By Matt Davis
Wayne Rooney has heaped praised on Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson for helping to lift the squad after last season’s dramatic climax, which saw rivals Manchester City win the title in the closing seconds of the campaign.
This season, Sir Alex’s side have proven to be the dominant force in the Premier League, which is reflected in their 12-point advantage over second placed Manchester City.
Rooney – who exclusively revealed last month has admitted to team-mates he could leave the club in the summer – believes that his boss deserves the credit for United’s position at the top of the table because his man-management skills have such a positive impact on the squad.
He told the Times of India: “We have regular team meetings and he speaks to a lot of players individually too. And his team-talks are brilliant. They really inspire you. It doesn’t matter that we might be a few points clear, he never lets you feel like that before a match because he wants us to keep going.
“The important thing is to go out and play each game with a positive attitude. We have to stay focused. We have to make sure we keep doing our job and keep our concentration.”
The 27-year-old added: “It’s a great position to be in but nothing is over yet. We’ve just kept plugging away and have been getting results and thankfully the other teams have dropped points. But we have to keep things going, keep pushing on and working hard to make sure that gap stays as big as possible. It’s going to be a big few weeks for us now.
“Of course, to lose the league in the last second last season was bad. But when you are at a club like United, you have to be full of motivation and desire to win every year. That comes from the manager.”
