| Beckenbauer writes off Bayern's title chances Franz Beckenbauer has all but written off Bayern Munich's chances of defending the Bundesliga title. cbc.ca |
Rooney: I have had no ankle problems • Manchester United striker contradicts Sir Alex Ferguson• Manager says off-field scrutiny has affected Rooney's formWayne Rooney has risked fracturing his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson after publicly contradicting his manager at Manchester United by denying he has been suffering from an ankle complaint this season.Ferguson omitted the England forward from his side's recent fixtures against Valencia and Sunderland citing a "niggling ankle injury", which he had initially claimed would require up to three weeks to heal. That assessment was later modified, with Rooney released for international duty after a scan had apparently revealed only minor ligament damage, yet the player's insistence that he has never been injured suggests his manager's decision to exclude him owed more to recent sluggish form than fitness.Asked whether his ankle had caused him any discomfort during England's stuttering goalless draw with Montenegro yesterday, Rooney replied: "I've had no problems with my ankle all season. None. I've been training for the last two months. I haven't missed a training session, so there's no problem with my fitness."When asked why Ferguson had suggested he was carrying an injury to the joint, the striker shrugged and added: "I don't know."That suggested Rooney, whose eagerness always to play is long-established, does not see eye to eye with his manager over the decision to rest him in recent weeks. Rooney has endured a torrid few months, struggling to make any impact at the summer's World Cup finals and then finding himself the subject of intense media scrutiny following allegations of infidelity in the 24-year-old's private life. That prompted Ferguson to omit him from United's visit to his former club, Everton, last month citing expected abuse from the home support, with the manager subsequently claiming the scrutiny placed on the forward's life off the pitch was "exhausting" and was affecting his form.The Scot did add in the build-up to the Sunderland game that Rooney had "not been doing himself justice" but "thinks he's fit because he always thinks he's fit, and that's the problem with the lad: he's always too willing to play even with injuries". The striker's comments after the Montenegro match served to reinforce this point, even if his form remains distinctly patchy. He has managed only one goal, a penalty against West Ham, for United this season and has failed to score for his country at Wembley in 13 months, with Mladen Bozovic twice denying him reward on Tuesday.Rooney, who will expect to be involved in Saturday's visit of West Bromwich Albion to Old Trafford, has acknowledged his recent performances have been unsatisfactory, conceding this month that his form "could be better" and that, at a club like United, "you have to be at your best to keep your place". "When you're going through a run like this, you just have to keep working hard," he said after the draw at Wembley. "I know. I've been through this before and, once a goal goes in, I'm sure I will get more. But it's just about getting that first goal. If I have chances and don't score, then I'm disappointed. But there are a lot of games left in the season, so I'm sure I can start scoring soon. I actually felt sharp and better against Montenegro."You need games to get your fitness in. I've missed a few [games] this season. I've played six or seven, including England, and felt I was getting sharp but then missed three or four, so didn't feel as sharp as I should. I just want to keep playing consistently and working hard and I'm sure the goals will come. But I'm training as hard now as I can every day and I'm doing the extra training which I've done since I was a young boy. So I'll keep doing my training. I'm 100% fit, yeah."The forward was booked for a second-half foul as frustration welled, though Fabio Capello claimed Rooney had enjoyed a "normal game" and his international captain and club-mate, Rio Ferdinand, was keen for the focus to switch from the striker. "We can't be too reliant upon Wayne," he said. "He's a great player but we can't just look to him. He put in a good shift against Montenegro, having been asked to work hard and get on the last midfielder, and he did that very well. Sometimes strikers just need that bit of luck in front of goal to get a clear chance. The ball didn't fall for any of our forwards, so to pick him out wouldn't be fair."Wayne RooneyManchester UnitedEnglandSir Alex FergusonDominic Fifieldguardian.co.uk © Guardian News & Media Limited 2010 | Use of this content is subject to our Terms & Conditions | More Feeds guardian.co.uk |
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