Rooney - Don’t look on us as a one-man team

January 29, 2010

Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney has dismissed the idea that the reigning champions have become a one-man team this season. In the Premier League he has made 22 appearances and found the net 19 times and has three direct assists credited to him, as a team United have scored 53 goals so Rooney has had a hand in just under half, according to the stats anyway.

Without a doubt the former Everton forward has been the star man at Old Trafford this season and without him United look a completely different team. This might be a bold statement to make but he has been in outstanding form and his performances have been a massive factor in ensuring United are fighting it out at the top of the table.

The player himself has been modest on the subject, here are Rooney’s latest comments: “Don’t look on us as a one-man team or see it as a great burden on me, it’s nonsense.

“If I don’t get the service, I can’t score. If I don’t, I expect others to and we’ve done that well.

“We’ve shared the goals out well and it’s certainly not just about me. We expect to win as a team, not as individuals.”

What Rooney says is very true, if he didn’t get the service he wouldn’t score but there have also been plenty of occasions where he has upped the tempo and carried Manchester United to victory. The loss of Cristiano Ronaldo in the summer has clearly hit United, which is no surprise considering he is one of, if not the, best players in the world. Rooney has taken on the burden of being the star at Old Trafford and looks comfortable with the extra responsibility but I would argue boss Sir Alex Ferguson could do with adding another player of premium quality to work with Rooney. The likes of Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs have been impressive this season but as veteran players they can’t be expected to play every week, while Dimitar Berbatov is yet to fulfill his full potential at United. Nani has picked up his performances in recent weeks but I think it is fair to say the winger, and Anderson who arrived at the same time, have not reached the heights that were expected of them and rumours have linked both with moves away.

As well as proving vital in the Premier League Rooney played a major part in securing a Carling Cup final appearance for Manchester United. His displays in both legs against local rivals Manchester City arguably proved the deciding factor and Rooney’s form suggests his club would struggle if he were to pick up an injury that ruled him out for a significant amount of time.

Rooney may claim United aren’t a ‘one man team’ and in many respects he is right. However, without Rooney United look remarkably average by their own high standards and he really is the key man for Ferguson, even if he won’t admit it.

Written by Carl Hector, a sports writer who blogs about football news, UK & Irish racing, the Premier League and the Cheltenham Festival 2010.

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