Rate it!

0 votes

'Screw Roo'. 'Roo Rage'. The slightly more conservative 'Roo puts boot in', and the entirely broadsheet 'Rooney loses cool'.

Just a few of this morning's headlines as some papers try in vain to whip up a storm about Wayne Rooney's angry strop after he was substituted during Manchester United's 1-0 win at Besiktas.

Rooney was clearly unhappy to be hauled off in Istanbul, ignoring Alex Ferguson on his way off the pitch before exchanging verbals with some locals in the stand above the United dugout.

The incident triggered memories of 1993, when Eric Cantona was sent off against Galatasaray in a cauldron of noise at the Ali Sami Yen stadium, sparking furious scenes of his way off the pitch.

Fortunately this time round, no police batons were wielded, no one was hit with a shield and Rooney made it to the safety of the bench and later the dressing room with nothing more than his pride bruised.

That it was an act of petulance is undeniable, yet Ferguson did not seem too bothered by it.

Indeed, when such crankiness comes from a player like Rooney, it is generally considered a 'good thing', a demonstration of the player's desire to play, of his will to succeed.

Michel Salgado said as much in his new role as television pundit (and here was ED thinking he came over here to play football for Blackburn).

Instead of lambasting the England striker for hurling a boot and then visibly sulking for the remainder of the match, Salgado could not help but heap praise on Rooney, claiming his reaction marked him out as a "winner" and a "great player".

Television chums Ruud Gullitt and Gordon Strachan both grinningly agreed, the latter saying he could not see Rooney had done anything wrong.

Yet ED cannot imagine the same reaction from the punditry couch had it been many other players who reacted the same way to their frustration on the pitch and jeers off it.

Remember Cristiano Ronaldo reacted in a similar fashion to being brought off last season - the sulking, not the boot throwing - yet condemnation for the Portuguese was rife. Petulant, spoilt brat was the general consensus.

The message is clear: Wayne Rooney is well-liked, and that seems to exempt him from widespread criticism for the odd act of petulance. And why not? If anyone deserves to be afforded such a privilege, it is him.

- - -

Chelsea's start to their Champions League campaign was, fittingly given the torrential downpour at Stamford Bridge, a bit of a damp squib.

A laboured 1-0 win against opposition who traditionally do not travel well in Europe was hardly the most perfect of starts, yet Carlo Ancelotti will be able to take some positives out of the game, namely that his side are capable of scoring, and winning, without Didier Drogba.

Far more important to Chelsea is the presence of captain John Terry, who seems intent on staying on the pitch, no matter what.

Last night it was an elbow to the face that threatened to end his night. He was knocked unconscious for a few seconds, but no matter, JT bounced back and was on the pitch once again soon after.

Forget all that chest-puffing nonsense from the weekend - all mouth, no action - this time he proved exactly how hard he is. And to make it all the more impressive, he didn't even make a fuss about it afterwards.

- - -

FOREIGN VIEW: "I never feel pressure. I just work to score goals." After scoring twice in Real Madrid's crazy win over FC Zurich, Cristiano Ronaldo appears to be enjoying a new-found stress-free life. Let's see what happens when Real actually lose a game.

QUOTE OF THE DAY: "If somebody stamps on your head in that way, you wouldn't say thank you very much and turn the other cheek. Only Jesus Christ did that." Arsene Wenger realises that Robin van Persie does not possess all the qualities of the son of God.

COMING UP: The Emmanuel Adebayor saga rumbles on, with a 6pm deadline set for the Manchester City striker to respond to the charges levelled against him. The first round of the group stage of the Champions League continues tonight, with Arsenal and Liverpool in action. We'll have full live commentary on both those games, as well as tonight's six other clashes, including Internazionale v Barcelona. And for the Championship fan, we'll have live coverage of Blackpool v Newcastle and Reading v Cardiff City.

Eurosport