Rooney absence swings title race in Chelsea's favour

Rooney9 SG

Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson continues to coax key performances from his older players such as Ryan Giggs. Photograph: Tim Hales/AP

As if Sir Alex Ferguson did not have enough means of troubling opponents, he now enjoys the element of surprise. While squad rotation has long been taken for granted, the Manchester United whirl is particularly dizzying. There will surely be alterations again when the side is announced for tomorrow night's Champions League match at Bayern Munich. This perpetual revolution has been forced on the manager, but any commitment to change also suits his restless character.

So far in the Premier League, 27 players have started matches for United. The total is greater than that of the pursuing Chelsea and Arsenal. Last season, 29 individuals got into the first XI for Ferguson in the league. That marked a rise on either of the two previous campaigns in which United also took the title. The number may climb higher still.

Ferguson, for instance, seems eager to get Owen Hargreaves back in action at some stage in the next couple of months. Federico Macheda must hope eventually to be on the pitch at kick-off in this league programme. Were United fortunate enough to win the title with, say, a game to spare all sorts of players could be utilised in a dead fixture against Stoke at home on 9 May. An outing there would be a reward for someone such as Oliver Gill, a 19-year-old defender who is yet to get off the bench, but has endured a little booing because his father David stayed on as chief executive in the Glazer regime.

The manager's decisions, of course, are seldom made on compassionate grounds and the endless shuffling of the line-up was unavoidable. United, after all, have faced grave difficulties. With the dazzle of Cristiano Ronaldo gone to Real Madrid and most of the £80m fee unspent, it did seem that nobody's attention could be diverted from the seemingly shabby state of the squad.

Great veterans who remained had to bear the burden of another year. In addition to that, fitness issues meant that the centre-back partnership of Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand could be sent out only sporadically. The goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar has featured in fewer than half of United's games.

Ferguson, too, has been eking out whatever influence can still be exerted by the 35-year-old Paul Scholes. Even Ryan Giggs, whose age seldom comes to mind while his worth is so pronounced, was missing for six weeks because of a fractured arm. There has been little lamentation from the manager over any of this. Results have never been poor enough to require a recitation of the mitigating factors. Dwelling on disadvantages, too, can come perilously close to distributing excuses to the remaining members of the squad.

So far, this has been a virtuoso performance from Ferguson. The campaign started with a 1-0 victory over Birmingham at Old Trafford in which the goalkeeper Ben Foster and three of the back four could be classed as understudies. John O'Shea captained the team. Considering the context, it is almost eerie to see that United have scored eight goals more in the league than they did in the whole of last season, although Chelsea are still outgunning them. Dimitar Berbatov, who has scored a dozen goals despite looking marginalised, embodies the slightly underrated nature of United.

It is, though, the conversion of Wayne Rooney to the post of an outright centre-forward that has really stifled any maudlin reminiscing about the departure of Ronaldo, even if outsiders regret seeing a bit less of the Englishman's talent as a creative force. Rooney, absent through injury from Saturday's 4-0 win at Bolton, possesses a general robustness and has started 29 league games. Only the uncannily durable Patrice Evra has outdone him by beginning all 32 matches in the programme so far.

Rooney and Evra are around to make a reliable impact that maintains the team's overall form. The highly energetic left-back is one of the key figures in ensuring the dynamism essential to a challenge for the Premier and Champions League. The players immediately behind Evra in this season's table of appearances are Rooney, Antonio Valencia and Darren Fletcher. Valencia, with his drive and dependable crossing, has been critical to Rooney's prolific scoring. The oldest of a fairly young group is Fletcher, at 25. The Scot now has a degree of command to his work in midfield that complements the aggression.

The manager may have pulled off a trick whose effects cannot last for long, since time must track down Scholes, Giggs, Gary Neville and Van der Sar in the near future. As Bayern and others will ruefully accept, however, United continue to be a rather more potent force than onlookers could ever have anticipated.

Rooney9 SG

Sir Alex Ferguson sends his Manchester United team out to battle in one of Europe's great arena on Tuesday night admitting it is the stage he loves best.

For a competitive game, the magnificent Allianz Arena is a new stadium for United.

Their previous three trips to Munich were all to the equally glamorous Olympic Stadium, in the days before Bayern took up residence in a futuristic new home built for the 2006 World Cup.

It provides the perfect backdrop to an eagerly awaited Champions League quarter-final first-leg clash between two of Europe's superpowers, who have seven competition wins between them.

And, for all the weight of trophies Ferguson has amassed down the years, it is the place he feels most comfortable.

"I have always dreamed about being involved in Europe," he said.

"When I first went into European football with Aberdeen, we played Real Madrid in the Cup Winners' Cup final in 1983. That was the start of the dream.

"We played Bayern in the quarter-final that year and Liverpool on one occasion. They were nights you wanted to have all your life.

"When they changed the old format of the European Cup to the Champions League, (it was) all the best teams.

"You always hoped to play against the likes of Milan, Juventus, Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern.

"They are all in the tournament now. We have got our cake and everyone who is involved in Europe is eating it."

It is a meeting that goes beyond normal boundaries, right into the heart of downtown Seoul according to Park Ji-sung.

"The people in South Korea are very interested in this game," he said. "Both clubs have created a lot of history in European football and people back home know what happened in 1999."

There is certainly a wariness inside the United camp merely because of the history they are facing.

"I respect Bayern Munich," said Ferguson.

"I have great admiration for them as a club. That is what we are playing. We are playing history. A team with history has a certain pride and we have to remember that."

How much that history counts once the action starts is a moot point.

Seven trophies did not do AC Milan much good when they were battered by United in the last round and the odds are on a Red Devils advance to an Anglo-French semi-final against either Lyon or Bordeaux.

Louis van Gaal is happy enough to play the underdog card anyway, although Ferguson feels a bit of kidology is at play.

"He is a clever man," smiled the United chief.

"But I don't pay any attention to that.

"I haven't seen all Bayern's games this season but we have watched video footage over the last two days.

"They have had one or two bad results recently but it doesn't mean they are a bad team.

"We are not going to get carried away for one moment that this could be an easy game. It won't be."

The presence of Wayne Rooney and Rio Ferdinand in the travelling party makes a difference though, given the pair have shrugged off foot and groin problems respectively that kept them out of Saturday's four-goal thumping of Bolton.

There is an element of that advantage being countered by the knowledge that Chelsea are now resting up, preparing themselves for a Premier League blockbuster at Old Trafford on Saturday that will have a major influence on the destination of the title.

Bayern will then have to be faced again as the twin peaks of an unprecedented fourth consecutive title and third Champions League final on the bounce edge ever closer.

Little wonder Ferguson's competitive juices are running hot.

"It is a massive week for us," he said.

"In the space of eight days, you have two great games against Bayern and another against Chelsea.

"You have to enjoy it but it is also the time of year when it is crucial.

"It is going to be an exciting week and you hope not to make any mistakes."

Rooney9 SG

Fergie: We'll still go th-roo
Defiant Sir Alex Ferguson insisted Manchester United can still win the Champions League - even without injured Wayne Rooney.
The United boss suffered a double nightmare here in Munich as United crashed to Bayern with virtually the last kick of the game. And Rooney limped off in agony with an injured right ankle. "An away goal is always an advantage, no question about that. And the tie is not dead," said Sir Alex. "Bayern have a strong chance but on our own ground we should have a real chance of progressing. Our possession was just not good enough. "It is hard to explain because it is something we pride ourselves on and it has been integral to our progress this year. That was a disappointment to me."
Neil Custis, The Sun

All the papers react to Rooney's injury with The Sun declaring the nation should 'pray.' Edwin van der Sar insists United have the strength in depth to cope without Rooney. "Against Bolton we also played with some other players. It can happen in the season. You always want your best players available but we know the players coming in can also do a good job."

Not4rent SG

its gone case liao lah

spurs rox

Rooney9 SG

Boss: We must do better

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted United must improve after suffering a deserved defeat to Bayern Munich.

Although Wayne Rooney gave the English champions a second-minute lead at the Allianz Arena, the visitors were under sustained pressure from their German hosts, even before Franck Ribery's deflected free-kick and a last-gasp winner from Ivica Olic turned the game on its head.

The United boss said that his players were not good enough on the night and in part caused their own downfall.

“We didn’t do well enough, simple as that,” said Sir Alex. “Possession has been an important part of our game over the last few years but we just kept giving the ball away and we caused our own defeat really.

"It’s a disappointing performance, possession-wise.”

While critical of his own team, the boss rightly praised the opposition, saying they fully merited the win.

“Bayern were the better team, we can’t complain about that. You have to give them credit, they pressed the ball well. It was a big effort by them in that respect.

“Nonetheless we should be better than that in possession of the ball. We just kept giving it away and it was our downfall.”

Bayern’s first goal came courtesy of a deflected free-kick. The United boss admitted that it was a bit of a lucky break, but with the tide turning in the hosts' favour it was perhaps deserved.

“The first goal was a bit of luck with a deflection. These things can happen. Sometimes you get a break and they got that break. The last goal, I don’t know how to describe. It was a terrible blow to us.”

Despite the defeat, Sir Alex vowed that fans will see the real United in the return leg next Wednesday and remains confident that his players are good enough to overturn the deficit and progress to the semi-finals.

“At Old Trafford it’ll be a different game. We’ll be much better, there’s no question about that. We won’t be giving the ball away the way we did tonight and hopefully we’ll recover.

“We’ve got an away goal which is an advantage but we’ll go out to win the game, that’s the important thing.”

Rooney9 SG

its gone case liao lah

spurs rox

Not4rent SG

orbi good.

arrogant reds

Rooney9 SG

orbi good.

arrogant reds

I will cheer when united, man city and arsenal ruin spurs hopes of finishing 4th place then.

Rooney9 SG

Didier Drogba: Arrived from the bench to supply the difference between the teams

Sir Alex Ferguson was adamant that Manchester United's quest for major honours wouldn't be derailed without Wayne Rooney. He was wrong.

Immediately after Rooney hobbled off in the Champions League setback against Bayern Munich, the football world predicted that it would be difficult to beat Chelsea without a striker in such a rich vein of form, and it might prove tough to overcome the Germans.

I thought it would be more difficult for United to beat Chelsea than Bayern without Rooney, and I still think Sir Alex's side will reach the Champions League semi-finals.

The pundits were lining up to forecast a home win. Sorry, I couldn't join them. Rooney is special, really special. "No one is irreplaceable" is an oft-used cliche in football but sometimes that simply isn't true. There are replacements, there always will be, but on rare occasions there are players that come along once in a while who have that X-factor that just cannot be replaced. Rooney is one of those players.

Irrespective of how strong the squad that Sir Alex has accumulated is, he doesn't have an out-and-out goalscorer to replace Rooney. He will need to buy one.

He is now ruing the loss of Carlos Tevez, that's for sure. It was Sir Alex who decreed that Tevez wasn't worth an additional £25 million of United's money last summer, but the Argentine is scoring almost at the rate of Rooney for Manchester City.

In the Premier League, Chelsea have a wonderful record against the top teams this season, not conceding a single goal until the showdown at Old Trafford. Carlo Ancelotti would have willingly given up that impressive record for a win, and he got just that.

Didier Drogba is a one-man wrecking machine for the Blues, and yet again the Ivory Coast striker proved it to be the case with his winner. The very name of Drogba on the team-sheet fills rival defences with fear. It's the same with Rooney; the absence of his name on the team-sheet fired up Chelsea even more. Ancelotti's decision to leave Drogba on the bench illustrated the Blues' strength-in-depth compared to United, so lacking in goalscoring strength without Rooney.

From the very start of the season I predicted Chelsea to win the title. My only concern was whether Chelsea's "Pensioners" would last the pace. By his own admission Ancelotti will be bringing in younger players this summer, but the Italian has done remarkably well keeping his old timers going, his major blemish being the tame exit to Jose Mourinho's Inter Milan in the Champions League.

Before I get the usual vitriol for being egotistical with my predictions, I must admit I did also think that Arsenal didn't have the strength in depth and would fall away in the title race, and that Manchester City would be so powerful with their newly acquired spending strength that they would be stitched-on to make the top four and might even be title contenders - so, I confess, I haven't got it all right.

It all gives more credence to my suggestion only a few days ago, that Sir Alex will need a second goalscorer for next season. It is doubtful whether Sir Alex will be allowed to get the cheque book out for two major signings, given the amount of interest the Glazers have to fork out on their loans, but don't you believe it, United will be a major force in this summer's transfer chase.

The stats seemed to show that Rooney's absence wouldn't be such a major blow, as the team has managed to win all of their games without him this season. But United can no longer boast that record. Sir Alex can no longer play his usual mind games and pretend that the team can be just as dynamic without their talisman. They cannot.

The reality is that Sir Alex knew that before encountering United's biggest title rivals. Now there is no hiding from it.

iceFatboy SG

orbi good.

arrogant reds

we are not arrogant, we are just better..