Wayne Rooney has apologised for the hack on Stewart Downing which saw him sent off during Manchester United's 2-1 win over West Ham.
The Red Devils captain, who has "no complaints" over the decision, left his team under great pressure when he was dismissed for a needless foul on the Hammers winger. Rooney admitted he was trying to cynically break up play in order to stop the counter, but realised his swipe was overzealous. His comments were reported by Ian Ladyman of the Daily Mail:
I saw the West Ham player making a counter-attack and tried to break-up the play. I just misjudged it. I am gutted that I am going to miss the next three games. I expect people to say it’s my temper again but I was trying to break up the play. It was a dangerous situation and I just misjudged it.
But I have no complaints. I haven’t absolutely volleyed the lad. I have tried to trip him up and he got further away from me and that is why my leg is straighter than it should have been. I have apologised to the lads.
Rooney remains "grateful" his team-mates "were able to hold on" for what was an important victory at Old Trafford. United battled valiantly for over half an hour with 10 men and a depleted defence, which came under masses of pressure against a West Ham side whose attacking power is palpable.
Despite enjoying a 2-0 lead, the home team appeared nervy from the moment an unmarked Diafra Sakho headed in from a corner.
United were without defenders Phil Jones, Chris Smalling and Jonny Evans, leaving Marcos Rojo and debutant Paddy McNair to form a makeshift centre-back pairing. The latter performed admirably on the big stage and appeared unmoved by the importance of the occasion.
At just 19, McNair showed himself to be calm under pressure and a smart reader of the game against a testing forward line in Sakho and Enner Valencia. He made one of the best defensive headers you're ever likely to see as the game wore on—stood facing David De Gea's goal, his diving flick from just outside the goalmouth saw a major chance go begging for the visitors—and was confident enough to bark orders at his more experienced colleagues.
Rojo, too, enjoyed a useful showing after his dismal display against Leicester. United fans saw a more disciplined side to the Argentinian who has proven positionally unaware when playing his usual left-back role. He helped McNair through the match, high-fived the youngster after he made an excellent interception and generally showed leadership skills that haven't been apparent up until now. Luke Shaw, also playing his first competitive game for the club, should be pleased with his display during a difficult afternoon.
United finally showed some character after what has been a disappointing start to life under Louis van Gaal. The Dutch manager opted against criticising Rooney after the match, instead saying "he doesn't have to change" and "he needed to do it," per Ladyman . Martin Samuel of the Daily Mail tweeted his thoughts, while also hinting why Van Gaal chose not to berate the player in public:
Former Premier League referee Graham Poll believes Rooney "deserved" to see red after a "wild, violent kick at his opponent," per his Daily Mail column. The English captain now misses games with Everton, West Brom and Chelsea before returning against Manchester City on Nov. 2. Juan Mata is expected to take his place in the team and will be quietly grateful for the opportunity to continue his fine run of scoring.
While United rode their luck on Saturday—Kevin Nolan's late offside goal could have easily been given—the team will be pleased with their performance in the circumstances. Rooney's absence may be a blessing in disguise. Despite scoring, his distribution once again appeared sloppy and brought United under unnecessary danger.
Van Gaal's men are entering a difficult period of games. While slight improvements are noticeable, United have proven unable to string a run of wins together this season. With Everton, Chelsea, City and Arsenal on the horizon, points are likely to be at a minimum before the start of December.
Rooney's ban won't change the team too greatly, as it's more likely the fitness of United's first-team defenders will have the greatest impact on the team's results.
from Bleacher Report http://ift.tt/1DQ8mht
via IFTTT September 28, 2014 at 11:59PM
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