| Alex Ferguson wants Wayne Rooney to spearhead United's title charge • 'Wayne can step forward and be the main man'• Berbatov, Owen and Scholes hope to take on WiganSir Alex Ferguson is looking for Wayne Rooney to maintain the form that helped Manchester United to destroy Hull City on Sunday. Rooney scored his 14th goal of the season and created the other two in the team's 3-1 victory.With Ferguson's defensive injury problems starting to ease, the United manager is now looking to build some momentum heading into the second half of a campaign which could yet end with his side being crowned champions for an unprecedented fourth consecutive Barclays Premier League season.For that to happen, however, Ferguson acknowledges he needs Rooney to be fit and firing. After a couple of lethargic performances from the 24-year-old, his most recent effort signalled a revival, one that his manager is looking for Rooney to continue."Wayne was fantastic on Sunday. That was the Wayne Rooney we know," said Ferguson. "He had a quiet spell for two or three matches but he was explosive at Hull. He was a constant threat. That is the kind of form we are hoping for because when he is playing like that he is hard to handle."However, ahead of tomorrow night's match with Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford, Ferguson is expecting others to step forward too with Dimitar Berbatov, Michael Owen and Paul Scholes all hoping to play a part."Wayne can step forward and be the main man but there are a few who have to step forward in that respect," said Ferguson. "We are coming to the time now. The challenge is there."The league is so tight and teams are taking points off each other that you don't expect. It means a consistent run from someone will give them a great chance."Our experience of run-ins is good. We know we can handle that part. The important thing is to beat Wigan tomorrow which would put us into the position I hoped we could get to, a couple of points off the leaders coming into the new year."Wayne RooneySir Alex FergusonManchester Unitedguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2009 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Are most of our footballers really knobs? The Newcastle midfielder's knob-coloured spectacles enhanced his view on the Today programmeThis week Tony Adams guest-edited Radio Four's breakfast news show, the Today programme, perhaps the most surprising piece of left-field casting since Adams briefly guest-managed Portsmouth and, before that, briefly guest-relegated Wycombe Wanderers. He did quite a good job of it. Or at least that was the immediate impression, ahead of any possible whispers later this year about the Today programme lurching into administration, the Today programme being linked to a panic-stricken buyout by a secretive Middle East consortium, or the Today programme attempting to buy Younes Kaboul, while also selling Younes Kaboul, and simultaneously loaning Younes Kaboul back to itself.The most interesting thing on the programme was an interview with Joey Barton, in which he said: "Most footballers are knobs." This kind of statement often passes without comment, but coming from an actual footballer it seems more resonant. You can even imagine Barton saying it, perhaps while wearing a pastel-coloured roll-neck sweater and sitting in a circle with a group of nodding, frowning men who keep urging him to "just be Joey" and saying things like "inside this room we're all naked".But is it true? Probably not, given that as a generalisation it makes as much sense as announcing that most junior curates are knobs, or most assistant sales managers in a regional chain of ceramic hob installers are knobs, or most of those strangely wizened, disappointed-looking young men who appear on your doorstep trying to sell you dishcloths and garden gloves from a plastic box. The likelihood is that this is an example of knob-solipsism. Most footballers look like knobs to Barton because he has, for some time, been viewing the world through knob-coloured spectacles, seeing only a landscape coloured in broad, bold strokes of knob, waking up to find his eyes encrusted with small, gritty crystals of knob, stumbling out into a world fretted and woven with knob, through which he knob-waddles in knob-stitched shoes, drawing his knob-muffler close to his chest against a chill wind that tastes, inexplicably, of knob.Having said that, Barton is an articulate speaker and did justify his comments about footballers by saying: "They are so detached from real life it's untrue." This hints at something I've suspected for some time: that footballers do feel detached and alienated, which has in turn made them suspect that they may, in fact, be knobs. This sense of detachment perhaps explains the recent trend for players to celebrate scoring by running behind the goal and instigating a head-fondling embrace with members of the crowd, while stewards in yellow coats don't just run, but sprint across to break it up, as though what they're witnessing isn't simply men hugging, but a kitten being Stanley-knifed, or the Queen being jostled by a group of youths. I've often wondered if anything is said, or urgently muttered, during these cuddles, which last up to 15 seconds. Maybe just things like "I'm not a knob".I also suspect Barton of making a wider point. This is a man who has for some time been vilified as a kind of Premier League Satan. And just as the devil is a convenient repository for all evil, a species-wide scapegoat, so Barton has been handy shorthand for football knobbery in all its forms.By saying most footballers are knobs he is refuting this using the voice of atheistic enlightenment, which says there is no absolute evil, that knobbery is in all of us; the devil, and "Joey Barton", are no more than devices to excuse sustained analysis. Then again, maybe that's a discussion best left for the next time Nigel Winterburn guest-edits In Our Time.Joey BartonRadio 4Barney Ronayguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Allardyce denies Blackburn job is at stake • Rovers manager under growing pressure from fans• Injury problems mount ahead of Villa semi-finalSam Allardyce has denied tomorrow's Carling Cup semi-final against Aston Villa will influence his future as Blackburn Rovers manager as he attempts to arrest an alarming run of form.Blackburn have not won since beating Chelsea in the Carling Cup quarter-finals on penalties last month, a sequence of eight matches in all competitions, and their current league record stands at nine games without a victory.Monday's anaemic display at Manchester City, which resulted in a 4-1 defeat, prompted an angry exchange at Eastlands between Allardyce and senior players and there has been growing unrest among supporters at the tactics the manager has employed since his return from heart surgery.Blackburn have so far sold only around 11,500 tickets for the rearranged semi-final at Ewood Park although, with more than 5,000 Villa fans expected, the club are hopeful of a crowd in excess of 20,000 for the first leg. But Allardyce is adamant his position is not under threat only 13 months after he replaced Paul Ince, before ensuring Rovers' Premier League survival."You are always going to get rumours in the Premier League. Never a day goes by without a positive or a negative story," he said. "You are bound to get some negative scenarios going around when you have not won in a while. You just get on with your job and that is what I will do. I have no great concerns at all."The Blackburn manager has to contend with several injury problems for the semi-final. Jason Roberts and Vince Grella have been ruled out with knee and thigh injuries respectively, and Benni McCarthy and Gaël Givet are doubtful. El Hadji Diouf is suspended following the red card he collected in the FA Cup third-round loss to Villa on 2 January.Lars Jacobsen, the Rovers defender, has confirmed a heated inquest took place in the dressing room at City and admits the players have to react in the semi-final and Sunday's home league game against Fulham. "There were some things to be said after the game but we keep that in the dressing room," the Denmark international said. "It stays between us but of course we weren't happy with the performance," said the Denmark international."The semi-final is a big game for us. Any game we go into and get a result will get us going again. We have been good at home this season, we won the last time [against Villa] at Ewood, so we have to get a win there and get back on track. Then we have a home game against Fulham in the league on Sunday. We need to get a good result in the semi-final and then get some points in the Premier League. It's a massive two games."Blackburn's chairman, John Williams, meanwhile, has revealed his confidence that David Dunn will sign a contract extension. The influential midfielder – a boyhood Rovers fan – is out of contract at the end of this season but Williams said: "It has all been very positive. Both parties want the deal to happen and negotiations are still ongoing."For Villa tonight's tie represents a welcome return to action after their last two games, initially the first leg that was due to be played last Tuesday and Saturday's league game at Wigan, O'Neill's players are itching to be in action.Having played on Monday, albeit enduring a 4-1 defeat at Manchester City, Blackburn at least have that competitive edge, whereas Villa are potentially well rested.Assessing the situation, O'Neill said: "Overall, it's been a bit frustrating for us."The frustration stems from the fact we've travelled overnight to our last two games, and both have been called off the next day."However, that's the nature of things, and you just get on with it."Because of our postponements, and with Blackburn having played a game, they will have a bit of an advantage because they've been up and running."Injuries aside, that has given them an outing before tomorrow."But I wouldn't worry too much at this stage about advantages and disadvantages. Who knows until you get out there?"O'Neill has no fresh injury concerns to contend with and is likely to name a full-strength side, albeit with goalkeeper Brad Guzan to continue his cup duties ahead of regular number one Brad Friedel.TV Sky Sports 1, kick-off 8pmBlackburn RoversSam AllardyceAston VillaCarling CupAndy Hunterguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
Wigan climb with win over Wolves Wigan Athletic claimed a crucial 2-0 win over relegation rivals Wolverhampton Wanderers thanks to goals from James McCarthy and Charles N'Zogbia at Molineux. foxsports.com.au |
Sevilla, Getafe pick up first-leg wins at Copa del Rey Sevilla and Getafe both secured first-leg away victories Wednesday to take control of their Copa del Rey quarter-finals. cbc.ca |