ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE:WAYNE ROONEY feels Liverpool can mount a genuine threat to Manchester United's hopes of adding another Premier League title to their collection.
Rooney, usually reluctant to offer Liverpool any form of praise, has been impressed by a summer recruitment programme at Anfield that has seen Kenny Dalglish sign Charlie Adam, Jordan Henderson and Stewart Downing.
That represents almost €57 million worth of transfer business and, with Dalglish looking to bring in further players, Rooney thinks Liverpool could re-establish themselves as authentic title contenders 21 years after they last won the championship.
“I think they will challenge this time,” the former Everton striker said. “They have made some really good signings, British players, and under Kenny Dalglish I’m sure they will be trying harder than they ever have done, fighting to be up there. They will think they have a chance of winning the title next season.”
Rooney also believes Manchester City, third last season, will be more formidable opponents now that they have ended their 35-year wait for a trophy. “You’d think so,” he said when asked whether the FA Cup winners would be closer to the top of the league next year. “They’ve obviously got a lot of good players now and they had a big push towards the end of last season.
“The main ones (challengers to United) will be Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool and City. I think one of them will push us as we try to defend our title.”
When United returned the championship trophy to Old Trafford in May it was a record 19th league title, when two decades earlier the contest between two great old rivals stood at 18-7 in Liverpool’s favour.
Rooney is encouraged by Alex Ferguson’s forays into the transfer market, singling out Ashley Young for special acclaim after the 7-0 thrashing of Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night, a game marred only by Rio Ferdinand taking a bad blow to an ankle.
“We’ve seen again how Ash can cross the ball,” Rooney said. “There have been a lot of changes this summer and, when you look around the dressingroom now, suddenly it’s a lot younger place.
“But the manager is bringing in players who have not won a league title before and they all have that hunger and desire to want to win trophies.”
Rooney scored a 20-minute hat-trick after coming on as a half-time replacement for Michael Owen.
Mame Biram Diouf, Owen, Park Ji-sung and Gabriel Obertan netting the other four goals.
United fly on to Chicago today before further engagements in New Jersey and Washington, with just over three weeks to go before they begin their Premier League title defence.
There is clear evidence that Rooney is approaching the new season in a better mindset than this time last year.
“It would be nice to hit the ground running this time,” he said. “I feel good, the sharpness is coming, and I am looking forward to the season. I don’t set targets, other than that I would like to be injury-free.”
Paul Scholes, in his coaching role at Old Trafford, spoke recently of this being the stage in Rooney’s career when a player who turns 26 in October needs to move up another notch and demonstrate he deserves to be bracketed alongside Lionel Messi.
“I hope so,” Rooney said when this was put to him. “I think that’s the target you want to try to get to.”
Guardian Service
