Football: United will pay penalty: Ferguson

Alex Ferguson called on his Manchester United side to improve their penalty-taking after Wayne Rooney missed their fifth spot-kick of the season on Wednesday. United did advance in the FA Cup with a 1-0 third-round replay against West Ham at Old Trafford thanks to Rooney’s early first-half goal. But the England striker wasted a chance to put the result beyond doubt when he blazed over a penalty 12 minutes from time. That was Rooney’s second penalty miss of the season. Ferguson wants to see United enjoy better penalty returns. “It’s not ‘one of those things’. We have to improve,” said Ferguson. “Your penalty kicks are to take advantage of whether it’s a handball or a foul and score a goal.” In other matches, Arsenal knocked Swansea City out of the FA Cup with a 1-0 win at the Emirates.

Published in The Express Tribune, January 18^th, 2013.