[guide.chat] Waine Rooney is to stay in Manchester United

From: "Carol O'Connor" <missbossyboots33@xxxxxxxxx>
To: "guide chat" <guide.chat@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 10 Mar 2013 08:40:16 -0000

Fergie all smiles as he says Rooney is staying . 
Sir Alex Ferguson was in an unexpectedly jovial mood at Friday's press 
conference but he was clear about what his striker's future holds. Reds 
reporter Stuart Mathieson describes the drama at Carrington. 
Sir Alex Ferguson at the Real Madrid game Sir Alex Ferguson at the Real Madrid 
game 
Sir Alex Ferguson's steps could be heard echoing on the Carrington stairs where 
the United boss holds his press conferences - and so could his voice.
That was the first question answered.
Fergie would be going through with his normal Friday routine and not sending 
assistant Mike Phelan in his place while he seethed in private.
The assembled media set their Dictaphones down on the desk, took out their 
notebooks and the cameramen started rolling.
All heads turned as Fergie made his way to his seat at the head of the room. 
Which Fergie was it going to be?
The enraged, wild-eyed, blood-boiling Reds boss who had stormed from his dugout 
to confront UEFA's fourth official on Tuesday night after Nani's sending off ?
His decision not to attend Tuesday's 'compulsory' after- match chat with the 
press suggested it would take some time for the United manager to calm down.
After his controversial decision to omit Wayne Rooney from his XI against Real 
Madrid would the fall-out in the media infuriate the 71-year-old further and 
set off an outburst that would be written up?
It hadn't been a good 48 hours since the Champions League exit and 'Furious 
Fergie' headlines were probably already being prepared for tomorrow's newspaper 
editions in anticipation of the mother of all backlashes.
In the end it turned out to be the calm after the storm.
He strolled in and immediately had a joke with United's female press officer 
about International Women's Day and the mood lightened.
He knew the questions everybody wanted to ask and wanted answering - and his 
disposition remained light and jocular as he addressed the issues before anyone 
could get a question out.
"Do you want to get rid of the nonsense first or do you want to talk sense?" he 
said with a smile.
"The issues that you're all going on about in the papers are absolute rubbish. 
I've banned two papers from the press  conference and they won't get back in 
here until they apologise.
"There's absolutely no issue between Wayne Rooney and I. To suggest we don't 
talk to each other on the training ground is absolute nonsense.
"He understood the reasons for not playing him and that was completely 
tactical. And I think I was right. We don't always get it right but I think we 
did get it right.
"Danny Welbeck is the best player we have in terms of operating in a double 
role. We had to choke Alonso's ability to control the game, which Danny did, 
and that took away Alonso's control of the game and his ability to go further 
forward and be an attacking player.
"We don't always get it right but we definitely did on Tuesday."
After breaking off to talk about the other major debate from the Real Madrid KO 
and Turkish referee Cuneyt Cakir, the questions were thrown open to the floor 
and Rooney's future was first on the agenda.
But Fergie batted it straight back with an assurance that the 27-year-old 
England striker wouldn't be sold in the summer.
"Wayne will be here next year - you have my word on that," said Fergie.
"There are no issues at all with the player and he'll be involved on Sunday (in 
the FA Cup against Chelsea)."
Will Wayne start tomorrow?
"I'm not prepared to give away my team. Why should I? Why should I help 
anyone?" he added.
He was asked about Rooney's fitness and he replied: "Wayne does need a lot of 
football. He has always been that type."
And that was it. United had moved on from the great Rooney debate.
Of course, it won't completely end there. Things move fast in football and if 
United's interest in Borussia Dortmund's Polish striker Robert Lewandowski 
sharpens in the summer that could put the cat among the pigeons again.
Despite the categorical assurance that Rooney will stay as his Old Trafford 
contract enters the final two seasons, it won't be the first time the Reds have 
stated a player won't be leaving, only for them to be cleaning their locker out 
soon after.
In 2003 the club issued a statement in the wake of 'David Beckham to Real 
Madrid' rumours, saying: "We can categorically deny that any deal is in place 
to sell David Beckham to Real Madrid.
"David will be a Manchester United player next season."
There might not have been a deal in place at that time but Beckham still became 
a Bernabeu player that summer.
Watch this space.
[guide.chat] Waine Rooney is to stay in Manchester United

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