Cometh The Man

Cometh the man, cometh the hour. Wayne Rooney has returned.
Stunning. Absolutely stunning. Of all the places, of all the moments, of all the teams, Wayne Rooney
gave the world a reminder of his lethality, ruthlessness and class with a strike dubbed by Sir Alex
Ferguson as ‘the best goal Old Trafford has ever seen.’ After
seventy-nine minutes of enthralling, exciting and passionate
football, Rooney escaped from the clutches of the phenomenal
Vincent Kompany to steal the show with a strike from
absolutely nothing, conjuring up the impossible, effectively
murdering any hopes Manchester City held of taking the title to
Eastland’s.
Rooney’s goal certainly justified his selection ahead of top

scorer Dimitar Berbatov as the lone striker. It may have been
the role the England forward excelled in last season, but up
until this point it was the Bulgarian strike whom had been the
more potent attacking force, netting twenty goals prior to his
demotion to the substitute’s bench. Yet not for the first time in
his twenty-five years in charge, a brave gamble by Ferguson has
been rewarded. Think back to the decisions away at Blackpool and Bolton just this season, where
United have scavenged results despite being on the fringes of the game for long periods.
For the third time since rejecting Manchester United back in the summer of 2009, Carlos Tevez
returned to the home of his former employers. Sporting a shorter haircut than last time, and a snood
around his neck, his every touch was greeted with jeers, boos and cheers, the cheering only coming
whenever the Argentinean would be on the floor. But it was not to be a happy reunion for the
energetic forward. He was largely nullified by the brilliant pairing of Nemanja Vidic and Chris
Smalling, with the latter giving a performance with enough authority to convince the critics he may
just be the heir to Rio Ferdinand. Tevez only looked a threat with the introduction of Edin Dzeko, a
nifty header (albeit whilst outside) that was saved by Edwin Van Der Sar the closest he came to
registering a goal. He further became a villainous figure in the closing moments when he ran into
Ryan Giggs and cried foul, but the Welshman’s yellow card nor the former United player’s tumble
proved not to be decisive.
With Tevez and Rooney on the pitch, and Berbatov

and Dzeko comfortably awaiting instructions on the
bench, the most eagerly anticipated Manchester
derby began at full throttle. Nani tormented Pablo
Zabaleta (and not for the last time) in the opening
twenty seconds into conceding a corner. Three
minutes later and City’s failure not to be in front was
due to their own wastefulness, as David Silva poked
wide despite having just Van Der Sar to beat, with
time and space on his side. City impressed as the half
progressed, with Yaya Toure and David Silva running
the show in midfield, and Aleksander Kolorov going
close to breaking the deadlock. At the other end, having survived a penalty appeal when Toure’s
strike hit Evra, Ryan Giggs troubled Micah Richards once again down the left wing, twisting and
weaving through the Manchester City defence yet without a suitable enough reward, Darren Fletcher
heading straight at Hart following good work from
United’s aging winger. Rooney was shackled by
Kompany, and the biggest threat came in the form
of the mercurial Nani.
And on fourty-two minutes, Nani became more

than a threat. Having been guilty of wastefulness
with two efforts previously, the League’s leading
assist maker got into double figures for the season.
Rooney evaded Kompany to head to Giggs, who
then poked the ball into the path of Nani. Using his
speed, strength and skill to shrug of the stuttering
Zabaleta, he then kept his composure and balance
to slot past Joe Hart and send Old Trafford into raptures. It may have been against the run of play,
but it summed up United’s season. Not entering top gear, yet still ultimately emerging triumphant.
In the second half, it started with less gusto than the first. United were happy to play possession
football, passing the ball around City with relative ease, until their opponents got the ball. David Silva
slipped whilst shooting, his effort floating into the
safe hands of the Dutch goalkeeper. Corners were
aplenty, with Rooney denying Richards with a
diving header. Yaya Toure embarked on a
trademark burst, and was clattered to the floor by
the solid Vidic, yet no penalty was awarded. United
too had chances: Rooney looked destined to get
goal side of Kompany at last, but the Belgium
defender stuck out a leg to prevent the score line
increasing further. The stadium was then left
fuming as Giggs’ cross hit the elbow of Micah
Richards, but Andre Marriener waved play on.
Suddenly, and I mean suddenly, the scores were level in the most fortuitous of circumstances.
Substitute Dzeko, who netted at the same stadium for Wolfsburg in the Champions League in
September 2009, scuffed his shot after a mazy run from substitute and experienced-derby-participant
Shaun Wright- Phillips, only for the ball to deflect off the back of David Silva and into the net. Just like
the same fixture in the previous season,
the tie was level and delicately poised.
Ironically and dramatically, City now

had the upper hand. Fuelled with
confidence from the goal, the likes of
Tevez, Silva and Wright-Phillips flew at
the home defence, only a last gasp
block from Vidic stopping the England winger from pulling the trigger. Similarly, the quick reflexes of
the inexperienced Smalling were called into action to halt the ball’s intended journey to Dzeko, whom
would have been through on goal. Crucial times in the title race…
And then Manchester United do what Manchester United do. And how. His touch poor, passes
askew, yet technique perfect. Nani curled in another delicious delivery, and Rooney rose to the
heavens with a volley worth its weight in goal, sending the ball soaring like an eagle into the top
corner. His reaction was one of sheer exuberance and ecstasy, confirmation that his relationship with
the club is truly repaired and rekindled, a relationship that could…no…will have many more
memories together in the future.

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Cometh The Man

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Cometh the man, cometh the hour. Wayne Rooney has returned.

Rooney’s goal certainly justified his selection ahead of top

With Tevez and Rooney on the pitch, and Berbatov

And on fourty-two minutes, Nani became more

Ironically and dramatically, City now

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