Neville doesn't believe in England's chances

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.

Welbek to repay the faith

Danny Welbeck is eager to repay the faith that Ferguson has shown in him. He has looked good so far this season, he offers more all around the pitch than Hernandez and has more pace and dynamism than Berbatov. Five goals so far, is a pretty good return as well. Kevin Mcarra is suitably impressed with the youngsters attitude as he talks to the press ahead of England's final qualifier.
Interesting to read the interview with Scholes in yesterday's Observer namecheck Will Keane. If he is right and i like the look of him as well, we will end up with two homegrown strikers in the squad. Keane seems to have that extra bit of class you need for the top level, he defintely knows where the goals are.
I agree with Scholes when he says that Mancini is messing Tevez about, but the Argentine has nobody to blame but himself for that. Even if City cut their losses and sell him for a cutprice £20 million in the January window, i'm not sure who will be willing to take a chance on him.

Rory Smith believes that United desperately need Nemanja Vidic back in the heart of defence. I can't really argue with that, but United have done well to go through this period of so many dfensive injuries unbeaten, however unsure we have been over the last three or four games. I would like to see the end of the Valencia at right back experiment though.
I'd like to see Cleverley back in the fold as well, but Fergie beleives that our injured players need to get some proper training in the bank before he will think about playing them at Anfield.
The manager reckons he has three or four years left in charge of the club, and that when he finishes he will leave a strong youthful squad for the new manager. It seem to me he wants to be in charge to bring the present generation of youth players through the first team. Jose won't be very happy.

Ro Ferdinand was left out of the England squad named last week, it may well be that he hasn't proved his fitness, but i think his days as England regular as well as a United regular are effectively over.

Steve Richards was one of the political commentators to applaud Ed Miliband's speech, let the battle of idea's commence is his hope. Peter Oborne agrees arguing whether you like it or not, Miliband has redefined the future of British politics.
Will Hutton says the right and Blairites may sneer but Ed Miliband was right to challenge the old order. Charles Moore writes that Cameron needs to do more than whistle in the dark.

Mary Dejevsky asks never mind if their will be a Palestinian state, will Israel even exist in 2048, it's a fair question.

Martin Wolf of the FT argues it is time to think the unthinkable if we are to avoid a lost decade that would leave no positive legacy and start printing again. The BBC's world servive asks leading figures whether they thought western capitalism had failed. Lord Desai seems very pessimistic, i would argue that the neoliberal capitalistic model has failed. Germany doesn't seem to be doing too badly, though if it doesn't bail out the Eurozone periphery it will have shot itself in the foot.

Richard Murphy is happy that a Robin Hood tax is back on the agenda. It's obviously not a bad idea but it's very much a minor matter compared to the restructuring of western capitalism to serve the people and not the lite. Robert Peston asks how scary is a financial transactions tax, not very would be the answer.
Jeremy Warner thinks the idea smacks of protectionism, i would say it sounds like going out on a limb, doing the right thing and setting an example to the rest of the world. Lord Turner who thinks such a tax would be a good thing, argues the free market cannot be trusted to deliver the credit needed to allow the economy to function and grow.

Robert Reich claims America faces a jobs depression and argues that President Obama has to campaign at the 2012 election on a bold plan for growth and jobs.

Music
Charles Mingus - The black saint and the sinner: I'm not generally a fan of big band music, though i like film score music. But i make an exception for Charles Mingus who who really explores the outer fringes of where this music could go. This is brilliant, he thought it was possibly his best work.

Mathias Eick - Skala: Ambient jazz doesn't sound a promising genre, but after a couple of listens i got into this. It's nothing special but an enjoyable listen.

Metronomy - The English riviera: Highly rated new UK indie outfit's third album hits the spot. Formerly a kind of dance/rock band this has more of a quirky kind of 80's indie feel about it to me. It's one of the better efforts by a British band this year.

Rickie Lee Jones - Rickie Lee Jones: Of course i have heard the brilliant Chuck E's in love, but i have never heard the debut album it sprang from. It's an excellent female singer/songwriter's album with multiple influences such as the jazz that pops up from time to time.

Seasick Steve - You can't teach an old dog new tricks: When he first came to the attention of the music press, i thought the hype was a little over the top. But i have to admit to really liking this, there is some great slide guitar playing on this and the pace varies. The slower folier songs are as good as the more rockier blues numbers.

The Japanese popstars - Controlling your allegiance: The album starts with a bang with the excellent Let go and the quality doesn't lessen on this album from the Northern Ireland electronic trio. Take froever with Robert Smith of the cure is one of a number of excellent collaborations to adorn the album.

Manchester United 2-0 Norwich City

That was probably the worst performance of the season, there was no spark at all. The first half was very poor, thankfully we improved in the second half, but if the visitors had took the couple of glorious chances they created in the second half it could have been so different.
Fergie rang the changes, bringing in Lindegaard in goal for his first league start of the campaign, Evans came in for Ferdinand. Valencia continued at right back which i fear isn't doing much for his confidence as he had a poorish game again. The mistake in the second half that Pilkington couldn't take advantage of was a real howler. Fergie brought Rooney and Hernandez back up front and Park replaced Ashley Young.
The real problem with the team, again, was the middle of the park. Anderson was picked yet again, this time partnering Fletcher and once again we lacked any class or guile in our engine room. i don't know if Fergie is giving Anderson a run of games hoping that he will grab the chance to show he is the man that Fergie can plan the future around. If it is, he is failing miserably, he scored again, he could hardly miss but he didn't contribute an awful lot more to the game. I'm not blaming the below par performance on him alone, there were plenty of others not at the races.
Hernandez didn't do too much either, i thought fergie would play him to try to get his season going as he hasn't really been on his game this season. I would have liked him to have started with Welbeck who to me offers more to United with his all round game. And sure enough when he came on for the Mexican United started to spark a bit more. I was suprised that Fergie took Nani off so early he didn't have a great game, but he is always likely to conjure a moment of magic. I'm not Park's biggest fan but he was one of our brighter players yesterday.
But our best player, for me was once again that man Phil Jones, the tackle he made in the second half when Norwich had got a two on one situation was a magnificent picec of defending not so much the tackle but the way he made it hard for the attacker to pass the ball and them made the tackle as late as possible moment, not diving in. Lindegaard didn't do anything wrong but didn't have that much to do.
The first goal was a run of the mill affair but the second goal started and finished by Danny Welbeck was far more pleasing on the eye. Rooney had a great chance in the last minute but clipped the bar instaed of finding the net with his chip.
I'm no fan of these international breaks, but this one, it has to be said has come at a pretty good time. The defence needs Vidic and Smalling back and the midfield definitely needs a fit again Tom Cleverley.