Tag Archives: manchester united

Wenger admits strategic lies

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Can you trust this man? Arsene Wenger admits he’s lied ‘for a good cause’

• Ferguson denies Rooney rift
• Wenger rules out deal for Pires

Ferguson has explained Rooney’s lack of match time in recent weeks by saying the Manchester United striker has had an ankle injury, but Rooney this week told reporters that was never the case.

United boss Ferguson has since brushed off the whole situation but Wenger’s admission adds weight to the possibility that Ferguson had been fibbing about why out-of-form Rooney was being left out.

“If you ask me have I lied to the press to protect a player, I must honestly say yes,” Wenger said. “I didn’t feel comfortable but I had a clear conscience because it was for a good cause. But when I lie to the press I speak beforehand with the player and say: ‘Listen, this is the story we’re going to give.”’

Wenger declined to identify the lies he had told, adding: “If you ask me why I’ve lied I would have to give concrete examples and you find out which player.”

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Rooney pleads for more games

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Wayne Rooney will not feature in Manchester United’s game at Sunderland on Saturday, with Ferguson stating on radio station Key103: ”Wayne trained yesterday and he wants to play tomorrow. But I have to take the view that this injury has been niggling away for a while and he kept on playing.

”The problem with the lad is that he is too willing to play with injuries. It is a great trait to have in any footballer. I have had many players over the years who might have had injuries but weren’t prepared to miss a game because of them. But with the speed and number of games you have these days, fitness levels are really important.”

However, there appears to be a difference in opinion between Rooney and his manager, with the England striker insisting the only way he will fight his way back into form is by playing football. Rooney is said to be missing the weekend’s game at the Stadium of Light due to injury but, with speculation suggesting that the real reason for his absence may be personal, the striker insists he needs his manager to keep the faith.

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Rooney and co must accept price of fame

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Wayne Rooney has hit the headlines in recent weeks because of allegations about his private life, and his United form has appeared to suffer, with the striker managing to find the net just once in five games this season, having netted 33 in all competitions in 2009-10.

And having watched Rooney fail to score again in United’s 2-2 draw at Bolton on Sunday, ESPN analyst Kevin Keegan, who enjoyed a distinguished playing career with Liverpool and Hamburg, said that players should be able to deal with media interest in their private lives.

“You can’t have all the contracts, you can’t sell your wedding to magazines and things like this and suddenly say, ‘That’s the tap I want to turn on, but we want to turn the other one off’,” Keegan said on ESPN.

“But it’s just one tap and I know from when I played that, if you are advertising boots and all these things, you have to go and make appearances. You are going to appear in the paper.

“But the one thing I would say is keep your home and your family out of it and just take your endorsements if that’s what you want to do.

“You can’t then turn around and say there’s too much paparazzi around or there is too much publicity. One minute you are courting it, the next minute you’re saying ‘I don’t want this.’

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Phelan: United inherited ”dishevelled” Rooney

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Wayne Rooney ended the longest barren streak of his career when he drove home the penalty that put United on their way to a 3-0 win over West Ham at OldTrafford.

It was the first time he had found the net since March 30, 13 matches previously, a run that started with an ankle injury that many felt affected his performances in those four desperate games for England as they crashed out atthe first knock-out phase in South Africa.  And Phelan believes it tired the striker out.

”Wayne came back to us a little bit dishevelled from his England exploits,”Phelan told BBC Radio Manchester. ”But as long as you keep your head up and keep persevering, things like this will happen.

”Strikers can’t score every week, much as they would like to. Hopefully now hecan relax, enjoy his football and carry on from where he left off.”

Fabio Capello recently claimed it took Rooney 600 minutes to reach his optimumat the start of every season. The 24-year-old has still only reached half that tally and Phelan accepts there is still a bit of work to do before Rooney is back to his best.

”He is not 100% fit yet,” he confirmed. ”He is still short on certain aspects of his game but that will come. Now he has got a couple of games with his national team and that willpossibly help him.”

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Redknapp: Scholes is the best English midfielder EPL has ever seen

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Jamie Redknapp has lauded Paul Scholes as the best English midfielder the Premier League has ever seen, after the Manchester United veteran inspired Sir Alex Ferguson’s side to a 3-0 win over Newcastle United.

While many will perhaps point to the goals and industry of Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard or perhaps argue Chelsea talisman Frank Lampard’s ability to consistently net 20 goals a season, Redknapp believes the 35-year-old Old Trafford veteran is the best English midfielder to have graced the Premier League.

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