Rooney up front and honest
Wayne Rooney insists he's given little thought to who may partner
him up front during the 2007/08 season.
Sir Alex handed Cristiano Ronaldo a forward berth in Friday's
handsome win over FC Seoul and the pair linked well to create
United's first and third goals. But it's unlikely Ronaldo will be
regularly employed that far forward when the Barclays Premier
League kicks off next month.
The manager also has options in Louis Saha, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer,
Alan Smith and Giuseppi Rossi. And, if Sir Alex gets his way,
Argentina international Carlos Tevez will be Old Trafford bound.
But Rooney says he's only concentrating on getting fit for the new
season.
"I haven't thought about who I might be playing alongside next
season," the United ace told MUTV while in South Korea.
"With so much competition for places it's going to be tough and
I'll have to play well to keep my place in the team. That's what
I'm aiming to do."
Rooney said the team's focus will be on retaining the Premier
League trophy and reaching the Champions League final in
Moscow.
"They're the main two," he admitted. "Then we'll also try for the
FA Cup and the Carling Cup."
Some critics have claimed United's extremely busy pre-season
schedule could lead to burn-out before the season begins, but the
England striker isn't having any of it.
"We have some new players and these matches are great for learning
how their games work. And most players would rather miss a day's
training to play in a game!
"The new signings seem to have settled in quickly. A few of the
lads already know Owen [Hargreaves] through playing with him for
England. And Ronaldo's helped Nani a lot since they're both
Portuguese. He's been good to have around the dressing room."