Fergie helps Ruud banish scoring blues

RUUD VAN NISTELROOY has Sir Alex Ferguson to thank for getting him over the goalscoring blues.

The Manchester United hit-man, battling to be fit for Monday’s Barclaycard Premiership clash with Everton, was becoming increasingly frustrated at his inability to score from open play this season.

Van Nistelrooy’s first eight appearances yielded just a single ‘normal’ strike, plus two penalties against Zalaegerszeg and Middlesbrough.

However, having drawn a complete blank in successive defeats by Bolton and Leeds, the £19 million Dutchman bounced back to form with a bang.

He netted against Maccabi Haifa, grabbed the winner against Tottenham and slotted home both United’s goals as they recorded a first win on German soil in 37 years against Bayer Leverkusen last month.

The 26-year-old followed that up by coming off the bench to collect a late clincher against Charlton last weekend before finally giving way to the hamstring injury which threatens his participation against the Toffeemen at Old Trafford as the Red Devils chase a sixth straight win.

Ferguson never lost his belief in the former PSV Eindhoven man, who has scored an incredible 15 goals in 18

European appearances for the Old Trafford outing, but admitted the player had become increasingly disappointed by his inability to hit the net.

“Ruud’s whole psyche is built around scoring goals and he gets very down if he goes through a spell when they dry up,” said Ferguson.

‘‘I try to explain to him, even when he is not scoring he is contributing to our attacking play in a positive way.

“He is always a handful and the goals against Leverkusen have done him a power of good.”

And, as he assessed his options ahead of two potentially draining trips to Greece and Cyprus in a six-day period later this month, Ferguson gave his clearest hint yet that skipper Roy Keane’s absence will extend beyond the six-week period he had hoped for.

“We only have 25 players registered for the Champions League and that is down to 23 immediately because at this moment neither Roy nor Wes Brown will make it.”