us out of the title race. If we could give the Chelsea of the mid noughties under Mourinho a run with a midfield of O'Shea and Giggs, you know there is always hope.

Salford RL haven't took long to appoint a new coach, as Phil Veivers was announced as the replacement fro Matt Parish. That seems fair enough to me, it gives some continuity and even if Veivers is an Aussie he has been involved in the game in this country for years.

Simon Jenkins wasn't impressed with the government using public money to back mortages, equating it as have plenty of others with the sub prime debacle in the States. He argues that instead of subsidising potential tory voters government should be spent on social housing for those in real need.
In the New statesman Ian Mulheirnwarns that we must stop this housing Ponzi scheme that will collapse sooner or later like a fraudulent investment strategy.

Another escellent article by Aditya Chakrabortty that aks is Richard Branson all he is cracked up to be? The unsuprsing answer being in the negative, but for Chakrabortty he symbolises all that is wrong with business class in the country.
The CBI wonder what happened to the governments strategy to rebalance the economy away from finance and into manufacturing and exports. The chairman of a oil rig firm brands the government disgraceful for awarding much needed contracts abroad. Whilst i think he's right it always makes me laugh how business forget they are supposed to be in favour of the free market.

Jon Snow follows his last blog about this country being a haven for tax avoidance by now asking if capitalism can survive without tax avoidance.
Can HMRC chief Dave Hartnett survive the news that a judge has been appointed to the Goldman Sachs tax deal.
On the topic of banks, Laurence Knight asks if our banks face another mis-selling scandal.

David Blanchflower once more calls into question the coalition competence over its handling of our economic woes, this time laying into Cameron instead of usual target Osborne. One of the coalition's austerity supporters, Jeremy Warner, writes of the grim electoral message of the OBR forecast.

Fletcher wants to top group

2011-11-21T12:58:00.006Z

After admitting that United haven't got the balance right between defence and attack during the mini revival, Flecther looks forward to tomorrow nights game against Portugese giants. He points out the benefits to topping the group pointing out what happened to Arsenal last season when they drew Barca in the first tie of the knockout stages.
As much as they were outplayed in both legs, with a little bit of luck they could have actually got through that tie, though that of course would have been a travesty. Fletcher is right of course though, were we to draw any of the heavyweights first up it would be hard to be too optimistic. Of course that is a long way off and the balance between defence and attack may have been solved by then and the confidence restored. I very much doubt we will be buying any central midfielders in the mid season winter break though. So we would have to hope Cleverley and Carrick are both fitand then wonder who Fergie would play alongside them presuming we go with three in midfield that is.
I don't think tomorrow is going to be an easy game so the news that Wayne Rooney sat out this morning's training session is a bit of worrying news. If he is out i would stick Berbatov into the team for tomorrow night.

Michael Carrick tells the teams critics to judge us after christmas, we may not have been as fluent as we would like, but we keep on picking up three points and we are actually in almost the same position as we were last season when it was Chelsea that got off to a storming start. It is a fair point, United do know how to chase a championship and whilst City are obviously a better side than Chelsea were last season, when push comes to shove at the end of the season, United have been there and City haven't. I see Mancini has told his fans that they will get beaten a some stage this season, there is nothing more surer.
That doesn't mean that they won't win the title, just that it's too soon to count United out, as of the moment City are unarguably the better team. Of course if Silva broke down and was out for any length of time that would balance things up again.
Ferguson described the 6-1 defeat to the berties as a wake up call, all the success we have had has started from a solid foundation at the back. He was happier with our defence on Saturday from the team as whole, describing Carrick's performance as magnificent.
This fascinating Indy piece about a Fabien Barthez interview with Fergie shows the emphasis that Fergie places on the collective. You need the great players, but they will be nothing without a team that believes in themselves and in each other.

Danny Welbeck goes back to his old school and reveals that he is living the dream, playing football for a living, playing for his boyhood team and playing alongside boyhood heroes such as his favourite player Ryan Giggs. Both Welbeck and Cleverley have been a breath of fresh air this season, it's a pity both of them can't seem to put a run of games together without getting injured.

Gary Neville looked at Liverpool's progress under Kenny Dalglish ahead of yesterday's clash at Stamford bridge and compares them to the United of the eighties. They can more than mix it with the best, but fall down by not being able to lift themselves for the lesser games like last week's scoreless draw at home to Swansea. After yesterday's victory over the rent boys, let's hope they can raise there game once more when the face City at home next week. At least we can be fairly certain that Craig Bellamy will be up for it.
Alan Hansen wasn't impressed with Chelsea yesterday, he thinks at least they could argue that they played reasonably well against United and Arsenal where poor defending let them down. But yesterday their catastrophic defending conspired to a defeat that has left them trailing City by twelve points, and a poor performance that must have heaped the pressure on manager Andre Villas-Boas.

This wasn't really what the doctor ordered for Salford City Reds ahead of a new season at their new ground. I can't say i'm mad on appointing Aussies that haven't any grounding in the game over here. If i was Salford i would be looking at somebody like Brian Noble to guide them through the next couple of seasons. They need to have some continuity if they are going to attract the kind of crowds they must be hoping for at the new stadium.

Nick Cohen looks at the reponse of the left to the events occuring in the Eurozone and doesn't see much of one. If they don't find one and soon, they will leave the door open to some pretty dodgy customers, nationalists, fascists, anarchists and unreconstructed Marxist-Lenninists.
Ambrose Pritchard-Evans sees the Spanish right return to power, but thinks it won't change anything unless Eurozone strategy changes.

Danny Blanchflower thinks that something happened at the end of August that terrified policymakers. As others, Will Hutton for one have let slip, policymakers within the coalition and at the treasury are in a state of blind panic behind the scenes whatever impression they are giving to the outside world.
Paul Krugman thinks at least the Bank of England are putting in a decent performance as they don't cave into the pressure to respond to inflationary pressure.
Larry Elliott argues that we are in for years of depression unless policymakers tackle the debt issue imaginitively, i think they do know that and as far as the Bank of England are concerned that is what we are going to get. Hence the panic amongst the coalition and its friends.
Martin Wolf of the FT looks at Iceland's response to the crisis of 2008 and compares it favourably to the Irish experience. But ends by arguing that the market economy will not endure if it is seen to be a racket run by insiders against the interest of the vast majority of outsiders.
Robert Peston has been filming a two part series on the western world's addiction to debt and what a struggle it is going to be to drive it down whilst at the same time trying to keep the economy growing.

Jonh Snow asks who understands the bubble, why are the financial instruments that helped to get Europe and the US into mess we are currently in, still in fashion or even still legitmate.
Jim O'Neill has a new book out and here explains why he thinks the balance of economic strength will tilt back to the BRIC countries and argues that even he has been suprised by the economic expansion of Brazil. He laso thinks that the next economies poised for promotion to the big league will come from a grouping he labels the N-11 countries that will include Mexico and South Korea.

This government is rapidly turning into one of, if not the worst goverment of my lifetime, have they called anything right? This new housing strategy reek of short termism of the worst kind, as if they have learnt none of the policy disasters that led us to the credit crunch.
The Torygraph's personal finance editor reckons these proposals are barking mad, whilst Mary Ann Sieghart argues that ministers really wish for housing prices to come down, but daren't say that for fear of upsetting the Daily Mail. So much for Cameron learning the lessons of Hackgate!

Music
Africa Hi Tech - 93 million miles: This has grown on me, i wasn't too sure at first about the mix of dubstep and house influences. But the more i listened the more i thought it melded well together.

Bob Dylan - New Morning: Classic Dylan, the more you listen to his late sixties, early seventies output the more you realise that he invented Americana before the term was invented.

David Holmes - Bow down to the exit sign: I'm a big fan of the Northern Irish DJ/techno/Free association man. I honestly thought i'd listened to this but i'd just heard a couple of tracks which at least led me to go back and listen to his pre group era music. Excellent stuff, rocking, funky, i love the eclectic nature of it.

Ian Siegal & the youngest sons: British guitarist and sons of US blues legends deliver up a superb blues album. This is a terrific effort from an atrist i hadn't heard of.

Jonathan Wilson - Gentle spirit: the second album from the California singer songwriter is an absolute blinder, maybe a classic even. This is one of the must buy albums of the year.

Ornette Coleman - Ornette: An excellent album from the free jazz man, though not as far out or as classic as The shape of things to come.

Vintage trouble - The bomb shelter sessions: This didn't get much of a review in Mojo, after listening to it i'm not sure why. It's pretty retro of course, but so what it delivers the goods, with its mixture of blues rock and sixties soul, it hits the spot.

Swansea City 0-1 Manchester United

2011-11-20T13:00:00.003Z

Not a great performance, but it was an improvement on recent showings and three points into the bargain. For once we started with a midfield pairing that on paper looked a bit more like something you would associate with Manchester United. And to my mind that was the basis of the victory.
Carrick returned to the side joined by fellow recent absentee Ryan Giggs and for the first half at least they helped to give us a dominance, extra creativity and and a shield in front of the back four that has been sorely missed this season. Giggs supplied most of the creativity whilst Carrick played his usual game of helping to keep things ticking and helping the defence by his positional sense and reading of the game.
United started the game well establishing a stranglehold on possession of the ball almost from the kick off. The home team's cautious approach helped us, but still this was the first time we have completely bossed a half for ages. Swansea tried to counter attack but everything seemed to break down for them when they got near the United area due to a lack of bodies and lack of threat up front. They had one great chance that Sinclair made a complete horlicks off but for the most part the first half was one way traffic.
The goal didn't take too long to come Hernandez finishing clinically from a Giggs cross after the Welshman had intercepted a terrible ball from Swansea defender Rangel. I was quite happy with a first half performance but the one disappointment was the failure to add to the lead whilst we were so on top. Away from home you have always got to expect the home side to have a spell in the game.
Unfortunately for all United's dominance off the ball, once again we didn't really provide enough threat from the flanks. We don't expect Park to be beating man after man on the wing but we do expect Nani to be able to take his man on and beat him at least from time to time. But once again Nani didn't really produce, he seems to be going through a really poor spell for us at the moment. Watching the superb strike for Portugal in midweek left me wondering where that came from and can we see a bit of that in a red shirt please.
You expected a bit more from the home team in the second half and they did indeed get themselves far more into the game. But our defence was strong and Carrick had the kind of game where you wonder why Fergie hasn't been playing him regularly. I still think City would never have scored six against us if he had been in the team. With Giggs and Carrick starting yesterday's game i'm a bit worried what midfield pairing we will see on Tuesday against a far better team than Swansea if as usual Fergie rotates the squad.
At least we are still picking up three points after three points whilst we are going through this poor form. I was talking to guy at the match the other week and i told him i thought it would take us until at christmas at least to get that City debacle out of our system. But if we keep picking up the three points during this recovery period i suppose we can't complain.

Ole - The master's apprentice

2011-11-18T09:26:00.005Z

A cracking piece on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in this mornings Telegraph by their resident red Jim White. He says all the right things. But he doesn't just say all the right things, he turned that club around to win that title. Nobody in Norway expected Molde to win the league this season. I would sooner he would stay there for another season before coming back to England though.

I watched the reserves defeat wigan last night 4-1, United weren't great but they did play some really good stuff at times. It was a pretty strong team, with Gibson and Rafael making overdue appearances. I thought Pogba was a bit underwhelming, even though he was admittedly out of position playing towards the right. He doesn't really look anywhere near the first team unfortunately, i would like to see him go out on loan, in the new year or even next season.
The player who looks nearest the first team was, you guessed it, Ravel Morrison. For the most part he was a level above everybody else on the pitch, though he wasn't perfect despite the two goals. He was a touch greedy at times and if he did make the jump up he would have to play the simple ball more often.
But he has everything, he has vision and the skill to realise that vision, he can beat a man, or two even and he knows where the goals are. The player he reminds me of most, has got to be Paul Gascoigne, unfortunately he is probably going to emulate the geordie off the pitch too, even if not for the same reasons.

Alan Hansen thinks Phil Jones has great potential but does not think he is ready to replace Rio Ferdinand quite yet. He doesn't think he is as good as the cockney was at that age. I'm not sure about that, he is probably right that he isn't as good a centre half yet, though to be fair to Jones he hasn't played in the position that much for United so it's hard to compare.
But he has played under two Champions league winning managers this season who have seen fit to play him in midfield against two of the biggest rivals they will face. That surely suggests how much faith that those two have in him. Fabio Capello even compared him to Franco Barresi after the game and as good a player as Ferdinand has been, he was never at the level of the AC Milan and Italy legend.

Samuel Luckhurst uses the pages of Sabotage times to ask, "is Michael Carrick Manchester United's midfield saviour", well i wouldn't use those words, but he would definitely be getting an extended run in the team if it had anything to do with me. I would love to see Cleverley and Carrick given a run of games together until christmas, though i know it won't happen. Failing that i would like to see the midfield rotate around those two and Fletcher, you can save Anderson for the league cup and a place on the bench otherwise at best. I spoke too soon, i should have known, i always thought the signs didn't look good when he came off at Goodison.
It will be interesting to see tomorrow's line up, who will line up in the middle of the park, will Rooney move back up front, who will play out wide and will we stay with a 4-4-2. Looking at the options it looks between Carrick and Fletcher with Rooney reverting to a more forward role or Rooney continuing in the middle. Neither are great options, i would sooner see Rooney up front, but he has been our best midfielder whilst he has been playing there.

The papers are, one again running with stories linking Berbatov with a move away from the club, this time to Russian Club Anzhi. It's probably bullshit, but if they were really willing to take Berbatov for £15 million, i would be amazed if Fergie isn't running the pros and cons of a sale through his mind.

Yet another young red to have come through the ranks at Old trafford made his international debut for his country earlier in the week. Ron-Robert Zieler appeared for Germany on Tuesday against the Ukraine in a 3-3 draw.
Even when players don't quite make it at United, there are more than a few who go on to have a good career in the game. And with competition for the best youngsters set to intensify, with the Arab billions across the city, that is a big plus for our youth set up in attracting the best young talent to the club.

Andy Cole joins the chorus of disapproval ringing in Sepp Blatter's ears. I have no time for him myself, he is a corrupt man leading a corrupt organisation. But do we really think he feels any pressure when all the vitriol he is receiving is coming from just this country.
The thing that amazes me in all this is that he bulit his political base in FIFA through courting thrid world countries and so so had a strong support in Africa. There must be some embarrassment in that continent amongst his supporters, though i would guess, not enough to worry him unduly.
Gus Poyet hasn't done his reputation much good this morning with his outburst over the Suarez affair, As a few have said this morning there won't be much chance og getting any young reds on loan at Brighton over the next few seasons.

As Spain joins Italy in the "at risk" list of European nations at risk at the hand of the bond markets, the BBC's Laurence Knight asks " what's the matter in Spain ". In the real world nothing is wrong, but ihe fantasy wotld of the Eurozone, it is doomed unless the Germans step in.
George Irvin looks at the power of the bond markets on Left foot forward and how they have shackled European democracy. This critique doesn't seem to get aired when the tory Eurosceptics accuse the European elite of bypassing democracy, i can't think why.
The New York times has been looking at the cracks that are beginning to appear between Germany and the rest as it dawns on France, Holland and the rest that the contagion won't stop at Spain as their own economies and debt position's start to look problematic. The latest country to get the hump would appear to be Ireland, Germany will have no friends left at the end of all this, even if the Euro does miraculously get saved.
Tom Streithorst argues we are in the final stage of the crisis according to Hyman Minsky and that neoclassical economists assume investors are rational but Minsky knew better.
Steve Richards comments on the growing Euroscepticism that most pundits see moving centre stage on the British political stage. I'm still to be convinced of the depth of that. We obviously won't be joining the Euro any time soon, but i don't believe we would come out of the EU given the chance.
That said, i'm pro-European but this is the type of article from Felipe Fernandez Armesto that makes you want to pull your hair out. Some Europeans really don't seem to understand how serious this crisis really is. If the Euro implodes, it probably will be the end of the EU itself and i don't see how it will ever be put together again, any time soon with Germany at the heart of it. Germany will be not forgiven for it's role in this crisis, but any future European project without Germany at the heart of it would be absolutely worthless.

Peter Oborne argues that the fate of this government lies in George Osborne's hands and at the minute things don't look good as his economic strategy is failing. I obviously can't agree with his remedy or agree that it's the Lib Dems fault, how supply side measures are supposed to get of out of this mess, just absolutley loses me. Big crisis calls for big measures not pin prick measures that would probably make things worse. How does making job security even less secure than it already is help consumer confidence. On day they may understand their whole economic philosophy died in 2008.
That's not to confuse neoliberalism with capitalism in general, as Faisal Islam argues in this blog Capitalism has probably never been so ascendant over Labour. I suppose the question is, is this the peak of the ascendancy and is this acsendancy comaptible with liberal democracy. I would side with those who think that this is one of the defining periods of history where one orthodoxy dies off, but what will replace it is the 50 million dollar question, will it be better or could be even worse.
Ha-Joon Chang argues that it is too simplistic to see the occupy Wall street and occupy London protestors as anti-cpaitalist, this can be a catalyst for a radical rethink. Well that's what they and i hope for, but the finacial and corportate world and their allies in the media aren't going to go without a fight.
It looks like Lib dem people behind the scenes have started to think out of the box, or should that be they have started to go back to yellow book type thinking from the early thrities. It always makes me laugh how labour types give Cable a load of stick for staying in the cabinet when everybody knows he doesn't agree with government policy. I presume they have read the history of their own party in government, you know the Labour government of the seventies that was so split on Europe, hardly a small matter. Or even the Blair-Brown years where the split may not have been that ideological but was probably even more de-stabilising. None of them walked out, they stayed and fought their corner. There comes a point where a point when it is right to walk, but i don't think we are there yet. Do we want David Laws taking the position vacated by Cable, a left leaning liberal come social democrat, i don't.
I have yet to read of anything remotely progressive coming from Balls and co.

On a sperate but connected note Aditya Chakrabortty asks why do we not make anything in this country anymore. Daniel Knowles picks up the theme, but in a typical Telegraph way claims our greatest social problem: there are no jobs for the dim. Loads of empathy there!
This economist column looks at the problems rapid technological change causes in the labour market. According to the author of this piece quite a lot of the electorate are going to be classed as stupid. There is nothing new under the sun, though, we can go back to the Luddites to find this problem. Having read an Asa Briggs book on that era, i can't help feel that the way we use that term nowadays is pretty unrespectful.

I thought this was a reasonably balanced article that gets to the heart of the matter of the border control controversy that hasn't covered any of the main players in glory. The ex civil servant in Craig Murray sees Whiteman as the villain, May as lazy. I have to admit that after watching the select committee that Whiteman was less than impressive and that the inference Murray puts on it may well be the case.

Is Vidic really off

2011-11-09T19:35:00.008Z

Or is Fergie trying to galvanise him. Ian Ladyman reports in the Mail that Vidic may be allowed to join Real Madrid in the summer as Fergie is no longer convinced he is totally comitted to the club. He may be prepared to let him go, though it's hard to believe, but if'true, it's hrad to believe it is because he has suddenly become disenchanted with the club. We all read the stories and rumours a couple of seasons ago and on into the summer that he was unhappy for whichever reason ( his wife or his wages ), but once he had signed a new contract we presumed that had been put to bed.
So it's hard to see that he has suddenly fell out of love with the club again. If there is anything to this, and i hope there isn't, i would love to know what is really going on. On the footballing side, with Ferdinand almost certainly in his last season, it's a bit too early to be letting Vidic go. Smalling and Jones are going to be a top central defensive pairing, barring injuries of course, but there have to be quetion marks over Jonny Evans. So the squad would be not only short of cover but very light on experience, any signings would surely only be extra cover, and would any top players want to come to Old trafford to provide that?

David Sadler hasn't enjoyed the football since the 6-1 debacle but argues that it has been necessary to get back to the basics, purging ourselves of the inability to stop teams getting through our defence as easily as they had been doing. He goes on to claim that he would be happy to see the experience of Vidic and Ferdinand see us through this period at the heart of the defence.
I understand that we had to stop gifting the opposition as many chances as we had been doing, but as much as the back four had a collective mare against City, the problem for me, has been that teams have been slicing through our midfield as if there was no one there. I'm not the biggest fan of Carrick, but i don't see City beating us 6-1 with him in midfield. Again and again i come back to Anderson offering aboslutely nothing from a defensive ( forget the rest of his game ) point of view. With Fergie unable to pick the same back four from game to game this wasn't the best time tocome up short in the midle of the park. The defence have been getting absolutely no protection all season long.
As for Ferdinand and Vidic carrying us through the rest of the season, well maybe the Vidic and Rio of three seasons ago. The trouble is Rio isn't the same player and even if he was he can't play back to back games so there will be no consistency going down that route. I would go with Smalling and Vidic when Smalling returns from injury, but Fergie seems determined to go with Evans. I would only be using Ferdinand occasionally to come in later in the season when we hopefully start the knockout stages of the champions league and are back to three games a week.

Our fourth choice keeper Kuszczak isn't a happy bunny, claiming like Ronaldo once ludicrously did "that he is being treated like a slave by the club". Just what planet does the modern day footballer inhabit. It is really hard to have much time for any of them, i suppose that was one of the reasons a lot of us had so much time for Scholes, an absolute top player but still someone we could easily relate to.
Speaking of that other "slave", the Mail report Ronaldo could make a return to Old trafford to appear in Rio Ferdinand's testimonial next summer. Where to start with that, will Ferdinand even be here to have that testimonial, would Real Madrid be happy about Ronaldo returning and most importantly of all do i care. A great United player who played over two seasons of possibly the best football i have ever seen at Old trafford. He is one of the greatest players to have ever worn the shirt, but he would come a long way down the most revered players the club have ever had, for proper reds anyway.

Thr Republica of Mancunia blog posts an interview with the Guardian's man in Manchester Daniel Taylor as he re-releases his book, This is the one. It's interesting that he still thinks that Rooney had been tapped up by City through Marwood's lins with Paul Stretford and praises the job Fergie did in keeping him here. Roughly a thrid of the way through the season that looks an even bigger achievement, as superb as our start was, we would be struggling without him at the moment.

Danny Welbeck backs Cleverley to become a world class midfield player and admits that they are big friends who know each others game inside out after having come through the ranks together.
I concur with that, he definitely can, one big worry though and we have seen it this season already. He does seem to be fairly injury prone, we haven't really seen much of him so far this season. After the Everton game, Fergie claimed it wasn't too serious an injury and he would be back for the Sunderland game. Well he missed that and we haven't heard anything about him since.
The potential will only be realised once he starts playing regualrly week in, week out, it would be nice for him and for us to see him getting that consistent run of games.

Andy Mitten looks at the enigma that is Dimitar Berbatov as he ponders the thought that if he is sold in the winter break as some papers seem to be suggesting, that ther will be mixed feelings about a player who never equalled the sum of his outrageous talents.
James Robson of the M.E.N claims United should be breaking the bank for Modric, well i suppose that would give the Berbatov sale rumour some credence. There is just one problem, he is on record as saying he wants to stay in the capital as he is settled there. The only club he will be going would appear to be Chelsea, and if he did consider Manchester are we sure he would choose us over City as they would be bound to pke their noses in. File under aint going to happen, i think.

The Euro has gone to red alert as the crisis seems to be spiralling out of control as many have predicted it would. Paul Krugman agrees with an FT piece from Gavyn Davies that the crisis should be seen as a balance of payments problem not a deficit problem. But addressing the imbalances between the core and the periphary looks set to destroy the Eurozone as it stands at present.
Martin Wolf thinks through the unthinkable arguing a Europe built on a one sided deflationary adjustment will fail and if the leaders of the Eurozone insist on that policy, they must accept it will fail.
It seems, according to reports that the core nations around Germany may just accept that and may indeed be aiming for it. Frasier Nelson looks at the recently outed Frankfurt group and argues if you thought that the EU couldn't get any less democratic, think again. It doesn't look good.
But to me it's just another group of financier/politican groupings out to over ride the wishes of the electorate. Difference being they may well be strong enough to do what they propose and it won't work to the interest of the British political or business interest.
Jonathan Freedland wonders why the Eurosceptic right can't place Gordon Brown alongside their hero Thatcher for his role in keeping the country out of the Euro. Oh come on, please!

The Economist looks at the country of no, the main player in all this, Germany, and asks why it is so reluctant to stump up for the Euro. Ambrose Pritchard-Evans claims that the US and the Chines are very worried about Germany's non action in this crisis and can see both countries bringing massive pressure to bear on the Germans to do the right thing and use the ECB to resolve this whole mess. If the Germans did bring down the Euro, killing the PIIGS economies in the process, their hard won reputation achieved since the second world war would surely be destroyed. Faisal Islam argues that the PIIGS must achieve some porcine solidarity to stand up to Euro core zone, he thinks they would receive more support in Germany than they realise.

Misha Glenny has a completely different take on the situation in Greece, arguing the real tragedy is it's rapacious oligarchs who control Greek business, the finacial sector, the media and indeed the political class. It sounds like a vastly more advanced process of what is going on amongst all the western democracies, we live in sick times.
Along those lines Prem Sikka uses the Independent to argue that we should follow the Nordic countries in being able to see how much everybody pays in tax, he wants to be able to see how much Bob Diamond pasy in tax, he wants democratic accountability.
George Monibot looks at the myths and fallacies that the corporate and financial elite use to justify their huge rewards. Unsurprisingly he finds they fall down like a pack of cards. Not that there could be any justification anyway as far as i'm concerned, it's immoral how many times those at the top earn than those at the bottom, full stop. Paul Krugman aks, what boom, and who was the boom for?

Robert Fisk asks if those who flaunt the poppy on their lapels, know that they mock the dead? I have a big problem with that also. As well as it being almost a fashion symbol, i can't stand the fact that the people that shout loudest about wearing the things are almost always the first to cheerleader whichever politicians want to write their name in the history books by sending the armed forces into pointless, if not immoral foreign adventures. Poppies were supposed to honour the men who went to war to end all wars.

Music
African head charge - Voodoo of the godsent: A mix of influences that promises much, but could easily go the other way delivers a cracking album. This mix of dub, techno and world influences carries on their good work.

Low - C'mon: The only stuff i have of theirs is the christmas E.P from the nineties which i like but know is very much an acquired taste. I had read that their last couple of albums had seen the guitars raised in volume a notch or two and so it has but the speed doesn't seem to have. It's good, though it takes a couple of listen's to appreciate the longer tracks.

Miles Davis - Miles smiles: I'm still slowly working through the great mans back catalogue, this was the last real pure jazz disc he made before the amps got plugged in. It's brilliant, though the tempo is faster than some of the stuff from this period, a faster, harder bop. I have a DVD of a European tour from this band that i still haven't really watched properly, this is from that disc

Syd Barrett - Barrett: This was the first solo outing from Pink Floyd's original songwriter and band leader. This has been called a lost classic by some, it's good, very good at times, but calling it a classic is a bit much. He would have had such a lot to offer though if he hadn't have overindulged.

TV on the radio - Nine types of light: Their last album Dear science was one of my favourite albums of that decade and this is a worthy follow up. I don't think it's quite as good but it's still a cut above most indie/rock based music of the moment.

Wilco - The whole love: Another of the very best US groups of the present era, get as near to matching the glory that was Yankee hotel foxtrot as they have managed. The last album was pretty good but this is even better, it has some epic songs starting in storming fashion and ending equally stongly with not much let up in between

Manchester United 1-0 Sunderland

2011-11-06T10:58:00.003Z

So Ferguson's 25th year at the club was celebrated with a whimper of a game not a bang. Another disappointing game that makes August and September seem a distant memory. The spark has completely gone out of the team at the moment, it doesn't seem to matter who plays or where they play.
Rooney started in midfield again this time with Fletcher for company, Lindegaard made an appearance in goals and Ferdinand partnered Vidic for the first time since the opening day of the season.
The first half was as bad if not worse than Wednesday's second half snorefest. The goal that came out of nowhere in the last minute of the half wasn't really deserved. Not that Sunderland had done much to entertain us in that opening 45 minutes either.
On the positive side Rooney once again looked the part in midfield. Is that at the expense of him contributing further up the field? To be honest at the moment, with the lack of creativity in the side, he is probably better of in the middle of the park. At least he is able to contribute positively to the cause instead of getting frustrated at the lack of service. Hernandez once again didn't really do much in the match, but i can't criticise too much, when once again you take into the picture the lack of service.
The second half saw United raise their game above the mundane, they started to look capable of rising to the occasion and and it looked possible we might see the glorious football of the opening weeks of the season. Chances were still few and far apart, the best an Hernandez header blocked on the line and a brilliant double save from the Mackems goalie Westwood. But it was a false dawn and the longer the game went on the more Sunderland came into it.
I couldn't believe that we ended the game hanging on against such an average side, but that is how the game finished. The one hope to cling too, is that we are manging to colect three points, when given the performances we could easily be dropping points to let City slip out of sight.

The papers have been full of columns and pieces celebrating Ferguson's 25 years at the club. Paul Hayward argues that the last ten years adapting to the way the game has changed prove why Fergie is without equal as the finest manager the game has seen in this country. Matt Lawton talks to the four men involved in the appointment of Alex Ferguson as the new mager of Manchester United in November 1986 and their memries of those few days.
Daniel Taylor looks Fergie's time at United and thinks that he will never really leave United behind. Which will be tricky for his successor as Taylor looks back to the mess that was made when Busby stepped down. That new book from O'Farrell will be worth reading, even if it probably won't be particularly edifying.
Jim White looks at Fergie's longevity and also looks at the contemporaries of the Scot when he took over United in 1986. There are some blasts from the past in that piece, somehow mentioning the managers, makes it seem even longer ago than it does when you mention the team and players he inherited. He also looks at the adaptibility of the man as he has risen to challenge after challenge, to keep United the team to beat. It's too early to say for sure, but the oil money pouring into that lot across town may be the biggest challenge yet.
As Henry Winter says whenever he does jack it in he is in the process of building another great team that will be a far healthier inheritance for his successor than Ron Atkinson left him when he took over United. When you think of the mess he was left with by Atkinson it was no wonder it took him until 1990 to deliver us the first piece of silverware since 1985.
Though i can never forget how the club disintegrated after the dynamic start we made to the 85-86 season and the magnificent football we played during the ten consecutive victories to the season and the eighteen match unbeaten run that came to an end at Hillsbrough. I went to most of those games, home and away, and it was unbelievable we managed to end the season in fourth spot after such a great start. If it was true that Atkinson offered to resign at the end of that season, i can't believe the board didn't accept it.
Ian Herbert of the Independent looks at how Fergie's relationship with the media has evolved, from slanging matches to bunches of flowers. James Lawton recalls the time his frosty relationship with Fergie finally thawed and joins the list that have selected their team of the Fergie's 25 year reign.

He can't help getting himself in the news, some achievement given the amount of minutes he has actually played for the first team so far, i hope Ravel Morrison is going to be worth all the shit we will probably get with him if he does fulfill his promise.

George Osborne isn't getting a good press at the moment, it must be worrying for his career when Fraser Nelson starts to criticise his shortcomings. Even if he comes at it from the side of the inflation nutter angle. David Blanchflower wonders where Osborne's allies in the business community have gone or indeed any of his allies at all.
I suppose if there is a consolation for him it's that Ed Balls doesn't seem to be convincing his critics either as his closeness to the City doesn't go unremembered on the left. Saying that, i happen to think the Robin Hood tax is a bit of a sideshow myself, compared to reform of the city and re-regulating finance rebalancing the economy.

Richard Murphy fears for the future after the week's shambolic G20 and Greek Eurozone contortions, he fears we are on the road to repeating the mistakes of 1919 instead of learning from the west's, or should that be the US reaction to the victory in 1945. The irony being of course that Germany paid the price of 1919 and reaped the benefits from the Marshall plan. Daniel Knowles implores the Germans to learn the lessons of history and forgive Greece. Of course they would also be saving themselves, it's not entirely altruistic.
Paul Mason looks back on the week and looks at the options for Europe to resolve the Eurozone crisis and points out that there are no easy options. Larry Elliott points out that European leaders fear the worst after losing control and fear the upcoming crisis could put the 2008-09 crunch in the shade.
William Keegan traces the roots of the current economic crisis to the fall of the Berlin wall and the politics and economics that the west have followed since. Matthew d'Ancona asserts that the Euro elite are out of touch with 21st century modern world and claims the Euro was a goal of the European left.

Manchester United 2-0 Otelul Galati

2011-11-03T12:30:00.007Z

A win is a win, i suppose, but this was one of those games that give the qualifying stages of the champions league a bad name. As poor as United were, they were only ever going to do as much as they had to, and unfortunately for us that were there, they didn't have to do much.
We saw from the game in Romania that Otelul Galati weren't up to much, and they weren't any better over here, god knows what Barca would have done to them. Fortunately for them United are at present so far from that level it's not true. Our game had been steadily slipping from the heady days of the beginning of the season, but after the derby disaster, we are light years away from the kind of form that will see us compete for sliverware come the end of the season.
The main topic of debate before the game was the inclusion of Rooney in central midfield. I have laid down my opinion that he isn't suited to the position, but his performance last night has led me to wonder whether i was wrong . He was comfortably our best performer, but that isn't saying much to be fair, the only other player to emerge with any credit from his display would be Phil Jones. But Rooney did show an awareness to the role that i hadn't anticpated, he generally used the ball well and bar the odd misplaced pass didn't waste the ball.
His performance there put into context just how far away Anderson is from being the player people have kept on thinking he could be. I have read some people that thought Park was cheered when he came on for Anderson, i'm afraid it wasn't for Park and Anderson's look as he came off told me, he knew it was for him being took off. Against a nothing opposition he gave an absolutely nothing performance, how he earned a new contract is totally beyond me. I presume he only played last night because there was nobody else to play with our deepening injury list, i hope so anyway.
The early goal was a mixed blessing, with the way we are playing it was obviously nice to take the lead early on. But as to a spectacle it was probably the last thing the game needed as the vistors stuck with their game plan of getting men behind the ball and the only way they were getting men forward was by pressing our defence when they were trying to play it out from the back.
It was noticeable that the goal came from a Jones cross, all night he was more of an outlet on the right than Valencia. Valencia's game seems to have alarmingly deteriorated, this was a man that tore Ashley Cole a new one in that title decider at Old trafford last season. And yet last night i can barely remember a time where he took his man on or actually got a cross in. I don't know if he is suffering a lack of confidence after Fergie's mistaken idea that he could play right back, but we need the old Valencia back and quick.
As poor as we are in the engine room, at least we have quality in the wide positions, but at the moment that quality has disappeared as they all seem to have suffered a slump in form at the same time. Nani didn't do much to tell us why he was on that Ballon d'or list announced recently either and hasn't really given a decent performance since the Chelsea game. With the lack of creativity from the middle of the park, the last thing we need is to see the supply from the flanks to dry up.
Given the team selected, whilst the first half was pretty dull fare it wasn't as bad as i had feared it might be. But i'm afraid the second half was every bit as bad as i had feared. Though the opposition never really threatened to get an equaliser, i was glad to see Rooney's deflected shot go in as it was one of those nights where you were never really confident that we would see the ninety minutes out.
It's to be hoped we see more of a performance on Saturday, at least hopefully we will have Cleverley and Vidic back and see Rooney back up front which i still believe to be the position he will always be better in.

Fergie was happy with Rooney's performance in his new role, Rooney thinks he can play anywhere on the park and was happy to play there.

Henry Winter profiles Solskjaer after his team Molde deliver him a first title and wonders as do we all, whether he will be back to manage United one day. Fergie tells him to to enjoy his time in Norway and to not rush back to England as he continues to be linked with any managerial vacancies. He would be off his rocker to go to Portsmouth and i'm pretty confident that he isn't off his rocker.

Ahead of last night's game Fergie was asked about Rio Ferdinand's form and Fergie didn't beat about the bush, telling him he would have to adapt his game as his explosive burst of pace has now deserted him. I can't really see him being here next season to be honest, the concern for me is that Fergie seems to have settled on Evans as Vidic's partner when i would be looking to blood Smalling or Jones more often than he has. Of course Smalling's recent injury hasn't helped in that regard, in fact Smalling's season has never really got going. Which is a real pity as he has looked excellent when he has played, the City debacle apart.

As the 25th anniversary of Alex Fergsuon's apponitment approaches Alan Hansen looks at Fergie's achievements. Whilst Samuel Luckhurst talks of Fergie's tainted legacy, there is of course something to that, his praise of the Glazer's will not be forgotten, especially for someone who thinks of himself of the left.
What is it with US owners, they just don't get it do they!

As i type this i'm not sure whether the Greeks are going to have a refrendum or not, if the government still have a majority or whether Papandreu is still prime minister or not. As Paul Mason writes here, a referendum would be in reality on whether the Greeks stay in Europe or not, and we hear this morning that the French and Germans are telling them that is exactly what it will be about. I'm not sure how democratic they think all this ordering about looks, but it stinks to me. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard argues that the referndum is the rervenge of the sovereign nation, well if it happens it may turn out that way, of course it may be much nastier. Faisal Islam agrees that this was the death of last week's bailout plan.
Larry Elliott claims that Papandrea has got a stronger hand than most pundits understand and that his gamble could pay off. Robert Reich argues in the Huffington Post that Greece's choice and ours is :democracy or finance.
Stephen King asks whether sending round the begging bowl will really resolve the Eurozone crisis as Klaus Regling head of the EFSF travelled to china. Looking at this from a German strategic point of view, how could they have ever allowed to get themselves into this position. I have said it before, Merkel is a disaster. Adrian Hamilton looks at the illusions of the west in thinking that China is going to come to the rescue
China's economy isn't looking too rosy itself anyway according to a host of commentators, so it's hard to see the Chinese bailing out the Euro. Of course a Chinese slowdown is not really good news for anynody else either, but how would the Chinese population react to a serious slowdown.

Simon Jenkins is alarmed by the tories spellbound reliance on supply side econmics, arguing they are looking after their own. George Monibot looks at the City of London and doesn't like what he sees, claiming that they are wealth destroyers. I'm reading his book Captive state at the moment, what an eye opener that is, very disturbing but sadly believable. And for all those deluded souls that think Labour will be on their side if they regain power, time to think again.
John Kay looks at the occupy Wall street protestors and the cousins inLondon and agrees that capitalism needn't be about greed and gambling, indeed that's what it shouldn't be.

Polly Toynbee thinks that vindication is the air for Miliband in his decision to tack to the left. Mike Smithson of political betting thinks that she is on to something, claiming that the way things are going if an election were held today, Labour could even win an outright majority. The FT's Westminster blog follows this up as it noticed how Cameron veered to the left himself at PMQ's yesterday. And how will that go down with his distrustful backbench Eurosceptic rebels!
Rafael Behr isn't so sure that Ed Miliband will be heard as he risks being drowned out in a cacophony of populist outrage. Maybe that will turn out to work for him, the electorate might think that Labour aren't split and they are the safe option. Which is of course how Cameron wanted to portray the tories.
Bennedict Brogan thinks Britain needs political audacity and wonders if Cameron is up to it. But what is the audacity he claims that is needed, as usual less regulation, exactly what got the world in this mess, the tories are totally lost.

I thought this was a pretty intersting piece in yesterday's Guardian. A US miltary think tank urges US to cut oil use for national security reasons, that chimes in with what i have thought all along, it should be the way all liberal democracies thinking.

Everton 0-1 Manchester United

2011-10-31T11:01:00.004Z

Unspectacular but three points and hopefully the shows back on the road. It was nice to see Vidic and Cleverley back and both showed why we have missed them. It wasn't really a suprise that Fergie packed the midield after last week's disaster, but i was suprised that he started Rooney so far back. I'm afraid i don't subscribe to the theory that as his career progresses he will end up in this position, to me it's just a waste basically. He didn't do anything wrong on the day but he doesn't affect the game to anything like the same degree as when he is up front or in the hole.
Another suprise was the inclusion of Welbeck on the left, i wasn't suprised that Young was left out, his form has dipped of late and though he has been working as hard his confidence seems to have dipped a bit. I was screaming for him to run at Richards in the derby but he seemed reluctant. Of course Welbeck played out wide for Sunderland last season and did the same job in the youth team, i though he was excellent again. Fergie seems to have a lot of time for him, when things aren't going as well as hoped, he stays on the pitch.
It was the kind of performance where United do just enough, we had periods in the first half where we dominated possession. But it seemed that Fergie had told them the most important thing on the day was defence. The goal came during one of our good periods as a good move down the left saw Evra cross for Hernandez to score. It seemed a touch on the soft side from an Everton perspective, but it gave us something to hold onto.
And that was how United seemed to set their stall out in the second half, as the longer the game went on and Everton had to commit more men forward, i was hoping we would catch them on the break. But though we did have a couple of chances, Welbeck's being the best, United never showed much inclination to get forward. I suppose it was to be expected after last week, but it was disappointing we were so negative.
I was worried when Cleverley went off but Fergie said it wasn't too serious and that he should be fit for next week. Good news of course, the midfield looked a lot better when he was on the pitch. The return of Vidic was even more significant, he does the ugly things so well. A long run of games from him would be just what the doctor ordered, especially with the news that Smalling will be out for a month.

The forgotten man, Rafael is close to a return after three moths out with a shoulder injury. Park tells Sky that the derby defeat is already a distant memory, alas maybe it is for the players, it isn't for us.

Great news from Norway where Ole Gunnar Solskajer has managed Molde to their first championship title in 100 years. That's some achievement, he has had a lot good press over there, could he come back some time, you can only hope.

A brilliant column from Matthew Norman who puts us right about the wronged John Terry. That slip at the end of Saturday's clash with the gooners was pure keystone cops.

The New statesman talks with Jeffrey Sachs, the man who advised the Russian government in the early to middle nineties. He has shifted his position nowadays, there was another interview with him recently where he called the Democrats the party of Wall street and the Republicans the party of the oil industry. I suppose that's where having a demcratic system where money plays such a big part in the process leads.
Bloomberg argue it's time for Swiss tax secrecy to go, as Richard Murphy argues the tide is swimming against the Swiss and Britain's dodgy deal with the gnomes of Zurich.

Martin Wolf wonders why the anti capitalist protests have taken so long and thinks the protestors are asking big questions.

Simon Jenkins argues that in trying to save the Euro, the Germans are making demands that cannot be met. Joschka Fischer argues that anything less than a United states of Europe will see the Eurozone doomed to failure.
Will Hutton argues that the tories vision of Europe and this countries future will probably see the end of the union with Scotland as the Scots will prefer Europe to a future an offshore tax haven. I believe that is a real probability, but only if Europe gets its act together. I fear he is being far too sanguine over Europe getting its act together.
Ambrose Evans-Pritchard makes the arguement for the Eurosceptic case, i have to say i agree with most of that.

Martin Kettle claims that the Tory addiction to the Europe myth could cost them the 2015 election as the electorate will be far more interested in the economy. Fraser Nelson shows that they are as obsessed as ever as he argues Cameron risks being stranded over Europe.

Con Coughlin argues that the west shouldn't have allowed Gaddafi to have been murdered in cold blood. It spared some red faces all round though didn't it.
Ann Applebaum wonders if America can survive without its backbone, the middle class, she argues American society is starting to fracture.
Will Self argues the monarchy must go, i couldn't agree more, things like this make me wonder what type of country i actually live in. And once again new Labour cringing at the feet of reaction.

Howard Jacobson explores English comedy, calling Mark Rylance's performance in the play Jerusalem the greatest most people have seen in their lifetime, praise doesn't come any higher than that.

Aldershot 0-3 Manchester United

2011-10-26T18:16:00.004+01:00

The best thing you can have after a disaster like Sunday's is another game as quickly as possible, so last night was a blessing. I suppose it was nice to have a fairly easy game as well, as Fergie was always going to pick a pretty experienced side so an embarrasing defeat was pretty unlikely.
The only youngster to get a start was Zeki Fryers who started his second carling cup tie for the club. I'm a bit surprised that he has been picked out for two full starts as when i saw the youth team last season, the defender to stand out was Tom Thorpe. I can only surmise that Fergie thinks that Fryers is more physically advanced than Thorpe. That isn't to have a go at Fryers though, as against Leeds he didn't do anything wrong and gave a very mature performance.
The return of Cleverley to the ranks was the big plus of the night and for the hour that he was on, he played as well as he did at the part of the season. His energy and first time passing was what we have been missing over the last few weeks. Fingers crossed he stays clear of any long term injuries. It's been said since Sunday, that it's putting too much pressure on his young shoulders, citing him as our saviour. I'm afraid Fergie has put that pressure on him by not reinforcing the midfield during the summer, it's not exactly been a secret how short of real class we have been in this part of the pitch.
United completely dominated the opening half an hour eventually taking the lead through forgotten man Berbatov. The Bulgarian played well and could have had more goals on the night going close a couple of times in the second half. Valencia seemed to be more like the player that came back from injury so well last season and even graced us with a great goal early in the second half.
The most pleasing aspect of the night was seeing Pogba and Morrison coming on to get a touch of the big time. Morrison wasn't on for long but showed glimpses of his talent and showed that he will never want for confidence. Amos spent most of the night a spectator but when he was called upon right at the end he made a fine save. It would have been nice to see a couple more youngsters involved, starting or being brought on but, with some of our experienced players not getting games we were always going to see this type of team.

Henry Winter likes the look of Morrison, as do we all, but who knows if he will make it or not.

Mark Ogden claims Rio Ferdinand and others will suffer the consequences for Sunday's humiliation. This just seems to be conjecture, he picks the right three players in my opinion, not just because of Sunday though, Sunday was just the cumulation of where all three players form has been leading.
To be fair to Ferdinand, it's not that he been playing badly, more that as somebody has commented since Sunday, he can't run anymore. It's ironic really, because the first time it struck home that his athleticism was on the wane was also against City in a much more memorable game for any red the Owen last gasp 4-3 victory.
As for Evra his defending has been hit and miss for a couple of years now, but it always seems to go mssing in the biggest games. I don't know if Fabio is going to be his long term replacement, or if Fergie is in the market for a left footed left back. Maybe Fryers has been earmarked, if that is the case, it's a few years off.
And to Anderson, to me he has only really ever had one good consistent run in the side, in his first season when he came in for Scholes who was out for a couple of months. He has never come close to that form or consistency since. It must be time to admit defeat, he has had chance after chance. I thought he looked big again on Sunday and it seems i wasn't the only one who noticed this. Fergie must know he isn't good enough, how many times is he the first player hoisted off when things aren't going well.

As Andy Mitten writes here the last time reds saw their team ripped aprt like this was at Wembley in May. I actually thought of that when i was coming out of the stadium on Saturday, because if we are honest it could well have been six that night as well. And at the end of day it was down to the same problems, a lack of quality in midfield and dodgy defending.
Of course there was a bit more of an excuse on Sunday with Jonny Evans sending off. But even though we dominated possession in the first half they looked classier in possession when they had it. And just as at Wembley in the semi, once they had weathered the early storm, they gradually strengthened their grip on the game.
He also bemoans the existence and amount of half and half scarves last Sunday and at Anfield the week before. The amount of day trippers for Sunday's game for the biggest league derby between Manchester's big two was off the scale. I and others have said it before, but if post Fergie we ever hit a real lean spell that lasts more than a season or two, the amount of empty seats at Old trafford will be unbelievable.

Has the Eurozone crisis been taken off emergency care for the time being after Thursday morning's agreement. Faisal Islam thinks it's better than a lot of people expected, but the devil will be in the detail.
Larry Elliott thinks even if the Euro has been saved, the hard work has only just begun. He isn't very sanguine about the prospects for growth as all available solutions have big problems attached to them.

It's been and still is a big week for David Cameron, but it hasn't started too well. Bennedict Brogan argues that the referndum vote tells us that the tories are divided over Cameron, not Europe. Nicholas Watt of the Guardian writes that Cameron is both weak and heavy handed over Europe as his backbenchers vented their anger at an aloof prime minister hamstrung by his coalition partners. Tim Montgomerie thinks that the tory rebellion crystalises the parties deeper suspicions of Cameron's leadership.
Steve Richards claims the rebellion over Europe is a proxy battle and finds it ironic that as the country moves further away from the real Europe, the Eurosceptics rage about"Europe". I'm not sure that a referndum would be lost myself, for one what would the question in the referendum be. Richards called the Voting reform early and wrong, it's a bit early to call a referendum on Europe when we haven't got a clue on what we would be voting on.
Gary Gibbon wonders "where next for David Cameron" after a vote that has dented his leadership of his party. Matthew Norman wonders whether Cameron's luck has finally ran out as the week has implanted long term doubts about his judgement.

Richard Murphy blogs that the US demands tax justice from the Swiss unlike a certain country just of mainland Europe.
Andreas Whittam Smith writes that the bankers are to blame for this mess and still don't get it. They won't agree to reform so stop wasting time asking them, just do it.
Adam Posen wishes he could have persuaded his fellow MPC members that QE needed to be introduced once again six months ago instead of waiting for the economy to start "cratering".

Two differing takes on the state of the German economy, Phil Mullan argues that the success for the German economy has been overdone whilst John Kampfner argues that whilst some parts of the experience of living in Germany in the eighties did his head in, the way they have ran their economy has proved far more successful than the deregulation mad little England policies beloved of the tory backbenchers.
Ben Chu writes about the battle waged between the Bank of England and the ONS over whose statistics are proving more accurate.

Stewart Lee is always interesting to read whether it's his own stuff or being interviewed, i'm going to read the book mentioned in this interview over the next few weeks.

Manchester United 1-6 Manchester City

2011-10-24T09:26:00.003+01:00

If the semi final defeat at Wembley hurt, and it did, this was on a whole different level, 6-1 at home, this was as bad as it gets. I couldn't say i was that confident when i saw the teamsheet, no Cleverley, and Anderson and Fletcher in the middle of the park didn't inspire confidence. And i had remarked on Evans one mistake a game on Saturday, why Vidic was missing i have no idea. Ferdinand didn't do anything wrong in particular, but he looks short of this level now. I would be amazed if he was still here next season.
And yet we started the game better than i had expected, dominating possession, without it has to be said, particularly looking like scoring. The worrying thing was that we saw that when Young and Nani were tied up and unable to raise their game United looked very ill equipped to break a strong City rearguard down. City didn't break forward much but when they did they looked more dangerous, mainly it has to be said because they had the best player on the pitch and maybe the best player in the premier league right nowin David Silva. He started well and really came into his own when we went down to ten men. You can have all the workhorses you want in midfield, but there is no substitute for class and now Scholes has retired we are well short of where we need to be.
United responded reasonably well to going a goal down, attacking with more purpose and forcing Hart into action with a couple of long range shots. But our best chance came from a cross that saw Rooney tap a perfect pass straight to the feet of Evans who managed to completely miss the ball. It wasn't to get any better for the Ulsterman.
We didn't start the second half as well as i would have liked but we still managed to create a gold plated chance Young conpsired to make a right mess of. It didn't take long for United to rue the miss. One of Jonny Evans biggest weakspots is how easy he gets turned and yet again it came back to haunt him and us. How he let Balotelli get away from him only he can answer, but once he had he should let him go and hoped De Gea would get him out of jail. It was awful defending and sooner or later Fergie will have to admit defeat and pick Smalling or Jones in front of him to partner Vidic.
To have any chance had to get the next goal and hope for the best, i couldn't see it happening and it didn't. Not for the first time United were completely opened up on our left hand side where Evra may have looked good going forward but had an absolute mare, again defensively. When Balotelli got the second it was effectively game over, because as far as was concerned we were now playing for pride. As much as it pains me to say it, the divs are now a top side and you don't come back from two down with ten men.
When the third goal went in from Aguerro i just wanted the whistle to go there and then, 3-0 at home was a disaster but you could see that this could get worse. The Flethcer goal was a great strike but it's probably true that if we hadn't have got that we wouldn't have commited as many men forward and suffered those desperate final minutes where we basically just fell apart. The final three goals all came United mistakes.
The season isn't over, United will come back from this but next weekend's game will be a test, Goodison isn't the place i would have picked for us to go and start rebuilding our confidence.
It's hard to pinpoint any positives from the game, but if i was to pick one it would be that Welbeck, though he did make mistakes, showed the kind of attitude that i want to see from a United player, still giving his all when the game was well and truly gone.

Fergie described it as his worst ever day at the club and had a go at our suicidal display. Mark Larwenson describes this as the day City finally announced themselves as real title contenders but thinks United will bounce back. He is right to say this defeat has been coming and right to wonder exactly what Anderson brings to the table.
After the first few games i was discussing United with a fellow red at work where i said that i thought United would be much more exciting this season but with new young defenders to be in and a more open style of play i thought that we would probably get a real hammering at some point of the season. I just hoped it wouldn't be in a game that mattered. Famous last words. Alan Hansen thinks City now have a great chance of the title and points out United's problems in defence.

Paul Waugh wonders how Cameron and his team could have got their European strategy so wrong as he continues to alienate his Eurosceptic right. Mary Ann Sieghart can't understand why Cameron has picked a fight over Europe when he had no need to.
Alistair Campbell reveals that Cameron's strategy for everything seems to be to blame everybody else. But his bizarre fight against his own backbenchers will likely end up with him looking weaker. Bagehot thinks that the tory right are wrong headed, Cameron needs room for manouevre. Paul Krugman blogs that he believes the Eurozone is doomed and that it will go the way of the gold standard. He hopes it won't but he can't see how it can survive.

Will Hutton has had enough of Mervyn King and his la la land economics. Larry Elliott runs with the same theme in todays Guardian, arguing that you can't blame current economic woes on the crisis in the Eurozone. Whilst fellow Observer columnist looks at the scandal of HMRC and its chief Dave Hartnett claiming it's welcome to Britain a haven for tax dodgers.

Full squad to pick from!

2011-10-22T09:41:00.008+01:00

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.

Otelul Galati 0-2 Manchester United

2011-10-19T10:47:00.005+01:00

This was one of those games to be endured rather than enjoyed, but at least we came away with the three points. Even though the game was very important, sandwiched between the trip to Anfield and the weekend's little local tussle it was understandable that the players never really rose above doing more than was necessary.
It was nice to see Vidic back, though not so nice to see him sent for an early bath, maybe it was a good thing he didn't appear at Anfield on Saturday. Only kidding, it was a joke of a decision from the man in black. I know European refs don't like to see a foot raised but there was no danger or malice in it, he totally over reacted.
At least by that stage of the game we had got the goal that had looked like it might never come. It was as blatant a penalty as you will ever see and with the Vidic sending off in mind how the hosts defender didn't see a red for that i don't know. Last time i read the rules a deliberate hand ball was an automatic sending off. Rooney tucked it away nicely.
The first half had been dreadful viewing, as the home team got everybody behind the ball for the most part and a United team with one eye on Sunday struggled to show the skill to open them up. The passing, first touch and movement were all mssing in action,the only real chance came when the reds best player on the night Evra cued up Carrick who blazed over the bar when he should have at least hit the target. That aside i thought Carrick had a fair game, he impressed more than Anderson anyway.
I'm not sure 4-4-2 is working in Europe, it certainly won't work with a central midfield pairing of Carrick and Anderson, i really fucking hope that Cleverley if fit for Sunday. I don't think the pairing of Rooney and Hernandez really worked either. In games like these Chicarito doesn't really offer to much, as it's the box he comes alive in. If Fergie was saving Welbeck for Sunday, which i think he may well have been i would have started with Berbatov and brought Hernandez on when the home team had tired.
Yet again one of the twins couldn't last the ninety minutes as Fabio had to come off to be replaced by Jones at right back. The twins future prospects aren't looking as bright as they were at the back end of last season. What with the competition for places at right back and their inability to last ninety minutes or put a run of games together.
The referee evened things up by sending off one of the Galati defenders for a second bookable offence right near the end. Nani was very unlucky to hit the upright in an otherwise forgettable day for him. And Rooney put the game to bed with a second successful penalty, converted in injury time.
So at last we are up and running in the group, hopefully the group will come down to the Benfica game at home where if we win we would top the group. The way we are performing in europe this season though, that Basle game seems to me to be a tricky proposition.

Fergie was already looking forward to the weekend's derby when quizzed by the press after the game. I don't know where he gets the idea that Anderson was one of three players that helped change the game in the second half. That must have been an alternative reality viewing of the game i watched.
There isn't much i can argue with this piece on United's encounter and the group stage in general, it aint going to change any time soon though.

Richard Evans of the LMA alleges that foreign owners are looking to alter the premier leagues rules to stop relegation .That should come as no suprise really. From foreign owners to foreign managers the Indy report on France's realtionship to it's most successful managerial export, Arsene Wenger. Jonathan Freedland compares the state of our national sport to the state of our economy.

Well i thought this would never come to pass, but last week's rumours were proved to be well founded yesterday when the Stone Roses confirmed that they are to reform to play two gigs at Heaton park followed by a world tour and the best news for me, that they are working on a new album.
Rob Hastings asks was it Ian Brown's divorce that sealed the deal after Sean Ryder's weekend joke, Ian Brown didn't have a pop back. Dave Simpson claims that last Reading disaster is the reason why the group should reform, to show the world the world how good they really were. They have made his day.

Stephen Pinker argues we are becoming less violent in his latest work, reviewed here by John Gray who is less than convinced. Well the next ten to twenty years of economic crisis will give us a good idea if Pinker is really on the money.
John Naughton interviewed the man himself in last Sunday's Observer where he argued why he thought mankind had turned its back on brutality. I have to admit to being pretty sceptical myself, it seems a very western idea, and even the west itself maybe on the brink of revisting its darker past.
But China faces problems with the communist party fighting to stay in control, Burma is no nearer an end to military dictatorship and Afganistan will probably revert to a warlord era when the US finall decides it's no longer worth it. And as for the Arab world who can say where that is heading. Will the Army really relinquish their grip on Eygpt, will Syria descend into civil war, will Israel ever establish a peaceful co-existance in the Arab world and perhaps biggest of all, how will the Saudi Arabia-Iran cold war resolve itself.
There seems more than a hint of Francis Fukuyama's end of history nonesense about it.

Hamish McRae argues that in a world where the population continues to grow, Europe and the west will matter less and less. He is also not impressed by the higher than forecast inflation figures released yersterday arguing higher inflation means lower growth. Benedict Brogan focuses on the dangers of this for Cameron and his prospects of re-election.
Mary Ann Sieghart swims against the tide in thinking that Cameron didn't handle the Fox affair as well as he should have done. The Guardian report on the O'Donnell Fox report and the unanswered question's. Craig Murray thinks it was a whitewash.

It had to be really,

Liverpool 1-1 Manchester United

2011-10-16T14:21:00.005+01:00

I think we can sum up Fergie's thinking ahead of this game as get in and out as quickly as possible, hope to snatch three points but be more than happy with one. I had expected Fergie to leave Nani out, i know some reds were less than thrilled with that decision, but Ronaldo never did anything at Anfield and neither has Nani. I didn't forget Nani's reaction to Carragher's admittedly diabolical challenge on him last season and maybe Fergie couldn't. You need to stand up tall in the heat of the battle at Anfield and that was what Fergie went for.
With our lack of real class in midfield, especially with Cleverley not quite ready, Fergie went for a mix and match engine room, with Jones enjoying a first outing there alongside Flecther and Giggs. For what Fergie was hoping to achieve, i thought it worked to an extent, especially in the first half as we contested the midfield and quietened the crowd. The problem as it was always likely to be, was we were unable to create much up front.
The big suprise of the day was the decision to leave Rooney on the bench and stick Welbeck up front on his own. With the lack of service that Welbeck received, Rooney wasn't really missing much. That said i thought Welbeck did excellently, living off scraps, as he was, he still caused the home sides defence some sticky moments.
It looked like one of those forgettable days where both sides cancel each other out, which of course was Fergie's aim. But then twenty minutes from time United gave away yet another soft goal at Anfield, we can't seem to help gifting them goals in this bad run that we are suffering there. Giggs of all people, the perpertrator as he peeld off the end of the wall to gift Gerrard the gap he needed from the free kick to give De Gea no chance.
It was pity for our young Spanish goalie because he had possibly his best game yet for the reds. He made some crucial saves, one from Suarez at the end of the first half and another excellent near the death from Jordan Henderson especially.
The goal was the cue for United to abandon the containing approach as Nani and Rooney were brought on immediately. Six minutes later Hernadez came on for Jones and Rooney was dropped deeper into midfield. At last for the first and only time in the second half United built up a little head of steam and a corner from Nani saw Welbeck glance the ball onto the incoming Hernandez who buried the header to put us level in the match.
I now expected United to go all out guns blazing in a search for the three points. It wasn't to be, it was the home side that had the chances with Rooney making one great saving header in the six yard box to salvage the point for us.
I had said before the game that i had hoped Smalling would be available for the trip and that his early season form had not been given the recognition it deserved. Well he was back yesterday and he confirmed how much we had missed him putting in a magnificent defensive display that made him our best player in my opinion. If we can get Vidic back for the derby i will feel a lot happier in the state of our defence.
I would have gladly taken the point before the game, even though it would leave City the chance to go top later in the afternoon that they duly took. City still haven't played anybody so i'm not worrying about them too much yet. Of course if they took the three points of us next week that would be a worry.
The one major disappointment for me yesterday was the way we failed to really create any chances to win the game after we had equalised. That must be partly down the lack of real quality in midfield that meant we could never really build any kind of real pressure on the home teams goal.
Ian Ladyman tweeted last night that United fans weren't taking into account that our European game this week was argubaly a bigger game. I don't know about bigger but it is big after the disappointing home draw to Basel, United could really do with taking 6 points from the home and away games to Champions league newbies Otelul Galati.

Fergie wasn't happy with the soft free kick and presumably was as unhappy with the collapse of the wall. I didn't think it was a foul, but i'm afraid you always expect to be on the wrong end of decisions when you travel there. If the wall had done the job it should have done, it wouldn't have cost us.

Henry Winter argues that yesterday's performance showed why Rooney and Welbeck must be aboard the plane bound for Poland next summer. Rooney actually did reasonably well when he dropped into midfield. I still don't see that as the position he will eventually settle into though. It was interesting to see that Fergie left Welbeck on the pitch when he started to bring his subs on and started to reshuffle the team. This shows how highly Fergie must rate him and how versatile he can be and will obviously do his chances of being on that plane any harm.

This New York Times editorial accurately describes the coalition's economic policy as a deliberate ideological choice that has failed and will fail and could well lead to a lost decade of no growth. It argues that if the Republican party has their way the US will suffer the same fate.

As if the global economy wasn't in enough trouble the Telegraph reports that those who forecast a rocky time ahead for Chinese economy may be about to be proved right. China's carefully managed soft landing turns harder by the day, threatening to deflate the torrid credit bubble of the past three years.
This FT article also argues that China might have used up most of it's heavy artillery after the 2008 crunch and as with Europe and the US seems ill equipped to deal with any further economic crisis.
The bail-outs are coming thick and fast in China reports Ambrose Evans-Pritchard as its debt spree returns to haunt the authorities.
The Economist reports on the growing links between China and Germany, the big trade surplus countries of the world economy. Will either see the light and help to rebalance the world economy.
Peter Foster claims that the reasonable aspirations of the Chinese people cannot be denied indefinitely, spending money on it's own people would be one way help internal consumption and help recailbrate the massive trade surplus it runs to the detriment of the global economy.
The Economist reports on how Chine's hallowed "non inteference" policy is coming up against hard reality of the Libyan uprising. They haven't won any friends with the Arab world with their backing for the "Violent" Assad regime in Syria either.

It does seem that Craig Murray's source on the Fox-Werrity affair was definitely onto something as the drip, drip revealtions keep on coming. This Independent on Sunday report links Werrity to Mossad and the Iranian opposition. George Monibot is unimpressed by the accountibilty of free market think tanks masquerading as charities, lobbying and given free reign on the BBC.
Most commentators have been giving Cameron warm plaudits for the way he has handled the affair to insulate himself from blame amongst the Tory right wing. I'm not sure the public will care too much about that, they will though see that they are still the same old dodgy, sleazy tories with links to organisations that won't go down with the electorate come the next election, especially if the economy carries on flat lining or even implodes if the Euro goes down.

Roy Harper interviewed in the Guardian reveals how he fought like hell to stay alive and how he feels vindicated by the new artists who claim him as an inspiration. Stormcock is a magnificent album.

United protect future

2011-10-13T10:47:00.006+01:00

United protect the future of the squad giving new more lucrative and longer contracts to Hernandez and Cleverley. That means United are really safeguarding the medium to long term future of the club, securing almost everybody bar Berbatov to the club for the next three years at least.
Reports circulated alleging Real Madrid were sniffing around Hernandez, who knows, how true those were but the guy is a born goalscorer. He still needs work on his all round game, but if Fergie is going back to a four striker rotation policy he fits into that very well. To my mind he would be a Solskjaer type squad member who has the potential to be even better than the baby faced assasin.
I'm glad Cleverley has also been sorted out, though i'm sure there were never ever any worries that he was looking elsewhere having come through the clubs ranks. Amazingly after just a handful of games he has shown himself to be our best and most important central midfield player. I have rated him ever since i saw him have a stormer for Watford in the championship a couple of seasons ago. I was a bit concerned the way that Wigan used him last season, but it seems to have been a great learning curve to his career.
He brings an energy to our midfield that we have lacked and that we will need if, or more hopefully when we come up against that great Barca team. Obviously he also brings great technique and a very clever football brain. The next step for him is to start to scoring the goals we know he is capable of. Given a decent run of games, i am sure they will come.

The press are speculating that Cleverley will be back for Saturday's biggie at Loonypool alongside the captain Vidic who hasn't been seen since the opening game of the season. The inclusion of both players would obviously be a huge bonus. I can't say i would be as confident as i would like to be if Fergie was forced to pick Anderson and Carrick. I saw Fletcher put in the best shift i have seen from him for a while for the jocks on Tuesday against Spain and if has come through that unscathed my midfield pairing if we go 4-4-2 would be Cleverley and Fletcher. If it's a 4-3-3 i would still have them as part of the 4-4-2.
Needless to say the return would be a big boost as well, even if Anfield has been a bit of a bogey ground for him in recent years. The form of our defence over the past few games has given cause for concern and he would help instil more confidence in it. Ther has been no mention of Smalling recently, i don't know why, out poor defensive form has also coincided with his loss to injury. The return of the big centre half would be almost as good news for me.
The presumed retirement of Vidic from international football for Serbia seems a bit premature, was it a reaction to the missed penalty. Is he looking at Ferdinand and looking to prolong his United career, i suppose some conspiracy theorists will think he is looking for a move for one last big pay day. We are going to need him at United for the next couple of season to help bring Smalling and Jones through, so i hope there is nothing to that.

United blogger Written offside looks at Danny Welbeck and hopes to see the local youngster partner Rooney up front if Fergie sticks with the 4-4-2 formation. I would totally concur with that we need energy, workrate and commitment before our superior skill comes to the fore, hopefully. And Welbeck provides that better than any of the available strikers to be paired with Rooney. Of course he isn't a bad player too.
I haven't been as suprised as the blogger has been with Welbeck's impact since his return from his loan season at Sunderland. I have watched him since he was 16 in the youth team and he has always looked the part. I have to admit though, even i did wonder if i had got it wrong after his dismal display during the FA cup defeat at home to Leeds a couple of seasons ago. He was hardly on his own that day though, and as he has said you need to be playing regularly to hope to make an impact in the first team when the chance arises and he wasn't playing regularly.
Along with Cleverley he is an example to all our youngsters that going out on loan is looking like it's the way to go if you want to make it nowadays as youngster coming through the ranks at Old trafford. Which stil makes me wonder why Macheda is still at Old trafford and not out on loan. He should be banging on Fergie's door asking to go out on loan, even to a championship club, he needs to be playing regular competitive football.

Ther was a lot of claptrap written about Rooney's sending off last week. Hansen warned Rooney he was risking it all if he doesn't learn to control his temper. I'm not going to sit here and condone what he did, but if we have learnt anything with Rooney it's that we are going to have to live with these moments and that's United as well as England. All we can hope for is that he doesn't do it when it really matters.
As for Capello warning Rooney he will have to fight to get his place back, well yeh of course he will, your only world class player. This is an opportunity for the Italian though, England are far too reliant on the number ten and he should be using this opportunity to experiment up front. I have nod doubt that Welbeck will be a big part of those experiments.

Liverpool's new owners break ranks to argue that Barca and Real Madrid are showing us the way forward. Despite United's statement that they supported the collective TV premier league deal they had been in contact with their fellow yanks about how to chart a way forward. Well there's a suprise.
Any fool can see why this would be bad for the premier league, where is Scudamore and his laissez faire attitude to foreign owners now. David Conn explains why this is just yet another plan for the rich to get richer or more to the point for rich foreign owners to make money from their purchses of EPL franchises (sic).
David Whelan has been angrily having a go in the papers this morning claiming what they really want is a European super league. That just holds so little appeal to tha average soccer fan it's a laughable idea, it would be the ultimate TV sport played in front of the prawn sandwich brigade. It would possibly kill football of in this country.
All this when the British government is at last threatning to get involved in the running of the British game, is it a case of too little, too late or are they just in time?

Of course some people couldn't care less about the wellbeing of the game as long as their cut keeps them in the lifestyle they have been accustomed to, of the back of the little players who actually pay their money, naturally.
Peter Harrison has fallen foul of his fellow greed merchants and is now threatening to name names. This was reported a few weeks back, still no sign of any broadcast though.

The most serious event yet in this tumultuos year in the middle east and the Arab world. It seems after the Wikileaks brought the emnity between Saudi Arabi and Iran out into the open things can only get worse after the US revealed a plan to assasinate the Saudi Ambassador who urged the US to "cut of the head of the snake".
Shashank Joshi warns that things will indeed only get worse in the Telegraph as both countries regimes feel under pressure as the Arab spring changes facts on the ground. And old alliances go to the wall.

Craig Murray reveals on his blog the real story behind the Fox/Verrity scandal that they don't want us to know. If true this would be dynamite, whatever the truth i don't see how Fox can survive, because it all stinks enough as it is and the changing defence just seems pathetic.

Steve Richards argues for a supposedly non ideological government it's ideology that is the biggest danger to its longevity and success. If the Health secretary won't be accountable, the who will?

Alistair Campbell takes aim at the herd mentality amongst the political press to argue that Labour are a lot more relevant than news-comment fused media think, and makes a persuasive case.

Bagehot explains why the tories are backing Euro zone integration and the answer is that they are as passionately anti Europe as ever but in an emergency, warily any lifeline will do.
Mick Hume describes why he thinks the bankruptcy of democracy in Europe is too high a price to pay for saving the Euro-elite. I can't really argue with most of that except to argue how long have some of these countries actually been democratic and i don't mean just eastern Europe. And who has helped them ovecome their past to embrace democracy, but his hated European union.
That is the tragedy of what is unfolding, Timothy Garton Ash puts the Europhile case whilst acknowledging the massive flaws that need to be addressed if the Germans see the light and save the whole project.
As for the financial plans he objects to, so do i, but they are not the sole preserve of Europe, bailing out the banks and the finaciers is the global elites answer to the crisis and it's why we are slowly sinking into another great depression.

Stephen King looks at the divergient views on the economy from Osborne and Balls and observes they can't both be right. But whilst not coming down on either side, though i assume he leans more to Osborne he does acknowledge that the so called economic rebalancing that Osborne stressed he was looking to achieve was pie in the sky.
Well that wouldn't have anything to do with austerity, cuts and a global lack of growth now, would it? I know it's a lot more complicted than that but it surely hasn't helped.
George Monibot contines with the economic doom theme arguing that if professor Steve Keen is right we are doomed to another great depression. I certainly wouldn't put my money on Bernanke, King et al getting us out of this mess, they have been as much part of the problem as part of the solution since this crisis began in 2008.
Larry Elliott is as down on the prospects of an economic recovery as the previous two commentators as he argues that Britain's rising cycle of debt and dependence on consumption to drive growth make it unlikely the economy wil bounce back any time soon. David Blanchflower argues the scale of the financial shock is getting clearer and that Osborne's mettle will be tested when Greece defaults as it surely will. Given Osborne's record in 2008 ans since where he has got every big call completely wrong, that is a scary thought.
Robert Skidelsy carries on explaining that the boom was the illusion and thinks that the best we can hope for is for a managed retreat from the wilder sgores of globalisation. The alternative being the collapse of the Euro, protectionism and war.
On a less serious note how does that fit in with the US vision of the future of British football.
And finally Martin Wolf of the FT is terrified of the prime ministers pre-Keynesian views, as are we all.

Dan Hartnett a man who encapsulates where the British establishment is rotten to the core, Private Eye has been on his trail for a while. Have they finally got their man, even a Tory MP has called for him to go after Goldmans appear to have been given preferential treatment over a bankers bonus tax avoidance scheme.
Richard Murphy blogs that a new report shows that the 98 of the FTSE 100 hundred biggest companies use tax havens. It truly stinks.
Paul Krugman thinks something maybe afoot as the Occupy Wall street grows and even spreads its wings. Well we have to live in hope, i'm just not getting my hopes up too much.

Brett Anderson picks his baker's dozen which is fairly predictable, but i can't deny that i also love almost all of his list.
Andrew Pulver asks quietly is a golden age of British cinema, well as he cites it's certainly an improvement on the sad state of affairs that led to sex lives of the potato men.

I saw this recently on one of the BBC programmes celebrating the old grey whistle test, it's a brilliant cover of a great song, Johnny Winter.

Neville doesn't believe in England's chances

2011-10-09T16:06:00.009+01:00

Gary Neville states the obvious, England have no chance of winning the 2012 European championship. I have said since the last world cup that whoever the manager was, they should have got shot of Capello, it was time to identify the best young players around and blood them. Take the pressure of by admitting we are building for the future and know that we are nowhere near as good as Germany, never mind Spain.
I do believe that we have got good players coming through, biased i may be, but most of them are at United. Jones, Smalling, Cleverley and Welbeck are all going to be top players. But Wilshere at Arsenal is another that can propser at the top level, Hart is a better keeper than England have had for a while. The new manager has to go for players comfortable with the ball at their feet and a good deal more adaptable than the Gerrard and Lampard's have turned out to be. Of course you could do with experience in the team but Rooney and Cole aside i'm not sure England have many to see out the next couple of years.
I'm not saying that this will lead to England reaching the holy grail of actually winning tournaments but at least we wouldn't suffer such embarrassing campaigns as last summer. Playing decent football should lead to England at least recovering it's status as a team that is equipped to reach quarter and semi finals again. It won't happen overnight though.

Henry Winter thought that Capello's gushing tributes to Phil Jones, premature, but agrees that Jones certainly could be special. But he needs to be played in his proper position in the heart of the defence. He is going to be an abolute world class player as hopefully will be Smalling, his future centre half partner for United and England.

United are to open new contract talks with last seasons loanee youngsters Tom Cleverley and Danny Welbeck after their impressive starts to the campaign. Last week former Chelski and AC Milan boss Ancelotti spoke of his admiration for Ferguson and namechecked Cleverley as a very strong player to watch.
The start of the season and the games we have seen since Cleverley's injury have only reinforced my view that Cleverley is the best and most important central midfield player at the club. But for us to really start to challenge Barca we need more players of his standard in the middle of the park to choose from. The question is do we wait for the youth to come through or do we go out and buy a Sneijder. I was hoping that Pogba would get more of chance, but if Fergie doesn't think he is ready you have to trust his judgement.

Was the reason for Jonny Evans poor display at home to Norwich last week because he is nursing an injury. He was withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad with an on going ankle problem. He seemed to have an on going ankle problem all last season.

Zonal marking asks why are Manchester United allowing so many shots on their own goal this season. Defensive injuries and not being able to keep a settled back four must be a big part of the problem. As the article says we have been playing an incredibly open game, since the game against City at Wembley in the chahrity shield it's been attack, attack, attack. But though Cleverley is not really a defensive player we have struggled to protect the back four since his injury.
At this moment in the season i can see us having a great chance to gain another league title, but with a more pourous defence than we have seen since the mid noughties it's hard to see us reaching Munich. That's not to say we won't, we have the experience of getting to three finals in four years and that is invaluable. But that was bulit on a pretty settled back four and Van Der Sar behind them. I suppose a lot will depend how well De Gea and the back four gel as a unit.

Gill seems to have been at the mushrooms as he talks of a potential United valuation of £2.5 million.

UEFA admit United fans had a case when they attacked French policing before, during and after United's game at Marseille in the Champions league last season.
Fergie told the press that he was concerned by the lack of full allocation's United fans continue to receive in the premiership. There are mixed views on this amongst United's away faithful, with some thinking it's United fans own fault, not for standing but for blocking the stairway's.

It was nice to see United step in last week to buy the medals put up by Tony Dunne for auction last week.
There was an interesting debate last week on one of the United message boards last week, i can't remember which about what the modern day players will do with their medals and gongs in later life. They won't have to seel them to provide for themselves or their families, or will there. I could see that there may be some that still will have to do this myself, what with the modern day footballer lifestyle and all.

After Fergies claim that Rooney can become United's leading goalscorer of all time, the Evening news look at United's goalscoring greats. One of the greatest, if not the greatest, Denis Law has a new book out, My life in football.

I have had a look at it and it looks excellent, there are some great photos of him in it.

Roy harper pays tribute to his fellow folkie and brilliant guitarist Bert Jansch who passed away earlier this week. Ken Hunt describes a guitarist who influenced his peers across five decacdes in an Indie obituary. Barnaby Smith remembers in the folk guitarist and Pentangle member a unique talent in the Quietus.
I have only heard a couple of his early solo albums, but they are very good. His last album, The black swan was also excellent but i have heard a fair bit of Pentangle and have to say when they were good they were superb. His interplay with John Renbourn and the rhthym section of Danny Thompson and Terry Cox that were so superb produced that unique mix of folk and jazz that made them so unique.

Paddy Considine's directorial debut Tyrannosaur has been getting glowing reviews, Ryan Gilbey compares Olivia Coleman's performance to Kathy Burke's in Gary Oldman's brilliant Nil by mouth. The latest Quietus features an interview with Considine which focuses on how much his recently diagnosed Aspergers syndrome influences his work.
Peter Mullan takes the opposing lead role and he is usually a guarantee of something well worth watching. I watched him in On a clear day a couple of weeks back, and whilst it's no masterpiece, it is a pretty criminal state of affairs that most people in this country will never have heard of it, never mind seen it.

John Gray reviews Christopher Hitchens latest ( last ) book, Arguably. Whether you agree with him or not Hitchens is always a riveting read. I prefer his arguments against religion to Dawkins as he can't help but pepper them liberally with his unique brand of humour.
Gray makes a suprising but probably correct interpretation of Hitchens as a believer, he has never renounced his support for the neo con project, even after it has patently failed both in it's own terms and in realpolitik terms.

Steve Richards leaves the party political conference season distinctly unimpressed, he claims epic times call for better than this. Andrew Rawnsley continues the theme arguing that the conference season was like spending three weeks in Liliput.
The Economist argues that with the economy struggling David Cameron must raise his game. And goes on to urge him to continue with the same old failed neo liberal ideas that have brought the country and the world economy to the brink of ruin. Now that magazine really can be described as a believer.

As the Telegraph reports the occupy Wall street protests spreading across the States and across the world, Will Hutton argues that George Osborne will have to drop the pretence that he is a conservative chancellor and fully embrace the philosophy which proves everything he has believed is false. Ouch. Rupert Cornwell wonders as capitalsim's heart is occupied, where it will all lead.
He has failed to take his fellow travellers with him, Frasier Nelson was unimpressed with Osborne's new found Keynesian credit plans, they really want to go down with all guns blazing, just blazing away at the wrong thing, inflation, when it's deflation that we ought to be fighting. Jeremy Warner agrees with Willie Walsh that we're talking ourselves into a crisis, but their perfect markets don't seem to agree.

Larry Elliott warns the market panic reflects a growing mood thatGreece will default triggering another great depression. Richard Murphy issues a memo to Mervyn King after Frday's press briefings: please don't understate the crisis.
David Blanchflower writes that Mervyn King can't be pleased, the MPC is in a hole and as in the US our economic forecasts were wrong all along, which of course he has been warning about since he left the MPC.
Paul Mason, one of the journo's King didn't brief, which Mason tweeted ironically, blogs on why we need to think outside of the 1930's box. I'm no fan of the kind of free market globalisation that we are governed by at the moment, but whatever replaces it, as replaced it must be, it's to be hoped we don't fall back into 1930's isolationism of countries doing their own thing in their own interests. When you think about it you realise how fundamentally it would change our whole lifestyle and quality of life.

Richard Lambert uses this Prospect column to ask can Britain make it? Can Britain start making things again. It will be very hard, especially whilst the city of London dictates government policy. Unfortunately the history of this country shows we are second to none at inventing, but not very good at expoliting those inventions. At least that's from where the yanks and Germans caught us up from the 1870's onwards. But as Will Hutton wrote in his column that can be put down to the establishment's decision to prioritise the city of London over our manufacturing base. When that stops, maybe the country has a chance, but there isn't much chance of that happening this side of another financial collapse.

A briilaint piece by Theo Padnos on the importance of the Sunni-Alawi rivalry and the role of the Alawi faith to the ruling elite under the Hassad family. I have to admit to knowing next to nothing about the importance of the Alawi creed to the regime.