Rome sweet Rome for Rooney

Wayne Rooney came of age in Europe against the Italian team and they may be on the receiving end again in the quarter-final

From The Sunday Times
March 16, 2008
Jonathan Northcroft

Wayne Rooney was man of the match when Manchester United played Roma in October and in reward, or as he would see it, penance, he was interviewed by Uefa’s television channel. “I think it was a great game tonight and a draw was probably a fair result,” he said, apparently forgetting he had just knocked home a superb goal in a 1-0 victory. It was a rare wrong note from Rooney in Europe in recent times. Once there were doubts about him in the Champions League but for the past 12 months, for United, he has been what Americans call the “go-to guy”.

“This year United are playing more as a team; last year they depended more on Cristiano Ronaldo. I rate Rooney as one of the best and most dangerous strikers in the world,” said Roma’s Brazilian goalkeeper, Doni, after the draw was made. Rooney has Roma to thank for sparking his transformation. Everyone remembers his hat-trick on debut at Old Trafford versus Fenerbahce in 2004 but 31 months passed without Rooney scoring another Champions League goal and questions about whether he could “cut it” in Europe became a feature of Sir Alex Ferguson’s press conferences before and after ties.

Then Rooney went to the Stadio Olimpico last April and Ronaldo led a counter-attack, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer flighted a gorgeous cross to the far post and Rooney chested the ball inside Christian Panucci to manoeuvre himself clear on goal. Instinct had taken him to there but, now, facing Doni and waiting for the ball to bounce, there was thinking time, a coming-of-age instant, the moment of truth. Rooney’s action was unerring. A powerful volley sent the ball into the embrace of the net. Rooney hared away in search of teammates with whom to celebrate and, literally and metaphorically, never looked back.

In the return leg Rooney scored again and was the facilitator of the 7-1 victory at Old Trafford that will resonate through the build-up to a second successive United-Roma quarter-final. Rooney followed with two goals against AC Milan at Old Trafford and when United were then overwhelmed in the San Siro, was so valiant in contrast to cowed colleagues like Ronaldo he seemed to be fighting a lone fight. For the first two months of this season Rooney could not buy a goal but then Roma returned to Old Trafford and, sharp as a diamond cutter, he turned on a Nani flick 18 yards out to score past Doni again. Zero goals in 17 games in the Champions League became seven goals in eight. Europe, from being a bogey, had become therapy.

Rooney was always a good enough footballer to be important in Europe and the lifting of a mental block was significant in his makeover. He had suffered genuine doubts. A fellow player was shaving Rooney’s hair in the team hotel before a 2005 tie in Lisbon and was shocked when Rooney blurted, “I don’t know if I can do it”. What? “The Champions League,” Rooney said. “Don’t know what it is.”

These days Rooney brings the same ebullient surety to performances against continental opposition as when facing domestic opponents but there is another factor, United’s own growth as a European team. Doni has a point about how they used to play. For several seasons Ferguson has been using a lone striker in the Champions League to get an extra man in midfield and the system worked nicely when Ruud van Nistelrooy was the outlet but when Rooney arrived he found himself shunted to the flank as a wide support for the Dutchman, later Louis Saha and then, briefly, Henrik Larsson.

For last season’s quarter-final with Roma, Rooney moved into the middle and has been there ever since, prospering where he can be more focal to the counter-attacks that are so important in Europe. To the television viewer Rooney can sometimes appear isolated in his central position, but the cameras can fail to convey the physical pressure he exerts on defenders and his movement when the opposition are in possession or the ball is being brought forward and he is off screen.

On European nights, Ferguson likes to get Rooney swapping positions with Ronaldo and the Portuguese has also been emergent. He had never scored at all in the Champions League before his two goals in the 7-1 romp. On that evening, it was the pace and invention of United’s breakaways that bewildered Roma, who conceded five goals in counter-attacks. When Luciano Spalletti brought his team back to Old Trafford in this season’s group stages, damage limitation appeared his priority and, though Roma had threatening moments, a 1-0 defeat appeared satisfactory.

United are entitled to believe they still have a psychological hold over their foe because they were able to field a starting lineup including Danny Simpson, Gerard Pique, Chris Eagles and Jonny Evans and still draw 1-1 with Roma at full strength. Carlos Queiroz, Ferguson’s assistant, warned that Roma seemed much improved when he watched them beat Real Madrid 2-1 in each leg to reach the last eight. Their form is excellent – Roma went into last night’s Serie A game with AC Milan seeking a record-breaking eighth successive league home win without conceding a goal. Recruiting Juan, Cicinho and Ludovic Giuly increased their range of quality footballers but Francesco Totti remains their pivot and of key significance may be Simone Perrotta, the closest Italy has to a Steven Gerrard. In the first leg of last year’s quarter-final Roma were well worth a 2-1 win and caused United an evening of tremors, with Perrotta prominent. His absence through injury was significant in the 7-1 second leg.

United’s progress past Lyons was unspectacular in its straight-forwardness, and that in itself was an indication of strength. Lyons are not a side many stroll past. “We’re better equipped in the Champions League because of the strength of the squad and we should be better because of the greater experience gained by the younger players like Rooney, Ronaldo and Anderson,” said Ferguson. “You expect a bit more improvement in terms of maturity and if that can make a difference then it will be a big difference because we weren’t far away last season.” Not far away from winning it, he meant. They were already good enough to be miles apart from Roma.

Originally Posted by Serenity Now

A fellow player was shaving Rooney’s hair in the team hotel before a 2005 tie in Lisbon

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Good read. Cheers Serenity.

Not quite true about Roma being at full strength in the 1-1 draw. I think they finished the game with a lot of the first XI.

What do you reckon to Vucinic btw? I like what I've seen tbh.

I'm not sure if we relied on Ronaldo more last season than this season. It often looks as if no one else will put the ball in the net; yesterday for example.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

Good read. Cheers Serenity.

Not quite true about Roma being at full strength in the 1-1 draw. I think they finished the game with a lot of the first XI.

What do you reckon to Vucinic btw? I like what I've seen tbh.

Looks shit hot imo.


Fantastic on and off the ball, lovely touch and very versatile. He'd suit the way we play imo.


Not sure why he doesn't start all the time

Originally Posted by Carrick

Looks shit hot imo.


Fantastic on and off the ball, lovely touch and very versatile. He'd suit the way we play imo.


Not sure why he doesn't start all the time

I only really saw him last season when he came on and scored against us (I think). Have seen him a few times this season and like what I've seen. Roma don't own him outright apparently and might not be taking up the option to sign him.

A few of the tabloids claim Utd are interested.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

I only really saw him last season when he came on and scored against us (I think). Have seen him a few times this season and like what I've seen. Roma don't own him outright apparently and might not be taking up the option to sign him.

A few of the tabloids claim Utd are interested.

He looks very good from what i've seen, I think the only reason he isn't starting is because of the system Roma play and you can't drop Totti.
Apparently we're looking at Fabiano and Gomez.

The Fabiano one won't go away. Not sure if that's because MSI are looking for a big payday and want him linked with as many big clubs as possible, but we were following him very closely when he was in Brazil and there was talk we'd spoken to his agents after Sao Paulo trained in Manchester. We ended up going for Saha instead.

Fabiano looks a very good prospect, £40 mil I read today, if we are connected it puts £5+ mil on his price

The £40m price tag that Sevilla have put on their Brazilian striker Luis Fabiano will not put off Manchester United. (News of the World)

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/foot...rs/7299163.stm


NOTW I know

One third Sevilla's and two-thirds MSI's.

£8million to take him from Sevilla. Utd would then have to pay MSI a fee to buy him outright, as others have mentioned.

Not sure how serious the interest is in this player but as S/Side said it won't go way.

I rate Gomez rhodzy, would be a good buy IMO.

I've always liked Fabiano as a player ever since his days in Brazil, although back then he had a bad boy reputation which put lots of clubs off.

However, he struggled to adapt both in France and Portugal, while he didn’t do an awful lot for the first 12-18 months at Sevilla either. He's a guy who really needs to be happy off the pitch to perform on it and he's suffered a lot with homesickness at various times. I think he's the kind of guy who could quite easily have gone down the Adriano path had he not gone to a club that not only suited him both on and off the pitch, but showed a lot of patience in waiting for him to perform.

Very talented player who's having a sensational season and is well suited to our style of play, but given his age (28 this year) I'd be a bit reluctant to invest heavily in him given that history of taking a while (or sometimes failing completely) to adapt to any new surroundings, let alone somewhere like Manchester.

It'd be a big gamble.

Originally Posted by Whalefish

What do you reckon to Vucinic btw? I like what I've seen tbh.

He's clearly got a lot of talent, but for me he's never really delivered on the promise he showed at Lecce a few years back.

I think he's done well enough for Roma when he's come in as a striker, either as a tactical change for Totti or because Totti is out injured, but not quite well enough to earn himself a starting place - so when Totti is available he's been more likely to be deployed on the left or used as an impact player off the bench.

I do like him though, and he's still pretty young, so for the right money he might be worth a look.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Very talented player who's having a sensational season and is well suited to our style of play, but given his age (28 this year) I'd be a bit reluctant to invest heavily in him given that history of taking a while (or sometimes failing completely) to adapt to any new surroundings, let alone somewhere like Manchester.

It'd be a big gamble.

I'd go along with pretty much everything you've said in your post. I also think his mentality means that he's a player who you'd have to show full confidence in to get a good performance level out of him, so for me he's not really someone you could use as an impact player or in any kind of role like that.

Very much so, wouldn't think Madrid would be a good move for him either for the same reasons.

Perhaps he'd be better off staying at Sevilla, but you get the feeling that it won't be his decision and he'll be moved on to the highest bidder.

Recently I have read a few journos saying that we were comprehensively outplayed in Rome last year, whilst conveniently not mentioning the fact that we played with 10 men for most of the game thanks to Scholes sending off.

I like Fabiano, but with this ownership and him being 27-28 (?) and as the lads who know more about him, personally he may be quite difficult.

As for Vucinic, he impresses me every time he plays. When they bring him on you think he's gonna be a typical attacking substitute but he is so elegant on the ball and so aware, he was immense in Madrid, how many times did he do them down the left? Think it was that Torres who just kept pulling him down.

I'd say that Vucinic would be more suited to us, tbh.

I still think Berbatov will be a United player some August, though. He'll cost quite a bit, so the alternative is get a Vucinic style player cheap and then invest else where in the team. I think we need a good full back, possibly a young goalie and maybe a young winger. Ronaldo is becoming much more of a central player now.

I think that's a good point about managing the funds. We'll need another right-back in the summer, which I have a feeling could be Bosingwa. If Wes goes we'll need extra cover in central defence, too. With that in mind, it may be unrealistic to spend 40m Euros on Benzema and expect to get quality in those areas. That's before you consider the possibility of further departures (Saha, O'Shea) that would need replacing.

However, as Serenity says, if Fergie does some investigating and Benzema is a goer, he may find it impossible to resist.

Think there'll be a few of our defensive options heading for the door, not just Wes. We'll ned at least two in IMO. Can't imagine either of those Brazilian twins will be ready for a PL Campaign next season.

Surely Pique's going to have to move on. He's simply not going to get near a central defensive position as long as Vidic and Ferdinand are here, which hopefully will be for a good few years. Another season like this could be costly for his development.

If we did for for a player in La Liga, he could prove a deal breaker.