Wayne Rooney will play as Manchester United faces a test of mental strength, as much as quality, at Goodison Park this weekend. Although Everton’s poor league start is the worst in the David Moyes era, Goodison is likely to rock to the sound of bile with the return of United’s former blue to the ground of his youth.
Rooney, desperate to play following a week of salacious media coverage, is seeking just a third goal against his old club.
Manager Sir Alex Ferguson reacted tetchily to media questions about Rooney at this morning’s Carrington press conference, with journalists told the 69-year-old manager would not answer questions about the United striker. Refusing to answer legitimate questions about Rooney’s state of mind and how the player might react to a hostile Goodison atmosphere, Ferguson chose to concentrate on United’s record at a ground that prove far from happy hunting last season.
“Let’s put it to bed straightaway. I am not discussing any of my players’ personal lives,” said the Scot of Rooney’s tabloid headlines, in an unfortunate turn of phrase.
“It is always a nightmare going there [Goodison] and it wouldn’t matter whether it was Dixie Dean playing for us. It is a hard place to go to, the atmosphere is fantastic. But we have had to deal with it for many years and there is no problem with our record there.”
While United will travel with Rooney, Ferguson is without central midfielders Michael Carrick and Anderson, each player having picked up injuries during the week. While Carrick has been sent to see a specialist about a long-standing ankle problem, Anderson suffered a reaction following a reserve fixture in midweek.
“He should be out for three weeks, maybe a month at most,” said Ferguson of Carrick, who has not figured in the manager’s plans so far this season
“It has been bothering him for a few weeks, so we sent him to a specialist in London and he had an injection. We are hoping that settles it down.
“We have been considering what we should do about it. The best thing is to get it treated and out of the road now because everyone in the squad is fit.
“Anderson came off with a little niggle yesterday but it is nothing serious,” Ferguson added.
“It is just the fact he has been out for a long time and he is just coming back. I don’t think it will knock him back any length of time.”
Better news comes in the form of Rio Ferdinand, who did not play in United’s reserve fixture against Stockport last night. However, Ferguson said that the 31-year-old England captain’s training performances have been so good that he will travel with the squad to Liverpool.
With matches against Rangers and then Liverpool to follow at Old Trafford, the Scot is likely to rotate his squad in the coming week. The extended recuperation period should help though, with most of Ferguson’s players returning from international duty a day earlier than in the past after FIFA switched the synchronised calendar to a Friday – Tuesday schedule.
Ferguson must also choose a partner for Rooney in attack, with Dimitar Berbatov in excellent form and fresh after resting during the international break. However, with United likely to come under pressure from the home side, the Scot could choose to deploy a 4-5-1 system for the first time this season, relegating the Bulgarian to the bench.
One player likely to feature at some point on Saturday is Ryan Giggs, whose chance of managing the Welsh national team in the wake of John Toshack’s resignation was dismissed out of hand by Ferguson.
“I spoke to him. It will not happen,” said the Scot who stands accused of regularly pulling Giggs out of international friendlies before the Welshman retired.
“We have to be selfish here. I am not even prepared to negotiate on this matter. At his age, Ryan needs to use all his energy and concentration to be here.
“It is a big season for him. It maybe his second last, it may be his last. We want it to be the second last. The best way for that to happen is for him to concentrate on being here.”
Everton, meanwhile, will be without talented teenager Jack Rodwell in midfield, who will miss the next three months of the campaign, and former Reds Louis Saha and Phil Neville.
Opposition
Team – 4-5-1 – Howard; Hibbert, Baines, Jagielka, Distin; Arteta, Cahill, Pienaar, Fellaini, Bilyaletdinov; Beckford. Subs from: Heitinga, Mucha, Coleman, Osman, Magaye Gueye, Anichebe, Forshaw, Garbutt, Shane, Duffy, Agard, Bidwell, Baxter, Wallace, Akpan, Shkodran Mustafi.
Officials
Referee: Martin Atkinson
Assistant referees: Peter Kirkup & Mick McDonough
Fourth official: Michael Jones
Form
United – WWDW
Everton – LDL
Team looks very close to what will be selected. Will be interesting to see who’s on the bench.
Poss subs:
TK, CS, RF, RG, AV, MO, JH
Need 3 midfielders or else we risk an arse raping
Giggs, Scholes & Fletcher with Nani & Valencia out wide
we ont go three in midfield now bollckless carricks out, he’ll tell park to stay really narrow like against chelsea
if we win it’ll be 1-0
Yeah, he’ll spend 90 minutes screaming at Nani/Valencia or Park to tuck in as Everton come at us looking dangerous with every attack bouyed by the inbred gobby cunts in the crowd
Should be a good game, hard fought and full of entertainment, 4-4-2 is the way to go with star-men Giggs, Scholes, Nani, Vida and Berba vital to victory. United hopefully will leave Goodison with 3 points and hopefully a goal or 3 better off.
Defence:
Selection will depend on whether AF thinks Rio is ready, if not Evans to start with the unchanged JOS, JE and NV.
Midfield:
AV unlikely to start due to long journey back from Ven. 2/3 of Park, Nani and Giggs on the wings, Park would normally play away from home but has come back from Korea so Giggs may get a start. He normally plays well at Goodison.
Attack:
Berba and Rooney likely starters with Hernandez and Owen on the bench. Macheda to feature in midweek.
sar
nev vida evans evra
fletch oshea scholes
nani berba giggs
fuck me that doesnt look good
rooney nt on bench either
Is this the official matchday thread or what? Will a mod sort it out, pleaseta. Put it in the thread title or something.
Anyway, Rooney has been left out of the squad
Make of that what you will
Can’t see us winning this game without him, especially if we play with two central midfielders
Is that the official team?
Fucking hell… Berba up on his own and O’Shea in the middle… At least we won’t be a man short
team is a disgrace… imo
lord ferg knows best. everto are playing 2 midfielders up top.
To be fair though this is a football match, not the Wayne Rooney show
There will be a lot of disappointed scouse cunts at Goodison. The arse might have gone out of the occasion, which will suit us
He’d have probably only got himself sent off after half an hour anyway
I thought it was a monday game
ffs
hold on why’s neville playing where’s rafa
why are both teams playing nobody up front then
What a shit lineup; I can’t believe I got up this early to hunt for a stream showing a match I’m not sure I even want to watch. I smell dropped points. Then Chelsea will score three in each half and extend their lead at the top of the table.
Atmosphere is down a notch ‘cos Rooney int there
vidic outright cap now then
Neville you cunt
Everton isolated him then and he had to bring the cunt down
they are all over us like a bad rash
Berba all over the place up front
Not staying central
Would have loved that to have gone in from O’Shea
Interesting that Neville isn’t.
This looks like a car crash!! Everton all over us.Why on earth does our manager think Berbatov can and should play alone upsfront? The way he plays we do not hvae an out ball with him there alone.
So what’s the point of Darron Gibson and Rafa if we have to have Neville and O’Shea playing for us? Goodness me!!
Ha!… Look who’s joined us.
Hi Cal…
Hi Alf.
benders…….
LOL… crowd passing around an inflatable doll… probably meant for Rooney.
What a save from Howard.
Or Giggs for that matter…
predators cousin has caught us out
fletch lives………come on united
looked ok afer a ba start, berbs doin ok p top on his own, wll better that expected
do u not like using ur qwerty key board then?
come on vidaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
get a 3rd reds
berbssssssssssss
Berrrrrrrrrrrrrrrbss…
If not for Howard, United would be out of sight.
a 4th would be the icing on the cake
How poor has Evra been today!! The manager has finally hurled him off…
hello cal.. i see scholes got player of the month
cal voted for him
Aye… his head, or his heart just wasn’t in the game.
Fuck!
cunts keep it tight at the back ffs
dont fucking believe this
FUCK!!!
cunts
wank..utter utter wank at the back..ffs
wtf were we doing?
The manager has to take blame surely.
Nani and Berba are next in line to be dropped for the next game.
Pathetic
I’m not altogether surprised. I had a feeling this was going to happen when we were missing numerous chances. When Everton made it 3-2 I switched the TV off because I knew what was coming.
We have not learnt from the Fulham debacle. You can moan all you like about the lack of talent or us not being good enough. Try telling me we didn’t have the quality to win the game today because that’s just bollocks.
Complacent. Again.
thankfuck there is a game this tuesday. Need something to forget this cunt of a result
I cant believe we blaming Nani and Berbatov.
The defense was fucking horrible. JOS is a useless cunt.
what a shower of shite – can’t defend for 3 minutes at the end – saf will be well pleased with that bollox – nothing learned at all from the fulham game
now watch those rent boys go on a spree after that result
Stupid set of boys!! Yet AGAIN in the dying seconds when the legs were gone we throw away two points.
See you guys sometime soon.
Neville is a cunt for having let Baines cross TWICE in 2 mins!!! Surely Rafael should be the first choice even if we play 7 games a week
And I stopped following on the Beeb after 3 – 1 thinking we should be safe with that, how wrong I was.
Why are there 3 threads related to the Everton match when we already have a match thread here?
Why am I still getting e-mails from United Rant even though I’ve changed the settings to ensure that I don’t get them anymore?
FFS.
Simple really sheesh –
1) My match preview
2) My match review
3) Poll about Rooney
I’ve checked and you didn’t unsubscribe but don’t worry I’ll do it. Obviously a bit technical for you.
I missed the second half. Sounds like we finally got playing
But fucking hell, what a joke; losing another lead
We just aren’t strong enough. We should have strenghtened
Sorry for having a go at you, Ed. Was just pissed off at the result and I didn’t mean to go off on one.
Thanks for sorting out the e-mail thing for me.
that must be pretty close to the oldest eleven we’ve ever put out no
uncleknobheadforfucksake – Yeah I was adding it up 30.7 average age – so much for faith in youth, hey?
both late goals were neville and osheas fault
nanis crossings great
drew due to faffing again……should’ve could’ve killed them off
wank…where’s the yoof fergie?
LKHF
You win nowt with kids, oh yeah….and OP’s are still running the show.ffs
Get a grip… where’s the dosh Gill, you Bastard, give SAF the funds in December and buy buy…BUY!..get rid of JOS and Red Nev, he’s ruining his own Legend now!