'Referees pursuing Rooney as prize scalp' claims Giggs
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Your support makes all the difference.Ryan Giggs has joined the conspiracy theorists who believe referees are making a trophy target out of his Manchester United team-mate, Wayne Rooney.
Rooney learnt on Tuesday that he must serve a three-match Premiership ban for his recent dismissal against Porto for an aerial challenge on the Porto defender Pepe in this month's Amsterdam Tournament, a decision he considered unjust at the time. He has since claimed some officials are homing in on minor indiscretions in order to make a name for themselves.
The Dutch referee Ruud Bossen submitted a 23-page report to the Football Association, emphasising why he felt he was correct to send off Rooney and his team-mate Paul Scholes during the Porto tie.
While the three-man independent disciplinary panel set up by the FA to hear United's appeal against the verdict concurred with Bossen, Giggs is adamant the official was acting on reputation rather than fact.
"Generally, Wayne has handled himself brilliantly," Giggs said. "At such a young age, the spotlight is on him but he has handled that more than appropriately. But, on occasions like this, when the referee is trying to make a name for himself, it is disappointing."
Neither United, nor Sir Alex Ferguson have made any public comment on Rooney's suspension.
As Rooney is set to miss Sunday's Premiership opener against Fulham with a minor groin problem, it could be the Old Trafford encounter with Arsenal on 17 September before the 20-year-old makes his league bow this season.
With Ruud van Nistelrooy now at Real Madrid and Alan Smith still a couple of weeks from full recovery after his double leg break, Ferguson's decision not to bring in striking reinforcements could backfire. Unless he bloods the untested youngster Giuseppe Rossi against Fulham and in the following games against Charlton, Watford and Tottenham which Rooney and Scholes will definitely miss, Ferguson will be forced to press Giggs or Cristiano Ronaldo into an emergency attacking role.
"Losing both Wayne and Paul is a real problem," Giggs admitted. "But we have got a big enough squad to cope and we just have to deal with it."
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