ROONEY SEEKS LEGENDARY STATUS
-
Wayne Rooney is targeting team trophies, not goal tallies and personal accolades as he aims to help fire the Reds to more silverware this season.
The United no.10 scored the winning goal in Sunday’s Carling Cup final, despite having started on the bench after suffering from a stomach bug and a slight niggle in his knee in the lead-up to the game.
It was his eighth headed effort from his last nine goals and took his season’s tally to 28. Media talk has inevitably turned to matching Cristiano Ronaldo’s 42 goals in 2007/08 and clinching a wave of World and European Football of the Year titles.
Rooney’s focus, however, is firmly on adding to United's trophy cabinet, not his own, after the Reds retained the Carling Cup with the 2-1 win over Aston Villa.
“I’m enjoying playing at the minute and enjoying scoring goals, so hopefully that will continue,” he said. “Cristiano scored 42 goals but I’m just looking to contribute to us winning medals. If that happened (scoring 42) then it would be great but winning medals would be even better.
“And I've never really thought about being the world’s top player. If it happens then great, but if it doesn’t I won’t be too worried.”The collective focus is typical of Rooney, so too is his ability to take the inevitable praise and adulation his form has earned him. “I don’t feel any pressure or burden,” he says. “But I’ve had pressure since I was 16 so it’s something you get used to and deal with in your own way. I’ve done that. It’s not something I’ll get concerned about now.”
Rooney has also thanked Antonio Valencia for the Ecuadorian winger’s contribution to his ever-rising goal haul. The last five consecutive headed goals from the Reds striker were created by crosses from Valencia.
“My headers are probably all down to good wing play,” he says of his recent penchant for that particular finish. “The deliveries have been a lot better this season and I have managed to get myself in the box. Thankfully, I have been scoring from that.” -
Wayne Rooney heads the winning goal against Aston Villa in the League Cup final. Photograph: AKIRA SUEMORI/AP
The Germans have a knack for bestowing their football players with pithy nicknames: Kaiser for Franz Beckenbauer, Bomber for Gerd Müller and Afro-Paule for the magnificently hirsute Paul Breitner. But my favourite has always been Kopfballungeheuer, the Header Beast, for Horst Hrubesch, the striker with an amazing gift for scoring headed goals with bullet-like power and precision.
Trawling the internet after the Carling Cup final I was intrigued to note that a website had marked the development of one of our own and decided to elevate him on to the tubby Hamburg forward's pedestal. There's only one Kaiser but the match report's headline, Kopfballungeheuer Rooney, suggests that Manchester United's No10 has stolen Hrubesch's moniker and mantle.
Over the past few months Wayne Rooney has become remarkably adept at scoring with headers. He has showcased a full range of deft, cushioned deflections, ones drilled powerfully off his forehead, loopers off the side of his head and snide, little glancers. Against West Ham United he even managed one from the most sublime category, the diving header, and though it does not rank as high as Allan Clarke's for Leeds United in the 1972 FA Cup final win over Arsenal, Keith Houchen's for Coventry City against Tottenham Hotspur at Wembley in 1987 or the majestic, graceful swoop of Michel Platini's goal for France against Yugoslavia in the 1984 European Championship, it did illustrate how much progress Rooney is making in refining his repertoire.
In the defeat of Milan at San Siro he even showed that he is perfecting the scientifically dubious art of hanging in the air. Everton's Tim Cahill is the current master of that and it allows him to spring up a split-second earlier than his marker anticipates and gives him an advantage over defenders whose height would normally allow them to snuff out the Australian's aerial threat. Gary Speed also used to be very good in the air, brilliantly timing his run and jump, bravely craning his neck to nip in front of a centre-half's challenge and taking a smack in the back of the head as an acceptable price to pay.
Courage on the field comes in many forms – risking taking a kick in the tackle, being hungry for the ball however tight the situation and having the technique and temperament to deal with it without panic – but it would be difficult to dispute that those players who were willing to launch headfirst into challenges were the most intrepid of all. Some, of course, had to, having realised they were far more comfortable heading it than kicking it. Andy Gray or Lee Chapman, for example, must have regularly had grass burns on their noses so low did they stoop to head crosses in preference to throwing out a foot at the ball.
Duncan Ferguson was a fearless attacking header of the ball and so was Jack Charlton. Earlier in his career Charlton sometimes played as an emergency centre-forward but the majority of his hundred-plus goals for Leeds and England were scored with his head from set-pieces while playing at centre-half. No wonder the opposition referred to him as the "effing giraffe". Even if at the age of 74 he was pushed on to the pitch at corners like a siege engine I would not put it past him to remain pretty effective.
Give him an opportunity with his head and he would usually bury it but he was less confident with the ball at his feet. During the 1966 World Cup final, with the score at 1-1, he was disturbed to find it approaching him in West Germany's penalty area on the rebound from Wolfgang Weber's block. At first, in Brian Glanville's evocative phrase, "it rose tantalisingly in the air as though on a jet of water in a shooting gallery". But when it dipped and Charlton realised he was going to have to kick it he felt frozen. To his immense relief Martin Peters took the initiative and, with a crisp half-volley, put England ahead.
Heading is a skill that does not enjoy the same cachet as passing and shooting, especially among those puritans and pedants who say things such as "it's called football for a reason". Indeed, there's that old north-west English insult for someone who is a bit daft – "head-the-ball".
Rooney has shown, however, with his dedication to practice and numerous games of head tennis and headers and volleys that honing his craft and broadening his armoury brings huge rewards. Given his unrelenting quest for improvement one can only speculate what he will turn to next – cultivating scoring with his thighs and knees or, like Ian Rush towards the end of his career, polishing his ability to bundle the ball over the line with his arse. Now, that would really make him the complete player.
-
Sir Alex Ferguson says Wayne Rooney is a major doubt for Wednesday’s Champions League clash with AC Milan after the striker was forced to sit out United’s win at Wolves.
The Reds’ top scorer has been nursing a knee injury for the last week or so despite featuring for both club and country during that time. Rooney started last Sunday’s Carling Cup final on the bench as a precaution after feeling his knee in the lead-up to the game.
But a hamstring injury to Michael Owen prompted Rooney into action at Wembley and the England international was back on the same heavy pitch just three days later on duty for his country much to his manager’s surprise.
Sir Alex had expected Rooney to sit out England’s friendly against Egypt following his knee complaint, but the 24-year-old ended up playing nearly the whole game and now looks to have paid the price for his exertions.
“Rooney is very doubtful for the Milan game unfortunately,” Sir Alex told MUTV. “It’s one of these bad bits of luck you get – the Wembley pitch has just killed him.
"I was pleased with how [Dimitar] Berbatov did against Wolves though and I’ll probably start with him on Wednesday.”The loss of Rooney would be a bitter blow for the Reds who are already without the injured Michael Owen (hamstring), Anderson (knee), Ryan Giggs (arm) and John O’Shea (leg).
Wes Brown was replaced at half-time by Gary Neville at Molineux after tweaking his knee, while Jonny Evans is also nursing a knee problem which forced him to miss the trip to Molineux having withdrawn from the Northern Ireland squad earlier in the week. There is, however, light at the end of the tunnel for others.
“We’re not far away from having Owen Hargreaves back and [Kiko] Macheda has now started training,” confirmed Sir Alex. “That’s a bonus because he can score a goal which could be important without Michael Owen for the rest of the season.” -
hope Milan pull off a miracle...........
-
Wayne Rooney has trained with Manchester United ahead of Wednesday night's Champions League last-16, second leg tie against AC Milan.
Rooney, who scored two headers as Sir Alex Ferguson's side won 3-2 in the first leg in Italy, missed United's 1-0 win over Wolves at the weekend due to an inflamed kneecap tendon.
The striker sustained the injury after playing in back-to-back games at Wembley, first representing United in the Carling Cup final and then starting for England in their friendly victory over Egypt.
Ferguson was angry with Rooney after he played 86 minutes for his country and said ahead of United's 1-0 victory over Wolves at Molineux: "Why didn't he come off? I can't believe it."
But Rooney, who has scored 28 goals in all competitions for United this season, is now in contention to start the game at Old Trafford as United aim to secure a place in the quarter-finals of the Champions League.
Fellow striker Mame Biram Diouf did not take part in the full training session while Ryan Giggs performed some light jogging separately from his team-mates.
Milan have their own injury concerns and while Brazilian forward Alexandre Pato has travelled with the rest of Leonardo's team, he remains a doubt due to a hamstring problem.
-
It's a gamble with Rooney now, we can play him and risk losing him for the entire season if he agrivates his injury. OR we can rest him and risk getting knocked out of the CL.
-
Wayne Rooney is already well on his way to emulating David Beckham as a Manchester United legend.
Rooney noticed the way Beckham was afforded a standing ovation when he made his way onto the Old Trafford pitch on Wednesday and then received an even more emotional reception as he made his way off the field following AC Milan's four-goal trouncing.
United supporters will never forget Beckham's contribution to six Premier League titles and that unprecedented treble-winning campaign in 1999.
And, having previously declared no interest in wishing to leave United, Rooney hopes to be held in similar affection by the Red Devils faithful.
"David Beckham was a great servant for this club and we were all delighted with the reception," said Rooney.
"I have plenty of years ahead of me but if I can get half the plaudits he has I will be very happy."
Rooney is doing pretty well in that regard given his brace in midweek took him through the 30-goal barrier.
Although he refuses to speculate on reaching Cristiano Ronaldo's phenomenal 42-goal tally from two years ago, Sunday's Old Trafford visitors Fulham should be warned - Rooney is not finished yet.
"I am delighted with 30 goals. Hopefully I can kick on from here and try to get more," he said.
Speaking at a showcase event in London to herald the brief arrival of the World Cup to this country, Rooney also reflected on a marvellous run of seven successive headers until he finished off Nani's cross for United's second last night.
It is to the 24-year-old's credit he had fun at his own expense as he came up with a novel reason for the excellent run of form.
"It's coming off my bald patch and that's helping me score," quipped Rooney.
"I have been working on my heading a lot and thankfully it's paying off."
Sir Alex Ferguson is bound to make changes to his starting line-up after such an exhausting night, with Rooney among those who might stand down considering he is still troubled by a knee injury.
Michael Carrick is available following a European suspension, whilst there is also a chance that Ryan Giggs will be involved after he returned to training after having a plate removed from the arm he broke at Aston Villa last month.