Wayne Rooney: Messi wouldn't be suited to the English game

Wayne Rooney has revealed he is still reeling from the Champions League final defeat to Barcelona, but has claimed it would be difficult for Lionel Messi to have the same devastating impact if he played in the Premier League.

Rooney joined talkSPORT pundits Richard Keys and Andy Gray while his England team-mates trained ahead of the EURO 2012 qualifier with Switzerland - a game the Manchester United forward will miss through suspension.

He agreed with Sir Alex Ferguson that Pep Guardiola's side is the best he's ever encountered, but believes Messi would need the support of the Barcelona midfield to prosper in England.

Radio rental: Rooney joins Gray and Keys in the talkSPORT studio
Asked if Messi could dictate games in the England as he does in Spain, Rooney said: 'If you bring Xavi and Iniesta with him, yes. But it would be difficult, almost impossible for him to play as he does in Spain.

'The game is more physical here, going to the likes of Birmingham and Stoke away is very demanding. Cristiano Ronaldo is more suited to the English game than Messi. Cristiano is taller and good in the air.'

On defeat in the showpiece Wembley final Rooney said: 'It hurt. I watched the game again because you can always learn by watching football. It was very disappointing but you have to put your hands up and say they were the better team.

'They are the best team I’ve seen and Lionel Messi the best player. I think he got three nutmegs in the first-half. On my PlayStation I can make him do what I want but he’s even better in real life. The speed he moves his legs, in fact his whole body, is amazing.

'Messi wins them games but Xavi and Andres Inesta destroy you. They are simply a fantastic team, a very special side. That’s the level we want to be at and we have to up our game to achieve this. The manager will be doing what he can to see we do this.

'The plan was to try to win the ball from them as high up as possible and not allow them time on the ball. We didn’t want to allow them to dictate play.

'I was told to stay as close to Sergio Busquets as possible and break off him when we had the ball. At times they had six in midfield with Messi and David Villa dropping back.'

dena wrote:Been watching too much Sky.

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Cameron. wrote:

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Yeah, but we don't play football in the same style that others in the league do.

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Danny wrote:

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Hardly makes a difference where the final was played does it?

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Yeah, but we don't play football in the same style that others in the league do.

You're the best of the bunch, and Barcelona beat you. Pretty much says that the likes of stoke are not worth their time.

Forest wrote:Rooney's right.


Messi wouldn't be as good without Xavi and Iniesta. Playing for Argentina proves that.


He's still a fantastic player without them though, just not as good

Cameron. wrote:

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:

Eternal Witcher wrote:

Cameron. wrote:Doubt he'll ever come to England, so we don't know if that's true or not

He beat the champions of england on english soil. and made them look like a pub team at times.

Yeah, but we don't play football in the same style that others in the league do.

You're the best of the bunch, and Barcelona beat you. Pretty much says that the likes of stoke are not worth their time.

That doesn't mean much in terms of how Barcelona would cope with playing Stoke or Blackburn.

Arsenal are a team that play football like* Barcelona yet pretty much every time they go and play Stoke or Blackburn they struggle, who's to say Barcelona wouldn't ? The fact that they'll most likely never play them means we will never know.

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

Danny wrote:

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

Danny wrote:

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

Fine Shagger wrote:

Danny wrote:

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

What?

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

Danny wrote:

Fine Shagger wrote:

Danny wrote:

Fine Shagger wrote:Fuck off. If you think Barcelona would struggle against them two Cam then you need to be euthanised.

What?

Saying he needs to be euthanised…

I think Barca would beat the likes of Stoke etc… but we'll never know will we?

Fonseca wrote:Because Arsenal are not Barcelona, we've been playing the same fucking way before Barcelona had their drought. Cameron don't make yourself look like a fool again