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Sports News of Sunday, 2 August 2020

Source: www.mynigeria.com

Rooney faults Fergie's tactics for Man Utd's CL final losses to Barcelona

Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson at the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona | Reuters Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson at the 2011 Champions League final against Barcelona | Reuters

Manchester United legend, Wayne Rooney, has blamed legendry coach, Sir Alex Ferguson's tactics for the Red Devils' Champions League final double losses to Barcelona.

The Red Devils, under Ferguson, lost the 2009 and 2011 finals to Barcelona by 2-0, 3-1 margin respectively, with Rooney scoring United's only goal in both encounters.

Rooney, in his column for the Sunday Times previewing the Manchester City vs Real Madrid Champions League second leg, believes Sir Alex got it all wrong.

The 34-year-old, now plying his trade with Championship side Derby, said: "It's always hard for a club like Real to go into a game saying 'we'll surrender the ball'. It is the same for United.

"But we lost two Champions League finals going toe-to-toe with Guardiola's Barcelona, by trying to press high and get round them, which was suicidal.

"I remember Alex Ferguson saying 'we're Man United and we're going to attack, it's in the culture of this football club' and thinking 'I'm not too sure about this'.

"I think all the players knew, deep down, it was the wrong approach, that we were abandoning the way that had brought us success in that 2008 semi-final — and sure enough both times we got outplayed.

"There is being true to the club, but then there's sitting back afterwards and thinking 'we lost'.

"For me, it doesn't matter how you do it in these big Champions League games, as long as you win.

"look at how Liverpool ground it out in last year's final — and I think [Zinedine] Zidane has the same mindset."

Despite those two losses, Rooney did manage to bag himself a Champions League medal playing under Fergie when United beat Chelsea in a penalty shoot-out in 2008.

The Sun