Boss '; Rooney only has one thing on Mind

FOOTBALL NEWS

06/12/2011 17:48, Report by Gemma Thompson in Basel

Page 1 of 2 Next

Rooney won't be distracted

Sir Alex insists Wayne Rooney will not be distracted by Thursday's UEFA hearing as the striker hopes to fire United into the Champions League knockout stages.
The manager refused to even consider that the England international could have his mind elsewhere with his disciplinary appeal due to be held in Switzerland the following day after the tie with Basel. There has been some speculation of late that Fabio Capello could spring a major surprise and leave his star man out of the squad for Euro 2012 if the three-game suspension is upheld.
When asked about whether he had any worries about Rooney's focus, the response was unequivocal.
"He's got a game tomorrow," asserted the boss. "I don't think the hearing comes into it at all."
Concentration was a major theme for Sir Alex as the Reds must avoid an upset in order to ensure a top-two finish in Group C. Reiterating some of the points he made over the weekend, the boss is fully prepared for a tough test against the Swiss champions, who drew 3-3 at Old Trafford in September.
"We need to make sure we try and control the game as we did at Aston Villa," he explained. "It'll be a fantastic atmosphere but we've had a good record away from home in the last few years and that helps us. Hopefully, it applies itself tomorrow.
"There was nothing wrong with our tactics in the first game [the 3-3 draw]. It was the complacency as we got wasteful with our chances. We showed a lack of discipline in the second half and it cost us an extra two points.