GARY LINEKER LIKES ROONEY

Last updated : 06 September 2004 By editor

'I'm talking about the sort of striker who drops deep and connects the midfield with the attack. The great Alex Ferguson sides of the past always had a player of that type in them. Eric Cantona, Teddy Sheringham and, to a degree, Dwight Yorke all come to mind.

None of those players are out-and-out strikers. They like to withdraw themselves, play deep and provide a link between the midfield and the main striker. I don't think Fergie's had that for a while. He's been playing Ruud van Nistelrooy with A.N. Other. Louis Saha's come in, but he's really another penalty-box player.

Alan Smith doesn't naturally drop deep, cause problems and take people on, either: he's an aggressive, in-your-face centre-forward. But Rooney's been brilliant for England in that deeper position, the one most of the world's great players favour. You look back in time, and there's the Maradonas, the Cruyffs, the Zicos and the Platinis. I'm not saying Rooney's as good as them yet, but he's certainly got the potential to be something along those lines.

Provided he regains full fitness after his broken foot and continues to develop, Rooney could be the man to tip the balance back in United's favour.

The interesting thing is going to be who plays up front with him. You could say it's a question of two from four - Van Nistelrooy (when he's recovered from injury) Rooney, Smith and Saha. Ferguson has had those kind of alternatives before, and rotated them well. But Rooney is the only one who can naturally play the deep-lying role. So you've got to wonder whether it's really a matter of one from three.

One thing I don't anticipate is a clash of styles between Rooney, playing in the 'hole', and Paul Scholes, hunting scoring opportunities from midfield. Scholes has filled the support-striker role himself occasionally for United, but he's never really looked comfortable doing it. He's at his best coming on to things from midfield rather than operating up front and coming back on to the play.

I fully expect United to remain one of the Premiership's top three teams this season. They may have made an indifferent start and trail Arsenal and Chelsea by seven points, but don't start thinking they are a poor side. There's a hell of a long way to go and only a brave man or a fool would consider them to be already out of the title race.

United may have lost their aura of invincibility in a period of transition, but they have been unlucky with injuries and have had to manage without Rio Ferdinand during his long suspension. He looks set to return on Sept 20 against Liverpool and the same date has been mooted for Rooney's debut. It will be like having two new signings.'