RUUD FOR THE STIFFS
Last updated : 10 March 2005 By Editor
Chip shop owner Lou Macari thinks that Fergie made a mistake by playing Ruud against Milan without being fit. He said:
“Ruud has been fantastic in Europe but he was out for a long time and he really lacked fitness for a big game like Milan. “I can’t understand why a couple of reserve games just haven’t been on the itinerary for him.
“You can stroll through a reserve game and get 90 minutes of fitness under your belt.
“When I was playing, you needed three or four reserve games before you went back into the first team. But Ruud had none.”
He sights the Palace match as an example of Ruud not being ready for a Champions League match.
“Ruud had a nightmare against Palace, he still looked way short of full fitness.
“So whether he played in Milan was a big dilemma for Alex. But Ruud’s record in Europe is so good he decided he just had to pick him.”
