Capello to give Scholes another chance?

Capello to ask Scholes one more time about his international future. I can't see anything here but a no thank you.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/24/fabio-capello-paul-scholes-england

A rare BBC interview with the ginger prince, who shows true Mancunian wit, sarcasm, call it what you will. Example of stupid question, don't you get bored of playing at the same club every week. Answer, bored of playing in my hometown, bored of winning every week, well most weeks and of winning medals, yes right, bored.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8933749.stm

James Lawton writes about Capello's failings but mentions the wrong headedness of one of his predecessors, Ericksson who else, who moved Scholes out onto the left to keep the press happy and hastened Scholes international retirement.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/james-lawton-scholes-will-surely-never--play-for-england-again-but-where-else-can-capello-turn-2060166.html

Lee Dixon thinks that the wounded animal that is Manchester United, will end up as this years premier league champions according to this BBC column.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8935263.stm

I watched City's victory over Liverpool last night and whilst they looked good going forward, i'm not going to start worrying about a title challenge just yet. Liverpool were tuly abysmal, i don't know if the Mascherano saga affected the mood of their camp, but a five minute spell either side of half time apart they were never in it. There is no way Torres will be there next season if that kind of performance continues.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/premier-league/city-project-starts-to-live-up-to-its-billing-as-johnson-pulls-the-strings-2060287.html

Ed Miliband wants to tackle low pay through tax cuts, Interesting, though how viable it would be i don't know. There hasn't been much of interest, policy wise to come out the labour leadership race so far.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/22/ed-miliband-minimum-wage-labour-leadership

Steve Richards isn't impressed by Clegg's support for the wild cuts proposed by his tory allies.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-clegg-has-no-room-for-manoeuvre-2060182.html

Mary Riddell thinks Clegg could become the unwitting kingmaker of the labour leadership election. It would seem that there are indeed serious ruction going on inside the lib dem party if the last few days are anything to go by.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/maryriddell/7960735/Despised-Clegg-could-become-Labours-unwilling-kingmaker.html

Whilst Michael White forsees a future lib dem split.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/blog/2010/aug/23/nick-clegg-lib-dems-australia

An old forgotten play about the beautiful game is to be resurected from the cobwebs. I'm not sure there can really be much relevance, the strength of that era's players vis a vis todays is just too different. The players really were treated like chattel.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/stage/2010/aug/22/harold-brighouse-football-play-revived

William Dalrymple examines the Pakistani states role in subversive activity in Afghanistan and India
http://www.newstatesman.com/asia/2010/08/india-pakistan-afghanistan

The Ponys

Wenger on the dark side of Scholes

He makes it sound like something out of star wars, of course he has a dark side, most great players do, it's part of what makes them great players, winners even. But of course Wenger seems to have forgotten about that over the last five years. Vierra and Petit weren't angels.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/arsenal/7957227/Manchester-Uniteds-Paul-Scholes-not-a-fair-player-says-Arsenal-manager-Arsene-Wenger.html

Yet another article on the ginger prince, this is turning from a United blog to a Paul Scholes blog.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8927818.stm

People in the game have their say on Scholes, i love the piece from Keano on Scholes, especially the last line "They say he can't tackle but he can - it's just that he mistimes a few!"
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1304883/Paul-Scholes-Manchester-Uniteds-pass-master-red-devil.html

Vidic finally signs that new four year contract extension, possibly the most important bit of business United have conducted this season.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-1304868/Defender-Nemanja-Vidic-extends-stay-Manchester-United-2014.html

Ferdinand is not expected to be back and competing for the first team until the end of September. It wouldn't amaze me to see him not featuring too often even when or should i say if he gets back to full fitness. He could be played consistently at first to try and get full fitness and his touch back and then to use him sparingly in the big games.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/20/rio-ferdinand-manchester-united-september

Fergie expects Rooney to get back to goalscoring form when he hits full fitness.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/teams/manchester-united/7955877/Manchester-United-striker-Wayne-Rooney-needs-a-goal-says-Sir-Alex-Ferguson.html

This Yahoo blog by Alex Chick makes a sound point about the recent adulation over the form of Paul Scholes. What's the fuss, he has always been this good.
http://uk.eurosport.yahoo.com/football/world-cup/armchair-pundit/article/8319/

Fergie thinks Anderson needs to mature, i think he needs to learn to pass the ball to a player in red a bit more often myself, and that would just be the first on my list of aspects of his game he needs to improve.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/2010/aug/20/sir-alex-ferguson-anderson-manchester-united

The Glazers financial genius continues to hurt United, when it comes out in plain black and white ink may take a few months yet.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/8931026.stm

Andersred's blog looks at their talent for running a US sports franchise. How would they go on without Ferguson at the helm over here, you can't help thinking they would be doomed.
http://andersred.blogspot.com/2010/08/blacking-out.html

Bagehot's economist column isn't that impressed with the A level examination results debate.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/bagehot/2010/08/british_education

Johann Hari looks at the scam that is management consultancy.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-management-consultancy-scam-2057127.html

I'm glad to see some Lib dems are really fed up with the parties involvment in the coalition. I would respect Kennedy more if he stayed in the party in order to take the party back from the right wing orange bookers such as Laws and Clegg. Obviously if the left lose and the mass of the party decide they want to be a British version of the German FDP then short of splitting the party the more reformist wing of the labour party would be the only place left open to a former social democrat. And i couldn't criticise any of them for choosing that option.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/aug/20/labour-hints-charles-kennedy-defect-liberal-democrats

A Guardian article on bands that split up early.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/aug/19/bands-split-pixies-lcd-soundsystem

Jose Gonzalez

Everybodies raving about the ginger prince, Scholes

Paul Scholes is the man that everybody is talking about. Alan Hansen used his BBC column to lavish praise on the ginger prince.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_prem/8922460.stm
And then another piece in just-football
http://www.just-football.com/2010/08/paul-scholes-the-man-who-would-be-king/

Oliver Holt talks to our exciting new youngster Tom Cleverley. I was a bit disappointed he wasn't on the bench against the geordies, but when i heard he had played in Dublin for the reserves i suppose it made sense. I thought Monday showed what a great addition to the squad he will prove to be.
I am a big Valencia fan but it just didn't really happen for him against Newcastle, the full back had a good game against him. If we hadn't have got the two first half goals, Cleverley would have been a good option to bring on for Valencia as he is a totally different type of player and would have given the Newcatle defence a whole different set of problems, not to mention goal threat. Of course add to that, you could have brought him on for Nani on the left or for Fletcher in the middle. Thoses must be great options for Fergie to have. Places on the bench will be as hotly contested as places in the first eleven this season.
http://www.mirrorfootball.co.uk/opinion/columnists/oliver-holt/Oliver-Holt-column-Tom-Cleverley-interview-How-Manchester-United-starlet-is-spearheading-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-plan-to-bow-out-with-legacy-of-youth-article557109.html

According to this piece on goal.com it's now a matter of sitting and waiting for the Glazers to realise that their valuation of United is unrealistic and that for now the red knights aim to sit tight and wait for the price to come down. Your guess is as good as mine as to the source might be, hopefully not Keith Harris.
I'd love this to be over soon, and to be honest i thought it would but if it takes that eighteen months to pick the club up for the right price, then the prize would be worth the wait.
http://www.goal.com/en/news/9/england/2010/08/18/2075937/goalcom-special-report-red-knights-recruit-wealthy-anchor

More financial shenanigans, this time in the world of rugby league. I feared Salford's council would get taken to the cleaners when they got into bed with Peel in an attempt to get a new stadium built. And the fact that it the council that is lending £22 million to Peel to get the stadium bulit and not the other way round, leads me to belive i will end up being right.
http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/News/General/Salford-Council-backs-22m-Peel-loan_11907.asp

John Kampfner assesses the coalition's fits 100 days and the response from the opposition.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/john-kampfner-labour-will-have-to-grow-up-eventually-2056106.html

Dan Kennedy on the latest machinations of Rupert Murdoch in ths States.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/aug/19/rupert-murdoch-republican-party

Paul Goodman tells the torygraph readers what they want to hear, blame the cuts on anybody vaguely to the left. It's as if the financial meltdown caused by the banks irresponsibilty or astounding incompetence, take your pick, and the last goverments, regualtory cave in to big business and the city never happened.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/liberaldemocrats/7952539/The-middle-classes-can-thank-Vince-Cable-for-their-double-whammy.html

Jeremy Warner has been impressed by George Osborne's tenure as chancellor so far but warns the real test still lies ahead.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/comment/jeremy-warner/7945030/George-Osborne-hit-the-ground-running-but-can-he-stay-the-distance.html

Meanwhile in his latest New Statesman column David Blanchflower is unsurprisingly rather less impresssed.
http://www.newstatesman.com/economy/2010/08/consumer-confidence-government

The guardian reports that we will be seeing the fourth season of mad men in a few weeks time months ahead of schedule. I suppose that makes sense of the fact that they have just started to reshow the first three series on the bounce.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/tv-and-radio/tvandradioblog/2010/aug/18/mad-men-series-four-uk

Milner to United?

The Telergraph report United are keeping tabs on James Milner of Villa with a view to a summer bid. Well that's been a rumour for a bit, the other two mostly mentioned are Modric and Rodwell. I would settle for either Modric or Milner and Rodwell. If i am pushed i'd go for Modric for his creativity. If Scholes did retire this summer i would spend everythig i had on him because we would have absolutely no creativity in the middle of the park then.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7595191/Manchester-United-keep-their-eye-on-Aston-Villas-James-Milner.html
Spoke too soon, as he has just signed a new one year contract according to United's site. That is good news for me. We don't want him playing as much as he has had to do in the latter part of this season, but he is still quality and he will still do a job for the team. That doesn't lessen the need for reinforcemets in the summer, and he is the player that either next summeror the next we are most in need of replacing.

Andy Cole's column in the Independents warns fans to not write United off yet. Chelsea are in pole position but he thinks they will drop points. The point is will United as well? if Rooney plays in every game we can but i'm not that confident. Still Spurs winning on Wednesday has kept their season alive and if we do win tomorrow the game will suddenly become enormous for both clubs. I suppose for Spurs if we took a point from tomorrow it would be a good result for them.
http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/the-andy-cole-column-a-lesson-from-history-never-write-off-united-1946202.html

It would seem United are the top club in Manchester, followed by Norwich with City trailing as usual if scarve buying is anything to go by, apparently, Massive.
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7594624/Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-fans-show-true-colours-in-derby.html

Daniel Taylor has been impressed by Roberto Mancini. I haven't, Stoke in the cup anyone. Alright they have had some good results, Chelsea away notably, but how many stinkers have their been. The two ties against Stoke were unbelievably poor, Everton at home and the first half against Wigan where they were absolutely garbage. It was only when Wigan had a man sent off that City even began to look like a team in that game. They may be better at the back though i'm not too convinced off that. Are Lescott and Toure top centre halves, i'd sooner have the none shirt selling Richard Dunne. From what i have seen, when they play the lesser sides their build up play is so slow it's antlike. It's obvious that Tevez, their best player by a mile it pains me to say, isn't in love Mancini or his methods.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/football/blog/2010/apr/15/manchester-city-united-roberto-mancini

Rooney the favourite for the PFA player of the year award as the nominations are announced
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/leagues/premierleague/manutd/7594624/Manchester-City-v-Manchester-United-fans-show-true-colours-in-derby.html

Yet more embarrassment for the suits at the premier league as Birmingham City's ownership is handed over to the investment bank that helped Hong Kong businessman Carson Yeung to buy out Gold and Sullivan.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/premier_league/birmingham/article7099059.ece

Nick Clegg wins the three party leader televised debate according to most of the polls. It was pretty clear he did, he's too far to the right for me, but he did well, Brown was terrible as expected, but thankfully i didn't think Cameron was that much better. I suppose Cameron would have appealed to natural tories but i couldn't see him winning over many undecided's. Mind you Clegg wasn't perfect there were times where he just parrotted the same line. So even though he won he will probably have to up his game next time. What got me was how different people saw different parts of the debate. I toally agree with the Liberals proposals about the unreality of paying for Trident but apparently most people though was one of his wakest moments. David Hare in the Guardinan thought it was one of his strongest moments. Suely it was morre coherent and even statesmanlike than Cameron warning us that we needed to keep them to maybe deal with a Chinese threat. That's going to help cement trade and diplomacy with the burgeoning super power isn't it. I am amazed no paper has highlighted that, because if there was a gaffe last night that was surely it.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/clegg-smashes-through-twoparty-system-1946273.html

Steve Richards who wasn't a fan of the proposed debate admits he was happily surprised and thinks the election race became more interesting and less easy to call.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/steve-richards/steve-richards-biggest-game-changer-is-that-voters-were-engaged-1946447.html

Vernon Bogdanor thinks ( and probably hopes ) that two party politics is over and multi party politics is on it's way.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7099069.ece

As China's economy expands again Richrad Adams asks is everything quite as rosy as it looks for the oriental powerhouse.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/apr/15/china-economy-yuan-growth

Johann Hari asks why with our army at war in Afghanistan it isn't being raised as an election theme campaign.
http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/johann-hari/johann-hari-the-shameful-bloody-silence-at-the-heart-of-the-election-1946255.html

Obama is looking to tighten wall street regulation now his position has strengthened
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/obama-presses-for-tighter-wall-street-regulation-1945186.html

Will the new biography of Chriss Morris shed more light on the comedy genius asks Ben Walters.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/film/filmblog/2010/apr/14/chris-morris-four-lions

I love Beethoven's 7th, this is the last movement