Roneey amaliza mzizi wa fitina...

Mbonea · Jan 28, 2010

WAYNE ROONEY shut the noisy neighbours up with his dramatic injury-time header which took United to the Carling Cup final.

And when he goes banging on the Glazers' door for talks about a new contract they had better give him what he wants.

Because if the hated owners know what's good for them they will realise Rooney is critical to United remaining at the top of the English football tree and servicing all those horrendous debts.

The England striker has made it clear he wants to stay but he should not be taken for granted. He knows his market value and even if it costs £150,000-a-week or more to keep him, Rooney will be worth every penny.

It showed the character of the man that when Rooney missed a glorious chance from six yards which would have sealed United's trip to Wembley, he did not disappear into his shell.

It just made him all the more determined to atone for his error. So with the scores level on aggregate and extra-time beckoning, Rooney rose in the six-yard box to nod in skipper Ryan Giggs' cross and took the roof off Old Trafford.

It was Rooney's 21st goal and one of the most important of a prolific season.

He credits his new-found scoring prowess to a pep-talk from England manager Fabio Capello.

The Italian told Roo he would score more if he spent more time in the penalty area instead of chasing all over the pitch. It wasn't rocket science but it has had the desired effect.

For Carlos Tevez, the former United favourite who has become the anti-Christ since switching to the blue half of the City, it was a bitter pill to swallow.

Tevez scored twice in the explosive first leg at Eastlands to give City a 2-1 lead and it was his goal which pulled City back into this game after United had gone 2-0 up through Paul Scholes and Michael Carrick.

But it was not to be his night or that of 'Silly Billy' chief executive Garry Cook who said City would become the world's biggest club and predicted another victory over United.

Old Trafford boss Fergie reckoned City were getting a little carried away with themselves and how right he was.

It was hard to remember when the second leg of a League Cup semi-final in any of its guises had been so eagerly anticipated as this one.

The very fact holders United had decided to appeal against Rio Ferdinand's violent conduct charge so that he could play in this game said it all.

Tevez got an arm in the face from Ferdinand which left him flat on the floor but then almost got his revenge when he went on a mazy run and was foiled by Rio's tackle as he homed in on goal.

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There were few clear clear-cut chances in the first half but Edwin van der Sar dived to his left to push away a Tevez diving header and then Shay Given got down to hold a low fizzer from Giggs.

The longer the game went on the closer City were to the final against Aston Villa and Micah Richards almost put them there at the start of the second half.

The full-back found himself in unlikely territory as he burst away from Rooney and cut inside before unleashing a left-foot strike which Van der Sar tipped over.

Tevez went in the book for a sliding tackle on Rafael Da Silva and then Bellamy was hit on the head by a coin near the corner flag.

While it obviously hurt the Welshman it did not hurt half as much as United's goal on 51 minutes which was started by a magnificent crossfield ball from Rooney which Giggs took in his stride.

It seemed the chance had gone when Giggs was forced out wide by Given but the skipper turned it back into the area and, though Nani lost it, Carrick fed the ball back for Scholes who struck one of his specials low into the corner.

How Old Trafford and Fergie celebrated that one.

They were on their feet again in the 71st minute when Darren Fletcher laid a ball back for Carrick to sidefoot home.

Rooney's squandered sitter would have finished it good and proper but then Tevez, who else, made the aggregate scores level with 15 minutes left as he got in front of Ferdinand to convert Bellamy's cross.

Surely Tevez would not be the thorn in Fergie's side again?

Not this time. Rooney made sure of that

Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/sport/football/2827434/Man-Utd-3-Man-City-1.html#ixzz0dt71dTUL

Roneey amaliza mzizi wa fitina...

Mbonea

JF-Expert Member

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