The Highs And Lows Of Wayne Rooney’s Manchester United Career

Rooney’s Future Is In Doubt

Highs

Chelsea’s Patience With Torres Is Wearing Thin

Questions were asked when Chelsea decided to invest £50m in Fernando Torres. Yes he was a proven goalscorer, but he looked on the decline. Injuries had hampered his latter years at Liverpool, where he appeared as if he had lost a yard of pace. At his best, Torres was unstoppable; just ask Nemanja Vidic who he frequently tormented. A striker who would roam around the pitch, play on the last defender or cut in from out wide, and score goals with aplomb. In his first season alone he scored 33 goals and quashed the adage of foreigners needing time to adjust to the Premier League. Yet this seemed a signing from the owner Roman Abramovich, akin to when he invested £30m for Andriy Shevchenko four years previously who also looked a shadow of the player he once was.

Averaging a goal every four and a half games since his transfer down south, Torres seemed to have the role as no.9 nailed on this season, aided with the departure of Didier Drogba and Romelu Lukaku’s loan to West Brom. The club have supported him continually and suspension has been the only obstacle preventing him being involved in every game. However being relegated to the bench for the must win clash in Turin against Juventus has fuelled the rumour-mill once more that The Blues will be back in for a forward come January. With Daniel Sturridge the only serious competition for his position (despite being more effective on the right), Torres seems to have another six weeks to convince he still has the quality to lead the frontline for the European Champions.

The demise of Torres coincided with his injuries and the burden of such an overbearing transfer fee. Pressure was immediately upon him and at times during his spell in London it has seemed he has tried too hard. Bereft of confidence in front of goal, Torres has almost become a defensive forward at times, putting in a shift but not providing the goals. His overall game is arguably as strong as it was when at Anfield, but once he gets in a shooting position he lacks that predatory instinct which made him so prolific. Belief in him waned towards the end of the last campaign and Drogba got the nod in the Champions League and FA Cup finals.

Torres’s Position Is Under Threat

From Back To Scrum: The Alteration Of Tom Youngs

England kick-off of their autumn internationals this Saturday with a modest test against Fiji. The bruising encounter against the Flying Fijians will prove an initial examination for Stuart Lancaster to discover just how prepared his inexperienced side are before the triple-header against the world’s top three. These tests will not be encountered flippantly. World rankings in other sports might be farcical and maligned, but for England it is pivotal to ensure they remain in the top four before the 2015 World Cup seedings are formulated come the end of this year. This is to ensure their passage through the group stage is as feasible as possible, and avoiding the powerhouses such as New Zealand prematurely. England need to showcase to the fans that they have learnt from their mistakes from the Six Nations and South Africa. When Lancaster announced his team on Thursday morning, the name on the team sheet for the Fijian game which has caused most intrigue is that of Youngs. Not Ben, however, who has returned from injury quicker than expected; but his older brother Tom.

The boys grew up on a farm in Norfolk and were always destined to play rugby. Their father Nick played scrum-half and represented the Red Roses on six occasions. Ben Youngs told fond anecdotes at the team’s hotel in Surrey on Thursday how the two brothers would play ‘attack vs. defence’ out in the fields. Tom’s younger brother happily admitted he did not have the farming endeavour of his sibling, and how this grit and fortitude drove him to make it as a professional. Tom recollects how his first game at hooker went “I remember playing my first 90 minutes for Nottingham and just running around like a headless chicken. I wanted to become the best hooker in the Championship, and making sure I set little goals has been important in my career.”

Remarkably, his career has not followed the archetypal rugby path because Youngs converted from playing as a centre to the front-row. After the suggestion from former Leicester Tigers Coach Heyneke Meyer’s that both he and the club would have faith in him if he made the move, Youngs was given a few weeks to deliberate the decision “My dad said: ‘It’s your career, your life. Go ahead and do it if you want to give it a shot.” A move to Nottingham on dual registration allowed him the freedom to learn the arts in the lower division. “It was a matter of setting small targets and taking small steps. I had my head shoved up my arse on more than one occasion, but I was always able to go back to Leicester and talk things through with the top players there.” He also ensured his coaches reviewed tapes of his games and were analytical on his performance; keen to seek out where he was making mistakes. Was there much hesitation in his decision to alter position? “I was a hard-running centre who enjoyed tackling and knew how to pick a decent line, but I couldn’t kick. I didn’t have the skills to really make the grade in midfield. I’m glad I made the switch, although I wouldn’t say it’s been easy.” His first outing as a number two was actually against his parent club in a friendly; an occasion he is not likely to forget in a hurry “The Leicester front row that day was Marcos Ayerza, George Chuter and Martin Castrogiovanni, all of them internationals. I was on painkillers for a week.”

Brothers In Arms – Ben and Tom Youngs.

The Crazy Spending Of The January Transfer Window

The transfer window is a period the tabloids love with their continuous volumes of rumours to fuel the avid fan with belief his team is going to invest heavily in a top class forward, finally. The window at the turn of the year is traditionally one which sees low costs moves, usually mid-table clubs investing heavily to help avoid the drop. But this January saw an anomaly in England; big signings. Fernando Torres (£50m), Andy Carroll (£32m), Luis Suarez (£22m), David Luiz (£25m), Darren Bent (24m) and Edin Dzeko (£27m) all moved for prices above £20m, in deals you would generally expect to see in the summer. But what was the general trend across Europe?

The difference between the other European nations was drastic. With UEFA implementing new financial regulations next season in which clubs cannot spend more than their annual turnover, it seems the powerhouses of England – riddled with debt – wanted to make one last splurge. Overall in January a reported £225m was spent in the Premier League, a record amount which even surpasses the previous milestone of £175m which was set back in 2008, mainly due to Manchester City’s spending. The Citizens would be part of proceedings once more, but the big spenders were Chelsea. Russian oligarch Roman Abramovic has been reluctant in the past few seasons to invest, hoping the influx of youth signings under Frank Arnesen would be promoted and provide an ending to the Jose Mourinho years of economically draining investments.

Over in Spain money was spent, but not in large quantities. Barcelona’s sole purchase was young Dutchman Ibrahim Affelay from PSV Eindhoven who cost roughly €2m, while Real Madrid’s recruitment was the flimsy loan signing of Emanuel Adebayor from Manchester City. Malaga, under the ownership of a Qatari millionaire, helped spice up the transfer window signing six new players, the most costly being former Arsenal forward Julio Baptista who returned to Spain from Italy for  €3m.

Giampaolo Pazzini Celebrates After Scoring A Goal For His New Club

How Do Manchester United Beat Barcelona?

Saturday is a chance for redemption for Sir Alex Ferguson. Two years ago on that fateful night in Rome, Manchester United succumbed to a 2-0 defeat in a final which has been privately exasperating the manager. Barcelona overran the Red Devils in the centre of the pitch and it has been said that Michael Carrick is only just starting to rediscover that consistency which vacated him after that game.

United come into this match after a title-winning campaign brandished as lacking ‘fantasy’, but perhaps that will put them in good stead against a team who have it in abundance. Trying to play Barça at their own game will generally result in defeat, but with dogged determination, team full of energy and a potent striker, United have a great chance of reversing the disappointment from 2009.

Despite claims that we might be witnessing one of the greatest teams ever in the Catalans, they still have their flaws, and Ferguson knows if he can exploit them and more importantly take their chances, then United are one of the best teams to sit back and play on the counter-attack when protecting a lead.

Busquets Needs To Be Prevented From Playing

The Rebirth Of Michael Carrick?

Every club needs a scapegoat. For years homegrown Scotsman Darren Fletcher bore the brunt of the anger of the Manchester United fans and questioned Sir Alex Ferguson’s insistence on playing someone who they felt was not up to the requirements of the club. Gael Clichy and Jose Bosingwa receive the same treatment from their respected clubs, but there is one midfielder at Old Trafford who splits opinion more than anyone; Michael Carrick.

When he signed in 2006 from Tottenham Hotspur for a potential £18.6m, many fans were apprehensive with the price tag for a consistent, yet unspectacular player. However Carrick was the man who helped inspire United to three consecutive Premier League titles and the Champions League in 2008. Playing as a deep-lying playmaker, Carrick was key in sitting deep and intercepting play in a way which Sergio Busquets does for Barcelona, yet his passing meant he was a perfect deputy with Paul Scholes’ injury problems around that time. His form was so good that people were surprised he was not a regular in the England set-up.

Carrick's form has dropped since the 2-0 defeat to Barcelona

Manchester United Player Focus – Jonny Evans

At the start of the 2008/09 season, Manchester United Coach Sir Alex Ferguson had a dilemma; albeit one he was not complaining about. With Nemanja Vidic and Rio Ferdinand being the first choice centre-back pairing, a deputy was needed, someone who would be the long-term successor to Ferdinand, yet would get opportunities to develop in the first team.

The previous season Spanish defender Gerard Pique had impressed everyone at Old Trafford, with mature performances and the manager was not afraid to play him in big games against the likes of Arsenal and Roma. In the second half of the 2007/08 season Jonny Evans rejoined Roy Keane’s Sunderland side, whom he had already played for in a spell the season before, to help them in the fight against relegation, and displayed performances which caught the attention of his parent club. He had spent the first half of the season at the Red Devils, but appearances were restricted to just cup competitions. Eventually Barcelona resigned Pique, but Ferguson was not as reluctant as people would have expected in letting him depart, as he knew that Evans was ready for the step up to the first team.

Evans Needs To Rediscover Form

Manchester United Player Focus – Antonio Valencia

On Tuesday evening Manchester United opened their Champions League campaign with a 0-0 draw against Scottish side Rangers. There were a few talking points, firstly how Coach Sir Alex Ferguson rotated with his squad and made 10 changes to the line-up from the Everton game, bringing up accusations of arrogance and where his priorities lie – with a Premier League clash against rivals Liverpool on Saturday. Secondly how Rangers performed marvellously to frustrate and stifle United with a disciplined defensive performance, which the Red Devils are used to from travelling teams. Questions arose as to how good this squad really is and how they did not have somebody to unlock the tight knitted defence. Unfortunately the headline was not one people will have comfort in seeing.

Luis Antonio Valencia caught his foot in the turf while under-pressure from Kirk Broadfoot and dislocated his ankle, an injury which is likely to rule him out for the remainder of the season. It evokes sour memories for United fans, as only four years ago Alan Smith picked up the same injury when blocking a shot from Liverpool full-back John Arne Riise. The worry is not if he will recovery from the injury physically – thankfully medical advances in football mean the chances are he will recover – it is that recovery from such an injury is fraught with psychological implications. Since his setback Smith has moved on to Newcastle United, but it is fair to say he is not the same player he was pre-misfortune. He is not alone in that.

Valencia Has Made An Impact At Old Trafford

Manchester United Player Focus – Edwin van der Sar

On the 24th May 1995, Dutch football had reached a new chapter, one which was meant to go one step further than the much admired total football era. Ajax had just won the European Cup 1-0 against AC Milan in Vienna; the first time the team from Amsterdam had won the trophy since their treble of successes in the early 70’s. That unique side consisted of footballing greats such as: Johan Cruijff, Johan Neeskens, Ruud Krol and Wim Suurbier. Defeating Milan was a brilliant accomplishment; the Italian team had reached its third consecutive final and was regarded as the best team in Europe at the time. De Amsterdammers had a team full of promising young players, a batch that has gone on to establish fantastic careers. With the likes of the de Boer twins, Edgar Davids, Clarence Seedorf and Patrick Kluivert amongst the squad, it’s easy to see why the Oranje fans were optimistic about the future. One player has gone on from that glorious bunch to not only be remembered as one of the greatest goalkeepers of his generation, but is still competing at the highest level admirably at the age of 39.

In that same period Manchester United had arguably the greatest goalkeeper in Premiership history between the posts in Peter Schmeichel, who was a pivotal reason for the team’s dominance in the 90’s. Since he left the club in 1999, the Red Devils have struggled to replace him. Talented keepers such as Fabien Barthez, Mark Bosnich, Tim Howard and even Roy Carroll have been and gone. It was not until the 10th June 2005 that the Great Dane had finally been replaced, by the man who since his glory days at Ajax was now at Fulham. When Sir Alex Ferguson finally spits his chewing gum out onto the Old Trafford ground for the last time, he will look back and say that one of his best buys, pound-for-pound was Edwin van der Sar.

Still Going Strong at 39

Manchester United Player Focus – Wayne Rooney

This summer’s World Cup was meant to be the platform where Wayne Rooney would showcase his talents in front of a global audience, where he would brush aside the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and demonstrate to everyone just how brilliant he is. Ever since that goal he scored against David Seaman at the age of 16, Rooney has had the pressure of a nation on his shoulders. He is the one contemporary player who has that unique ability and natural confidence, which very few players from these shores have had since Paul Gascoigne. Although it looks like he will be a target for opposition fans this season after his dreadful tournament, how has the lad from Liverpool developed into the forward everyone longed for?

Last season was the greatest season of Rooney’s career in terms of goals, a season in which his style of play was altered. In previous seasons he had been someone who would look to drop deep and link up with the midfield, somebody to drift around the pitch, chasing teams on the counter-attacks, influencing the game and tempo or perhaps put in a defensive shift when asked to play on the left wing on European nights. His defensive work accommodated the virtuoso talents of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldo’s departure meant his goals needed to be replaced, and the replacement was a source that was not renowned for being prolific. In his five seasons in Manchester, Rooney had only scored 20 or more goals on two occasions. Whilst on the face of it this seems prolific, we have to account for long barren spells the Scouse firebrand so often endured. So how has Rooney morphed into this predator?

Rooney Breaks His Drought

Manchester United Player Focus – Paul Scholes

“Paul Scholes would have been one of my first choices for putting together a great team – that goes to show how highly I have always rated him. He would have been one of the first players I’d have bought, given the chance”. Those are the words of Marcello Lippi, a manager who has won five Serie A titles, a UEFA Champions League, and won the World Cup with Italy in 2006. His gracious remarks show the reputation that Paul Scholes has earned from putting in stellar performances over the past 16 years both domestically and on the European scene. Only two games into the season and the midfielder has earned two man-of-the-match performances against Chelsea in the Community Shield and against Newcastle United on Monday night, and there are even whispers of Mesut who?

Even though he is now 35, and his fitness and pace are not what they used to be, Scholes has evolved into a different player, something which is a remarkable achievement. During his peak he would make trademark late runs into the box, which resulted in eight seasons where he was in double digits for goals. He was in many ways the second striker, playing just off Ruud van Nistelrooy, and was a footballer who would cause havoc to opponents. However, since 2005, setbacks such as knee ligament damage took their toll on a man who was already approaching his 30’s, and meant he could not be the athlete he once was. Since then Scholes has turned into a defensive playmaker. He will sit around the half-way line and spray majestic passes behind the oppositions defence. His pass ratio is consistently high and it is rare to see him lose the ball. If you take into account somebody like Michael Owen, who since losing his pace is not half the player he was, Scholes has shown just how good he is by being able to adopt a different style of play.

Still Going Strong At 35

Why Mascherano Wouldn’t Be A Good Signing For Barcelona

After losing such a prized asset in Yaya Toure to Manchester City this summer, the defensive midfield position is lacking depth at the Nou Camp, and after rumours of Marcos Senna were brushed aside, it seems that Javier Mascherano will be the man the club will bring in. The reported deal is a transfer fee of £15 million plus Alexander Hleb in exchange. Now in principle that seems like a brilliant move, losing a player who is bad for the squad harmony and signing one of the best defensive midfielders in the game, however the move would bring more cons than pros.

The reason Toure left was not for his lack of love for the club, but lack of minutes. He had lost his place to Sergio Busquets, who is something of a fan favourite. Busquets is a different holding player than most; he is not a tough, physical warrior who will only smash the opponents off the ball. He is more tactically aware; he sweeps up the mess in front of his defence then passes it to players who are more capable such as Xavi or Andreas Iniesta. He is one of those players who does not stand out, and had drawn a lot of criticism that he was not that good. But he was one of Spain’s best players in the World Cup and has only enhanced his stature in Catalonia. Mascherano would be a similar player to Toure, and while he is not incapable of passing, it is not one of his strongest attributes.

Too Good A Player For Barca?

Manchester United Player Focus – Dimitar Berbatov

The final piece of the puzzle. That was the term buzzing around Old Trafford on 1st September 2008 after Manchester United concluded the signing of Dimitar Berbatov from Tottenham Hotspur for £30.75 million. The season before was one of United’s best in recent history when they won the double, including their first Champions League trophy since 1999. The strike force consisted of Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez, two men who couldn’t play together as they were so alike; we were told. Yet the partnership was perfect, and the players complimented each other with their robust nature, continuous pressurising of the opposition defence and had great chemistry, even if Tevez couldn’t speak a word of English. Yet there was something missing. There was no focal point up top, nobody who surpassed 6ft. This is where Berbatov was meant to come in, to expand the capabilities of the team and to offer new ideas.

In his two years in north London, Berbatov had a very impressive record of 46 goals in 102 matches, and surrounded with better players you would have expected him to exceed that record in Manchester. Unfortunately this hasn’t been the case. In 87 matches he has only scored 27 goals, averaging a goal every three games, which is on average a match more than when at White Hart Lane. People will tell you that stats aren’t everything, strikers these days don’t need to score 20 goals a season and that might be the case, but Berbatov doesn’t seem to do enough to warrant this backing. Indeed he is very much the scapegoat. Things are going wrong, why is he playing?

Berbatovs Had Quite A Few Miserable Days

What Was The Motive For Joe Cole Joining Liverpool?

One of the most talented players to be developed in this country over the past 15 years has finally ended the transfer riddle of the summer, by agreeing a four-year contract with Liverpool. The fans at Anfield will be buoyant over a signing who has that magical spark, the ability to create something out of nothing, with the only other England player capable of that genius ability being an Evertonian in Wayne Rooney. But the choice of Joe Cole’s move to Merseyside will leave people questioning the player’s ambition to join a team competing in next seasons Europa League. Why reject the opportunity to play in the Champions League?

After a torrid season last time around Liverpool went from one step forward to about five steps back, from runners-up in 08/09 to an appalling seventh place. Roy Hodgson, who did a remarkable job in his tenure at Fulham, has been given the task of resurrecting a ship which has been off target since the Premier League was constructed. On paper the signing of Joe Cole to replace Yossi Benayoun makes sense. Firstly he is English, which helps with the regulations in England and Europe with a minimum amount of National players needing to be in the squads. He is arguably more gifted than Benayoun and there is also the fact he is a marquee signing. Somebody who will ensure Hodgson has accumulated invaluable brownie points from the Kop.

Can The Move Resurrect Joe Coles Career?

Silva Can Take Manchester City To The Promise Land

The flirtatious affair with English football, which has seen the likes of Manchester United, Chelsea and Liverpool battle for his signature over the past couple of years has finally been concluded. The unlimited budget of oil rich Manchester City has acquired a player that they could have only dreamed of four years ago.

Born in Arguineguín, a town in the Canary Islands, David Silva was signed to Valencia CF at the age of 14, a club which not only had him on their books, but also his father who is currently part of the stadium security. His development was fast, at the age of 17 he was already playing first team football on loan to SD Eibar, but it was the following season at Celta Vigo when Los Che realised they had a prodigy. After joining the newly promoted side it only took two substitute appearances before he was integral to their sixth place finish, resulting in UEFA Cup football the following season.

Silva Is All Smiles Ahead Of His Move To Eastlands

Walcott Should Use The Disappointment As A Catalyst

After the shambolic way in which the FA decided to announce the 23 players England would be taking to the World Cup this summer, via the aid of social networking site Twitter, we were left with a few surprises. The likes of Leighton Baines, Tom Huddlestone and Darren Bent would have sat in thought of how they could have furthered their chances. All arguably in the richest vein of form in their young careers, they would have felt harshly done by being dropped in favour of players in poor form, although a young man who grew up in Newbury would have been distraught at missing out when his place on the plane was only his to lose.

Four years ago England went to Germany with the Coach Sven Goran Eriksson popping a surprise player into his squad – a relatively unheard of 17-year-old called Theo Walcott. With only six months of professional football under his belt playing for south coast side Southampton, Walcott was signed up by Arsenal – Arsene Wenger acting characteristically swiftly in pursuit of refreshing young talent. What surprised the public most was the fact that this fresh-faced youngster hadn’t represented Arsenal, yet he was deemed good enough to go to the World Cup.

Despair For Walcott

The Rise And Fall Of Ben Foster

Ever since Peter Schmeichel left Manchester United after their treble success in 1999, Sir Alex Ferguson has struggled to replace the Dane. The likes of Mark Bosnich, Tim Howard, Roy Caroll and World Cup winner Fabien Barthez had all been given the role between the stick, but nobody cemented their place.

The United manager’s son Darren was scouting the 2005 Football league Trophy final competed between Wrexham and Southend United, when he came across a 22-year-old keeper called Ben Foster. This unknown keeper was signed for a fee of £1 million without ever making an appearance for his parent club Stoke City.

Foster Showing A Glimpse Of His Potential

Too Little Too Late For United

Manchester United 4
Fletcher 31, Giggs 38 Higgingbottom (og) 53 Park 84
Stoke 0

Going into the final game of the Barclay’s Premier League’s season, Manchester United needed a miracle to help them to a record fourth consecutive league title. Frantically throughout the duration of the match fans were on their phones desperate to see that Wigan Athletic had prevented Chelsea from a victory, which would see them win the title for the first time since the 2005/06 season.

United’s players couldn’t let this play on their minds and needed to make sure whatever happened, they won. Old Trafford was roaring from the start with the fans desperate to give the players a boost. Luis Nani was the catalyst to a dangerous start as he lofted a dangerous cross in which Dimitar Berbatov headed over, leaving him looking to the sky, a sign United fans have seen too many times. 10 minutes later the same happened from the opposite wing, lovely cross by Nani and Berbatov’s header grazed the top of the crossbar; it seems nothing will go right for the Bulgarian. It took 31 minutes before we saw the breakthrough. It might have been scrappy, but that was the least of the Red Devils concern. Ryan Giggs corner ricocheted of two players before bouncing to the feet of Darren Fletcher to tap in. The midfielder has been one of the stars of the season for United and was a fitting way to end the season with his fourth of the campaign.

Paul Scholes Did All That He Could

Pavlyuchenko Is A Dilemma For Redknapp

With only 10 games remaining, the Premier League is reaching it’s crunch time. One of the joys this season has been how open the league has been, whether the teams traditionally finishing outside the top four are better than previous years, or simply the elite teams are weaker is another debate.

But there is now a real scrap to get that last champions league spot with Manchester United,Chelsea and Arsenal all but secure. Liverpool have been wayward this term and are in a dog fight with: Manchester City, Aston Villa and Tottenham Hotspur.

Pavlyuchenko Has Been Asking The Questions

The Bridge Saga

It’s now been confirmed that Wayne Bridge, the Manchester City left-back, will not be making himself available for both the friendly against Egypt on March 3rd, but more importantly the World Cup.

In the past month there has been a whole media fiasco over his former fiancé, and mother to his child, having an affair with none other than former team-mate and best friend John Terry. This resulted in the then skipper of England to be removed of his duties, passing that over to Rio Ferdinand, we think.

Terry And Bridge - Not On The Best Of Terms

The Special One

So tonight we finally see the highly anticipated match between Inter Milan and Chelsea, in the Champions League first knock-out round.

But there is just a little more to it than the pride of going through to the quarter finals. We see the charismatic,adored and arrogant Jose Mourinho face his former side since his controversial departure in September 2007.

Jose Mourinho Is The Nations Favourite Manager

The Future Of “The New Ronaldinho”

It’s a phrase that gets thrown around frequently. Any new talent emerging from South America automatically gets a label tagged to them, which must feel like a ball and chain.

Anderson Luís de Abreu Oliveira was a young lad who seemed as if he would be the heir to the throne of the master Ronaldinho. The comparisons where already there with both of these attacking midfielders beginning their career with the Porto Alegre side, Gremio.

Time Is Running Out For Anderson