Becks - Leave Rooney alone

26 March 2009 16:28
David Beckham fears that if you try and calm Wayne Rooney down you are taking away an important element of his game.[LNB] The Manchester United striker's temperament has been called into question this week after his sending off against Fulham at Craven Cottage on Saturday.[LNB]The 23-year-old was dismissed for two yellow cards, the second of which came after he had aggressively thrown the ball back to where a foul had initially taken place in a bid to speed the game up.[LNB]As he left the pitch the former Everton ace punched the corner flag, an incident which England boss Fabio Capello used to poke fun at him in front of his team-mates during one of the squad's first training sessions in a bid to make light of the situation.[LNB]But the former England captain believes if Capello, a manager who prides himself on having a disciplined team, tries to curb Rooney's aggression he will lose an important part of his natural game.[LNB]"With Wayne Rooney you don't get the exceptional talent and player you have without that side of his game," the AC Milan midfielder said.[LNB]"If you take that side out of his game he becomes a different player, a different animal. You don't want to take that out of him.[LNB]"Sometimes it flows over. He's done it a few times with myself. It happens. He knows it's not right, I know it's not right, but it happens. [LNB]"You don't want to take that out of him."[LNB]No concernsDespite Rooney getting sent off against Portugal at the quarter-final stage of the 2006 World Cup, Beckham insists that he has faith in the striker's ability to control his temper amid the pressure of a major tournament.[LNB]"I've got no concerns whatsoever," he added.[LNB]"Taking that away from a player is dangerous and I don't think anyone will try to take that away from Wayne."[LNB]Beckham himself knows what it's like to lose your cool in a World Cup but revealed that he wouldn't be looking to offer his countryman any advice.[LNB]"I don't think it is an issue. I don't need to speak to him but if he wanted to talk to me I would," he admitted.[LNB]"Of course it's hard, there are a lot of people looking up to you. I've reacted on the pitch and it wasn't a great reaction. It might be wrong but it is me showing I'm frustrated that we're losing.[LNB]"He's got enough people around him, there isn't a stronger manager than Sir Alex Ferguson to look after him and also Fabio Capello. [LNB]"He has two managers who can get the best out of him and they do that."[LNB]

Source: SKY_Sports