Rio certain Roo would get goals

AS years go, 2010 was as bad as Wayne Rooney has known.

However, judging by the first day of his new year, the signs point towards a far more positive 2011 for the Manchester United striker.

From World Cup misery, injury irritations and a goal drought right through to his well-documented off-field problems, the last 12 months have been forgettable for Rooney.

He arrived at The Hawthorns without a club goal in open play since March and with just two goals to his name in the current campaign.

But it took just two minutes and 15 seconds of his first Premier League game in 2011 to finally get off the mark. What followed was equally promising, with manager Alex Ferguson describing the forward’s display as “out of this world”. He went on to set up Javier Hernandez’s 75th-minute winner, a score that proved enough for a below-par United to end the day still top of the Premier League’s summit.

Team-mate Rio Ferdinand said: “He has been playing well in the last few games. We all knew the goals would come because he is such a good player. On Saturday he showed that. Fingers crossed he can go on a good run now.

“Hopefully he will also be in good form against Stoke. We train with these guys every day, we know what they are capable of, so it’s just a question of performing as a collective. I don’t have any qualms about any of our players scoring goals.”

It was yet another one of those days when Ferguson’s men demonstrated the art they know better than anyone — playing poorly and still winning — after being outplayed by Roberto Di Matteo’s side for much of the game.

Having pulled level courtesy of James Morrison’s 13th-minute volley, the Baggies should have had a penalty in the 26th minute.

An intelligent pass from Morrison sent Graham Dorrans through only for the midfielder to be brought down by Gary Neville. Despite failing to make contact with the ball, the veteran right-back escaped a red card and penalty as referee Chris Foy waved West Brom’s appeals away. Scandalous.

Undeterred, the hosts ended the first half and began the second as the bigger threat, with Chris Brunt going close twice and Paul Scharner seeing a header creep just inches wide.

They were handed a golden chance to go in front when Foy, perhaps with the first half on his mind, pointed to the spot after Ferdinand caught Jerome Thomas’ leg trailing inside the box.

The stage was set for Peter Odemwingie to add to his growing status at the club, only for him to feebly drag the spot kick wide.

It was just the fillip United required and, in trademark style, they snatched a winner when Rooney’s corner was headed in from close range by substitute Hernandez.

Stoke are up next tomorrow and Ferdinand admitted there is still plenty to improve on.

“It is just about getting fluidity into the way we play,” he said. “There were times when we played some really good football, but it’s about doing that over 90 minutes.

“These places are hard to come to. Their fans get behind the team, they come at you and you have to be able to deal with that.

“You always aim to go on a run, but this league is so unpredictable we have to take one game at a time.”

It was United’s seventh straight league win at The Hawthorns but, despite being unbeaten this term, it was only their second away win of the current campaign.

For Albion, however, they have now lost four successive matches and tomorrow’s trip to Fulham now has all the makings of a relegation six-pointer.

Northern Ireland star Brunt said: “The amount of work we put in against the team that’s top of the league, we didn’t deserve to lose the game.

“It all came down to us not taking the chances we had. They defended well and that’s why they are top of the league.”