Fergie: Roo rumours just a by-product of living in Wayne’s world

ALEX FERGUSON saw Wayne Rooney help Manchester United into the fourth round of the FA Cup and insisted reports of a rift between manager and star player are greatly exaggerated.

Reports over the weekend suggested Rooney’s much-publicised punishment over Christmas, in which he was dropped for the New Year’s Eve defeat to Blackburn after breaking a club curfew, had led to a crisis between Ferguson and the England centre-forward.

There had even been suggestions Ferguson was ready to sell Rooney, possibly as early as this January transfer window although after his two goals in the thrilling 3-2 victory, both moved quickly to quash such suggestions.

“There is absolutely no problem with Wayne Rooney,” said Ferguson. “You hear this stuff all the time and what Wayne has to realise is the media have another Paul Gascoigne.

“They have a headline maker, whether it is good or bad, and Wayne is going to have to suffer that.

“The thing is when he is good, and he was good today, he is magnificent.”

Rooney was equally dismissive of the reports and insisted that not only does he have no problems with his manager but he also intends to spend years at Old Trafford.

“I think everything that has been said is a lot of nonsense,” he said. “Because it is me, because it is Manchester United, it is blown out of context. There is no problem with me at this club. I want to be at this club for a long time.”

Impressed as he may have been by Rooney’s display, Ferguson, however, was far less pleased with the manner in which United almost let the tie slip against City’s ten men after the interval.

“It was a careless performance in the second half,” he said. “We should have been home and dry but we were to careless. If we keep doing that, we are going to make mistakes. You suffer if you make mistakes.”

For City manager Roberto Mancini, the second half display convinced him more than ever that his Premier League leaders can claim the title.

“Today was important for us for the league,” he said. “Because now I know we can win the league because of the character we showed. If we play like we did this afternoon, with the same attitude, the same strength, every game, we will win the league.”