Manchester United players at the World Cup - quotes/news

[Red News]

Quote of the day from Rio Ferdinand last night


on BBC’s World Cup coverage


on a general piece Gianluca Vialli said "English players can't handle pressure."


then back to the studio as Rio says: "Well he wasn't playing for titles when he was at Chelsea was he?!”

[Red News]

Roy Hodgson defends Wayne Rooney after last night


"I think it is harsh to say he didn't look comfortable on the left. I thought he did quite well and he set up our goal. It is looking for things to say he didn't play well in that position because I think he did."

[Red News]

Paul Scholes not happy with where Wayne Rooney was played last night

writing at http://blog.paddypower.com/2014/06/1...he-was-played/


“The disappointing thing was not the way Wayne Rooney played but where he was played. I’ve previously said the best position for Wayne is centre forward. If you think about the contenders at the World Cup and goalscorers – Holland play RVP in his best position. Brazil play Neymar where he wants to play, Argentina with Messi, Portugal with Ronaldo. I don’t blame Wayne one little bit but he was played in three different positions. He’s without a doubt England’s best goalscorer (his record in qualifying showed that: seven goals). But he was played on the left, played on the right, then in the centre. Where’s the confidence in Wayne to say: ‘You’re our main player. You’re our centre forward.’ If he plays there, he scores goals. Wayne will play anywhere he’s asked. He’s not a moaner or a sulker but it was glaringly obviously there was a massive problem down that left-hand side against Italy. Candreva in particular was stunning and Darmian really hurt England. I thought we took Danny Welbeck off too soon (maybe he was injured) but my feeling is there is plenty to come from these players.”

[Red News]

Graham Taylor concerned about Wayne Rooney out wide


"This business of asking him to play wide, I'm not too certain it's working. From a personal point of view, I would like to see him playing in that centre-forward position because I think that's where you get the best out of him. Asking him to come out wide, it gives me the impression at times that he doesn't like that and he's not into that. I'm not in any way, shape or form telling Roy who to select, but for me it's a little bit worrying seeing his performances at the moment. They're not of the Wayne Rooney type that we know."

[Red News]

It looked like David De Gea might start for Spain in the next game, but now he’s picked up an injury


Spanish football federation statement


"After undergoing tests it was decided that David de Gea would not take part in the team's afternoon training session owing to muscle discomfort in the gluteal region. The Spanish national team's medical services will evaluate day by day the goalkeeper's recovery to determine his reincorporation into the group."

[Red News]

Wayne Rooney asked about his performance against Italy

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“I don't know. I enjoyed the game. Obviously we lost the game but I was involved in the game, could have scored, created the goal and felt I had an influence, although we lost the game.”


Q. Are you a guaranteed starter?


“ I've never felt that, I don't know why you said that. Why would I feel my place in the team is guaranteed? I work hard to try and get in that team. I have never said my place is guaranteed. I don't expect to play, I work hard. I want to play."

[Red News]

Wayne Rooney on the rest of the World Cup for England


"We have to stay positive. We know it is (a game we can win). We know they have got some really good individual players and a good team, likewise we do. We will be positive, we will go in try and try to get three points and hopefully we can. We obviously need the three points now against Uruguay and we go into that game confident. We will take a few of the positives from the game and hopefully that can help us there. We know if we lose the game we are more or less out, so we have to be positive and go at it in some ways the way we did. We went at Italy, I think we lost the two goals at a bad time, really, and we couldn't quite recover from the second one. But we will certainly give it a good go."

[Red News]

Jose Mourinho doesn’t think out wide left is the best position for Wayne Rooney

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“I don’t think it is the best position for Wayne, but I think many, many times players must do sacrifices for their team and I think Wayne did well. I think in this moment after defeat it is quite easy and it is a normal tendency to try and find the reasons for the defeat but I think it is fair to say that the reason for the England defeat was a great Italy. England played very, very well. I don’t remember seeing England play so well in an important competition like the World Cup. Obviously Roy was trying to play at the same time Rooney, Sterling and Welbeck with Sturridge, and to do that somebody has to play a bit more on the side and Wayne did his job. He got an assist for the goal with good participation in the game. But he loses a bit of his danger because he is naturally a goalscorer when he plays more in central positions. England are obviously not happy because that situation is now an extreme situation: they cannot lose another match in the group phase. In the next match against Uruguay it is forbidden to lose. In my opinion the English team had a very, very good positive game.”

[Red News]

Roy Hodgson says they will get Wayne Rooney into the penalty box


“We want him in the area I thought he set up the goal really well. But, yes, we want Wayne in the box, we will get Wayne in the box.”

[mancmark]

It looked like David De Gea might start for Spain in the next game, but now he’s picked up an injury


Spanish football federation statement


"After undergoing tests it was decided that David de Gea would not take part in the team's afternoon training session owing to muscle discomfort in the gluteal region. The Spanish national team's medical services will evaluate day by day the goalkeeper's recovery to determine his reincorporation into the group."

So unlucky as I think he'd of dropped Casillas for De Gea in the next game, hopefully he recovers in time!

[Red News]

The Mexico manager says Javier Hernandez is suffering because of his United season and needs a new team

Miguel Herrera


“Chicharito had a difficult year because he had a different coach to the one that brought him to the club. That coach left and he had another on. But he has an impressive market in Europe and I believe he has huge possibilities to be part of another team, being one of the starting players. Sometimes people get heated up and carried away because they want to see Javier on the pitch but, with what we showed in the last match against Cameroon, people understand that we’ve decided to have 11 players that are going through their best time. When Javier went on, he started the move for the goal but he also passed when he might have shot.”

[Red News]

Javier Hernandez thanks the Mexico fans


"This has put us in a really good mood, because 2013 was a very difficult year, as far as the fans were concerned. This year, I think we've paid back the debt we owed them."

[Red News]

Daniel Sturridge on Wayne Rooney’s England position


“You’re not picking the team and you have to respect the manager’s decision and give it your best shot. I know Wayne’s experienced, he can handle pretty much any situation because he’s been through a lot in his career. You say that’s out of position but he’s played there lots of times for Manchester United, not just in the Premier League but in Champions League semi-finals and finals.”

[Red News]

Danny Welbeck asked about those who criticise him

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"I just give 100 per cent. Everyone has their own opinion, but what matters most is what I believe. And I know what I can do."

[Red News]

Daniel Sturridge defends Danny Welbeck

“I’ve grown up with Welbs and I think he’s unbelievably talented. He hasn’t got the credit he deserves in the past. We’ve been in similar situations, both wanting to play centrally but being on the wing. Mentally, it plays with you sometimes. You’re not clear-minded about how to perform.”