Fergie Factor In The Manchester Derby

[Folami David]

The first Manchester derby of the post- Alex Ferguson era takes place with the former United manager's influence keenly felt after he timed his praise for striker Wayne Rooney to coincide with the build- up to Sunday's game.
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Ferguson was critical of the England striker's form last season and the Scot's disclosure in May that Rooney wanted to leave Old Trafford was reported to have fuelled the 27-year-old's desire to seek a new challenge elsewhere.
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However, in comments published on Friday that are being interpreted by the British media as the extension of an olive branch, he waxed lyrical about his former charge's performance in Tuesday's 4-2 Champions League win over Bayer Leverkusen.
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That he has chosen to make his first public comments about a player whose future was one of the main talking points of recent months so close to a key game bears all the hallmarks of the managerial days when his mind games were well documented.
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As new boss David Moyes prepares to take the Premier League champions to the Etihad stadium to play last season's runners- up, Ferguson's comments have ensured the headlines have come from the directors' box and not the dugout.
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"Wayne's performance was fantastic, I was pleased to see that," the 71-year-old Ferguson, who retired at the end of last season having led United to their 20th league title, told the club's in-house TV station.
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"He's got his energy back - the determination, his purpose to attack players, was all very encouraging to me.
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"Being a director, I'm delighted to see that. He's back to what we always remember him as."
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Rooney scored two goals and created another in a superb performance in Europe and having also netted a free kick in last weekend's 2-0 victory over Crystal Palace in the league, the 27-year-old is heading into the derby on a high.
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"It's great to have him in that form - he can be untouchable when he's like that," team mate Michael Carrick told the club's website (www.manutd.com).
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"We won at the weekend, and on Tuesday we took it to another level and improved again. Hopefully, we can do it again on Sunday. The performance will breed confidence, and we'll have to do it all again on Sunday."

[Shola Sholaz]

Alex Ferguson factor should be forgotten once and for all because he is out of coaching already. It's now Moyes and Pellegrini.