THE DEVASTATION will linger for Wayne Rooney but the desperation for a first Champions League victory of the season now dictates Alex Ferguson’s treatment of the Manchester United striker. Misery on the European stage, the United manager says, must be confined to country.
It is the price of United’s complacent performance in the 3-3 draw with Basel at Old Trafford that Ferguson must take measures to ensure the runners-up of last season give Romania’s surprise champions, Otelul Galati, exactly what their president expects. “The simple objective from this game is not to end up being embarrassed,” said Marius Stan.
Manchester City, fresh from taking United’s perch at the top of the Premier League, await on Sunday but they are not a factor in Bucharest. Rooney will be part of a strong United team for a contest Ferguson admits must be won. “I think he’s okay,” the United manager said.
“Actually when he came on (against Liverpool on Saturday) he was quite bubbly . . . He was desperate to get on actually, which is good because when he sat watching the game he probably said: ‘Christ I could be out there.’ He’ll be playing tomorrow.”
Ferguson stands by the decision to put Rooney on the bench at Anfield but admits neither he nor the England forward has yet come to terms with the severity of Uefa’s three-match suspension for kicking out at a Montenegro defender in the final Euro 2012 qualifier. The English FA will consider appealing against the verdict once it has received Uefa’s written explanation and expects to have the documentation by Friday at the earliest.
“I think the initial news was a definite blow for him,” Ferguson said. “He didn’t expect that. I don’t think any of us did. To me it was a silly action but it wasn’t seriously dangerous.
It was a slight reaction but to get a three-match ban. When he realised getting three-match ban meant missing all the games for England and that he might not be involved at all, as England know how difficult it is to get out of a group, that resonated in Wayne’s mind.”
Rio Ferdinand has been rested with City in mind and Nemanja Vidic is expected to make his first start since the opening game of the season at West Bromwich Albion. “I think we have to win tomorrow. I’ll play a strong team,” said Ferguson.
Closer to home Ferguson was taken aback by revelations from Richard Bevan, the League Managers Association chief executive, that American and Asian owners of clubs in the Premier League wish to abolish relegation and promotion.
The United manager said: “It does happen in a lot of countries, not just American soccer, but I don’t see where the end product comes then. If you look at the Championship at the moment, we have at least eight teams with great tradition and history. What do you say to those?
“I think that would be absolute suicide for the rest of the league and particularly the teams in the Championship. You might as well lock the doors.
“The only place you can make money and realise your ambitions is in the Premier League and you can’t take that away from clubs like Nottingham Forest, Leeds United, Sheffield United and Sheffield Wednesday. All these great teams, who formed the nucleus of our old First Division all those years ago. It would be unwise to do it.”
Guardian Service
