It is now time to switch to a new Money AM football blog as the world cup is now over and we all look to the future.....World cup 2010 is over, Bravo Espana, and Forlan, once again and bring on the new season !.....I never expected the last thread to be such a success...thanks all.... so this new one might go on for years without the need to edit the title...we shall see...

Bayern Munich v Manchester United: Pep Guardiola says Wayne Rooney is one of best players he's seen

Bayern coach Pep Guardiola convinced Wayne Rooney will play in the Champions League quarter-final second leg, admitting he is under huge pressure to win the tie





Champions League: Bayern Munich v Manchester United, Pep Guardiola

Pep Guardiola says the pressure is on him and his Bayern Munich team to deliver in the Champions League quarter-final second leg against Manchester United Photo: AFP / GETTY IMAGES







Ian Chadband
By Ian Chadband, Chief Sports Correspondent, in Munich

11:59AM BST 08 Apr 2014

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Bayern Munich manager Pep Guardiola on Tuesday described Wayne Rooney as one of the best players he had ever seen and wagered a glass of beer with an English journalist that the Manchester United star would be fit to play in their Champions League quarter-final second leg clash on Wednesday.


Asked if he felt Rooney's injured toe would keep him out of the second leg at the Allianz Arena and what effect his absence might have on a tie currently locked at 1-1, Guardiola could not help but smile.


"He is going to play. One hundred per cent. He is going to play. I bet you a big, big glass of beer. I believe he is going to play, and [Antonio] Valencia too.


"Rooney is going to play. He is a big player, one of the best players I've ever seen in my career. I'm sure he's going to play."


The bet was struck with the same journalist who had evidently irritated Guardiola after the first leg, when the Spaniard demanded that the reporter look at him while he was answering a question.


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Today, though, Guardiola was in much more relaxed mode as he welcomed his notepad-wielding sparring partner to Munich. He did, however, concede the pressure was really on him and his team to deliver after a recent flat spell which has seen the all-conquering German champions fail to win any of their last three games.

If he did not emulate Jupp Heynckes's 'treble' of Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League of last year, Guardiola conceded, people would believe he had failed. He said Bayern would have to play better than at Old Trafford where they dominated possession but fell behind to a Nemanja Vidic header from a corner, but he was "sure" that they would come through and qualify for the semi-finals.

"Here, we have to fight and I'm not here to compare myself with what Jupp did last season. We've done what we had to do and won the Bundesliga but if we don't get to the Champions League semi-final, it's a huge mistake.

"I know if we don't get to the final, the club can't deal with that. But then I knew right from the start when I came here that I've got to be in the situation where I have to get that treble. And if I don't, hey, that's not so good.

"But I'm sure my players will give the best performance they can. I'm optimistic. I don't know why but I am.

"We couldn't win in Manchester when maybe the people were expecting us to but I'm sure we will get to the semi-final. We need a good performance. I'm sure we can get to the semi-final."

Of Bayern's defeat at Augsburg on Saturday, when Guardiola played an experimental team, he shrugged: "It has no influence on this game. Of course, I'm sad for the team that we lost in Augsburg [and also squandered their unbeaten league record for the season] but our target for the last two, three weeks [since we won the league] is this game against Manchester United."

He expected no difference in approach from the first leg when United sat back and soaked up all the pressure and was wary that English clubs using that approach have done so well here in recent years at the Allianz Arena.

"They [English clubs] do it very, very well. They wait for your mistake. Obviously at home they attack a little bit more but I think they will wait with eight, nine players in the box, await our mistake. We have to be cleverer [than we were in the first leg].

"We have to attack really well. I think they'll be waiting for us to lose the ball and then will counter-attack. So we have to attack very well, and have to play better than we did in Manchester. But we had five or six chances and United only had one there, the one that Vidic scored."

Gf - What does Pep know eh, that Wayne Rooney is shit! :O)

Well Done Chelsea!

Chris, his day of reckoning will come at the World Cup now that he is almost certain to go with Rodriques ruled out. lets see if he can turn it on there.!!!!!!!!!!!

And by the way if Pep G is such a big fan WHY HASNT HE EVER TRIED TO SIGN HIM.......or is he playing the Jose trick putting the pressure on him before the game starts knowing quite well he bottles it in the big games.

Come to think of it why hasnt any foreign team made a bid for Rooney especialy given his so called availability over the last 3 years. £25 to £28 million isnt that much these days, in fact if hes as good as you make out hes a bargain.

And I can tell you in confidence that is the truth, no one and I mean no one from abroad as approached UTD for Rooney.

GF - He struggles to speak English never mind learn a foreign language. Below are the honours he has won with Man Utd. He would have gone to Chelsea if Moyes hadn't agreed his contract. Maybe he is staying in the UK to win the only trophy that he hasn't won with Man U the FA Cup. :O)

First-team Honours:
FIFA Club World Cup: 2008
UEFA Champions League: 2007/08
Premier League: 2006/07, 2007/08, 2008/09, 2010/11, 2012/13
League Cup: 2005/06, 2009/10
Community Shield: 2007, 2010, 2011

Individual Honours:
FIFPro World Young Player of the Year: 2004/05
Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2005/06, 2009/10
PFA Player of the Year: 2009/10
PFA Young Player of the Year: 2004/05, 2005/06
PFA Team of the Year: 2005/06, 2009/10
FIFA Club World Cup Golden Ball: 2008
Football Writers' Player of the Year: 2009/10

Ill give you medals he'l never be good enough to win......

1964 European Footballer Of The Year........Dennis law

1966 European Footballer Of The Year ...........Bobby Charlton

1968 European Footballer of The Year......... George Best

All played in the same team, and all came second and third in other years.


Rooney cant hold a finger to these greats.

The honours above for Rooney are pale in significance.

Noticeable that for individual honours he has won diddley squat since 2009/2010.
2517

Better clear this up right here, right now. I personaly don't give a flying fxxk re Wayne Rooney, as far as I'm concerned he is still a fat greedy bxxxxxd for leaving EFC in 2004. But that's life, thanks for the 30mill.

My point and pxxs taking is in answer to GF's absurd accusation that Man Utd's demise is down to Wayne Rooney.

And on that note, break out the Scnapps! Come on Bayern murder the baxxxxxs! :O)

Ohhhhhhh dear Chris, youve lost the debate so you self explode.

Hope this doesnt happen to the toffees who I have great respect for especially this season.

Lost the debate GF? What was the question?

Dunno but you started it after I posted Rooneys form wasnt good enough to take him to the World Cup.

I suppose now theirs nobody else, lets face it we have only about 4 or 5 strikers in the premiership worth considering and the pot as never been as dry.

It's Moyes fault not Rooney , everyone in the country can see it except Man U Board and they're one eyed fans.

Long may it continue :-)

Exactly GF, so he has to go doesn't he, irrespective of whatever form you or I agree or disagree he is in. :O)

What about that lad at Burnley Danny Ings??.

Anyway your argument wasnt one of short supply, you were backing up silly remarks that hes one of the Worlds best players............totaly wrong.

Hes average at best.

Wasnt always like that mind. Fergie played him down the left so that Ronaldo could play down the centre. Played him out of position too many times.

The problem really is when you look at it deeply and historicaly thats hes a 'jack of all trades rather than a master of none'.

I give in, surrender GF, lets just agree to disagree on this one.

Surrender!!!!!!! right straight to prison me lad with Maria Miller.

Thought for 20 odd seconds Utd had a chance.

Gotta say, Rooney was poor throughout.

Agree Rooney was poor tonight, but was he fit? United couldn't keep the ball, great goal by Evra. Best team won on the night.

Hes never fit these days Chris. The number of times he lost the ball and that chance on 50 minutes any other good striker would have put that away.

Its re-building for us now for the next 6 month or so.

True - Torres or Ba would have buried it

;)