Goalscorer Preview - Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United: Wayne Rooney
- By Lewis Doe on January 14, 2011 08:52 GMT
Wayne Rooney should be back to full fitness and ready to put in a stunning display against Spurs.
Rooney recently scored his first goal in open play since last March against West Bromwich Albion in a 2-1 win. He has been unfortunate with injuries so far this season but should now be chomping at the bit for a long and extended run of games in the side.
Rooney has been utilised in an efficient and productive way this season when it could have been easier for Sir Alex Ferguson to draft him into thin areas of the squad. Rooney has stayed at the top of the team in attack where he is most effective. His partnership with Dimitar Berbatov is improving with every game.
Rooney will be frustrated that he picked up a slight knock after his goal at West Brom. This means he’ll be annoyed, agitated and determined to hit the ground running against Spurs if he is given the chance to start the match.
The problem for Ferguson is deciding the system to use against Spurs. It will be tempting to stick with the 4-4-2 that has been successful this season. This would allow Ferguson to risk Rooney in a two pronged attack where Berbatov or Javier Hernandez could take a lot of pressure away from their team mate.
However, Ferguson is much more likely to use a 4-5-1 because of the number of influential players that Spurs possess. Rooney is good enough to be this one striker because he has the strength, speed and fitness needed to lead the attack all by himself.
Rooney may have only scored two Premier League goals this season while Berbatov heads the scoring chart but his game is getting better. No one in the United side uses the space created by other players in a better way than Rooney. No one else can bring as many players into the game and no one else can display the sheer raw enthusiasm.
Rooney could start from the bench against Spurs, which means he would be brought onto the pitch as an impact player. However, Ferguson used him last season against Bayern Munich in the Champions League when he had a badly sprained ankle and he is far fitter now than he was at that point.
