Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard

England midfielder Steven Gerrard during a press conference near Watford, north of London, on May 29, 2014 (AFP Photo/Carl Court)

Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard  - England captain Steven Gerrard on Thursday dismissed Paul Scholes's claim that his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney may already be past his best.

Speaking earlier this week, Scholes said that Rooney, alongside whom he played for eight seasons at Old Trafford, may be "worn out" because he has been playing professionally since the age of 16.

But ahead of England's friendly against Peru at Wembley Stadium on Friday, Gerrard argued that Rooney's performances over the 2013-14 campaign proved that the 28-year-old can be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup.

"For me, I think Paul Scholes is wrong," Gerrard told a media briefing at the England team hotel in Watford, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of London.

"For me he's been Manchester United's best player throughout (the season), in the league and in Europe. I think Wayne Rooney's been in terrific form.

"I can only judge him and have my opinion on him on what I've seen. His performances in the Manchester United team have been really positive.

"He's worked hard this week. He decided to do his own week's training and he seems in an awfully better frame of mind going into this tournament than when he had injuries on his mind last time (2010).

"So for me, I'm excited about where Wayne Rooney's at."

Rooney is expected to start up front alongside Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge for the game against Peru, which will be England's last friendly game in front of their own fans before the World Cup.

Although teenage left-back Luke Shaw is doubtful due to a cold, manager Roy Hodgson will have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.

- 'Not an experimental team' -

Inopportune injuries have been a recurring theme of England's most recent pre-World Cup training camps, but despite the squad's clean bill of health, Gerrard warned against getting carried away.

"I think it's a bit early to come out with any ludicrous shouts about how good this team and this squad is," said the Liverpool midfielder.

"We'll be judged on the games in the World Cup. But I'll agree with the manager that training was very positive, very sharp and intense.

"If we can take that into the games, it'll certainly give us a better chance of being successful."

England fly to Miami after Friday's game, where they will play further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before tackling Italy in their opening World Cup group match in Manaus on June 14.

Hodgson suggested that he would select a strong line-up to face Pablo Bengoechea's Peru, who failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Asked if his team selection would provide any clues as to the side likely to line up against Italy, he replied: "I'm looking at the three matches, I suppose.

"I'm affected by the fact that this is our last game in England and it's a massive crowd and a huge responsibility. So it certainly won't be an experimental team.

"If anything, I'll be veering more towards the players that have been doing the job for us up to now because I've got the two matches in Miami to make more experimentation."

Hodgson also revealed that he hoped to take standby players John Stones and Jon Flanagan to Miami, subject to the approval of their respective club managers.

Everton centre-back Stones, 20, and 21-year-old Liverpool full-back Flanagan were both placed on standby in case any of the defenders in Hodgson's 23-man World Cup squad succumbed to injury. ( AFP )

READ MORE - Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard

Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard

England midfielder Steven Gerrard during a press conference near Watford, north of London, on May 29, 2014 (AFP Photo/Carl Court)

Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard - England captain Steven Gerrard on Thursday dismissed Paul Scholes's claim that his former Manchester United team-mate Wayne Rooney may already be past his best.

Speaking earlier this week, Scholes said that Rooney, alongside whom he played for eight seasons at Old Trafford, may be "worn out" because he has been playing professionally since the age of 16.

But ahead of England's friendly against Peru at Wembley Stadium on Friday, Gerrard argued that Rooney's performances over the 2013-14 campaign proved that the 28-year-old can be one of the stars of the forthcoming World Cup.

"For me, I think Paul Scholes is wrong," Gerrard told a media briefing at the England team hotel in Watford, 20 miles (32 kilometres) north of London.

"For me he's been Manchester United's best player throughout (the season), in the league and in Europe. I think Wayne Rooney's been in terrific form.

"I can only judge him and have my opinion on him on what I've seen. His performances in the Manchester United team have been really positive.

"He's worked hard this week. He decided to do his own week's training and he seems in an awfully better frame of mind going into this tournament than when he had injuries on his mind last time (2010).

"So for me, I'm excited about where Wayne Rooney's at."

Rooney is expected to start up front alongside Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge for the game against Peru, which will be England's last friendly game in front of their own fans before the World Cup.

Although teenage left-back Luke Shaw is doubtful due to a cold, manager Roy Hodgson will have an otherwise fully fit squad to choose from.

- 'Not an experimental team' -

Inopportune injuries have been a recurring theme of England's most recent pre-World Cup training camps, but despite the squad's clean bill of health, Gerrard warned against getting carried away.

"I think it's a bit early to come out with any ludicrous shouts about how good this team and this squad is," said the Liverpool midfielder.

"We'll be judged on the games in the World Cup. But I'll agree with the manager that training was very positive, very sharp and intense.

"If we can take that into the games, it'll certainly give us a better chance of being successful."

England fly to Miami after Friday's game, where they will play further friendlies against Ecuador and Honduras before tackling Italy in their opening World Cup group match in Manaus on June 14.

Hodgson suggested that he would select a strong line-up to face Pablo Bengoechea's Peru, who failed to qualify for the World Cup.

Asked if his team selection would provide any clues as to the side likely to line up against Italy, he replied: "I'm looking at the three matches, I suppose.

"I'm affected by the fact that this is our last game in England and it's a massive crowd and a huge responsibility. So it certainly won't be an experimental team.

"If anything, I'll be veering more towards the players that have been doing the job for us up to now because I've got the two matches in Miami to make more experimentation."

Hodgson also revealed that he hoped to take standby players John Stones and Jon Flanagan to Miami, subject to the approval of their respective club managers.

Everton centre-back Stones, 20, and 21-year-old Liverpool full-back Flanagan were both placed on standby in case any of the defenders in Hodgson's 23-man World Cup squad succumbed to injury. ( AFP )

READ MORE - Scholes wrong about Rooney - Gerrard

Roy Hodgson opts for youthful England squad at World Cup

Roy Hodgson opts for youthful England squad at World Cup

Roy Hodgson opts for youthful England squad at World Cup  - Ross Barkley, Jordan Henderson, Raheem Sterling and Luke Shaw were selected to England's 23-man FIFA World Cup squad.

The quartet, all 23 or younger, are among the 12 players heading to their first ever major championship as coach Roy Hodgson looks to the future.

The squad announcement heralds a new era for England, so starved of success since its 1966 World Cup triumph. Often plagued by the heavy weight of national expectation, Hodgson will hope his young players can spring a surprise in Brazil as his side initially faces off against Italy, Uruguay and Costa Rica in Group D.

Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard will again lead the side, and the experienced pair of Wayne Rooney and Frank Lampard are sure to play important roles as well.

But it is the injection of youth that excites England fans, a view shared by Hodgson.

Southampton's 18-year-old defender Shaw was the youngest player picked, with his likely selection becoming a formality after Ashley Cole's international retirement Sunday.

Hodgson also picked seven players on standby, including Toronto FC striker Jermain Defoe, but they are not expected to attend England's camp in Portugal next week, or be required in Miami for pre-tournament friendlies and training.

Squad in full:

Goalkeepers: Fraser Forster (Celtic), Ben Foster (West Brom), Joe Hart (Manchester City)

Defenders: Leighton Baines (Everton), Gary Cahill (Chelsea), Phil Jagielka (Everton), Glen Johnson (Liverpool), Phil Jones (Manchester United), Luke Shaw (Southampton), Chris Smalling (Manchester United)

Midfielders: Ross Barkley (Everton), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), Jordan Henderson (Liverpool), Adam Lallana (Southampton), Frank Lampard (Chelsea), James Milner (Manchester City), Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain (Arsenal), Raheem Sterling (Liverpool), Jack Wilshere (Arsenal)

Forwards: Rickie Lambert (Southampton), Wayne Rooney (Manchester United), Daniel Sturridge (Liverpool), Danny Welbeck (Manchester United)

On standby: Michael Carrick (Manchester United), Andy Carroll (West Ham), Tom Cleverley (Manchester United), Jermain Defoe (Toronto FC), Jon Flanagan (Liverpool), John Ruddy (Norwich City), John Stones (Everton) // ( goal.com )

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Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance

Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance - The ease with which Manchester United are romping to the Premier League title has devalued the achievement in the eyes of many observers.

As the theory goes, how can the champions elect be regarded as outstanding when the competition has been so sub-standard? Especially when they can lose at home to their principal title rivals in Spring and still peer down from a great height to the runners-up spot 12 points below.

From the outside, the path to United’s 13th Premier League coronation, and 20th in total, has been a stress-free stroll.

CITY WIN THE BATTLE...

52' Milner opens the scoring 59' Kompany nets unfortunate OG 78' Aguero scores fantastic winner

...UNITED WINNING THE WAR
		PD	W	D	L	GD	PTS
	Man.Utd	31	25	2	4	38	77
	Man.City	31	19	8	4	30	65

There have been no crises, no wobbles to provide encouragement for others, no need, even, for mind games. Just, the odd isolated defeat and an absence of any doubt about the final outcome.

The equation is thus: United can only be denied the title if Manchester City win their seven remaining league games and Sir Alex Ferguson’s team accrue their worst seven-game points haul for eight years. No bookmaker in the land would give you remotely generous odds on that dual possibility.

Yet, like Barcelona in the Spanish top tier and Bayern Munich in the Bundesliga, United appear to be suffering from their own relentless brilliance.

The two clubs widely believed to be their closest challengers before a ball was kicked this season have provided inadequate competition. Given their resources, City have mounted a feeble title defence, while it soon became apparent that Chelsea’s campaign of poisonous upheaval would be garlanded by a cup triumph at best.

Of the other heavy and super-middle weights, Tottenham and Everton have punched above their division, Arsenal and Liverpool marginally below theirs, but, then, few had predicted beforehand that this aristocratic quartet would be vying for anything other than the final Champions League place.

United have simply been too good, too often, for everyone. A haul of 77 points from 31 matches has blown away all-comers with the kind of force not seen since the first of Jose Mourinho’s two title-winning Chelsea sides in 2004-05.

Even after conceding three derby-day points, the table shows that Sir Alex’s 2012-13 collective are as much of a juggernaut as Chelsea were back in the day when Mourinho was wearing a grey overcoat. United lack the steel of a statistically outstanding defence but their strength in depth, most notably in the forward areas, is deserving of the manager’s observation that this is the best-equipped squad he has managed.

It is hard to imagine a forward of Javier Hernandez’s match-winning calibre starting fewer than his six league matches this season at any other club in Europe. And that includes Barcelona.

One of Sir Alex’s greatest skills is his squad management over the course of a 38-match campaign. He is the king of the rotators, adapting his team for each opponent and occasion.

This ‘horses for courses’ policy has been a regular feature of United’s league triumphs from the mid-noughties onwards but it has been even more marked this season.

Only six members of the squad have started more than 20 of United’s 31 league fixtures - Robin van Persie (26), Michael Carrick (26), Patrice Evra (28), David de Gea (21), Rafael (23) and Rio Ferdinand (22).

By comparison, nine Chelsea (Gary Cahill, Petr Cech, Ashley Cole, Eden Hazard, Branislav Ivanovic, David Luiz, Juan Mata, Ramires and Fernando Torres) and seven City players (Gareth Barry, Joe Hart, Vincent Kompany, David Silva, Carlos Tevez, Yaya Toure and Pablo Zabaleta) have started 20-plus top-tier fixtures.

By this yardstick, Liverpool (nine), Tottenham (eight) and Everton (eight) have all been more consistent in team selection. Only Arsenal match United’s total of six regulars, although the Gunners have five other players who have started 18 or 19 league games, a statistic United do not come close to.

Perhaps United’s greatest strength is their all-round fortitude. They are not overly burdened by an injury, or loss of form, to a single player.

Nemanja Vidic remains the club captain but he has started less than half of the league matches and will be far down the list in most observers’ assessments of the key components of the impending title triumph.

Robin van Persie was sensational before Christmas but he has flickered only intermittently since and his impact over the course of the season does not match, say, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2007-08.

Furthermore, Wayne Rooney’s latest mediocre display in a marquee match demonstrates that individual brilliance has been a secondary factor in assembling what is surely an impenetrable lead.

This season’s goals record is not too shabby. A Premier League-record haul of 96 or above remains within reach.

Yet it is unlikely that history will judge United’s 2012-13 team as favourably as the Ronaldo-inspired 2007-09 teams, the treble winners of 1999 and their immediate successors, or the early Sir Alex collectives which can still make the Govan godfather go all misty-eyed.

The 13th of his title winners remain on course to overhaul the 90-point finish of Arsenal’s 2003-04 ‘Invincibles’ but they do not possess the artistry of the high water-mark of the Arsene Wenger era.

Most United followers fondly recall the main personnel in of each of the title-winning seasons. The best XI almost always picked itself. The back five was usually rooted in cement. Edwin van der Sar behind Gary Neville, Vidic, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra. Or, Peter Schmeichel barking out orders to Paul Parker, Steve Bruce, Gary Pallister and Denis Irwin.

Not this season. David De Gea featured in his34th match of the season against City. He has played behind 22 different back-four combinations. That is a revealing statistic.

It is difficult to argue that this is a great United team, especially after twin failures in the latter stages of the Champions League and FA Cup.

But this is a cutting-edge squad perfectly equipped for 21st century version of a league campaign. That is where their greatness lies.

All that’s left to nail down the legacy is to hoover up a league title. ( Goal.com )

READ MORE - Manchester United's achievement has been devalued by their own relentless brilliance

Paper Round: Carroll offered Anfield lifeline

Premier League - Paper Round: Carroll offered Anfield lifeline - Andy Carroll, marginalised and loaned out of Liverpool by manager Brendan Rodgers, has an opportunity to return, claims the Daily Mirror.

But any Liverpool comeback, the paper adds, would be contingent on two things - Carroll accepting a role as an impact substitute, and undergoing a personalised medical programme.

The report says the £35m man, who is spending the season at West Ham United, has not done enough to convince the Hammers to sign him up full-time.

That might come as something of a surprise to those who watched the 24-year-old torment West Brom at the weekend with a powerful brace of goals, but he only has five goals in 21 appearances this season and has also battled with injuries.

Eurosport - West Ham's English striker Andy Carroll celebrates after scoring the opening goal of the English Premier League football match between West Ham United and West Bromwich Albion at Upton Park in east London on March 30, 2013 

West Ham have an option to buy as part of their loan agreement, but appear to be looking elsewhere, with Wilfried Bony rumoured to be the striker they want to lead the line next season.

Rodgers and Carroll are set to talk about his Anfield future, and if the target man agrees to a personalised fitness programme and a limited role within the team, he has a chance to resurrect his career with the club.

Tottenham are another club with a striker shuffle in mind – the Daily Star says that they are set to negotiate with Aston Villa over the £15m sale of Christian Benteke.

While Spurs know Villa’s bargaining position will be weakened if the Belgian’s club are relegated, the flip side is that he could be the subject of a bidding war, with several top clubs impressed by his performances this season.

In addition, the paper breathlessly adds, Emmanuel Adebayor could be on his way out of White Hart Lane, Jermain Defoe’s injury worries mean that Spurs would be prepared to sell him for the right price, while Leandro Damiao remains a target.

The Wayne Rooney to Paris Saint-Germain story remains on the back pages – The Sun boasts a ‘world exclusive’ that Zlatan Ibrahimovic wants him to join him in Paris.

“If he wants to be part of the best project in football then there is only one club to sign for,” Ibrahimovic reportedly said.

“Only he knows the decision he is going to make in the summer but the project we are trying to build here is clear.

“We are not content with being the dominant force in France, we want to be the top club in Europe as well.

“I can understand why the owners are interested in Rooney — he is in the top 10 of strikers in Europe.”

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, says that Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich are all ready to swoop for Manchester City captain Vincent Kompany should the defender’s row with his manager escalate to the point that the Belgian wants out of the club.

Right then - you've now read a couple of hundred words about what’s in the papers without mention of Paolo Di Canio. Feels good, right? We're afraid that feeling of relief ends here, however.

As much as Di Canio fatigue is setting in, Paper Round's job is to tell you what’s in the papers, and many of the back pages are leading on his belated clarification that he is not, nor has ever been, a fascist.

End of the saga, then?

Not quite.

The Sun brings us Rio Ferdinand’s view on Di Canio – and he reckons the Italian is an ‘absolute idiot’.

Or at least, he did once – in his 2006 autobiography.

When you think about it, using quotes in a 2006 autobiography to counter a quote from 2005 dragged up again this week is actually strangely fitting.

Elsewhere the Daily Mail ask why the Italian was at the funeral of an Italian terrorist bomber, and why he has a tattoo of Benito Mussolini.

The Daily Telegraph, meanwhile, brands his appointment at Sunderland as the ‘most botched recruitment in Premier League history’, suggesting that this story will run and run – at least until there’s some football to play.

Eurosport – 2 hours 23 minutes ago

READ MORE - Paper Round: Carroll offered Anfield lifeline

Rooney is a great player! PSG chief confirms United ace is on their radar

Rooney is a great player! PSG chief confirms United ace is on their radar - Roo la la! United striker Wayne a target for moneybags PSG, confirms club president

Paris Saint-Germain's president has confirmed his side are interested in bringing Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney to France.

Nasser Al-Khelaifi said that although PSG have not approached the 27-year-old England star, he was on their radar.

'There's a lot of players really interested in the club. That was not the case when we bought the club,' Al-Khelaifi told Sky Sports.

Jumping for joy: Wayne Rooney has plenty of options should he decide to leave Old Trafford

Target: Nasser Al Khelaifi confirmed that PSG have not approached Rooney but do want to buy him

'He's (Rooney) a great player, one of the best strikers in the world. I think everybody would like to have him. But if you want to talk about the facts, we have not approached him.'

Rooney's wage bill could prove prohibitive to any potential transfer, with Zlatan Ibrahimovic already taking home €14million (£11.8m) a year.

David Beckham is also earning £800k a month, although he only accepts the French minimum wage of £1,900 and donates the rest to a children's charity.

Link up: Rooney could end up playing with his former England team-mate David Beckham

Money man: Zlatan Ibrahimovic (left) earns ¿55million a year

Rooney has been linked with the exit at Old Trafford since being dropped for United's crucial Champions League last-16 second leg clash with Real Madrid.

He has missed United's last two games - the victory over Sunderland on Saturday and the defeat by Chelsea on Monday - with a groin injury.

Rooney sustained it during the last few minutes of England's 1-1 draw with Montenegro last week.

He could have played against Chelsea but Sir Alex Ferguson did not want to risk aggravating the injury.

Blow: Rooney picked up his groin injury towards the end of England's game with Montenegro

dailymail.co.uk :By Rik Sharma : 08:05 GMT, 2 April 2013 | UPDATED: 10:28 GMT, 2 April 2013

READ MORE - Rooney is a great player! PSG chief confirms United ace is on their radar