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Rooney takes verbal swipe at Drogba
MANCHESTER, England (AP)
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has taken a swipe at Chelsea striker Didier Drogba's temperament ahead of the Champions League final.
"Sometimes he seems as if his head's not quite there," Rooney said.
It was an unusually candid comment from the softly spoken Rooney as he broke off from preparations for his first European final. He'll have to hope the dig doesn't backfire in Moscow on Wednesday.
Drogba reacted angrily when accused of being a continual diver by Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez before the semi-final match with Chelsea. The Côte d'Ivoire international's response was to score two goals - including the winner - to help secure Chelsea's trip to Luzniki Stadium.
Hot-headed player
But United defender Nemanja Vidic has also questioned Drogba's conduct.
"Sometimes he goes in very strong and sometimes he pretends he is weak," Vidic said. "He plays with your mind and tries to make the defender think about the next tackle.
"He can pretend he fell down to win a penalty, but referees know that."
Rooney himself has been rebuked for being hot-headed on the field, most strikingly when he was sent off for England at the 2006 World Cup for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho.
And while highlighting Drogba's flaw, Rooney does acknowledge the danger he poses.
"When he's at his best, he's an unbelievable player," Rooney said. "He's big, strong, he scores goals - left foot, right foot, headers - at times he is unplayable."
Drogba scored the winning goal in last season's FA Cup final against Man United, and Rooney is afraid Chelsea might be hard to break down if it scores early.
"Chelsea may be a little bit more defensive and if they go one up, it's very difficult to get back at them," he said. "If we go one up, we'd keep trying to get a second goal."
Rooney believes the Red Devils have a swagger after edging the Blues in the league.
"We will be bit a bit more relaxed with the Premier League in the bag and they might be anxious if they don't win anything," he said. "It's a horrible feeling waiting for the final. I'd like to go to bed tonight and wake up on Wednesday.
"It's a bit like Christmas when you're a kid, so I just can't wait."
Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney has taken a swipe at Chelsea striker Didier Drogba's temperament ahead of the Champions League final.
"Sometimes he seems as if his head's not quite there," Rooney said.
It was an unusually candid comment from the softly spoken Rooney as he broke off from preparations for his first European final. He'll have to hope the dig doesn't backfire in Moscow on Wednesday.
Drogba reacted angrily when accused of being a continual diver by Liverpool manager Rafa Benitez before the semi-final match with Chelsea. The Côte d'Ivoire international's response was to score two goals - including the winner - to help secure Chelsea's trip to Luzniki Stadium.
Hot-headed player
But United defender Nemanja Vidic has also questioned Drogba's conduct.
"Sometimes he goes in very strong and sometimes he pretends he is weak," Vidic said. "He plays with your mind and tries to make the defender think about the next tackle.
"He can pretend he fell down to win a penalty, but referees know that."
Rooney himself has been rebuked for being hot-headed on the field, most strikingly when he was sent off for England at the 2006 World Cup for stamping on Portugal defender Ricardo Carvalho.
And while highlighting Drogba's flaw, Rooney does acknowledge the danger he poses.
"When he's at his best, he's an unbelievable player," Rooney said. "He's big, strong, he scores goals - left foot, right foot, headers - at times he is unplayable."
Drogba scored the winning goal in last season's FA Cup final against Man United, and Rooney is afraid Chelsea might be hard to break down if it scores early.
"Chelsea may be a little bit more defensive and if they go one up, it's very difficult to get back at them," he said. "If we go one up, we'd keep trying to get a second goal."
Rooney believes the Red Devils have a swagger after edging the Blues in the league.
"We will be bit a bit more relaxed with the Premier League in the bag and they might be anxious if they don't win anything," he said. "It's a horrible feeling waiting for the final. I'd like to go to bed tonight and wake up on Wednesday.
"It's a bit like Christmas when you're a kid, so I just can't wait."