Fergie’s Rooney dilemma?

SIR Alex Ferguson would have a lot of things to consider had he watched Wayne Rooney grab a brace for England against Andorra last night.

The striker has now scored eight goals in his last seven games for England, while he only scored 12 in the entire Premier League season.

And England manager Fabio Capello’s secret to making Rooney tick? Just get in front of goal, he said.

That had been the problem for the Liverpudian’s United season so far. Fergie had been putting Rooney on the flanks regularly during their Championship-winning season due to his tenacity and willingness to drop back to defend.

Other than Park Ji-Sung, United lacked the kind of winger who is equally adept at crossing and shooting, as well as put in a good tackle.

With United pipping Liverpool to the title narrowly last season, and losing out to the Reds in terms of goal difference, Fergie must be wondering how he should tweak his team to get the best out of his players, especially Rooney, given how impressive he has been when he pulls on an England shirt?

If you were Fergie, what would you do to strengthen United, as well as get the best out of your players, Rooney in particular?

Best player in the world – Messi or Iniesta?

Lionel Messi kisses his adidas F50i boots after scoring the second goal against Manchester United in the final. Will he be kissing the Fifa World Player of the Year plaque this December?

(Picture: Telegraph.co.uk)

IT WOULD be safe to say that Lionel Messi has clearly won his “duel” with Cristiano Ronaldo in the Champions League final yesterday morning, and will surely be a strong contender to succeed the Portuguese as the Fifa World Player of the Year this December.

But what of Andreas Iniesta, the quiet workhorse in the Barca engine room?

Wayne Rooney has proclaimed the 25-year-old as the best player in the world after the final, and it is not difficult to understand why.

The shy and unassuming playmaker had burst into mainstream consciousness during Euro08, where his playmaking skills were instrumental in guiding Spain to its first major international title in 44 years.

With Barca, Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez have been pulling all the strings in the midfield the entire season, with the Albacete native scoring the injury-time goal that brought the Catalans to the final.

There is no doubt that Messi – who scored the second goal in the final – possesses a wizardry and craft on the field that rarely comes about in football, but what about his “anti-galactico” team-mate, who had been the heartbeat of Barca’s midfield the entire season?

What would be the key clash in the Champs League final tomorrow morning?

ONE OF the most eagerly anticipated games of the season will take place later tomorrow morning, as Manchester United face Barcelona in the Champions League final in Rome.

Both sides boasts of top players – such as Lionel Messi, Thierry Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo and Wayne Rooney – and reputations of playing beautiful, free-flowing football, even though United seems likely to adopt a defensive stance to frustrate Barcelona’s awesome strike-force (read Soccernet story on Sir Alex Ferguson’s comments here).

Looking at the possible line-ups for both teams, the clash between which two players is most likely to affect the outcome of the final?

Is it the midfield battle between Michael Carrick and Andreas Iniesta? Or is it the duel between Patrice Evra and Messi? Or maybe it’s between the determined British bulldog Rooney and the ageing but experience Carlos Puyol?

What are your thoughts?

What would Fergie’s and Wenger’s starting lineups be like tomorrow morning?

(Picture: AFP)

SIR ALEX Ferguson and Arsene Wenger are set to renew their long-standing rivalry tomorrow morning (Singapore time) as Manchester United face Arsenal in the first-leg Champions League semi-final at Old Trafford.

The two managers have fought epic managerial battles since the Frenchman took charge of the London club in 1996, with sly jabs thrown in either direction from time to time.

And given the recent circumstances, it would be interesting to see how both managers will select their starting lineups.

For United, the spotlight will fall squarely on its front-line. United’s Wayne Rooney and company had to rely on the introduction of Carlos Tevez against Spurs to spark a stirring second-half comeback. The 4-2-4 formation – with Rooney, Tevez, Dimitar Berbatov and Cristiano Ronaldo – tore into the Lilywhites’ defence and put five past a hapless Heurelho Gomes, who had been outstanding in the first half.

United certainly need to score goals, given that they are again faced with the unfamiliar situation of playing at home in the first-leg, but Fergie will surely remember how Arsenal dominated the midfield in their 2-1 victory over the Red Devils earlier this season, and scheme to prevent a similar situation.

For Arsenal, changes are afoot, with Andrei Arshavin cup-tied and Robin van Persie and Eduardo doubtful due to injury. Wenger has been quoted as saying that he is considering moving Samir Nasri – the star of the Gunners’ 2-1 victory over United last November – to a central holding midfield position or the left flank to plug the gap left by Arshavin’s absence.

If you were Ferguson or Wenger, how would you select the players for your starting lineup, and what formation would you use?

Does Giggs deserve the PFA Player of the Year award this season?

VETERAN Manchester United player Ryan Giggs won the PFA Player of the Year award last night (Singapore time), one of the few awards that the Welshman had not won in his glittering career.

The 35-year-old beat United teammates Nemanja Vidic, Rio Ferdinand, Cristiano Ronaldo and Edwin van der Sar, as well as Liverpool’s Steven Gerrard to the award, adding to his two PFA young player awards among other team accolades.

While few will argue that the United vice-captain deserves some form of recognition for his achievements – he has 10 league titles to his name, and has won 4 FA Cups, 3 League Cups and the Champions League twice in his 17-year United career – but does Giggs deserve the award this season?

Is Berbatov really worth £30.75m?

HE TOOK the run-up in his usual languid style and hit it weakly down the middle, as Tim Howard’s flailing legs managed to block Dimitar Berbatov’s first penalty kick.

In the end, that – along with Rio Ferdinand’s saved spot-kick – proved decisive as Everton marched derservedly into the FA Cup final.

While much have been (and can be) said about Alex Ferguson’s decision to field a much-weakened team, the spotlight now falls squarely on the Bulgarian, who moved to Manchester United early this season in a controversial £30.75m transfer deadline deal.

Berbatov arrived at Old Trafford with much fanfare, as a deadly striker whose silky skills made him such a hit with Tottenham Hotspur. The 28-year-old was supposed to add a different dimension to United’s attack, a touch of class to complement the hardworking Wayne Rooney and Carlos Tevez.

Brilliance he has shown, but in sporadic bursts in a season where United are chasing every available title on offer. Indeed, 13 goals in 37 games is hardly a hallmark of a player who costs that much, especially when you compare that with his 27 goals last season with Spurs.

Say what you want about the goalscoring opportunities being shared about a posse of United players, but when a player is brought in, he is generally supposed to improve the team. In Berbatov’s case, his hold-up play and vision is supposed to boost United’s strike force.

But take a look at the statistics – United have scored 10 lesser goals in the Premiership at this stage of the competition this season as compared to last, with Berbatov playing 27 of these games.

Is Berbatov really worth £30.75m?

Is United’s unpredictability harming them instead?

IT SUDDENLY struck me as I was watching the Porto-United game early this morning, and trying to look at the game from a tactical point of view.

Is it me or is United’s front-line resembling more and more like a disorganised volleyball formation? Let me explain.

You know how volleyball player rotate positions clockwise after gaining a serve? Well, watching United these days is something like that, only that it is not as systematic as volleyball.

It used to be just Cristiano Ronaldo switching flanks with Ryan Giggs/Park Ji-Sung/Nani, but these days you would see CR7 as the targetman, while Dimitar Berbatov in a deeper playmaking midfield position, while Rooney literally has a free role on the field.

Sure, this free-flowing, fast-switching strategy is cool and could theoretically confuse opposing defenders into conceding more spaces and opportunities than more traditional rigid formations, but is this laissez faire form of attacking football confusing United players as well?

Ronaldo – should he stay or just go far, far away?

WITH Frederico Macheda’s stunning injury-time winner, Ronaldo’s brace had all but become a footnote in the game between Manchester United and Aston Villa last night.

While he has scored 19 goals in all competitions this season, Ronaldo has been a shadow of the player he was last season after the summer transfer debacle with Real Madrid.

And now with rumours surfacing again on Ronaldo’s departure to the Bernabeu at the end of this season, it would be time to reflect on this season and wonder again if keeping Ronaldo at Old Trafford is really worth all the trouble?

THE POSTMAN LIM SAY HENG says: Just go, Ronaldo. Go straight to Real – do not pass ‘Go’, do not collect $200 and please, don’t trip over air and try to look for a free-kick.

Why is Peter Crouch always a “super-sub” for England?

HE MAY not be fast, or strong, or tenacious. If anything, Peter Crouch is best described as “awkward”. Yet the Portsmouth forward remains an enigma – for someone whose physique is more suited for basketball, Crouch has a better goal-to-game ratio than Michael Owen, whose name has been bandied about as the answer to England’s lack of options upfront.

With 15 goals in 33 games, you would have expected the gangly striker to be a major part of Fabio Capello’s plans, and yet Crouch is seemingly fourth in the pecking order, behind Emile Heskey, Carlton Cole and Darren Bent.

With such a good conversion rate, why is Peter Crouch always a “super-sub”, even though he can effectively serve as a targetman foil to Wayne Rooney’s second striker role?

Does Michael Owen fit in the current England set-up?

Michael Owen: fit, but a good fit for England? (Picture: AP)

FRANK Lampard has pledged his support for Michael Owen, after the Newcastle man was not called up by England manager Fabio Capello following the injuries of strikers Emile Heskey and Carlton Cole.

Owen, who scored 40 goals in 89 internationals, has been ignored in favour of Darren Bent, who will have a chance to lead England’s front line against Ukraine on Thursday morning (Singapore time).

Is it just a matter of fitness and form that Owen is not selected, or does the former Liverpool man even fit into the Capello’s preferred strategies and formations?