Chelsea midfielder, http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Frank-Lampard-c14097 fears frustrated Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney
http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Chelsea-c38786 midfielder, Frank Lampard, revealed he was afraid the Football Association’s (FA) charge on Manchester United striker, Wayne Rooney, would only fire up the striker ahead of the Champions League quarter-final clash tonight. Chelsea takes on the Red Devils at Old Trafford in the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final, in their last attempt at silverware this season.
This will be http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/Wayne-Rooney-c36736’s first appearance in a match after being charged by the FA for offensive language in the game against West Ham United over the weekend. Manchester United came from behind to beat the Hammers 4-2 and gained valuable three points, as most of the other title contenders stumbled to draws.
While a ban of this nature might not have positively affected most players ahead of such a crucial game, Lampard believed it would only improve Rooney’s performance. The 25-year-old http://www.senore.com/Football-soccer/England-c749 striker, who struggles to contain his emotions, will have been left frustrated by the ban. Lampard admitted the thought of facing a frustrated Rooney was not a pleasant one.
Lampard knows his England teammate all too well, while speaking to reporters he said, “Wayne is always a very competitive player and there is never a good time to be playing against him. But there's a chance that the ban might spur him on even more. When you get negative headlines like he's had it can make you more of a threat.”
The England midfielder refused to comment on whether or not he believed Rooney was rightfully banned by the FA. He continued, “It's not for me to say if I was surprised by the charge. The FA have made their decision and I think United have accepted it. But Wayne is a fantastic player and he'll definitely be a threat against us.”
Rooney has had a somewhat shaky season with Manchester United, with many quarters believing him wanting to leave the club after a row with Manchester United boss, Sir Alex Ferguson. This was later attested by Ferguson in a press conference, when he said Rooney wanted to leave the club, and the player, along with his representative confirmed the statement. However, their differences were resolved, and the striker signed a new five-year-deal with the club.
His ankle injury and the spat with Ferguson early on have undoubtedly affected his season, with Rooney only managing to score 12 goals in 34 appearances. Whilst this season’s goal tally compared to that of last season’s 34 in 44 games might not be impressive, but the Englishman is slowly regaining his form as the campaign approaches its culmination.
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