Sir ALEX FERGUSON- Rooney has been misused

GusHiddink

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...er-United.html


The Manchester United manager, on tour with the club in South Africa, said that he had been guilty of sacrificing Rooney's goal-scoring edge by asking him to play for the greater good of the team. "We need to define his role better," Ferguson said. "And I think I have to take a bit of responsibility for that.

"I think he sacrificed himself for the team, which says a lot about the lad because he never complained. We've played him wide and in other positions. He will score goals...but we kept using him in different positions – he'd play centre-half if you asked him to. I think his best position is through the middle, either a front role or tucking in just behind."

Ferguson's rare admission of failure came on a day when Manchester United's chief executive David Gill reaffirmed the club's stance towards the future of Cristiano Ronaldo, vehemently stating the Portuguese was not for sale.

Speaking here before United played a friendly against Orlando Pirates last night, Gill said: "We made it clear to them [Real Madrid] from day one we wouldn't welcome a bid, it wouldn't be accepted and therefore I don't think there's much point in putting one in. The reality of it is, we've been very firm from day one.

"Obviously there has been lots of paper talk and a lot of coverage in the media about it, and we understand that. But that's where we're at with the situation – we wouldn't welcome a bid."

Ferguson warned Ronaldo this week that he would be making a huge mistake if he opted to quit Old Trafford in favour of the Bernabeu, while team-mate Michael Carrick said it was unfathomable why anybody would want to leave the club.

Ronaldo, now recuperating from an ankle operation which has ruled him out for up to three months, continues to fuel conjecture by refusing to announce his intention to stay in Manchester and reject Real Madrid.

Sarni

You could have posted in the other thread which has the same quotes rather than creating your own to be fair.

GusHiddink

Got to say i was PMSL when i read this.


The sheer amount of times ive been on here arguing this very point only to be called all names under the sun. There you have it folks, from the horses mouth.

It gives me great hope that if we get berbatov finally...finally we'll play rooney in his final position on a regular basis...

JASON read it and weep you clueless pleb

Theres a whole army of you cretins but i can only remember him at the moment.

PMSL

GusHiddink

opps did not see, delete delete delete

vijay

I thought Rooney had a great season, may be Fergie hopes to make him play even more better....Misused

Even if a player is tucked behind a lone striker as a withdrawn forward he should occasionaly driftwide to provide the width when the wide players cut in, form Baggio, Bergkamp to Totti or Delpiero have all provided movement from out wide when it really mattered.

The problem with Rooney is he needs space to run at defenders to be at his devastating best (or to get acknowledgement from Little Englanders that usually rate player by his running ability and power) and with United playing possession football with the onus more on ball retention and passing, it would appear Rooney has faded a bit, but he is still top brass

devilish

The best way to use Rooney is to play him as a 'link man' just behind the main striker. Wayne on the other hand needs to change his attitude. He need to be less aggressive and concentrate more on his job (that of creating chances in front of goal) rather then play deep and win the ball.

hotshot2004

Rooney will find his edge, i reckon this would be his year. I think the reason he wants to tuck him behind striker, is because he is not similar sort of striker as RVN.

he likes to take on gk, and defence, so he needs to run at them and beat them. He has got devastating pile driver of long range shot.

That goal against Newcastle, still sends shivers down my spine.

Cold_Boy

If Roon plays the role of the a second striker,he will be the best player in the world.

I am happy to see Fergie admit that we have sacrificed Rooney for the team.

Dippersripper

spot on

Pogue Mahone

Will this be the end of GusHiddink - and assorted fellow spacktards - claiming that Rooney should only be played "in the hole"?

Will it fuck.

Tibs

Does this mean Tevez will be sacrificed for Berba?

Dreaded

Possibly but maybe SAF will use him as the winger

devilish

There will be times when Tevez will play and there will be times when Berbatov will play. Winning on three fronts means playing many games.

GusHiddink

Spot on

LOL- he's still going!! Rooney's best position is in the hole. The educated posters on here know that. Obviously playing him as a striker is better than as a wide man as I (and we) have previously said but there is no getting away from the quite obvious fact that we paid 27mil for the raw potential of a second striker the likes of which england had not seen in years. I remember fergie talking about his abilities and the 1st thing he said was his ability to drop off and find space in the hole was amazing, that you spend years teaching players that and he just did it naturally.. How the feck is that any use out wide or playing as the focal point of the attack!! Playing in the whole he can still run in behind but the key point is he can pick and choose when he feels its right hence making it more devastating. If he's playing the role of being furthest forward ala an owen he'll do alright he's quick and strong so that alone will give defenders a problem.... but you are wasting him because he can give a team so much more, its pretty obvious to most.

for a large number of games

Nonsense. It may happen on ocassion in the same way fergie plays fletcher out wide when he tinkers with the team but if there is one thing we saw last season its that tevez struggled in any position but the second striker role...certainly out wide anyhow. Improved towards the end of the season when asked to play up top (im thinking in the main of the champions league...which was more of an alan smith performance than a cantona)

Indeed. And there will be times where all 3 play....and times where just 1 plays!!!!

devilish

If Roon plays the role of the second striker AND change his attitude he will be the best player in the world. He cant keep on concentrating too much on winning the ball and he needs to control his temper.

sincher

Yes, Captain Obvious, Rooney's best position is in the hole.

But, his flexibility, work rate and willingness to play in other positions has been important for us, won't have harmed his development one bit, and has helped us to win the Premier League twice and the Champions League.

Fergie is saying what he's saying because he knows it's time to settle him into one position and to allow him to lead the team on the field more. I don't see it as admission of failure.

peterstorey

To be fair to the Great Universal StoreOfKnowledge you might think it obvious but there have been plenty on here who would tell you different.

SmashedHombre

Hopefully sir alex will start playing him in the damn hole next season then. You know if me and Gus are actually arguing on the same side, it must be right.

padzilla

Having Tevez has certainly reduced the impact that Rooney has on games. He is playing the position that Rooney should, I love both players but if it comes down to one or the other it's Rooney every time with Tevez on the bench.

quethenoo

Surely it was blindingly obvious that its his best position, but SAF was just doing what he needed to do at the time. This is hardly earth shattering.

Striker10

Sir Alex has got it right in the hole and pushed forward - last season we didn't do to bad, but using him on the wing is a waste clearly


Incidentally gus you deserve an almighty punch in the face

e.cantona

I think even SAF once said one of the reasons he played Rooney out of position, like on the wing, was to give him the experience or something like that. To help Rooney understand the role, part of his footballing education or whatever, cant remember. Dont think there's ever really been a question of where his best position was from SAF's point of view

Count Duckula

Except, Gus, that doesn't prove you right at all.

SAF actually goes as far as saying that Rooney is just as good leading the line, as he was doing a lot of last season with Tevez behind him. What Ferguson appears to be talking about was the shunting of Rooney to the wings half of the time.

So you've not been "proven right" at all, in the sense that you seem to think this makes your oft-spoken beliefs of Rooney as a pure in-the-hole striker his best position. Ferguson is not saying that Rooney has been misused and is at his best behind the main striker. He actually says he's at his best through the middle, whether that is behind the main striker or, indeed, as the main striker.

So get off your high horse.

Bilbo

What he said

KingEric7

There is something horrifying about the prospect of the Wayne Rooney of 05/06 in this team. Whether this will deplete us in other areas remains to be seen.

He's just so good at football that he could play anywhere and be effective.

Sam#1

Spot on.

KeyserSoze

This GusHiddink really is one self obsessed individual. The type who beats small children at board games!

Garethw

Bilbo

"Fuck you, I've got a hotel on Mayfair too. Thats two g's you owe me"