Unstoppable Rooney grinds down to a halt

WAYNE ROONEY, who went into this match in the form of his life and hailed as ‘unstoppable’, ended it injured and in despair – and now Manchester United’s rivals, and in particular Saturday’s opponents Chelsea, must be wondering if the bubble has burst.

Rooney’s burgeoning reputation and irrepressible goalscoring streak which has left opponents almost paralysed with fear this season took a serious wobble in Munich – United staging a late collapse as things started to go badly wrong for the English champions and their talisman forward.

First the striker was unwittingly involved in Bayern’s equaliser as Franck Ribery’s free-kick deflected off his heels and into the net. Then, just seconds before the Germans scored a dramatic winner, he fell to the floor in agony after appearing to twist his ankle.

It was a disastrous end to the match for Alex Ferguson’s side who have relied so heavily on Rooney’s goals this season and who face title rivals Chelsea in a do-or-die six-pointer at Old Trafford this weekend.

In fact, as Rooney, who had put his team ahead after only two minutes, hobbled off, you have to wonder if United’s ‘double’ dream went with him, because United without their number 10 is just not the same.

Only time will tell just how serious Rooney’s injury really is but surely he cannot be back in time for Saturday’s season-defining fixture or even for the return leg of this Champions League tie which takes place at Old Trafford next Wednesday.

“He’s got a kick in the ankle, we’ll have to wait and see,” Ferguson admitted. “He may be doubtful for Saturday but it’s too early to say.”

That is a bitter, bitter blow for United because Rooney proved in the opening half in the Allianz Arena just how important he is to his club.

Bayern coach Louis van Gaal set up his team to stop the Englishman, even suggesting privately he would be happy with a goalless draw, such was his admiration for the no 10.

But perhaps he should have listened more closely to the contrasting opinion of Germany coach Joachim Loew who has monitored Rooney’s form closely with a view to this summer’s World Cup Finals in South Africa.

“Rooney is in unbelievable form – and that is with the national team as well as with United,” he said. “That is important, because whether it is in the league, the Champions League or for his country, nobody can stop him at the moment. My feeling when I see him is that he is unstoppable. He has everything that a striker needs.”

Unstoppable? It’s a big word to live up to but Rooney is doing his best and his reputation ahead of last night’s match had ballooned to such an extent that he was the only topic of conversation in German newspapers ahead of the game.

So just how badly will he be missed if the medical verdict this morning is as bad as every United fan fears?

The answer is almost impossible to exaggerate because his early goal in Munich was number 34 of a remarkable season, 35 if you include the Charity Shield, and, having been rested for the recent league match against Bolton, his hunger to add to his tally was obvious from the first whistle.

True, Nani’s right-wing free-kick took a deflection and, true, Demichelis slipped at the crucial moment to leave Rooney completely free eight yards from goal.

But a quick glance at the slow-motion replay revealed Rooney’s outstanding movement, jinking this way and that before leaving his marker befuddled and completing the routine with a textbook left-foot finish.

He went close to doubling United’s lead before half-time and although Bayern dominated possession for long periods, he made his presence felt whenever given an opportunity.

The 24-year-old’s confidence is at such a high at the moment that by his own admission he expects to score in every match he plays. But in fact his recent record is even better than that.

Rooney has scored nine goals in his last six games for Manchester United and 26 times in the last 24 fixtures, statistics which add credence to Loew’s assessment of his quality and make his possible absence in future even more painful.

Significantly United had not lost a single match in which Rooney had scored this season going into yesterday’s fixture, so no wonder defeat in Munich came as such a shock.

Unstoppable? Maybe we were always asking too much.