Post by Grey on Oct 3, 2004 17:19:36 GMT -5
Source:soccernet.espn.go.com/feature?id=311774&cc=4716
"What a waste of money..."
Dominic Raynor
'What a waste of money...' That was the tongue in cheek chant at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as £27million striker Wayne Rooney marked his long-awaited debut with a hat-trick in the 6-2 Champions League victory over Fenerbahce.
Not since Charlie Sagar in 1905 had a Manchester United player scored three goals on his debut - even serial record-breaker Ruud Van Nistelrooy only managed two - and manager Sir Alex Ferguson could hardly hide his delight at the impact of his multi-million pound purchase.
In his pre-match ramblings the Old Trafford boss was at pains to stress that he had spent this season's entire transfer kitty on the massive potential of the 18-year-old. But such was the youngster's display on Tuesday night that even without the years of development under Fergie's tutelage he already looks a snip at just under £30million.
The former Everton striker returned to action with typical nonchalance after months out with a broken metatarsal and made his three goals look deceptively simple, despite the quality of the finish of all three.
It took only 17 minutes to open his Red Devils account when he lashed home van Nistelrooy's perfectly weighted through-ball from outside the box. Fenerbahce keeper Rustu Recber, who had some less than complimentary pre-match comments, had already tussled with Rooney early in the match and escaped unscathed, but this time the Turkish international had to humbly pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Rooney's second was trademark, from the faint that beat defender Umit to the early struck, long-range, daisy-cutter that caught Recber by surprise and nestled in the far corner of the goal. Fans of England's Euro 2004 campaign will be familiar with the technique.
It seemed inevitable that a third would follow and when United were awarded a soft freekick on the edge of the box there was only ever going to be one taker, and one outcome.
Not to be totally upstaged by his new strike partner van Nistelrooy joined the scoring spree with a well worked goal that went some way to quelling his obvious envy - a healthy rivalry that should benefit United's goals for column.
Rooney seemed typically unfazed by the enormity of the situation when he strolled into Old Trafford and even as he tired towards the end of the match he still looked comfortable knocking simple balls out to the wings, rather than indulging in the lung-bursting runs he demonstrated earlier in the fixture.
His impact, although only in a match that Ferguson deemed undemanding enough to drop skipper Roy Keane, Christiano Ronaldo and John O'Shea, will send a message to the rest of Europe and the Premiership that, contrary the Recber's assertions, United are not has-beens.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that the transfer of Rooney 'could have an impact on the title' and after his debut in the red shirt of Manchester United it would appear the Frenchman's usually astute surmising of a player's ability could be spot on once again.
Following Tuesday's match opposing manager Cristoph Daum added to the plaudits and suggested that Rooney could become the player of the century.
In light of such high praise and expectation Ferguson's toughest task may well be to keep Rooney out of, what the Scot terms, the 'media circus'. Given the well publicised indiscretions that have marred his fledgling career a dressing room that contains the carefully nurtured talents of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville can only help.
And there are already signs that Ferguson's hand is already at work. There was no post match interview for the hat-trick scoring man of the match and the intentionally torn shirt that adorned the Scouser in the first-half was replaced by a pristine kit, and no doubt a word in the ear from Ferguson, for the second-half.
His arrival at United has had a similar revitalising effect to the arrival of Gabriel Heinze and the return of Rio Ferdinand and has helped to shrug off the doubts that accompanied United following a stuttering start to the season.
It is tough to generalise one performance to an entire season, or an entire career, but Rooney is already being compared to United legend's Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton and the fearless youngster has made a habit of exceeding expectation.
Fellow United strikers Alan Smith and Louis Saha must have their head in their hands hoping that Ferguson sticks to his promise to protect Rooney and uses him sparingly.
Judging by his debut performance so will the rest of football.
"What a waste of money..."
Dominic Raynor
'What a waste of money...' That was the tongue in cheek chant at Old Trafford on Wednesday night as £27million striker Wayne Rooney marked his long-awaited debut with a hat-trick in the 6-2 Champions League victory over Fenerbahce.
Not since Charlie Sagar in 1905 had a Manchester United player scored three goals on his debut - even serial record-breaker Ruud Van Nistelrooy only managed two - and manager Sir Alex Ferguson could hardly hide his delight at the impact of his multi-million pound purchase.
In his pre-match ramblings the Old Trafford boss was at pains to stress that he had spent this season's entire transfer kitty on the massive potential of the 18-year-old. But such was the youngster's display on Tuesday night that even without the years of development under Fergie's tutelage he already looks a snip at just under £30million.
The former Everton striker returned to action with typical nonchalance after months out with a broken metatarsal and made his three goals look deceptively simple, despite the quality of the finish of all three.
It took only 17 minutes to open his Red Devils account when he lashed home van Nistelrooy's perfectly weighted through-ball from outside the box. Fenerbahce keeper Rustu Recber, who had some less than complimentary pre-match comments, had already tussled with Rooney early in the match and escaped unscathed, but this time the Turkish international had to humbly pick the ball out of the back of the net.
Rooney's second was trademark, from the faint that beat defender Umit to the early struck, long-range, daisy-cutter that caught Recber by surprise and nestled in the far corner of the goal. Fans of England's Euro 2004 campaign will be familiar with the technique.
It seemed inevitable that a third would follow and when United were awarded a soft freekick on the edge of the box there was only ever going to be one taker, and one outcome.
Not to be totally upstaged by his new strike partner van Nistelrooy joined the scoring spree with a well worked goal that went some way to quelling his obvious envy - a healthy rivalry that should benefit United's goals for column.
Rooney seemed typically unfazed by the enormity of the situation when he strolled into Old Trafford and even as he tired towards the end of the match he still looked comfortable knocking simple balls out to the wings, rather than indulging in the lung-bursting runs he demonstrated earlier in the fixture.
His impact, although only in a match that Ferguson deemed undemanding enough to drop skipper Roy Keane, Christiano Ronaldo and John O'Shea, will send a message to the rest of Europe and the Premiership that, contrary the Recber's assertions, United are not has-beens.
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger said that the transfer of Rooney 'could have an impact on the title' and after his debut in the red shirt of Manchester United it would appear the Frenchman's usually astute surmising of a player's ability could be spot on once again.
Following Tuesday's match opposing manager Cristoph Daum added to the plaudits and suggested that Rooney could become the player of the century.
In light of such high praise and expectation Ferguson's toughest task may well be to keep Rooney out of, what the Scot terms, the 'media circus'. Given the well publicised indiscretions that have marred his fledgling career a dressing room that contains the carefully nurtured talents of Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and Gary Neville can only help.
And there are already signs that Ferguson's hand is already at work. There was no post match interview for the hat-trick scoring man of the match and the intentionally torn shirt that adorned the Scouser in the first-half was replaced by a pristine kit, and no doubt a word in the ear from Ferguson, for the second-half.
His arrival at United has had a similar revitalising effect to the arrival of Gabriel Heinze and the return of Rio Ferdinand and has helped to shrug off the doubts that accompanied United following a stuttering start to the season.
It is tough to generalise one performance to an entire season, or an entire career, but Rooney is already being compared to United legend's Denis Law and Sir Bobby Charlton and the fearless youngster has made a habit of exceeding expectation.
Fellow United strikers Alan Smith and Louis Saha must have their head in their hands hoping that Ferguson sticks to his promise to protect Rooney and uses him sparingly.
Judging by his debut performance so will the rest of football.
