‘If this is what they want to play in the Premier League I’m Afraid they will not end in Top 4 next season’: Wayne Rooney slammed Arteta side Arsenal for poor performance despite trashing His side 5 -0
Wayne Rooney’s MLS All-Star side was thrashed 5-0 by Arsenal on Wednesday night – and the DC United boss said he took ‘absolutely nothing’ away from a game which followed very little preparation for his mishmash group.
The 37-year-old had just two training sessions with the All-Stars, the second of which merely featured head tennis at the National Mall, where a makeshift practice field was put up.
And while Rooney called the game a ‘good event’ and acknowledged Arsenal was ‘one of the best teams in Europe,’ he still had some gripes with the buildup to the match.
‘As I suggested, I didn’t want them training at the National Mall but that’s where we trained,’ he said. ‘We can’t do anything, we were willing to do head tennis. So we literally had no time to do any tactics whatsoever.
‘You put the players out there and hope that they can figure things out, and against a team like Arsenal that’s very difficult to do.’
Rooney’s 28-man roster – all of whom saw the pitch – were roundly beaten by Arsenal at Audi Field as Gabriel Jesus, Leandro Trossard, Jorginho, Gabriel Martinelli and Kai Havertz made the scoresheet.
The former Manchester United and England captain said he thought his players were ‘a little bit nervous and hesitant’ in the first half, and the gap in quality – and continuity – was obvious on the field
‘You try and make it a bit of fun and try and let the players have a good experience. And of course it’s great for some players to play against some top players,’ Rooney said
‘But also I think some personal pride needs to come into it as well, and you wanna try and do well and not let the score be as it was tonight.’
Martinelli added Arsenal’s fourth of the game with a coolly taken goal on the counter, and he was complimentary of the hosts despite the ugly scoreline.
‘It was a good game against a very good side,’ he said. ‘It was so hot but we tried to do our best and I think we did.’
While newcomer Lionel Messi was missing from the match, his arrival has already raised the profile of the league, and makes the idea of MLS as an elite competition someday wholly plausible.
Rooney recognizes that progress but knows the league is not there just yet.
‘I know the league has been working extremely hard to try and bring that gap closer, and bring better players in or young players more towards their peak into the league, which I think they’re doing, they’re doing well,’ he said.
‘But we’re talking about one of the best teams in Europe, I believe, in Arsenal. This could happen to any team.’
