Real Madrid vs Manchester United

Madrid paper aims 'hooligan' jibe at Manchester United's Wayne Rooney


• Marca raises temperature ahead of Real Madrid tie
• Wayne Rooney is 'football player and hooligan rolled into one'

Tom Davies
guardian.co.uk, Tuesday 12 February 2013 06.21 EST

Wayne Rooney's past confrontations with Real Madrid players were highlighted by Marca. Photograph: Darren Staples/Reuters

Wayne Rooney has been described as a "hooligan" and "freckled demon" by Marca as the Spanish sports newspaper seeks to raise the temperature ahead of Wednesday's Champions League match between Real Madrid and Manchester United.

Rooney is depicted on the front page of the Madrid-based daily under the banner headline "El Coco" (meaning "bogey man), while inside, a characteristically forthright piece warns of "a barrel packed with gunpowder" heading for the Bernabéu and recalls the United striker's past confrontations with Real players.

"Wayne Rooney is a football player and hooligan all rolled into one," writes Marca's Hugo Cerezo. "To look at him, you'd think he was one of the 4,000 British fans on the terraces … yelling and drinking beer and jumping the queue to get in through Gate D.

"But Rooney will run out on to the turf at the Bernabéu and face players who have bones to pick with him. Pepe, [Ricardo] Carvalho, [Iker] Casillas and Cristiano Ronaldo may well relive their encounters with the English bad boy."

Marca also rakes over Rooney's past indiscretions at the World Cup in 2006, when he was sent off for treading on Portugal's Carvalho and Ronaldo encouraged the referee to dismiss him, and a fracas with Casillas in England's friendly against Spain more than eight years ago. It also makes reference to Rooney tweeting that Pepe was "an idiot" after the Real defender trod on Lionel Messi's hand during a Copa del Rey match against Barcelona last season.

Rooney's former team-mate Gary Neville responded on Twitter that Marca's verdict was "harsh".

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"Freckled demon"??? I like it!
 
The thing I'm most worried about is getting sucked into their dirty tricks and someone getting sent off. Like it or not, we know RVP and Rooney are both known to have a short fuse. They can't be getting wound up by Pepe and Ramos' inevitable playacting. And if Vidic finds himself isolated, he can't be pulling people down, he has to let them go and have confidence in DDG. Worse case scenario is going down to 10 there.
 
Sir Alex brushed it aside saying he doesn't care what some Madrid paper says. Rooney doesn't read Spanish so should be alright..
 
It's like the pundits on Sky completely forgot about Madrid having to contend with RVP, Rooney and our wingers. The whole time Ray was just talking about how we are going to struggle against all their attackers, basically dismissing our chances.
 
Alonso and Arbeloa both have been in hot and cold form. Alonso, really has been below par except 1/2 big games.

Ozil is just getting into some form, which is worrying a bit.
 
Not really, but we've probably been the most successful team after Barcelona for the past 5/6 years.
 
I really hope Pepe doesn't play either leg because every player of ours is at risk if that lunatic gets on the pitch.
 
wr8_utd said:
I really hope Pepe doesn't play either leg because every player of ours is at risk if that lunatic gets on the pitch.
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He is always a sending off risk, tbf and so can be Ramos at times.
 
Cevno said:
He is always a sending off risk, tbf and so can be Ramos at times.
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Pepe could injure our players whereas Ramos is just likely to do something stupid and get sent off. I'd be pretty happy if Pepe didn't play.
 
I can see Young starting now.

de Gea
Rafael Ferdinand Vidic Evra
Carrick Cleverley
Valencia Rooney Young
van Persie​

Looking back at our toughest games this season which we won, it was practically this team that started (with maybe Evans over Vidic). I'd rather not throw Young straight in at the deep end and just trust Kagawa or even Nani on the left. However, it could be Rooney on the left and Jones deployed as part of a midfield three but with the job of helping track Ronaldo. I'm just not fully sold on man-marking Ronaldo because I think the combination of Valencia and Rafael should be able to deal with him enough.
 
in your madrid slums,
you now work less than the scousers
the germans bailed out all of your houses,
in your madrid slums.....

the glenfarclas is getting me started lads...can't sleep...BUZZINNNN
 
Strange mix of excitement and nerves, I know we can win this game & looking forward to seeing us do it but can't shake the feeling at the back of my mind that Ronnie is going to turn it on and bang in a hattrick.
 
This has a very big game feel about it. And to be quite honest we have been very good in the big matches this season.

I can't look past a Madrid win, but if we score and keep the score respectable then I think United will progress.

Like I said before, I think home match in the second leg is an advantage.
 
I won't be sleeping tonight.

I'll be thinking about this game all night, I can't get over it. We need to get a result!
 
Literally anything can happen, think that's what excites me the most! We could lose 4-0, we could win 2-0!
 
Kid Cunto said:
Literally anything can happen, think that's what excites me the most! We could lose 4-0, we could win 2-0!
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Doubt it. If we can have a complete focus on the games and tactics, 1-0, 2-1 is the best we can get I think. Somehow, I just think they will be very negative if they got behind.

Anyway, a score draw will do me fine.
 
feck YES. I'm working from home for the rest of the week. away from client site because of a clerical error. On the train home and already buzzing in anticipation of tomorrow!!!!
 
Let's hope Van Persie and Rooney are in a clinical mood tomorrow, we need to take our chances when they come. Starting to feel nervous before a game for the first time since City last year, and probably the champions league final before that. Can't wait.
 
How can Marca call Rooney a "hooligan" with a straight face? Guys like Pepe, Ramos, Coentrao, Essien are all thugs of the highest order. They really are classless bastards this Madrid lot.
 
I wish I was as confident as most of you guys in this thread!


I'm excited but scared a little bit. I just hope our defenders are up to shutting Ronnie down.
 
Ronaldo's Mum said:
I wish I was as confident as most of you guys in this thread!


I'm excited but scared a little bit. I just hope our defenders are up to shutting Ronnie down.
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Confident? :lol: Not at all, mate. In fact I'm terribly nervous. Our back 5/6 would need to have the best game of the season to deal with Ronaldo dropping into the smallest of gaps and taking advantage!
 
scholesy legend said:
Doubt it. If we can have a complete focus on the games and tactics, 1-0, 2-1 is the best we can get I think. Somehow, I just think they will be very negative if they got behind.

Anyway, a score draw will do me fine.
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A 2-0 win isn't all that different from a 1-0 win. A half-chance here and a toe poke there is all it takes to get that extra goal.

I just don't see Real shutting down if we take the lead on them early in the game. They'll be pissed and no matter what Jose tells them, they'll come at us.

I say bring it on!
 
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