By STEVEN HOWARD
THE fall-out from Manchester United’s defeat last night will, no doubt, centre on Wayne Rooney and his very future at the club.
Alex Ferguson decided to leave his most celebrated player on the bench until the 73rd minute.
It was a tactic reminiscent of the evening when United last played Real at Old Trafford in 2003 with David Beckham axed from the side.
It was a decision that would eventually lead to Beckham quitting the club a few months later.
The consequences of omitting Rooney will reverberate round Old Trafford in the days to come with more speculation about a possible move to Paris Saint-Germain or — whisper it softly — a short trip across Manchester to the Etihad.
Former skipper Roy Keane went as far as to say Rooney, 27, would be viewing it as the writing already being on the wall.
Yes, some will view Rooney’s axeing as a gamble — especially with United eventually losing.
But it was 100 per cent the right decision. And not just because the men who came in — Ryan Giggs and Danny Welbeck — fully justified their selection.
For so long with both England and United, Rooney has failed to rise to the occasion on the nights that matter.
A consummate performer and prolific scorer in the Premier League, maybe. But when England and United need him most, he goes on the missing list.
It was plainly evident once again in the first leg in the Bernabeu.
So there was a lot of good sense in Ferguson’s decision last night.
You can even bring Cristiano Ronaldo into the equation.
His winning goal last night was his 73rd at Old Trafford — and ninth in the Champions League.
The previous 72, of course, had been in the red shirt of United.
In the first leg, CR7 more or less carried Real and scored, as it turned out, a priceless equaliser — one of the 186 goals in 185 games that have earned him legendary status as one of the club’s finest players along with Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo di Stefano, Zinedine Zidane and Raul.
Yet last night we hardly saw him — and he STILL came up with the winner that keeps the season alive for the Spanish giants.
That is the difference between a world-class player and one who stumbles and shuffles around on the periphery of semi-greatness.
One from whom we might have already seen the best.
As for last night, until Nani was dismissed United were full value for their 1-0 lead — with Ronaldo nothing more than an interested observer at the feast.
Ferguson had said it would need a machete or a machine-gun to stop him. Perhaps he might have to be kidnapped. Except, until his pivotal intervention with 21 minutes left, he had gone AWOL.
Without him, Real’s season looked to be over as they trailed courtesy of a Sergio Ramos own goal.
But enter Cuneyt Cakir, the villain of the piece, and the game was stood on it head.
Luka Modric equalised within seven minutes of coming on as a 59th-minute substitute and, three minutes later, Ronaldo struck.
As Gonzalo Higuain’s low cross made its way to the far post you just knew who would be on the end of it.
Yes, United launched a grandstand finish, but it was always going to be a tough ask to get the two goals it would now require to turn it around.
But what a way to go out of the Champions League.
What a heartbreaker, what a truly cruel and desperate blow.
And so, for the first time since 1995-96, there will be no English clubs in the quarter-final draw.
Sole survivors Arsenal are 3-1 down against brilliant Bayern Munich and seemingly facing mission impossible in the Allianz Arena next week. But don’t blame United for that after suffering their first defeat of 2013.
You can blame Manchester City, Chelsea and the Gunners. But what happened here last night had little to do with any shortcomings on behalf of a side that had made Real look second best for so long.
With 11 men on the pitch, they had the game firmly in their grasp.
They then gave it everything they had when reduced to 10 men and up against a team who had scored 27 times in 15 Champions League away games under Mourinho, never failing to find the net.
As for Mourinho, fair play to a man not universally loved when he said after the game that the best team had lost.
And what tremendous PR. It was almost like the first move in his audition for the job of one day replacing the old guv’nor from Govan.
In the last three days over here, he has hardly put a foot wrong.
Which is more than you can say for last night’s referee.
So tough luck, United. You certainly didn’t deserve that. Just the Double then this time.
