Skinny Love

End of season coming up and the papers are gearing up for it with ridiculous transfer stories.  Not strictly a Man Utd story but a Ronaldo story.  The Sun (and The Mail) claim Real Madrid want to sell him to Man City for £150 million.  Likely.  The story's lack of quotes a sure sign its a made up one.  And the Sun's version isn't even consistent - it starts off with "want to sell," ends with "willing to listen to offers," and in the middle has Ronaldo sorting out his new wages.

Meanwhile The Mirror claim we have sorted out a keeper:

Spain Under-21 goalkeeper David De Gea has confirmed he will leave Atletico Madrid at the end of the season, and now his club have accepted, in principle, a United offer of around £16million.

They go on to ruin the authoritative tone by having another article with the usual grasping at straws approach to transfer gossip.  No need to quote that one - the usual suspects.

Not much else about.  Some cliché from Rooney:

He said: "It's down to the manager to pick what teams he wants to play in the two matches.

"But I'm sure all the players want to play. You play football to play in these games and I hope I can play on Sunday.

"You want to keep ticking over."

The reason his Twitter is so good is that he comes across as a human being, and a likeable one, rather than the cliché machine he is in interviews. 

The Telegraph have an interview with Gary Neville which looks at his efforts to "go green," here he's describing trying to convert other players to the cause:

“A dressing room is brutal, but the reality is that people are starting to understand. They do get it, when you speak to them one on one. In a group atmosphere, it is a bit of banter, but one on one, they understand. And when people get the message - and that will come: in the few years there will come a moment when everyone gets this - they will recognise this is going to happen.”

It's quite long, but all on the environment and his planned house, not on football.

Good article worth a read by Daniel Taylor in The Guardian on Scholes' possible retirement:

Scholes will be 37 three months into the new season. His testimonial is pencilled in for the first week of August. The following month, Paul Scholes: My Story hits the bookshops. Hearing he has written a book feels strangely out of keeping with the rest of Scholes's life until further investigation reveals it will be dominated with photographs rather than his words. Naturally.

A testimonial, then a book ... these feel like telling clues. In previous seasons Scholes has always signed a new contract by April at the latest. It is now the third week of May and he has still not announced his decision. The club now do not expect one until June and, increasingly, there is the sense at Old Trafford that this could really be it. If Scholes plays against Blackpool on Sunday, his 675th appearance for the club could very well be his last in a competitive fixture at Old Trafford.

Won't quote anymore, the whole thing's worth a look.

Last word to Sir Alex.  Some comments from MUTV at the awards the other night make The Guardian:

 "I have no plans to retire, I must say that, and [my wife] Cathy is delighted. She would have thrown me out. "

Speaking to MUTV at the club's annual awards ceremony, he said: "The salient point is that whilst my health is good, carry on. You hear many stories of people who come off the treadmill and their system breaks down. I don't want that happening to me."