Manchester United striker Rooney reveals Kompany exchange with referee

Manchester United ace Wayne Rooney has explained what he said to referee Chris Hoy prior to him sending off of Vincent Kompany on Sunday.

Rooney has responded to comments from Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini, who claimed that the Manchester United striker put pressure on Foy.

Rooney appeared to gesture to Hoy before the City skipper was shown a straight red card for his challenge on winger Nani in Sunday’s FA Cup third-round clash at the Etihad Stadium.

But he explained to The Sun: “I didn’t wave any imaginary card.

“I clearly pointed out, and a few other players did as well, that it was a two-footed tackle. It was down to the ref to send him off.

“As professional footballers, when you leave the ground and go in two-footed we’ve now been told by the referees it’s a red card.

“Refs come and see us before the season starts. I felt Kompany had done that.”

Swansea City set to sign up Chelsea star Josh McEachran

SWANSEA CITY will aim to complete the loan signing of Josh McEachran over the next 24 hours, with Chelsea legend Ray Wilkins insisting Brendan Rodgers is set to land a real star.

McEachran is poised to make the switch from Stamford Bridge to South Wales after a long pursuit by Swans boss Rodgers, who yesterday described the 18-year-old midfielder as one of Britain’s top young talents.

Now former Chelsea assistant boss Wilkins has given his backing to the move, telling the Western Mail Swansea have got themselves a great deal in snaring a player of “exceptional” quality.

Aston Villa, Bolton and Wigan had all wanted to land the England Under 21 talent but, having been cautiously optimistic of his chances for some time, Rodgers admitted yesterday he was confident of wrapping up the loan that would see McEachran at the Liberty Stadium until the end of the season.

And Wilkins, who has seen McEachran’s ability at close quarters following his two-year spell as Carlo Ancelotti’s No.2, admitted: “Swansea are getting themselves a young man of exceptional talent.

“You only have to see the amount of times Carlo played him last year to see how highly he thought of him.

“Of course, when any new manager comes in things become different, but I know he’s still very highly thought of at the club.

“He has a wonderful left foot, but has a wonderful attitude too and he is going to work with a manager who knows him extremely well in Brendan Rodgers and I’m sure that will benefit both Josh and Swansea. Swansea have got themselves a great deal.”

Swansea have been in pole position for McEachran, but had been waiting for the green light from current Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas.

The Portuguese had blocked McEachran’s attempts to move out on loan earlier in the season, but has now giving his blessing for the starlet to gain experience outside London.

And, described as the potential successor to Frank Lampard’s Kings Road midfield throne, Wilkins believes the boyhood Blues fan will be able to impress on a well-trodden loan path during his time with the Swans.

“We’ve seen this type of move and the success its had many times before and recently with the likes of Jack Wilshere and Daniel Sturridge, who went to Bolton,” said Wilkins, Lampard himself having spent a short time on loan in South Wales before becoming a Premier League star.

“You only have to look at Danny Welbeck, who went to Sunderland last year and now looks a different player back at Manchester United. There’s no question about it that being introduced to regular football of the highest standard – because that’s what he’ll be getting at Swansea – will do him the power of good.”

Former Chelsea youth supremo Rodgers had targeted two midfielders as his key signings during this January transfer window and he looks now to have got his men as McEachran gets set to follow Gylfi Sigurdsson to the Liberty, striker Rory Donnelly and defender Darnel Situ also brought on board with international clearance received yesterday.

And he was clear on his thoughts of McEachran yesterday ahead of the deal, saying: “He’s a player who sees passes from the sky. He’s an incredible passer of the ball and I know the England set-up have very high hopes for him as well.

“He’ll be brilliant for the Swansea supporters and they’ll get to witness one of the best talents this country’s got.

“He’s a kid who can create chances and has wonderful vision on the ball and he fits perfectly into our team.

“I’ve got a really talented and gifted group of players at this level and he’ll come into the squad and add to that and give us that bit of strength for the second part of the season.”

McEachran has been tipped to be the next best thing at Chelsea, although has seen his game-time limited at Stamford Bridge this season, making only two substitute league appearances.

Signed as an eight-year-old, McEachran was a regular in the youth teams while still a schoolboy and made his Chelsea debut as a 17-year-old last year against Zilina, becoming the youngest Champions League player in the process.

Although he was utilised under Ancelotti as a deep-lying central midfielder, he has a natural attacking element to his game that would suit Swansea’s midfield set-up.

The Hard Life of Chelsea’s Fernando Torres

It is blatant to see that Fernando Torres is not at his best right now. Two goals this Premier League season for ‘El Niño’ is far from impressive. In fact, it’s terrible. John Terry has scored double that amount this season, even though he spends 95% of his time playing stupid passes on his own eighteen-yard box. Flashes of his brilliance have been few and far between, but consistency is key, although it would appear that Fernando has forgotten the meaning of the word of late.

In his heydays at Liverpool, we were used to seeing a 4-4-2 formation with Steven Gerrard sitting just behind the lone striker, with aid coming from both flanks. Gerrard would get the ball; play Torres through, and goal. Inevitable. One of the leagues most deadly strike forces was feared by many, and adored by all. Torres had pace, skill, acceleration, strength, and all other attributes. Scoring 56 Premier League goals in three seasons said it all. Torres was one of the best strikers around.

Here is where it starts going wrong for the Spaniard.

The first half of the 2010/11 Premier League season was not the greatest for Torres. Recurring injury problems and below par performances showed a dip in the form of the once great Fernando Torres.

January 2011, Torres signs for Chelsea for £50 million. No one saw that one coming, but stranger things have happened. Seemingly not bought by the then Chelsea manager, Carlo Ancelotti, Torres continued his poor form until he fired in a goal against an ever struggling West Ham. Chelsea fans went wild! The sheer brilliance of it! Running at the centre halves, change of direction, fired it into the bottom corner! Boom! (With a little help from a large puddle in the middle of the West Ham area, which in fact stopped the ball from probably going out of play and allowed for Torres to swing a flailing left leg at the stationary ball which luckily went in the net for once!) Was he back? No. The end of the 2010/11 season drew to a close, much to Torres’ relief. Now there was chance for the lad to kick back, relax, and find his form again.

I wish.

With AVB now at the helm for the new season, change was all around at the Bridge. The signings of Romelu Lukaku, Juan Mata, Oriol Romeu and Raul Meireles, and the return of Daniel Sturridge showed that a policy of youth was crucial to the young tacticians plans. The ever-popular 4-3-3 formation was still in place with three attackers leading the line. However, the difference really lied in the style of play. Out was the typical Chelsea ways of getting the ball wide to the wingbacks on every possible occasion, and in came the calm and collective style. Surely the new implementations put in place by AVB could only help the Spaniard? His record says otherwise.

Since the arrival of AVB, their had certainly been a difference in the way that Fernando Torres plays. In most, if not all the games that I have seen the Spaniard play in a Chelsea shirt, I have seen him tracking back into midfield positions to try and win the ball back, which he probably lost in the first place. The way in which Torres is trying to play reminds me very much of Wayne Rooney. The continued high work rate. The harrying. The tackling. Chelsea vs. Swansea City; Fernando gets himself sent off for a two footed challenge on the half way line, where a midfielder should be challenging. Desperation? I think not. AVB, the man who would appear to be trying to revolutionise the way in which Chelsea play their football may have asked the young man to play this way. Much like David Villa and Lionel Messi of Barcelona. The second you lose a ball, you get that ball back. Idealistic? Yes. Realistic? No.

This isn’t the Fernando Torres of old. Rarely was Torres a man who would venture back into his own half to win a ball back for Liverpool. Its all well and good if you’re actually good at it like Wayne Rooney, but Torres just isn’t that type of player. Torres was a player who latches onto through balls, turns defenders inside out and leaves centre halves for dead. Torres is now a player who picks up the ball deep, a player who runs around like a headless chicken, a player who just isn’t very good.

At Liverpool, the team was built around Fernando Torres. Formations were changed to accommodate his needs and players looked for Torres on every attack. At Chelsea? Torres is still struggling to get in the team. The formation has stuck, and he is not being accommodated. Unknown territory for ‘El Niño’.

To get the best out of Torres, you need to make him the King, with his Bishops, Knights, Rooks, Pawns and his beloved Queen around him making sure he gets the best service. Torres isn’t finding this at the Bridge. No longer is he a big fish in a small pond. It has become apparent that he just doesn’t fit in with the Chelsea system.

So the question remains… Will Torres get back to his former standards? Nothing is impossible, but ‘El Niño’ needs to acclimatise to the team, not the other way round.

And miracles do happen…