MANCHESTER, England -- Dropping Wayne Rooney had the desired effect for Manchester United.With its out-of-form captain on the bench, United scored four goals in a sparkling first-half display and overwhelmed champion Leicester 4-1 in the English Premier League on Saturday.Juan Mata -- Rooneys replacement in the No. 10 role -- Marcus Rashford and Paul Pogba scored in a rampant five-minute spell just before halftime after United had taken the lead through Chris Smalling, the teams captain in place of the demoted Rooney.United ended a run of two straight league losses -- against Manchester City and Watford -- that had ruined its winning start to the campaign and led to widespread criticism of the makeup of Jose Mourinhos team as well as the coachs management style.Rooney bore the brunt of the criticism following his labored displays and Mourinho decided to put his 30-year-old captain on the bench in the biggest call of his United reign to date.Sometimes when I read you (in the media), I feel I know nothing about football, Mourinho said. But there is one thing I know -- the rules of the game. And I can only start with 11 (players).Mourinho said it was a tactical decision to drop Rooney, a day after saying the striker had struggled under the weight of media criticism since a poor display for England against Slovakia on Sept. 4.Leicesters defending clearly contributed to the scoreline -- three of Uniteds four goals came from left-wing corners -- but Uniteds attacking brio without Rooneys often slow build-up play was a notch above anything the team has produced this season.Today we had intensity, movement and dynamism, Mourinho said. To be back home and beat the champions is good.Pogba and Mata ran the midfield in front of the anchorman Ander Herrera, Zlatan Ibrahimovic floated around prompting play in his inimitable way, while Rashford was his usual busy, direct self and scored for the third straight game.Rooney, meanwhile, could only applaud from the bench as the goals flew in.Leicester was so overwhelmed in the first half that its two chief attacking weapons, Jamie Vardy and Riyad Mahrez, were substituted at halftime with manager Claudio Ranieri in damage-limitation mode and later acknowledging he was thinking ahead to the Champions League next week.Ranieri blamed his teams first-half display on a failure to play as a team after going behind, and a lack of concentration at corners.We switched off, Ranieri said.A bright start by Leicester was stopped in its tracks by Smallings back-post header from Daley Blinds corner in the 22nd minute. For the rest of the half, it was United at its relentless best.With the new captain getting the first goal, Rooneys replacement in the No. 10 position got the second. Pogba clipped a short pass to Jesse Lingard, whose flick found Mata just inside the area and he fired home in the 37th.Mata set up the third, receiving a quickly-taken corner by Blind next to the byline and crossing low for Rashford to tap in. Pogba made it 4-0 by heading in Blinds outswinging corner for his first goal for United since returning as the worlds most expensive player.It was Pogbas best display for United.We want to carry on like this, Pogba said. I always say one thing -- its at the end (of the season) when we will see.Uniteds level dropped after the break and Leicesters reorganized forward line created more openings, one of which saw substitute Demarai Gray smash a diagonal 25-meter shot into the top corner.Rooney came on in the 83rd minute to applause, taking his place on the left wing, but the game was over by then. Bennie Fowler Jersey .Y. -- Buffalo Bills coach Doug Marrone has drawn on his Syracuse connections once again by hiring Rob Moore to take over as receivers coach. Jeff Heuerman Jersey . -- Jimmy Walkers first PGA Tour trophy came with a special gift tucked inside. http://www.authenticnflshopbroncos.com/authentic-cj-anderson-jersey.html . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. 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The Western Bulldogs are upbeat stand-in skipper Easton Wood will return from injury this year, but its likely to depend on how far they progress in the AFL finals.The Bulldogs luckless season continued on Sunday when Wood hurt his ankle in their 40-point win over Essendon at Etihad Stadium.Wood, who has captained the club and marshalled their defence in the absence of injured veteran Bob Murphy, grimaced with pain after flying for a loose ball and landing on his left leg.The 26-year-old was sent to hospital for scans and is the latest player on a long list of injury concerns for coach Luke Beveridge.Well know a bit more tomorrow, I dont think hes too flash, Beveridge said of Wood, who was on crutches after the blow.Hopefully its not too bad and even if we lose him for a week or two, hopefully we can go a bit deeper and he might be able to rejoin us.The Bulldogs re-focused after the third-quarter setback to triumph 14.9 (93) to 7.11 (53).Beveridge flashed a look of disbelief following the incident and comforted players on the bench at three-quarter time.Murphy, Dale Morris, Matt Suckling and Marcus Adams missed the clash with Essendon because of injuries, which stretched the Bulldogs inexperienced defence.I did have a bit of a not again moment, Beveridge said.But we should get Dale (Morris) back for the Fremantle game, (Suckling) might be a chance.Ive said time and time again (after each injjury), you just have to give all our players credit for coming and playing critical roles.ddddddddddddThe Bulldogs were ahead by 30 points at quarter time and never lost their lead, although pressure from the Bombers ensured the margin never blew out.Beveridges side banked their 15th win of the season but remain in a tight race to host a final.The seventh-placed Bulldogs will only clamber up the ladder if they defeat Fremantle in the final game of the regular season - and West Coast, Greater Western Sydney or Hawthorn lose.If the Eagles, GWS and Hawks go down then the Bulldogs could sneak into the top four.How do we finish top four? I havent really done the numbers, Beveridge said.Whether thats a reach or not, I dont know. Who knows, stranger things have happened.Essendon midfielder Adam Cooney, who announced his retirement last week, celebrated his 250th game with a second-quarter goal and was applauded by the entire crowd.Cooney was chaired off the field and given a guard of honour by the two clubs he represented.Worsfold praised Cooney and his squad for how hard theyve worked this season in the absence of 12 banned players.People have acknowledged that Essendon havent been easy to play against, Worsfold said. Thats about what I would have expected or hoped for. Cheap Nike NFL Jerseys China Jerseys China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys 2020 China Jerseys Wholesale China Jerseys Jerseys NFL China ' ' '