Ferguson Predicts More From Rooney
Manchester United manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, says that Wayne Rooney is still maturing as a player and he expects to see more from the striker this season.
Rooney returned from the World Cup with England without scoring a single goal in the competition. Ferguson says this proves he still has obstacles to overcome during his career.
Rooney was one of the most prolific strikers in the Premier League last season and nearly broke the goal scoring record at the club that Cristiano Ronaldo set just the season before.
It's important to look at the state of Rooney's game at the moment and the areas on which he can seemingly improve. It's also important to consider the external factors that are going to have an impact on how Rooney plays over the rest of the season.
His Game
Rooney burst on to the football scene as a 16 year old intent on making an impression. He has lost no part of his drive and enthusiasm and has been able to cap his anger during intense situations.
He can still score a goal out of nothing and change the face of a game. It's important to remember that Ferguson picked Rooney to play in the Champions League against Bayern Munich when he had a badly strained ankle, emphasising how important he is.
He has to work on his fitness during the pre-season campaign. He did not look fully fit for England at the World Cup and this meant that his touch and his pace were a little off from what they should have been.
Ferguson said: "He had an improvement in terms of his timing and movement in the penalty box. His positioning also improved from the previous season. He got us over 30 goals and if he does that again and adds a little bit to his game then that is what we expect."
External Factors
Sometimes we all fall a little guilty to placing way too much pressure on professional football players. Rooney is a human being and he is just as vulnerable to pressure as anyone else. Ferguson will know better than anyone else that it does not matter how experienced you are or how many goals you have scored, pressure can still force you in to making mistakes.
Rooney will have to cope with the aggression and focus from opposition teams this season. However, he should be used to this by now because a lot of teams have tried to kick him out of the game during his relatively short Manchester United career.
The manager added: "The boy has got an incredible armoury of talent and what we have to do is to wait for that maturity. We also do nurture it and try to advise and coach in a fashion which will improve his game. But the most important thing I think he needs now is maturity and, when he gets that, I think you will see the complete footballer."
Advice
United are going to be favourites in a lot of competitions when the new season starts. A great deal depends on the goals that Rooney will score but he is too good a player to be out of form for a long time.
You could have a punt right now on Rooney scoring the most Premier League goals next season. He is capable of doing it and if you act now the odds will be a lot longer than after he has bagged his first brace or hat trick. He will always be a candidate to score a goal at any time during any match if you prefer to bet individually.
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