Rooney ready for his season to take off, says Ferguson
Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney`s season could take off after two goals this week, manager Alex Ferguson said on the eve of Saturday`s Premier League trip to struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
|Last Updated: Feb 05, 2011, 09:02 AM IST|Source: Bureau
London: Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney`s season could take off after two goals this week, manager Alex Ferguson said on the eve of Saturday`s Premier League trip to struggling Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Rooney scored twice in Tuesday`s 3-1 victory over Aston Villa in a sign he might be returning to top form after a lacklustre season affected by injury and off-field problems.
After scoring 34 goals last season, he has managed just five in all competitions this term and Ferguson thinks the excellent midweek strikes, particularly the first-minute volley from just inside the penalty area, can ignite his season.
"He has a fantastic energy to play the game, he`s always committed to doing his best," Ferguson told a news conference.
"The bonus is...he`s got two goals and hopefully there`s every chance that scoring the type of goals he scored the other night -- particularly that first goal -- that he`ll take off.”
"I think goalscorers are like that, that`s what we`re going to see with Wayne. He`s got 14 league games, European games, FA Cup games left...he could easily get a good average goal scoring this year."
Defender Rafael is available for Saturday`s game having missed the last two matches after suffering concussion last week, while midfielder Darren Fletcher, who came off against Villa with an eye injury, has also recovered.
If United avoid defeat at bottom club Wolves (1730GMT), they will set a club record of 30 unbeaten league games having equalled their 1998-99 record with the victory over Villa.
In that season they went on to win a treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League.
They are still some way off emulating Arsenal`s 2003-04 title-winning season when the London team went unbeaten for the whole campaign as part of a 49-game Premier League unbeaten stretch, which came to an end with defeat by United.
United lead with 54 points from 24 games, with second-placed Arsenal five points and Manchester City a further three points behind in third. Champions Chelsea are fourth, trailing United by 10 points.
Bureau Report
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts.
Cookies Setting
By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device and the processing of information obtained via those cookies (including about your preferences, device and online activity) by us and our commercial partners to enhance site navigation, personalise ads, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. More information can be found in our Cookies and Privacy Policy. You can amend your cookie settings to reject non-essential cookies by clicking Cookie Settings below.
Manage Consent Preferences
Strictly Necessary Cookies
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work or you may not be able to login.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then some or all of these services may not function properly.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They are also used to limit the number of times you see an advert as well as help measure the effectiveness of an advertising campaign. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we may not know when you have visited our site, and may not be able to monitor its performance.