Wayne Rooney's omission at Goodison Park was 'a benefit' to
Manchester United, says Sir Alex Ferguson. Photograph: Matthew
Peters/Man Utd via Getty Images
Sir Alex Ferguson has insisted he has
no regrets over omitting Wayne Rooney against Everton as the
decision benefited Manchester United. The United manager,
who will recall Rooney against Rangers in the Champions League tomorrow, also denied
claims the striker was dropped as punishment for attracting a
series of negative headlines.
Rooney trained with the United first team squad today and is
expected to start the Group C match with the Scottish champions
after being left out of Saturday's 3-3 draw against his former club
at Goodison Park. David Moyes, the Everton manager, suggested
Rooney's absence may have been to remind the England international
of the standards expected of a United player while Ferguson's
assistant, Mike Phelan, said the 24-year-old "wasn't ready to play"
following a week of allegations about his private life.
Yet despite watching United squander several chances and a 3-1
lead, and having an aversion to withdrawing players in response to
controversy, Ferguson is adamant the anticipated abuse from
Evertonians justified his decision to overlook Rooney. "I have no
regrets at all. I did the right thing," he said. "I'm not
clarifying it again. I left him out for the reasons I explained on
Saturday. I was not going to subject him to that nonsense at that
ground. It was a benefit to our team but I have no concerns about
playing him at all [against Rangers]."
A hostile reception awaits Rooney from Rangers supporters and
Liverpool fans in the Premier League on Sunday, albeit with both
matches at Old Trafford. "I don't think there is any need to give
him any encouragement," said the Rangers' captain and his former
Everton team-mate, David Weir. And Ferguson insisted he had no
reservations about starting the striker.
The United manager said: "He will always prove his worth because
he is a terrific player. I don't know if the situation will inspire
him. He has a lot of experience in these situations. But his
performances for England [against Bulgaria and Switzerland] and the
fact he scored was as good a boost to him as anything."
Ferguson is also expected to have Rio Ferdinand back for the
Champions League opener, following a four-month absence with a knee
injury. Gary Neville will make his 600th appearance if selected
against Rangers but will no longer captain the side, with the
manager keen to give the armband to a more regular player. Nemanja
Vidic led United against Everton even with Neville in the team, and
Ferguson explained: "Gary is still club captain but I have been
looking for someone who is going to be playing every week. Over the
last two or three years we have not had a consistent captain
because Gary's injuries have prevented him playing all the
time.
"With all due respect to Gary's time at United, he knows and I
know, we don't play him every week and I am looking for someone who
does play." When asked if Ferdinand would regain the captaincyfrom
Vidic against Rangers, Ferguson said: "No comment. I haven't even
discussed it."
Ferguson believes he possesses a squad capable of winning the
Champions League despite failing to add any proven stars this
summer, although he accepts United will need to think bigger in the
future. "If I hadn't been confident we maybe would have done
something this summer," he said. "I looked around at the market and
there was only one player I would have brought here but that move
was sealed off quite early by the club he went to. I don't think we
are at the point where we have to go overboard to get the best
player in the world.
"There maybe will come a time in the next couple of years where
we have to stretch ourselves, particularly when Ryan [Giggs], Paul
[Scholes] and Gary [Neville] retire. We'd need to get a really top
player in to galvanise the younger players coming through. That is
a possibility. But at the moment we have the experience."