Champions League - Managers: Rooney hailed

Eurosport - Wed, 22 Oct 15:45:00 2008

All the reaction from Tuesday's Champions League games, with Gordon Strachan hailing Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney.

2008-2009 Champions League Manchester United-Celtic Wayne Rooney - 0

Group E

Manchester United 3-0 Celtic

Sir Alex Ferguson: "Dimitar [Berbatov] showed some fantastic pieces of football. I also think the other players are beginning to understand what type of player he is. You always feel he can produce a pass that means something and his weight of pass on three or four occasions was superb. He has got five goals for us already and that is a terrific contribution. I was really pleased with our performance. It was a really bad night for Celtic to get us and a good night for us."

Gordon Strachan: "In the past couple of years we have played some terrific sides but I think that's the best. It was one of the best performances I have come across watching European football. It will take some team to beat them, that's for sure. Wayne Rooney was unplayable. When you see players like that you have to say he's a world-class player, backed up by a couple of other world-class players and six or seven international players."

Villarreal 6-3 AaB Aalborg

Manuel Pellegrini: "I am not hurt by conceding three goals; what I like more is the fact that we scored six. If we scored more goals than usual today, we also conceded more and we can fix that. I am pleased with the attacking reaction we showed. Each time our opponents attacked us it was a goal, we gave them too much space, but we fixed it in the second half."

Bruce Rioch: "It was an incredible night of football. To come here, score three goals and leave conceding six is amazing. I think we played with discipline for most of the game. We knew it was going to be tough. Lots of people, especially in Denmark, don't realise how good Villarreal are - they're a fantastic team."

Group F

Bayern Munich 3-0 Fiorentina

Juergen Klinsmann: "The victory was very, very important and gives us lift. But we must build on this, we knew Fiorentina are a very strong, attacking team and had their chances to score a goal or two. We have to consitently reach that level and we hope we will just get better and better. I never doubted we would get to this level."

Cesare Prandelli: "We started badly, but after the 10th minute we were able to play and build some good opportunities. We had no precision in front of goal, but we were playing a team that is aiming to win the Champions League, so what do you want to tell the lads?"

Steaua Bucharest 3-5 Olympique Lyon

Marius Lacatus: "We failed to continue playing the way we started and we gifted Lyon the victory, offering them excellent chances to score. They did not hang around and they killed us off."

Claude Puel: "We were up against it with those two stupidly conceded goals before a third in the same conditions a little before half-time. Many teams would have faded by we knew how to react. Even if we will once again talk of the team's defense, I would also like to underline the character and conviction of my team who were capable of overturning a situation like that."

Group G

Fenerbahce 2-5 Arsenal

Arsene Wenger: "We came her and tried to dictate the game in a very heated atmpshere. I think it was a good game because Fenerbahce were dangerous as well. Overall I believe our mobility, our technique, our pace was superior and that made a big difference tonight."

Luis Aragones: "It was a game which, after 11 minutes, Arsenal were already 2-0 up. We did score but it was not enough to get back in the game. Unfortunately we didn't play as a team. We were too much on the offensive side and not careful enough on the defensive side."

Porto 0-1 Dynamo Kiev

Jesualdo Ferreira: "It was a game of two halves. In the first we were very good offensively and had enough quality not to go in 1-0 down. Dynamo scored from their only shot on goal while we weren't able to convert three or four good chances. We knew it wasn't going to be easy to beat a team which came here primarily to defend, playing almost like this was a two-legged tie."

Yuri Syomin: "We are very happy because it has been a long time without an away win in Europe. After we went ahead, we lost control of the match but secured the advantage and we are very happy. We still have two games at home (against Porto and Fenerbahce) and after this victory we believe even more that we can qualify."

Group H

Juventus 2-1 Real Madrid

Claudio Ranieri: "Tonight we have been a bit lucky...but I must give credit to the players because they were compact and stopped Real playing like they are used to. We knew we were not doing so well this year but some of the criticism has been excessive. I knew the club was behind me. It was a game we have dreamed about for a long time."

Bernd Schuster: "In Spain we are used to starting games well but tonight it was complicated. Juventus were quick off the mark and it was tough for us. Everyone said Juve were not in great form but they showed tonight they are an aggressive side. We must find new resolve and beat Juve at home and move forward."

Zenit St Petersburg 1-1 BATE Borisov

Dick Advocaat: "I can only repeat what I've been saying after matches against Real and Juventus. We controlled the game and created numerous opportunities. We could have scored a lot more than one goal tonight but once again kept wasting our chances and if you don't score, your opponent will do it for you. That's an old rule of football."

Viktor Goncharenko: "I have already said several times that we, the whole country and Borisov can be proud of this team. We were deemed underdogs before the start and it was said that we would get no points in our six games, but we have proved again that we can match the big teams today. We forced Zenit to play at their maximum and show their hand."

Eurosport

Comment 1 - 10 of 10

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  1. There is only one player who can think and create -­ Dimitar Berbatov! The 'great' CR should part­ for Madrid and be substtituted by Tevez who is a­ fighter! There is no place in MUFC for selfish egoists!

    From Stephan, on Wed 22 Oct 7:50PM
  2. Rooney. Some striker. He is so intelligent it makes­ you wonder why he isn't the world's best. Note­ the long sharp passes & the fact that he plays­ fair; he never dives or looks for cheap infringements. ­ If he scores you, then you know you were well beaten -­ no tricks attached. Last year Rooney helped Ronaldo­ (who actually played well last night) become the­ world's best. This year he is trying to help others­ & himself too. I do hope the 'others'­ appreciate that & 'help' him too. I love­ him. He isn't the best the world has seen, but­ believe me, he is the best right now. More matured. No­ tantrums. No swearing. No greed. Just fair football­ & goals no one argues with...
    Like the two he­ scored last night... Did I say two? Yeah... we all saw­ it. Let you be the judge.

    From Alozie E, on Wed 22 Oct 12:50PM
  3. MAN utd were very good keep going

    From whmorris74, on Wed 22 Oct 11:27AM
  4. @#$% you all

    From Francis, on Wed 22 Oct 10:30AM
  5. i'm a chelsea fan but for me, rooney is probably­ one of the best striker ever!! he's not a diver n­ always looking to get the ball at his feet. that's­ why he is one of the best!!! keep it up!!!

    From Uzer, on Wed 22 Oct 10:28AM
  6. Was a good game of football from united, not the best­ ive seen them play but to come away 3-0 is still an­ excellent result. Rooney is just fantastic lately ant­ Berbatov is now coming out of his shell and giving some­ excellent performances.

    I Still think Sir Alex should­ be giving oliveira anderson more time on the pitch, you­ can see that he is hungry for it but just isnt being­ given the time he needs

    From MaInY, on Wed 22 Oct 10:20AM
  7. Welldone the Gunners, no matter what you are simply the­ best team in the world that plays good football. no­ fear of credit crunch on the team like others and a­ bunch of young talented players. Up professor wenger.­ the best amongs equal

    From danladis, on Wed 22 Oct 7:39AM
  8. i give kudos to the young gunners.
    They really put up a­ good performance in the absence of injured first team­ players.

    From tunde, on Wed 22 Oct 4:58AM
  9. GLORY GLORY MAN UTD!! it was a very entertaining match­ (on the red devil side). they confined celtic in their­ own half and really made it hard for celtic to even­ play.

    From dila, on Wed 22 Oct 2:06AM
  10. arsenal was so good tonight..

    From fattah_evh88, on Wed 22 Oct 12:34AM
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