The FA’s decision not to charge Manchester United star Wayne Rooney for his elbow on James McCarthy has been slammed by former Liverpool star John Aldridge.
Rooney elbowed the Wigan Athletic midfielder in Saturday’s 4-0 win – with referee Mark Clattenburg awarding a free kick but not booking or sending off the United star.
Despite widespread condemnation of Rooney, the FA decided Clattenburg had dealt with the situation and felt there was not need to discipline him – with Rooney missing out on a potential four-match ban.
Had Rooney been banned he would have faced the prospect of missing tonight’s match against Chelsea and the weekend clash against Liverpool – and potentially an FA Cup tie against Arsenal.
Rooney could now line up against fellow under-fire England star Ashley Cole later tonight. Chelsea defender Cole has been in the news this week after it emerged he’d accidentally shot a work experience student at the club’s Cobham training ground.
Ian Holloway and Robbie Savage have both taken to Twitter to voice their concern at the FA’s decision while Rooney’s teammate Rio Ferdinand – who was subject to retrospective action last season – called for fans to draw a line under the issue.
Outspoken former Liverpool striker John Aldridge criticised both Rooney and his manager Sir Alex Ferguson who defended his star man.
He told the Liverpool Echo: “The decision not to ban Wayne Rooney for his elbow on Wigan’s James McCarthy is an absolute joke.
“It was blatant and the striker should be serving a three-match suspension.
“Alex Ferguson predictably tried to defend the indefensible after the game and put the FA under pressure and it certainly seems to have done the trick.
“There is no way referee Mark Clattenburg saw that incident clearly otherwise he would have sent Rooney off.
“There is no excuse for what the striker did.
“I thought with all the cameras now the days of getting away with things like that had gone but somehow he’s managed to escape unpunished.”
What else did you really expect?
These are all forgotten people who are trying to get their names into the news columns by jumping on the wagon and criticizing Wayne Rooney. What Rooney did wasn’t even the worst challenge in the game. You Hypocrites.
No one said it was the worst challenge in the game. Just that when you deliberately elbow someone in the face, you should be punished. Do you disagree? Would you maintain the same stance if John Terry elbows Ryan Giggs in the face tonight? No, I didnt think so. Typical of Man Utd fans who believe that the rules simply dont apply to them because Alex Ferguson says so.
So how come Ben Thatcher got a 8 match ban and Rooney gets nothing. It’s an absolute disgrace. Clattenburg hang your head in shame, the FA what do you do? And FIFA, you take the TV money, but won’t use it to make the game fairer….idiots…
Typical utd and Rooney.
Get away with murder. If that was James McCarthy who did
that it would of been noticed and he would of been baned.
Its unfair the way the coruped FA and FIFA spoill there favourite
team and get bullied by Ferguson.
Grow a pair FA and threat the rest of us fairly.