16 Conclusions From ManYoo 4 Milan 0

Posted 11/03/10


The days of Ronaldo and Italian supremacy already seem an awful long time ago...

* Much more of this and he'll have to be renamed 'Who Else But Rooney?'. Sir Alex Ferguson made the claim back in October that England had a greater dependence on Wayne Rooney than United did, but that opinion is overdue a reappraisal. At the very least, the best player in the world on current form matters as much to club as he does country. He's head and shoulders above everyone else as their first among equals.

* Cristiano Ronaldo's exit has been the making of a new and upgraded Rooney. Every aspect of his game has gone up a level - his heading, most obviously, his first touch, his finishing, his speed off the mark, and, most all, his authority. United were never so reliant on Ronaldo's brilliance as they are now on Rooney's. After all, even when they had Ronaldo, they still had Rooney waiting in the wings (sometimes literally).

* Having reached the 30-goals mark on Wednesday night, Rooney has a minimum of eleven games - fitness permitting - and a potential maximum of fourteen in which to emulate and then break Ronaldo's feat, set two years ago, of scoring 42 goals in a single season. On current form - Rooney has scored 14 goals in his last eleven games - he'll not only better Ronaldo's mark but threaten to break the club record of 46 set by Denis Law.

* There were a few mutterings before this tie that Rooney hadn't proved he could be a prolific scorer against elite opposition and it would be unfair to downplay the significance of his return of four goals from his two meetings with Milan just because he made it look so easy. To update some stats rolled out by The Times at the start of last month, Rooney's record 'in the biggest games in which he has been involved in all competitions, that is to say Champions League knockout stage matches, Carling Cup and FA Cup finals, the European Super Cup final and Club World Cup matches' now stands at 25 goals in 66 games. Impressive.

* What isn't quite so impressive is Rooney's record against the Premier League elite and so it's arguable that he still has a doubt to put right in the next three weeks. It's only because he is a regular scorer against Arsenal - with five goals in 15 games - that his overall record against United's fellow members of the Big Four does not attract negative scrutiny. Make a note ahead of the tests to come on March 21 and April 4: Against Liverpool, he has scored just once in eleven games and against Chelsea he has registered just two in fourteen.

* Can anybody score a lot of goals in Holland? Or is the statistic that Klaas-Jan Huntelaar scored 76 in 92 appearances for Ajax and 33 in 46 for Heerenveen a lie? It's no exaggeration that if Rooney and Huntelaar had swapped sides for the tie then Milan might have triumphed. There will be a large number of Premier League reflecting on the two games with relief that they didn't manage to sign the Dutchman last year when he twice became available on the European market.

* Jim Beglin must have been taking lessons at the Chris Waddle School of Punditry. United's second goal was, just in case you weren't aware, "the last thing Milan would have wanted". Thanks for that. The conclusion that the average armchair football is adjudged to be an idiot can be the only explanation for such witless punditry.

* Porto v Milan would have been a good contest.

* Chelsea must feel aggrieved at being paired with Inter Milan when their PL rivals landed such mediocrity. For the credibility of the competition, however, it's just as well that their tie remains in the balance.

* Ji-Sung Park is becoming quite the player. Outstanding in the Carling Cup final, he was just as impressive against Milan in a different formation and a different position. United's single-striker system is based on Rooney but its pillars are support from midfield and Park's incredible workrate frequently transformed a 4-5-1 into a potent 4-2-3-1 in a blink. As with Samir Nasri, it's still a little too early to state definitively that he is at his best in the centre of midfield, but his versatility must be a dream for Sir Alex and a new nightmare for Michael Carrick.

* Park has also developed the habit of scoring big-game goals. He's only scored six in the past two years, but four of those have occurred against Chelsea, Arsenal and Milan.

* Oh, and we might have to revise our opinion of him as a six-out-of-ten player.

* It's been the perfect week for the Premier League. Reiteration of their potency on a European stage has coincided with the exit from the competition of the biggest name from both Italy and Spain. And with them went three players who recently opted out of the Premier League. The humiliation of Real Madrid and Cristiano Ronaldo is the obvious focus, but don't overlook the disappointment shared by Xabi Alonso and Mathieu Flamini. How do they then view their decisions of recent year to leave United, Liverpool and Arsenal respectively? The remuneration may be more rewarding but the grass most definitely isn't always greener.

* Last year's finalists remain the two teams to beat and the two teams to avoid in next Friday's draw (obligatory plug: Follow It Live On Football365).

* Just because it was an anti-climax for the rest of us, do not scoff at the jubilation of the United support and do not expect the wretchedness of Milan to make any dent in their glee. For them, it will matter not a jot - and nor should it. These are the nights when supporting a team, with all the commitments and aggravation it entails, is made worthwhile. These are the nights when supporting consist of nothing but enjoyment. Liverpool had their night last March when Madrid were routed 4-0. Arsenal had theirs on Tuesday. And now it's United's turn. Let them enjoy it.