Rooney misses out for Manchester United at Valencia, FlappyHandski returns for Arsenal & Liverpool inch closer to fan ownership

Comment & analysis round-up

Quote of the day:Fabianski is ready. I dont have any concerns. Fabianski made mistakes at Porto but he can show he has learned from that. When you watch a video, it is always better than the feeling straight after losing. Physically, it was actually tremendous. What we did physically, it was one of the highest performances this season. The distance we ran, the sprints we made, were the highest of the season so there was no lack of effort. We were not sharp, maybe, but the quantity of work was there. You cannot fault the willingness of the players. Just for the lack of concentration and defensive mistakes. Ill tell the players to keep believing in themselves. It is the first match we lost this season so it is not a catastrophe. It is an experience, not a disaster. Arsene Wenger.

Runner-up:One minute people are telling me my squad is full of old players and now they say we are too young and have no experience. It is normal to have two or three injuries in the season and this is not a problem for us. Obviously it is important to have experience in the squad but we want our young players to be able to play at this level and then the experience will come later. We have a good mix of young, improving players and others with enough experience to play a fantastic game. Losing to City at the weekend was not because of our subs. We were not able to change the game from the beginning or with our substitutions. Carlo Ancelotti.

Honest Nemanja Vidic:Yes, were concerned, over the last few years we havent conceded many goals. We always looked strong and we didnt give teams many chances. But in the last few away games we havent kept clean sheets, which is very disappointing. This was a game we wanted to win and before the game wed have said a draw would be two points droppe! d.

Honest Dirk Kuyt:Everyone is expecting goals from Fernando, but he does a lot more. He was very quick with the ball and gave great passes to me and Stevie. Everyone could see how happy he was with the two assists he made. But you know if youre not winning games, then youre not happy. Im not happy and the rest of the team arent happy. Thats normal. If you are a striker and the type of striker he is, you want to be involved in goals. Fernando is very important for the team, even if he is not scoring. If he is making assists, that is just as good. Fernando is OK. His mood has never changed.

Todays overview: Three themes dominate this Tuesday morning: Wayne Rooney not travelling with Manchester United to Valencia, Arsenals goalkeeper problems and Liverpools ownership issues.

Matt Lawton is sympathetic towards Rooney whilst Ian Wright lays the blame squarely on Arsene Wengers shoulders for Manuel Almunias errors on Saturday. Matt Scott reports Liverpool are closer than ever to fan ownership and Henry Winter calls for the supporters to show patience.

There are also other articles on Kenwyne Jones, Gazza, Match of the Day and the Guardians weekly European football round-up which is joined by Richard Williams hailing Steve McClaren.

Finally, there are the latest updates on the personal lives of both David Beckham and Wayne Rooney.

United without Rooneyfor Valencia clash: Stephen Ward provides the lowdown on Wayne Rooneymissing out. The sense of unease affecting Wayne Rooney and Manchester United heightened tonight, when the striker was left out of Uniteds squad for Wednesdays Champions League match at Valencia. The club said Rooney had succumbed to an ankle injury, but the statement followed suggestions he might be overlooked as he struggles to reconcile his form and personal issues. The absence of a fu! lly fit Rooney is a blow for Sir Alex Ferguson, with Uniteds season awaiting a spark. They have failed to win all three away fixtures in the Premier League, and a 0-0 home draw with Rangers in their opening Champions League match has lent the game on Wednesday at the Mestalla more significance than the manager would like so early in the campaign.

Matt Lawton argues Rooney is suffering more than an ankle injury. Rooney was superb for England against Bulgaria two days prior to the scandal breaking and pretty damned impressive when Fabio Capellos side then went to Switzerland. In fact, its only since he got home to his wife that he has really started to struggle. So if its more time he needs to sort out his marriage, then Ferguson is probably right to leave him behind. He is right for the sake of Manchester United as well as England.

Tim Rich feels Manchester Uniteds defending is more of a problem than Rooney. All the images from the Reebok Stadium seemed to be of one man. There was Wayne Rooney punching the ball away in anger with his gloved hand. There was Rooney nursing his injured ankle on the bench with an ice pack. There was Rooney with his head in his hands. Frustrated Rooney. Hurt Rooney. Despairing Rooney. And yet the form of Englands most naturally gifted footballer who is missing today as United head for Spain and their Champions League tie at Valencia in order to receive treatment on that troublesome ankle is not the greatest threat to Manchester United seizing back their Premier League title.

Arsenals goalkeeper crisis: Ian Wright is typically forthright in his defenceof Manuel Almunia. You cannot blame Manuel Almunia for Arsenals shock defeat to West Brom. Just like you will not be able to point the finger at his understudy Lukasz Fabianski if he costs the Gunners once more in Belgrade tonight. Thats because, ultimately, there is one man who must carry the can for the current goalkeeping crisis at my old club. And that is Arsene Wenger. The Arsenal boss knows bette! r than a nybody the standard of his keepers. He has had numerous chances to strengthen that department in the last couple of seasons but refused to take them. Now his unwillingness to invest in a world-class stopper has come back to bite him and his teams bid for much-needed silverware.

Jeremy Wilson sums up the dilemma for Arsenal fans. Ostensibly, the absence of goalkeeper Manuel Almunia for Tuesdays Champions League match against Partizan Belgrade may have come as a considerable relief after the mistake on Saturday that so contributed to West Bromwich Albions shock 3-2 win. The problem, however, is that it means Lukasz Fabianski who commands even less confidence will be promoted into the first team for a match guaranteed to be played in an intensely hostile atmosphere. For all Arsne Wengers skill at developing brilliant young attacking talent, it is a situation that again underlines the central weakness in the construction of his squad.

Kevin McCarra also questions Arsenals all round ability. Sheer panic by Gal Clichy cost the side a win at Sunderland. From a broader perspective, Arsenal can be hopeful if there is an increase in confidence as the side settle down. A stable combination in the middle of the back four would be of benefit yet we are still to see how, say, Laurent Koscielnys rapport with the currently injured Vermaelen evolves. Arsenals scope for progress cannot be ignored. Cesc Fbregas is yet to return and if Robin van Persie can maintain fitness once he has regained it the impact ought to be profound. Theo Walcotts pace should be of value, too, when he comes back from ankle trouble. Nonetheless, the healing that Arsenal need so badly must take place in the mind. A side chastened in the league last season by comprehensive defeats by Chelsea, as well as Manchester United, go to Stamford Bridge on Sunday.

Liverpool: Matt Scott reports Th! e Liverp ool fans group Spirit of Shankly-ShareLiverpoolFC has taken its first step towards setting up a financial foundation for supporter-led investment in the club. The society has teamed up with the Merseyside-based Partners Credit Union to provide a safe house for supporters to save towards the goal of taking up a stake in Liverpool. The Liverpool Supporters Credit Union scheme was launched on Saturday with the aim of making investing in Liverpool more affordable. Fans will now be able to save towards having a stake in their club, something that the current sums involved put out of the reach of all but investment institutions and the superrich.

Henry Winter calls for Liverpool fans to show patience in the battle to get rid of the Yanks. The more one peers through the fires burning around Anfield the more it becomes apparent that Liverpools future can best be secured only by RBS assuming temporary control. Hicks seeks to refinance, a doomsday scenario that RBS and other firms such as Citibank must resist. RBSs intentions are not known but anyone who cares about Liverpool will hope the bank calls Hickss bluff in his game of brinkmanship, calls in the loan and calls time on the Americans disastrous reign. Any potential buyer will sensibly wait until RBSs Oct 15 deadline, when Liverpool will be available at a far more realistic price. As well as eliciting schadenfreude at Hicks and Gillett losing out, it would conclude an embarrassing episode in the history of English football.

Kenwyne Jones: Martin Keown bigs up the Stoke striker. You have to be physical with that kind of striker, bully him and go in hard. You have to stop him finding space that means blocking him off so he cant get near the keeper and bringing in a midfielder in front of him. Newcastle didnt do that and they made the mistake of having Andy Carroll a striker mark him at set pieces. I think your best defender should mark the opposition striker. You can set your team up to stop him, too. By playing a high line and ! pressing you are forcing Jones to run in behind you, which isnt his strength. Sitting deep invites teams to ping endless balls into the box. Inevitably you will concede.

Gazza: Simon Bird wonders about Paul Gascoignes new job as manager of Garforth Town. The first reaction is: what a load of publicity-seeking madness. A club owner wants to put club on map and crank up attendances? Easy, call in the Gazza circus, trade on his notoriety and madness, and have a few weeks of fame before it all goes horribly wrong. Thats what Kettering did when they appointed Gascoigne boss before sacking him 39 days later with the owner Imraan Ladak claiming he was drinking too much. Then you ask, is Gazza sober now? Is he ready to commit to a proper coaching job? Does he have the presence and ability to communicate clearly with players and to run a dressing room, even at non-league level? Has he suddenly found the self-control and discipline to do a proper job? Plenty in football would love the answers to be yes.

The Match of the Day debate: Henry Winter wades in: When Alan Shearer is given time to do what he does best, notably analysing the movement of strikers, hes good. Confusing David Silva and David Villa cannot erase the memory of his fascinating dissection of Fernando Torress game. When Alan Hansen is allowed to dwell on issues and Saturdays critique on Liverpool was initially forgotten before being rushed through he can be compelling. His point about Walcott needing to develop his craft is correct. Ditto the censuring of Attwell. Detractors overlook the real problem with Match of the Day: its too short.

European round-up: Paolo Bandini says the honeymoon is over for Rafa Benitez, Rafa Honigstein concentrates on the surprise team in the Bundesliga this season, Mainz and Sid Lowe writes of Levante and their 0-0 draw with Real Madrid on Saturday night.

Richard Williams jokingly suggests Steve McClaren is making a strong case to be Fabio Capellos succe! ssor. Wh en the FA comes to consider a replacement for Fabio Capello, who retires in the summer of 2012, it is unlikely that it will want to contemplate an application from a man whose name is synonymous with ignominy. By that time, however, McClaren may have compiled a more convincing record of achievement than any other active English coach, with the arguable exception of Roy Hodgson, who will be 65 when Capello goes the same age as the Italian. McClaren will be 51, in the prime of his coaching career, having come through the fire with character and competence enhanced. He made many mistakes during his time with England, some to do with the team and others in the area of public relations, but his subsequent activities suggest that he learns from his mistakes. The best of Steve McClaren may be yet to come, and it would be a bit of a waste if England were not the ultimate beneficiary.

Smut: The Sun delight in announcing Shameless hooker Irma Nici grins as she is slapped with a 16million writ from David Beckhams lawyers last night. Liar Nici, 26, had dodged his legal teams bid to serve the papers by hiding in a New York hotel and then trying to flee in a black 4X4. But an official jammed it under the windscreen wiper as the vehicle was caught in traffic. It was unclear whether that meant the writ had been successfully served but Nici was then handed the papers in person at her lawyers office in the city. Becks, 35, is suing Nici and a magazine over claims he paid her for sex.

There is also an update on Wayne Rooney in the Currant Bun. Love cheat Wayne Rooney has made a grovelling apology to his in-laws and said: I let you down. The humbled ace admitted he had brought shame on the family in a showdown with wife Coleens parents Tony and Colette McLoughlin. They have been spitting blood since Rooney was caught cheating on Coleen, 24, with two hookers.

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