Source: Daily_Mail
Manchester United 3 West Ham 0: Heads again! Rooney at the double
There was a moment at Old Trafford last night that summed up Wayne Rooney's contribution to the Manchester United cause over the last five-and-half years. And it had nothing to do with either of his goals.[LNB]After an hour, with this game pretty much won, Rooney chased a lost cause across the West Ham penalty area. As visiting goalkeeper Robert Green sought to shepherd the ball over the byline, Rooney set off after him.[LNB]Quite simply, it wasn't his race to win. But, like a sprinter reeling in a tiring front runner at the line, Rooney drew level with the floundering Green, nudged him off the with his shoulder and turned the ball towards goal from an acute angle. A defender, Julian Faubert, cleared from the goal line and Rooney was denied his hat-trick.[LNB]That, however, was not the point.[LNB] Head for heights: Wayne Rooney produces another stunning headed goal to put Manchester United in front against West Ham[LNB][LNB]That passage of action said everything about Rooney and his attitudeto football. Never give up. Never accept second place. Never say never.He remains the one overwhelming reason why United remain in the racefor the Barclays Premier League title.[LNB]No player can win this thing on his own, but Rooney can come as close as anybody.[LNB]United's centre forward for that is what he is at last now has27 goals this season. Two years ago Cristiano Ronaldo scored aremarkable 42. If Rooney can get somewhere near that then Chelsea mayyet have something to worry about.[LNB]Two good: Rooney is congratulated by Valencia and Scholes after heading his second[LNB]How remarkable it is that this United team are still in the scrapfor a 19th league title. At times, they just don't look good enough.Certainly they don't defend well enough. But Rooney on this form is aone-man wrecking machine. He was criticised for his performance in the3-1 defeat at Everton on[LNB]Saturday. What a way to come back. It's 19 goals in his last 19matches now and there is no sign of this river of goals drying up.[LNB]Last night he was ably supported by right winger Antonio Valenciaand, indeed, by his strike partner Dimitar Berbatov, who enjoyed one ofhis best games of the season.[LNB]The three men produced the same combination for the two goals either side of half-time and that was enough to see off a West Hamteam who were very much in the game before Rooney scored the first goalin the 38th minute.[LNB]A superb piece of intelligent, cohesive football it was, too.[LNB]For all that he has disappointed during his time at United, Berbatovremains a player with terrific peripheral vision and awareness and hischipped ball towards Valencia was volleyed back across the penalty areafor Rooney to dive and head powerfully past Green from seven yards.[LNB]Injury blow: Brazilian midfielder Anderson is checked by referee Alan Wiley before being substituted[LNB]In the wake of his two headers in Milan last week, it emerged that Rooney had spent part of last summer practising the art that even some of the greatest goalscorers never quite manage to master.[LNB]At the moment, such diligence appears to be paying off handsomely.[LNB]He has scored six times with his head in the last seven games and inthe 56th minute he was presented with another opportunity to show off.[LNB]Once again Berbatov started the movement with a pass to Valenciainside West Ham left back Jonathan Spector. This time the former Wiganplayer took his time and lofted the ball to the middle of the goal.Once again Green had no chance as Rooney applied a firm and simpletouch.[LNB]United manager Sir Alex Ferguson said: 'He has obviously been watching my video! They were terrific goals, exciting goals. There was some superb play and we could have scored lots of goals.[LNB]'We had to win and we did. We showed great appetite. We used the ball well.'[LNB] United we stand: Old Trafford fans continue their green and gold protest against the Glazer family[LNB]Without the injured Ferdinand, the returning Nemanja Vidic partneredWes Brown and once again the evening was not without defensiveuncertainty.[LNB]MATCH FACTS Manchester United (4-4-2): Foster 5; Neville 6, Brown 6, Vidic 6, Evra 6; Valencia 7, Gibson 7, Scholes 6, Anderson 5 (Park 19mins, 6); Berbatov 7 (Owen 78), Rooney 8 (Diouf 78).West Ham United (4-4-2): Green 7; Faubert 5, Tomkins 6, Upson 6, Spector 5; Behrami 6 (Collison 63, 6), Noble 7, Kovac 7, Diamanti 6; Franco 6 (Mido 46, 6), Cole 6 (Dyer 75, 6). Booked: Faubert.Man of the match: Wayne Rooney.Referee: Alan Wiley. [LNB]First, Valon Behrami shot across goal when well placed and in spacein the 20th minute and then, two minutes later, Ben Foster had toback-pedal to halt a dipping shot from Alessandro Diamanti that spunoff Gary Neville's heel and threatened to drop in to the goal.[LNB]As it was, United's attacking football was fluent and purposeful enough to do what they needed.[LNB]Paul Scholes will have wondered quite how he managed to spank achance over the bar before substitute Michael Owen made a rare impact,guiding the ball past Green with 10 minutes left when played clear ongoal by Scholes.[LNB]West Ham will take some heart from their performance. Consecutivewins coming into the game had galvanised them and they are not withouthope. [LNB]It goes without saying, though, that they do not have a player remotely like Wayne Rooney.[LNB] Rio Ferdinand is captain crock: Worry for Fabio Capello as back injury rules Manchester United man out of Carling Cup finalManchester United fans give Glazers the cold shoulder with Old Trafford no-showSir Alex Ferguson continues clampdown by gagging Manchester United academy kidsWORLD CUP 2010: England boss Fabio Capello facing big problems ahead of finalsMANCHESTER UNITED FC
