Berbatov looking sharper - Rooney

SOCCER NEWS ROUND-UP:DIMITAR BERBATOV is a sharper and more determined player this season, according to his Manchester United team-mate and strike partner Wayne Rooney. The England international hailed the improved attitude of the Bulgarian following Sunday's Community Shield defeat to Chelsea where, unlike for the vast majority of last season, the pair played alongside each other in a conventional 4-4-2 formation.

Following the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid and Carlos Tevez’s move to Manchester City there is a far greater goal-scoring burden on the new strike partnership and Rooney said that Berbatov had been keen to impress Alex Ferguson following his summer break.

“You can see in training, and in our pre-season games, that he’s looking sharper. He’s looking more determined, tracking back to help the full-backs,” said Rooney. “He’s definitely working harder and trying to impress. He’s a brilliant player.”

Rooney was on target at Wembley on Sunday, scoring an injury-time equaliser to force the match to penalties, while Berbatov impressed with his link-up play and ball retention. Despite his goal Rooney said he and Berbatov could have won the game for United.

“In the first half we played well. In the second half Chelsea came back into the game,” he said. “But there were some good moments going forward and maybe we should have scored a few more goals.”

The 23-year-old is “delighted” with Ferguson’s stated plan to use him in his preferred central attacking role alongside the Bulgaria international. Operating more often as a left-sided attacker in United’s 4-2-3-1 formation last season, Rooney spent considerable time and energy tracking back to support Patrice Evra, but he suggested this was not always to the manager’s liking and he and Berbatov will be employed as out-and-out attackers.

“A lot of time I get told not to track back and to conserve my energy, stay upfield and save myself for when we are attacking,” he said.

“Berbatov is certainly better when he’s full of energy and getting touches of the ball.”

Rooney scored 20 goals in all competitions for the club last season and Berbatov, a €35.8 million signing from Tottenham in September, six fewer. However, they directly combined to score only two goals out of United’s 119 – a figure that will have to rise if the pair are to lead the line in the absence of Tevez and, more crucially, Ronaldo.

Rooney said he feels under no more pressure following the departure of the world footballer of the year, who scored 68 goals in the last two seasons alone: “He was best player in the world and there were always going to be questions asked when we lost him.

“I have had big expectation on me for the last seven years now. Whether Cristiano is here or not, I would still have those expectations.”

Perhaps no one expects more than the man who paid €27 million to Everton for the mercurial 18-year-old five years ago this month and having promised that he will not be “sacrificed” to play wide on the left Ferguson is hoping for 25 goals or more from Rooney, and the attacker agrees.

“It’s a target which I hope I’m going to reach. I’ve always said that I should score more goals and hopefully [I will] do that this season,” he said. “I like to play through the middle and the manager has come out now and said I am going to play there throughout the season so I’m delighted with that.”

Rooney and Berbatov both playing through the middle would signal the death knell of Ferguson’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation, but whether he will persevere with the 4-4-2 on show against Chelsea on Sunday remains to be seen.

Rooney acknowledged the change in tactics, though he seemed to dismiss the idea of Ferguson adding to his squad before the transfer window closes at the end of this month.

“We’ve signed Michael [Owen] and Antonio [Valencia] and we’ll probably play a slightly different style,” he said of this summer’s transfer activity at Old Trafford. “If we needed more players I’m sure the manager would have done but I don’t think we needed too many changes. We’ve won the league for the last three years and got to the Champions League final again last season so I don’t think we needed five or six players.”

GuardianService