Wayne Rooney
has warned his Manchester United team-mates how quickly the Premier
League title race can turn ahead of their season-defining clash
with Chelsea.
United have a three point lead over the champions with a game in
hand going into their Stamford Bridge showdown on Sunday, a
position Rooney admits is much better than he was expecting when
looking to the match a month ago.
But Rooney said Chelsea's current form slump could happen to
United or any other team if they drop their guard, telling his
team-mates not to relent in their pursuit of trophies after a
relatively barren season last term.
"The Carling Cup was it for us in terms of trophies this year
and, in terms of trophies, a club like ours should be winning
more," Rooney said in the Sun. "We have worked hard to put
that right for next year. When you have not won them you get that
hunger and desire to win them.
"Chelsea started really strongly so it was important not to get
too far behind because they are a hard team to catch up. So we
stayed in behind and then four weeks ago we said that if we could
be just three points behind going into this game we would be happy.
Now we are three points ahead of them with a game in hand. We are
in a great position. But the way the tables have turned in the last
month we know how quickly things can happen so we don't want to be
complacent. We have to keep going and getting those results."
Chelsea won the domestic double last season as United's season
petered out in conjuction with Rooney's ankle injury. He said the
frustration of missing those crucial games made it the "worst
time", but having now come through his headline-grabbing contract
saga and regained full fitness, he's hoping he can find top form
once again.
"It has been a hard few months for me and the United fans," he
said. "But they have been brilliant since I signed the new deal.
They can see the desire I have got to play and win. They have been
fantastic for me and I thank them for that."