More to come from Rooney

Man United 4, West Brom 0

WAYNE ROONEY has added the one missing component to his game as the Manchester United striker has suddenly become a prolific marksman.

Another majestic strike in the Reds’ comprehensive home victory against newly-promoted West Brom took his total to eight goals in six games for club and country.

There has never been any doubting the ability of Rooney, though the one reservation has always been his quota of goals which has not always done him justice.

But the rich recent goalscoring burst provides compelling evidence that Rooney has that ruthless cutting edge many doubted he possessed.

Sir Alex Ferguson believes Rooney is maturing as a player as he explained: “He will be 23 this week and, as we said about Cristiano Ronaldo, we expect him to improve and we think the boy has a fantastic natural talent.

“And as players got older they learn to make the right decisions and improve their timing as they gain experience.”

Ferguson also commented on Rooney’s patchy goalscoring record, adding: “In fairness, Wayne tends to score goals in spurts and that is a further sign of immaturity.

“I think when he gets older his goalscoring will become more evenly spread out.

“Wayne is having one of his spurts. His form is fantastic and he is on fire at the moment.

“He is young and he will have further barren spells, but he will come back again.”

Rooney says he is possibly playing the best football of his career. And as for reason, he said: “Everyone at the club will tell you I work hard in training and games, I practice and I want to learn.

“I listen to various people at the club to try and get better. And if I keep progressing like this, I will be very happy.”

Rooney added that the arrival of Dimitar Berbatov has also helped his game as his ability to hold up the ball enables him to make runs off him - as seen with the part he played in his goal.

Ferguson described it as possibly the best performance of the campaign in terms of tempo and rhythm and the quality of their play.

United had to display another quality, however, that of patience as the Baggies provided steely resistance despite the one-sided appearance of the scoreline and the breakthrough did not come until the 56th minute.

Rooney might have scored twice in the lacklustre opening half as he had one goal harshly ruled out following a challenge on Gianni Zuiverloon.

Television replays suggested the Dutchman slipped rather than was fouled as Rooney beat him with a superb turn. Rooney was also denied by a super stop by keeper Scott Carson to keep out a well-placed header.

Inevitably it was Rooney who broke the deadlock with a goal of great quality as he ran on to a slide-rule pass from Berbatov, cut inside Ryan Donk and shot low inside Carson’s near post.

Rooney then turned provider slipping a delightful pass for Ronaldo to race clear and score with a shot through the legs of the advancing Carson.

And it got even better when Berbatov stuck out a leg to divert a left wing cross from substitute Nani high into the roof of the net from six yards, his first Premier League goal for the Reds. But how Nani’s cross eluded the entire Baggies defence to fall to Berbatov, who was alone in front of goal, will still be puzzling manager Tony Mowbray.

Baggies substitute Isthmael Miller had a couple of decent attempts at goal in the dying minutes, the only time Edwin van der Sar’s goal was threatened.

And fittingly Rooney had the last word in the final minute when he fired over a low cross from the right to the far post for Nani to squeeze home from a narrow angle.