• Manchester United striker muttered disgust into TV
camera
• Rooney warned about future behaviour after '12 men' remark
Wayne Rooney was heard making a '12 men' remark
into a television camera at the end of the defeat at
Chelsea.
Wayne
Rooney will join up with the England squad
at their Hertfordshire base tomorrow having been warned by the
Football Association as to his future conduct after being caught
mouthing "12 men" into a television camera after
Manchester
United's 1-0 defeat to
Chelsea
on Sunday.
The United striker and his team-mates were from the turf furious
that the hosts' winning goal had been allowed to stand, with
Sir Alex
Ferguson subsequently citing doubts over the validity of
the award of Frank Lampard's decisive free-kick and pointing to an
apparent foul by Didier Drogba on Wes Brown in the goalmouth as the
ball veered in towards the six-yard box. Rooney's protest prompted
a booking in the immediate aftermath of the goal, with his fury
just as evident as he departed the pitch.
The incident had prompted comparisons with Drogba's reaction to
elimination from last season's Champions League by Barcelona at the
semi-final stage though, where the Ivorian had sworn into a camera
with Uefa considering his manic behaviour to have been threatening
to the Norwegian official, Rooney's was one of muttered disgust.
His comment, with its perceived criticism of the referee, Martin
Atkinson, was broadcast live, prompting the FA to warn a player who
has been booked only three times this season to date.
Ferguson, in contrast, will not face any sanction despite
claiming Atkinson's positioning at the game's only goal as
"absolutely ridiculous". "It was a bad one. That goal should not
have been allowed. You lose faith in the refereeing sometimes,"
said the United manager, who is already on an improper conduct
charge after insisting Alan Wiley was "unfit" after a 2-2 draw with
Sunderland. As Ferguson did not question the referee's integrity or
imply any bias, no action will be taken by the FA.
