CHRIS SMALLING believes being left out of Manchester United’s team may have been the best thing to happen to Wayne Rooney this season.
 |
| Chris Smalling says dropping Wayne Rooney was just what the Manchester United captain needed |
Rooney was surprisingly “rested” by manager Louis Van Gaal for the defeat at Stoke on Boxing Day – although he was brought on at half-time with United 2-0 down – but has not looked back since.
He looked sharper when he was recalled to the starting line-up for the goal-less home draw with Chelsea 48 hours after the defeat at the Britannia Stadium and has since scored five goals in four games to take his tally to 12 in all competitions this season.
Whether Van Gaal’s decision was intended to be a kick up the backside for the United and England captain or simply a genuine breather, Smalling says it seems to have done the trick.
After Rooney's late goal had secured a 1-0 win at Anfield, Smalling said: “It was a busy Christmas period but since Wazza has missed that game and come back in he has shown he is a top class performer.
“I think it [being left out] can refresh you and spur you on a bit more to prove to everyone just how good you are and make sure people don't forget that.
“Strikers go through periods where they don't score but the best ones are the ones that come back and get on another run and 'Wazza' has done that throughout his career. It's good to see he is back among the goals.”
Smalling agrees with manager Van Gaal that United are still in the title race thanks largely to the “mad” unpredictability of the Premeir League this season.”
The win over Liverpool was only their second in nine Premeir League games but, remarkably, United are still only seven points adrift of joint leaders Arsenal and Leicester and two points behind fourth-placed Tottenham.
“Yeah, we are definitely looking at the title,” added the central defender who turned in another commanding display at Anfield. “Our eyes are looking forward. It's just about us getting that consistency. If you get three or four wins in a row you are right back up at the top.
“Fingers crossed, we’re gaining momentum. That's the plan. We want to kick on now and not make one step forward and two back, so fingers crossed we can show it again on Saturday [at home to Southampton.]
“Fourth place is not too far away now. It's a crazy season. You look back at times where you have dropped points but then if you get a win it looks that little bit much closer. It’s mad.”
Smalling accepts United’s win was hardly stylish and admitted Liverpool were the more dominant team.
But he says the three points was all that mattered and praised United’s fighting spirit, especially in the second half.
“It was an important win for us," he said. "At times it wasn't pretty and in the second half we played a bit more direct but we camped in their half. It was good to ground out that win after the midweek failings [at Newcastle].
“Normally in derby games the better team wins but I think on the whole the deciding things are that grind and that determination. And no matter how that goal comes, it's important that it does come."
He praised goalkeeper David De Gea for several important saves and left back Cameron Borthwick-Jackson, saying the youngster displayed he can cope with anything after coming on as a substitute for Ashley Young just before half-time and dealing maturely with the Anfield atmosphere.
“When we knew David was lining up for us the whole season [after the collapse of his move to Real Madrid] it was a great feeling because he is one of the best.
“You saw at Anfield that he pulled off a great save and his distribution, especially some of those balls down to Wazza and Jesse [Lingard] – they were terrific and really set us up on attack.
“He is a very calm guy but on the pitch we are always talking as a [defensive] unit. We know his game inside out so it's good to know that if we get beaten as a defence, we still have a great chance to keep that ball out.
“And Cameron showed he is ready for a stage like this. He has been drip fed quite a few games this season and he has done very well. To be able to stand up and perform like he did when he came on shows he is ready for any game because if you can perform at Anfield you can perform anywhere in the league.”
Post a Comment Blogger Facebook Disqus