Last updated: 10th January 2008
Rooney: Hails Reds squad
Wayne Rooney has echoed the words of his manager Sir Alex Ferguson in declaring the current Manchester United squad to be the best of the Scot's tenure.
Rooney is confident United have the players at their disposal to launch an assault for silverware both at home and abroad, with summer signings adding depth to a squad that was already good enough to win the Premier League last season.
Long-term injuries to Paul Scholes and Gary Neville have not unduly worried the champions and Rooney is confident United's star will continue to rise
between now and the campaign's close.
"This is definitely the strongest squad I have been involved in," Rooney told Inside United.
"I think that has been proved by the way in which players have come in and performed when someone has been out with an injury.
"We have dealt with setbacks like that very well. That is when you see the strength of the squad.
"I think being champions has given us a lot of confidence. The pressure to succeed is still there especially as every team we play always wants to do well against us. But there is a real belief in the dressing room."
Of the summer arrivals it is perhaps Carlos Tevez that has stolen the most headlines and having played alongside and struck up a fine partnership with the Argentine, Rooney has been unstinting in his praise.
"I definitely believed our partnership would work out," he said.
"Carlos is a great player. He has done really well since he joined the club and I think we are working well together.
"Our partnership proves that all good players can play together no matter how similar you are."
| Time | Fixture |
|---|---|
| Saturday 30th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 15:00 | Bolton vs West Brom |
| 15:00 | Everton vs Portsmouth |
| 15:00 | Hull vs Wigan |
| 15:00 | Middlesbrough vs Stoke |
| 15:00 | West Ham vs Blackburn |
| 17:30 | Arsenal vs Newcastle |
| Sunday 31st August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Chelsea vs Tottenham |
| 15:00 | Sunderland vs Man City |
| 16:00 | Aston Villa vs Liverpool |
| Saturday 13th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:45 | Liverpool vs Man Utd |
| 15:00 | Blackburn vs Arsenal |
| 15:00 | Fulham vs Bolton |
| 15:00 | Newcastle vs Hull |
| 15:00 | Portsmouth vs Middlesbrough |
| 15:00 | West Brom vs West Ham |
| 15:00 | Wigan vs Sunderland |
| 17:30 | Man City vs Chelsea |
| Sunday 14th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 13:30 | Stoke vs Everton |
| Monday 15th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 20:00 | Tottenham vs Aston Villa |
| Saturday 20th September | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| 12:00 | Sunderland vs Middlesbrough |
| Time | Result |
|---|---|
| Monday 25th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Portsmouth 0 - 1 Man Utd | |
| Sunday 24th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man City 3 - 0 West Ham | |
| Wigan 0 - 1 Chelsea | |
| Saturday 23rd August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Fulham 1 - 0 Arsenal | |
| Newcastle 1 - 0 Bolton | |
| Liverpool 2 - 1 Middlesbrough | |
| Stoke 3 - 2 Aston Villa | |
| West Brom 1 - 2 Everton | |
| Tottenham 1 - 2 Sunderland | |
| Blackburn 1 - 1 Hull | |
| Sunday 17th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Man Utd 1 - 1 Newcastle | |
| Aston Villa 4 - 2 Man City | |
| Chelsea 4 - 0 Portsmouth | |
| Saturday 16th August | |
| Barclays Premier League | |
| Sunderland 0 - 1 Liverpool | |
| Bolton 3 - 1 Stoke | |
| Middlesbrough 2 - 1 Tottenham | |
| Hull 2 - 1 Fulham | |
| Everton 2 - 3 Blackburn | |
| West Ham 2 - 1 Wigan | |
| Arsenal 1 - 0 West Brom | |
| Pos | Team | P | Pts |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chelsea | 2 | 6 |
| 2 | Liverpool | 2 | 6 |
| 3 | Blackburn Rovers | 2 | 4 |
| 4 | Hull City | 2 | 4 |
| 5 | Manchester United | 2 | 4 |
| 6 | Newcastle United | 2 | 4 |
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