Ferguson predicts Rooney goal glut as United take title control

Sir Alex Ferguson has set Wayne Rooney a 40-goal target to fire Manchester United to Premier League glory.

With Manchester City losing at Swansea, United hit top spot for the first time since the middle of October thanks to Rooney’s second brace in as many games.

It took the striker onto 26 for the season and Ferguson believes if he can get himself another 14 in United’s final 10 matches, they will not be far off clinching a 20th league title.

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“If Wayne gets to 40 goals I will be absolutely delighted because we will be in business then,” said Ferguson.

“The City defeat was a bonus I didn’t expect but I am happy to be top because only a few weeks ago we were seven points behind them.

“That is credit to the players and the resilience of the squad because as everyone knows, we have had a lot of injuries.”

So many injuries indeed that Rooney does not feel United have been given the credit their recent form deserves.

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“Fair enough, Europe has been disappointing, but we have had really tough games in the Premier League,” said Rooney.

“We have played a lot of the top teams. Sometimes we have not been at our best but we have still got the wins.”

Rooney requires another eight goals to equal his best ever haul of 34, scored in his injury-blighted 2009-2010 campaign.

That will be a target too, although the 26-year-old is not letting personal aims get in the way of collective achievements.

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“I know how many goals I need to achieve it but I am not really focussed on that at the minute,” he said.

“We have 10 games left and I just want to help us get those points we need to be successful. The most important thing is to win trophies.”

West Brom boss Roy Hodgson has no doubt Rooney can do that, hailing the forward as “world-class”. Indeed, as an outsider to replace Fabio Capello as England manager, Hodgson could yet be the unfortunate recipient of Rooney’s absence from the first two Euro 2012 games through suspension. “Rooney is a world-class player and will be a major loss for England in the first two matches of Euro 2012,” he said.

Rooney’s first came when he toed home what he is convinced was a shot from an acute angle by Javier Hernandez. United had already survived a couple of scares, then escaped what appeared to be a penalty-box foul by Patrice Evra on Peter Odemwingie before Jonas Olsson was sent off.

Not long after, Keith Andrews fouled Ashley Young, allowing Rooney to convert the penalty.