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April 5, 2003
(Saturday)
Bobby relying on
Woodgate to halt Wayne
Sir Bobby Robson will
not formulate any special plans to mark
England's man-of-the-moment Wayne Rooney in Sunday's game with
Everton at Goodison Park.
For the United boss believes that in Jonathan Woodgate he has just
the man to take care of the most talked-about player in the country
today.
With big doubts about fellow striker Tomasz Radzinski, Everton boss
David Moyes seems to have no alternative but to start with 17-year-
old Rooney on Sunday in a twin spearhead with Kevin Campbell, who has
a great track record against United.
While even England internationals Michael Owen and Sol Campbell went
on record as saying Sven-Goran Eriksson should not start Rooney
against Turkey in Wednesday's Euro qualifier at the Stadium of Light,
Robson had no doubts that the Everton striker should have been in
from the off.
He went public with that over the weekend and of course that's
exactly what Eriksson did - and the rest, as they say, is history.
When I spoke to Robson today, the United boss insisted: "To tell the
truth I don't want to say a lot about Wayne Rooney because he is not
one of my players.
"However, I did say well before the game on Wednesday that I thought
he should play and of course he did.
"Everyone saw what he did and he is a fantastic player who is now
here to stay. And if anyone asks if I have any plans for Rooney on
Sunday all I will say is that they are called Woodgate."
Robson knows just how important this weekend's game is, especially
with Manchester United facing Liverpool at Old Trafford tomorrow
lunchtime.
The United boss said: "We will be training tomorrow morning but we
will probably watch the Old Trafford match before we travel down to
Merseyside.
"We don't want Liverpool catching us up as far as next season's
Champions League is concerned. But if we were to beat Everton I would
like Liverpool to beat Manchester United.
"Manchester United have a tough programme, as after Liverpool they
have us to play, Real Madrid twice and also Arsenal."
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