SIR Alex Ferguson has no concern over Wayne Rooney's form but the Manchester United manager feels a Champions League goal against FC Copenhagen could wipe any remaining doubts from the striker's own mind.
Rooney showed clear signs of being back to his best with a scintillating performance at Wigan on Saturday but the nearest he came to scoring was a first-half piledriver which crashed against the crossbar.
It means the 20-year-old has now gone eight games without a goal for club and country since his opening-day double against Fulham.
But his drought in the Champions League goes back even further, 11 games in fact to his brilliant debut-day hat-trick against Fenerbahce in September 2004.
It is a startling statistic given Rooney's overall impact in the period since. However, Ferguson does accept for the England star's own peace of mind, it would be better if he finally managed to find the target.
Goals
"We hope Wayne scores," said Ferguson.
"Strikers like to get goals. They want to be scoring all the time. Wayne is no different and, when they are not scoring, they have their little concerns.
"When he hit the bar on Saturday, it was just the kind of luck he has been having. But the way he went on to perform in the second half showed it didn't faze him.
"His ability and work-rate are the two key elements of why we should not concern ourselves about him. I am very confident about the boy."
It was the prospect of playing with Rooney which provided one of the inspirations behind Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's three-year battle for fitness.
Happily, the Norwegian is now back and leading Rooney in the goalscoring stakes this term with five to his name.
But Solskjaer shares Ferguson's belief that his young team-mate is destined for a lengthy stay at the pinnacle of the game.
"Wayne is a fantastic character on the pitch, that is obvious, anyone can see that," said Solskjaer. "But it is the same off the pitch too.
"In training or in the dressing room, he is always positive.
"He is always talking football and he has always got the right attitude towards training. That will carry on throughout his career."
How many goals do you think Rooney will get this season? Have your say.
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I still think he will get 15-20 goals this season.
rooney is back in form and i think rooney can manage 20 or more. if he dosent it is bad for a him not us. but his work rate in unbelieveble and so even if dosent get 20 or more iam happy if he just keep on playing like teh second half at wigan and be the wayne rooney he was in euro 2004
Confidence, that¿¿<sup>TM</sup>s all he is missing right now, the ability and desire is there for all to see, he just needs to hit the net and go into that zone again to get that confident feeling back. Strikers need goals to feed their confidence. But having said that, he would still get in any team, because he is that good.
Time is on his side.
almost back to his very best; just needs a goal now to take him back to a level that is almost unplayable. My favourite bit of the game was him climbing over the full back and going on a mazy run only ended by a two footed tackle[it would have been red had it been rooney]. What incredible desire; as well as skill but still think that giggs is the key to the team not just in terms of balance; but still got pace and is such a clever player is bringing the sheringham and cantonna touch to the attacking fromation at present.
Of course every striker is all about goals but Rooney brings the team so much more than that. If he plays every week like he did against Wigan I don't care if he doesn't score until Christmas!
mkamper, Copenhagen you say you live in Copenhagen. If that is true, then which bus line goes along the bay area next to the Mermaid thingy?
Plus, if you live in Copenhagen your writing and spelling would be different, with a slight accent on the O's and A's, and perhaps a heavier intonation on your W's, making them sound like V's.
I'm not seeing that at all in your comments.
Be honest, you're from Birmingham aren't you?