Source: Telegraph
AC Milan v Manchester United: 'Italians couldn't handle Wayne Rooney'
It is not too much of a target for the Manchester United striker given he took his tally to 25 with his second-half double in the 3-2 Champions League win over AC Milan in the San Siro last night. [LNB]But Ferguson feels the goalscoring aspect of Rooney's game is driving him on to a new level, right to the very top of the world game. [LNB] Related ArticlesAC Milan 2 Man United 3'Rafael will benefit from Ronaldinho runaround'Debate: Can United win the Champions League?Rooney's frustration helps bring turnaroundWatch new Wayne Rooney adBeckham caught in sands of timeLeonardo: it's not over for MilanChampions League actionBeckham: missed chances proved costly for MilanAC Milan v Man United: as it happenedChampions League tablesChampions League fixtures"He could break 30," declared the United boss. "This season in particular, over the last two months, there has been a marked improvement in his game. [LNB]"Confidence has a lot to do with it of course. I just felt he had to improve his goalscoring, which is what he is doing now. [LNB]"His overall performance was absolutely devastating. Milan couldn't handle him. They just couldn't handle him. [LNB]"He has to be regarded at the highest level, along with all the other players we know about." [LNB]Rooney's magic appeared to have confirmed United's place in the last eight, only for Clarence Seedorf to give Milan a glimmer of hope. [LNB]Can Manchester United win the Champions League? Have your say... [LNB]In fact, Ferguson admitted it was fortunate United had not sustained more damage during a one-sided opening in which Ronaldinho gave Milan a third-minute lead and then both he and Klaas-Jan Huntelaar failed to take excellent chances to make matters much worse for the visitors. [LNB]"That first 20 minutes was a bad period for us," said Ferguson. "We could have been two or three down because the bad start gave Milan encouragement. [LNB]"But we were desperate to hang on and thankfully we got ourselves back into it." [LNB]The visitors managed that through Paul Scholes' left shin, which Darren Fletcher's cross hit after the former England international had failed to make contact with his intended right-footed shot. [LNB]From there it was glory all the way for United until Seedorf struck to set up a nervy last five minutes during which Michael Carrick was shown a second yellow card for time-wasting, ruling him out of the Old Trafford return on March 10. [LNB]"I didn't know what it was for at first but then I was told he kicked the ball away," said Ferguson. [LNB]"It was a soft red card but when you do something like that you are not really giving the referee any option." [LNB]
