Manchester United have the opportunity to go top of the table later today as they take on Wolves whilst Chelsea play in the FA Cup.
A draw would be enough to see us go top, thanks to a superior goal difference, whilst a win would put us two points clear with Chelsea not playing in the league again until next weekend, when they play West Ham at home.
With Michael Owen confirmed out for the rest of the season, United are left with limited striking options. The Wembley pitch did in our experience striker during our League Cup final win over Aston Villa, with Wayne Rooney playing over 45 minutes and picking up an injury himself. He then played 86 minutes of an England friendly three days later.
Sir Alex Ferguson has today expressed his disappointment in our striker for choosing to playing so long for England when carrying an injury.
“Playing on that pitch for almost an hour on Sunday and then almost the full 90 minutes on the Wednesday, it’s far too much,” Ferguson said. “So he’s a doubt for the Wolves game. I was disappointed more with Wayne. He didn’t come off, I couldn’t believe it, and now he’s a doubt for tomorrow. He should have signalled to the bench he wanted to come off. I don’t blame Fabio Capello at all – but don’t forget he was not supposed to be playing at all. That’s what Wayne told us on Sunday because he was feeling his knee. Then all of a sudden people put an arm round his shoulder and he wants to play. I don’t think he should have played. His own enthusiasm has caused it. He can’t say ‘No’, that’s his problem. It’s hard to quell people with that kind of enthusiasm because it’s a restless energy.”
I love that Rooney can’t get enough of the game but as the manager says, he really should have made it clear he needed to come off. We have an important league game to play this weekend, against a side desperate to prove a point after Mick McCarthy all but forfeited their away fixture against United this season, and we’re set to do so without Rooney or Owen.
If this was a World Cup qualifier, I wouldn’t agree with Rooney wanting to play for pretty much the whole game, but I would understand it. However, to risk his fitness in United’s Premiership game for the sake of playing in an England friendly is ridiculous. He needs to get his priorities straight sharpish! Disappointing behaviour from a player to who talks like he’s United through and through.
I suspected this. We all know that Wayne wants to play every minute of every game. I think he would play every reserve game if offered to him. I just hope that Fergie’s comments aren’t detrimental to our season. I wonder what was said to Wayne behind the scenes?
I am with Rooney on this one. The lad has done absolutely nothing wrong and hasnt let anyone down. I hope we are not so poor that we cant beat a struggling Wolves team without Rooney.
@aig – he had a niggling knee problem before the Carling Cup Final. Playing then aggravated it. Whilst I have no problem with Rooney playing for England in friendlies, he played nearly the whole match. Compare this to Giggs who was criticised for not playing many friendlies for Wales because of his Manchester United commitments.
I’m sure Carlton Cole would have liked more than 5 minutes to prove himself.
@Drabik
Well Rooney didnt say anything about it and continued playing so he must have felt good enough to carry on. If he was struggling badly he would have said it.If United felt he would pull out why didnt we say that he wasnt 100 % fit rather than making no complaints then and now saying he should have pulled out of the game.
Rooney knows best whether he is fit to continue playing or not so i cant understand why SAF has to talk about this when we have important games coming up.
The blame goes to both people in this. Rooney and Capello. If there was some sort of injury, it’s really ludicrous that he stayed on the pitch for so long.
i love rooney i do
Okay, I agree with you on the point that we should have declared him less than 100% fit.
However, when you are playing a game of football, adrenaline can help you play through the pain barrier. Once that adrenaline has gone, you realise the injuries/damage. No doubt, he should have been more careful.
I’m a bit nervous about the Wolves game. We havnt had a fully fit squad for such a long time!
I don’t even know why Rooney played at all in the friendly. He is surely going to SA, even if he is slightly injured… why not use the match to test the other strikers.
@AIG
Hi mate. Have to disagree strongly with you on this one.
He HAS let United down on this one.
Ten games to go, we’ve just lost one of our forwards for the rest of the run in and for the other reasons Scott mentioned he shouldn’t have played at all let alone for 86 mins.
United pay his wages not Ingurland, his first responsibility is to ensure his fitness and availability for selection to United.
Yes of course we should be capable of beating Wolves without him, but that is a separate issue. Wayne has now made himself unavailable to us in preference to England.
Not impressed.
aig,
all united fan know how rooney mentality to the games. even if his body not well but his will sure say no problem. so he will play and if his injury just minimal it will become serious.
@Drabik
And unfortunately we won’t have a full squad for this season period. We will have to go through the rest of the campaign with 2 recognised strikers, 3 recognised central midfielders(unless Hargo’s comeback is a fast one) and with no cover for Evra(Fabio mas magically disappeared again).
At least we have 3 goalkeepers…
@aig alex is god
I agree, we shouldn’t need Rooney to beat Woves.
@AIG
Hi mate. The problem for me, is that Capello is fully aware of Rooney’s attitude for the game and he exploited that. You make a good point about testing different combinations, but there are many ways he could have done that. Play each pair for 25-30 minutes instead of 45 or even experiment in the friendlies after the season is over.
As far as Rooney, well he is 24 now and he should a bit mature to know how much his body can handle and how important the next 2 months are for us.
@its in my blood
Hi mate.
When you play for your country it does not matter who pays your wages. Its about pride and representing your country at the highest level. Wayne plays 60 games for United in a season adn hardly 10 for England so United should formulate means of not keeping him fit, not England
We lost owen yesterday so no one was aware of it on Wednesday.many people here think United>England but the players dont have that mentality. They feel it is an honour to play for their country.
@Costas – touch wood! I cannot remember an era where there were so many injuries – not just us, but other top teams too. What has happened to football to make people more injury prone?
Oh and we shouldn’t need Rooney to beat Wolves I agree, but it’s not just him is it? We’ve started losing players to injury again if anyone has noticed. Rooney makes a big difference for us when the team has injury problems. Even against Wolves.
I agree with aig on that point. Although alot of Manchester United fans are anti-England, none of the players have that mentality. I am not anti-England, I dont believe in conspiracies, just mis-management of the FA.
If I were a professional footballer with the opportunity of playing for England, I would take it every time.
@Costas
Hi mate.
Possibly Capello was going to take rooney off but then Engladn went behind and Rooney had to play longer be because he looks most likely to inspire them when the chips are down.
We could have done better resting wazza against West ham where we possibly could have got the result without him.If we play him every game and then before an international game start saying he is not 100% people will feel we are making excuses because we dont want him to play the international match.
@Drabik
It’s the amount of games. Especially in a World Cup/Copa Africa year. I think we’ve been hit worse than anyone. Chelsea have the odd injury here or there, but not too many. And Liverpool have had their usual Gerrard and Torres problems. Arsenal and us have had the biggest problems. But for Arsenal it’s long term problems. For us, it’s a case of players coming back and getting injured again and again.
The problem we have now ahead of the wolves game is Owen is out, berbatov is playing through the pain barrier and Rooney is doubtful.However we should sneak it . Dont think it is asking too much to keep a clean sheet with Vidic playing. We surely can sneak a goal from somewhere and get the win. The scoreline dosent matter much
Rooney must be fit for wednesday. That should be the target.
@Costas
True, but compare these amount of injuries to those in the 90’s. I dont remember many teams being hit with as many injuries in a world cup year (although admittedly I was very young back then).
@AIG
And that’s exactly what Benithez has done with Gerrard and what Mourinho used to do with Terry and Lampard.
Looking at what happened, I can’t really fault that strategy even if it isn’t ethical.
But, we could have rested Wayne a bit more. SAF said that Owen should have played more before the final and I agree. Wayne could have been spared some of those home games routs against Hull, Pompey or West Ham.
@Drabik
That’s probably true. Man United have had a history of injury problems in World Cup seasons. In 97-98 we lost a lot of players, in 01-02 we lost Beckham,Keane and Neville during the crucial run in and in 05-06 we lost Smith, Scholes and Rooney.
What a load of absolute drivel. Rooney lets down United. Just ponder on that thought. Yes, the man who has carried our title challenge has let us down.
His crime? Wanting to play football for his country. What a disgrace he is.
I’m United through and through, but no one, and this goes for Sir Alex as well, has the right to be angry at a player for WANTING (i.e: not being forced) to play for his country.
I know us United fans like to think that United comes first for everybody, and they do for most, and I in no way mean to say Rooney would put England before United, bu if he felt he was right to play, then he had every right to play. Okay, their was a little misjudgment on his part, but for goodness sake, we’re playing Wolves.
If we can’t beat Wolves because Rooney isn’t playing, then we’ve got much bigger problems than anyone ever imagined.
But to say Rooney has let down United is excessive in the extreme. If he’d gone out and got himself arrested, or gone and got hammered the night before the game, then yes, different story, but all he did was play a game of football for his country.
Get off the man’s back.
he loves england too. wots the problem?
@MG91
Great post.
Really disapointed with wayne, not for playing but for the fact that he stayed on for so long..
i think its down to his desire to play football and also because he has become addicted to goals and surely just wanted to score again thats why he stayed on so long had he scored early in the second half he woulda signaled capello he was ready to come off..
agree wit aig that we might feel fuck all for england but the players do.
We should really worry if we cant beat wolves without rooney no direspect to them but we are meant to be technically superior.
I JUST PRAY HIS LITTLE NIGGLY INJURY DOES NOT TURN OUT TO BE SERIOUS. cause our medical staff for some reason seems to be fuckin hopeless
@MG91 – agree, but once a game is won, he should be considering his fitness, whether that be United or England. If we were say 5-1 up in Carling cup final after 60 minutes, no doubt Rooney would have been taken off.
Once Wright-Phillips scored, I think Rooney should have been considering having a rest. Thats just my view.
I wouldnt say he’s let us down. More let himself down, as playing excessively has caused this injury, and could just as easily have happened in a United game.
hello everyone! haven’t been commenting at all lately cause i’ve either been too high/lazy
but i’m so excited about hargo playing, i’m surprised scott hadn’t put up an article yet.
@ costas- did you mean his return to the first team? cause he’s playing a reserves game this thursday!!!!!! i hope makes it back to the first team soon, can’t wait to see him in the red shirt again.
and yes this is super disappointing from wazza, was rather reckless and irresponsible of him to play on for 86 minutes when he knew he was slightly injured…in a BLOODY FRIENDLY. and i thought it was rather odd that capello didn’t give bent, defoe etc a run-out when everyone knows that rooney’s definitely going to SA. shouldn’t he have used the opportunity to scope out other options?
am really gutted about owen tho, can’t remember the last time i felt so sad about a player being injured. never complained about being benched, scored important goals, agreed to play for half his previous pay packet and really seemed to respect the shirt and understand what it’s like to play for Utd, unlike a certain argie bugger. and of course whilst winning number 19, 4 in a row would make me delirious with joy, i would love to have seen little MO getting his first league winners’ medal
“Wayne Lets Down United”
The title of the article itself should make you hold your head in shame Scott.
That is all that needs to be said on this ridiculous statement
The way fans and SIR ALEX are thinking about Rooney give the whole mass a reason to believe that ROONEY is a one man team .Common man lets do the job with a team.Its great time for FERDINAND AND VIDIC to start scoring decisive goals now like Terry, vermalen and even the old Sol Campbel are doing for their teams when they are in trouble.We want a team with a winning spirit.MAN UTD IS A WINNING TEAM, BE POSITIVE, DO YOUR JOB AND LEAVE THE REST….
I dont agree Rooney has let us down, we all know he wants to play every minute, of every game. Maybe Capello could have brought him off earlier, but saf is blaming Rooney for this and not Don Fabio. Also lads, im surprised the boss went public on this one, he usually keeps things like this in – house.
I don’t think it’s a matter England v United. It’s just an illustration of how inconsiderate one manager is compared to the other. Rooney played 50 minutes on that pile of crap in a Domestic Cup Final and he played 86 minutes in a pointless England friendly. There is something wrong with that picture.
@jellybean
Yeah I did. I am buzzing for his return. I will even search for some streams for that game, which I never do for Reserve games. But he still can’t be considered as a first team choice.
@jellybean
Michael will get a medal if we win the league. He has played more than 10 games. The scousers won’t like that!
MG91
Absolute drivel?
Yes you’re right, some things written on here ARE absolute drivel.
We perhaps just differ as to which ones.
You said” i in no way mean to say Rooney would put England before United”.
That is precisely what he did.
Was this an important qualifier? No.
Was he fresh, needing games for fitness? No.
Was he carrying a niggle? Yes.
Was SAF trying to rest him Before the England game? Yes.
Could he have chosen to come off far earlier thus protecting his energy levels etc? Yes.
He didn’t.
Yet you still feel he has not let United down?
SAF obviously feels upset and disappointed. Is he talking drivel too?
Love Wayne and his commitment but on this occasion he was wrong!
Diappointed and gutted. But i am blaming Rooney but also fergie for not buying enough power up front.
@ costas- yay!!! i was a bit confused about whether the whole squad gets the medal or not, and they obviously deserve to as everyone had to play their part, however big or small. fuck the scousers, they can fight with the bitters for 4th place and i kinda think they’ll probably make it. they have important players returning from injury and they have been doing this for years. and whereas the thought of liverpool playing in the europa league (giggle) is pretty fucking hilarious, the thought of SHITTY playing in the champions league is just….atrocious, vomit-inducing, depressing, disgusting and more. ugh….can u imagine that fucking blue moon shit on a champions league night???? EWWWWW. or any of those twats in blue walking out to the champion’s league theme???? omg. NO. NO. NO!!!!!!!!!
Lads,
Fergie has a point here. No Offence to Wayne but the game against Everton he looked larthargic. Not totaly his fault but i think he has played too much. If berbatov was pulling his weight more, dont get me wrong he is doing ok however im not really confident of him up front on his own in a game. Maybe we will see today?
Rooney has played the majority of the season, very rarely dropped and capello plays him nearly the whole game!
@willierednut
I think its a bit of kidology and mind games however, would you not be pissed as a manager when you send your star player who has single handedly kept you in the title race & champions league competition go off for international duty with a Knee Injury to play nearly the whole game and return to the club not being able to play your next club game????
I would be and if he really cant play im pissed at both rooney and capello.
I think fergies message is more aimed at Capello rather than rooney however behind closed doors rooney will have had a hairdryer!
I am united fans through and through, no one can doubt me about it.
The reason why Sir Alex was angry for rooney, because he is a Scotland, we know Scotland never liked and cared about England (National Team), so why did he say that, i think it makes sense.
Rooney Loves playing for United, so does he for England. As a simple as that
United’s medical staff should have checked him after the CC Final and pulled him out of the England squad if there was just a hint that his knee is not OK.
There is no point of moaning now. By playing he may risk another title and going to the WC altogether.
Rooney hasn’t let us down at all, that’s a daft thing to say, especially after what he’s contributed to our season. Players, especially those like Wayne, are always going to want to play. It’s up to managers and coaches to manage the players’ fitness and let them know when it’s best they have a break. Rooney isn’t going to ask to be substituted in a friendly, let alone an England game.
We’d all I’m sure love players to be ‘United through and through’ but players still love playing for their country, like it or not.
If anything, Rooney’s only struggling now because he’s been played so much. Why’s that? Because we haven’t had other options good enough to allow us to rest him more often. Can make far more of a case that it’s whoever is responsible for that lack of options that has ‘let us down’.
RE: AAIG
Gotta disagree mate. I think Rooney was wrong.
How would you feel if you were Fergie and your star player had a slight injury and the boss basically said to you ‘don’t worry boss, I won’t play in the England friendly on Wednesday’. You were relieved. The next thing you know, you turn on the tv and the same player is running around the pitch, without once signalling to be subbed and has made his injury worse, despite knowing his club are going to need him for the two most vital months of the season? Nobody is perfect and everyone makes mistakes but this is one of Rooney’s.
Being passionate is no excuse for showing such a blatant lack of common sense
Got to agree with Sir Alex on this one but most of all I am pissed of with gargoyle face (Capello). Why did he have to pick Rooney for a worthless bloody friendly. It was blatently obvious throughout the whole England match that the players used it as a kick about and a chance to get more fucking camera time. The loose passing and shitey walking (strutting) around (ala Gerrard) in midfield was an embarassement. Its not as if Capello needed to see if Rooney was good enough for England or had doubt about his inclusion in the squad. He came to Fergie and asked Fergie to rest Rooney and then plays him in a worthless friendly against a woeful opposition, ultimately knackering him out. Youve got to have respect for Capello for all hes managed to do in the world of football but being in England the English fucking stupidity when thinking football is starting to rub off on him. No common sense and Im trying to look out who the next Carlton Palmer or Theo Walcott which Capello will shockingly take to the world cup, like his predeccessors did, so I can make a bob or two at the bookies. Im going for Smalling.
Trevor – “who has single handedly kept you in the title race & champions league”
Really? For fuck sake I get pissed off enough when rival fans say it. let alone our own!
Bit of an insult to Evra, Fletcher, Valencia, Giggs, Scholes, Van der Sar and, yes, Berbatov to name a few.
We are not a one man team (just like we weren’t with Ronaldo as we have proved this year), don’t believe the hype!
RE: Trevor exactly
the likes of evra, fletcher and valencia have got no credit this season when i think they have been just as important as rooney.
Can’t really disagree with NickOGS20 on this one…
Rooney should not have played a full game for England on Wednesday – simple as that. It was a pointless friendly as far as learning anything about Rooney is concerned. Capello has been saying Fergie should rest Rooney to keep him fresh for WC then plays him for the full game! He should have been looking at the contribution of Cole, Crouch and the other fringe strikers.
Whatever people on here are saying about ‘beating Wolves without Rooney’, the fact of the matter is that United are a supremely more potent attacking side when Rooney is in it. I saw a post saying he should have been rested against the likes of Hull – I was there pal and as I recall it was Rooney who battered all 4 goals. United lack a cutting edge and drive when Rooney is not there – I hope I’m wrong, but we may just see that later.
I understand his complete enthusiasm for playing every game but United should always be his priority. Lampard played 45mins, Gerrard played 70 mins – Rooney should have played a half max.
@spencer
rooney never said he wont play the game.in fact he said on tuesday itself a day before the game he will play on wednesday
he knows his body best.if he feels he can play he is free to.when he plays for england he cant think about united. The same is other way round
I dunno – I would have thought SAF would have told Rooney/Capello exactly what he expected of them. So either SAF didn’t in which case its up to Rooney to decide how far/long he can go, or SAF did in which case this is a massive case of insubordination. I think its the former case, and I think SAF should have made clear what he wanted from both player and manager before the game given that he knows how Rooney is.
It’s a tough one. I don’t like England, but you have to understand Rooney’s desire to play. Despite the supposed niggle, he was still good enough to come on at Wembley for us. I doubt he inflamed it to the extent that playing for England in midweek was unreasonable, otherwise club and country wouldn’t have bothered risking him. He’s the most prized asset for both.
As much as I don’t care for England, and would like to see players focusing on club over country, we can’t have it both ways.
In the Final I saw Berbatov work his hardest in a United Shirt. I was very impressed. He was bright he was hungry and he was strong on the ball. Never seen him run like that in my life and he needs to keep it up tonight away at Wolves. If Rooney is anything less than 100% we need to rest him for the Milan Game. SO THAT MEANS STARTING BERBATOV and since we are away from home and since we NEED to win we should opt for a conservative 4-5-1 with Berbatov at the head imo. We can always change it to accomodate Diouf if he comes on as a sub, I also heard a rumour Kiko was fit too… but regardless of our second choice striker for Wolves we should start with Berbatov and he should in turn repay the patience supporters have shown in him by giving us a Victory. Rooney is out and its a big miss, but we still have VIdic back and Rio back and Evra fit, we have Nani back and Valencia fit, we have Carrick and Fletcher and Scholes… any striker worth his salt could sit at the top of that 4-5-1 and give a good account of himself. SO LET BERBATOV START AND LET HIM CONVINCE HIS DOUBTERS (INCLUDING ME) THAT HE CAN WIN GAMES FOR US BY SCORING VITAL GOALS IN TOUGH AWAY MATCHES. COME ON BERBY !!!!!
Please explain to me why Rio Ferdinand – in his chance to be national captain for the first time at Wembley – missed the match with a “niggle” that was interrupting his club season, Yet Wayne Rooney – with a “niggle” that kept him out of the starting eleven at Wembley on the previous Sunday – was played for 86 minutes in a completely meaningless exhibition match ? Something doesn’t compute.
1) Capello ignored SAF’s version of Rooney’s fitness; AND Don Fabio isn’t much of a “friend”;
2) Rooney ignored SAF’s instructions about preserving himself for the key, upcoming match against Milan;
3) SAF is being economical with the truth in regard to Rooney’s fitness, in preparation for the CL match with Milan;
4) Rio Ferdinand has grown up and become responsible; WayneRooney is still a headstrong lad.
Of course, all four scenarios could be “true” but, most likely, what we’re getting is a big dollop of media spin (3) with a dash of Ingerland recklessness (1) and a pinch of immaturity (2 and 4).
So Rooney is not even included in the squad to face Wolves. What an absolute joke, I love Wazza but the fact he played 86mins in a pointless Ingurland friendly has meant he cannot play for Manchester United is an absolute joke.
Priorities Wazza, priorities.
United>England
RE:AAIG
But that wasn’t what he told fergie. on tuesday he said he would play but look at the original article
“– but don’t forget he was not supposed to be playing at all. That’s what Wayne told us on Sunday because he was feeling his knee.”
so rooney left manchester with fergie believing he wouldn’t play. on england duty presumably he changed his mind, but i doubt fergie was consulted.
now he is a doubt for milan. great! and why? because he couldn’t say no. rooney needs to realise he isn’t on a school team. he can’t play every game. he needs to look after himself and think about how much the club need him over the next few months.
Rooney need to play.