Roeder Defends Rooney

By Nick Raynor
October 14 2006

Newcastle United manager Glenn Roeder has defended Wayne Rooney’s response to an England fan.

Rooney was insulted by the England fan and responded by giving him the ‘V’ sign with his fingers.

 

The matter is being looked into, but Roeder has defended Rooney, claiming he was provoked.

 

Roeder said:

 

"I was disappointed to see that Wayne Rooney got involved in an altercation with an England fan who was giving him abuse.

 

"The fan who did that, I think that is disgusting. Wayne Rooney is a top player - not just a top player in this country, a world-class footballer - and he will come back to form and score lots of goals.

 

"He did not deserve that to happen to him.

 

"It is not nice. I sometimes wonder why we feel we have this right to have such high expectations when generally speaking the international team for a long time now has not been hugely successful.

 

"We have to admit that. If you try to say we have been successful, you are not being honest.

 

"The expectations are ridiculously high and when consequently we do not get the right results, then you get the supporters getting very upset."