The Manchester United frontman has won three titles during his six years at Old Trafford and admits it gets harder and harder to lift the trophy.

Rooney (5/1 to be 2010-11 Premier League top scorer) thinks it will be harder than ever to take the crown back from Chelsea this season, having missed out to the Londoners by one point last term.

The England international insisted: “Since I signed for United I think the Premier League has got progressively harder to win. I know it’s a cliché, but there are no easy games in the Premier League.”

United are going in search of a 19th top flight title, which would see them overtake near rivals Liverpool, but Rooney is under no illusions as to how hard that will be.

He added:  “The 2009/10 season was certainly the most competitive I’ve played in. Nowadays it’s hard to leave players out because every game is competitive and difficult.”

The former Everton man got his first run-out of pre-season on Wednesday night, as United demolished an Airtricity League of Ireland select team 7-1 in Dublin.

Rooney started the game up front alongside Michael Owen, playing 45 minutes but failing to get his name on the scoresheet.

Sir Alex Ferguson was happy though with Rooney’s display but admits that the striker needs to work on his fitness ahead of the new season.

Fergie stated: “He’s only been training for six days, but 45 minutes was fine for him. Six days training is not enough for a player to compete in big competitions.”

Park Ji-Sung bagged two goals for last season’s Premier League runners-up, before the fit-again Owen was on hand to double United’s advantage before half-time.

Rooney and Owen were replaced by summer signing Javier Hernandez and Dimitar Berbatov (11/2 to be Man Utd 2010-11 Top Scorer) at the break, with five more goals scored in the second half.

Korean star Park grabbed a second with Hernandez, Antonio Valencia, Jonny Evans and Nani also on target.

Ferguson says Michael Carrick will miss Sunday’s Community Shield (Chelsea 11/8, Draw 11/5, Man Utd 15/8 – Match Betting) having picked up an ankle injury on Wednesday night.

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Liverpool

Reds boss Roy Hodgson revealed over the weekend that Torres is unsettled at Liverpool and has a “beef” with the club.

He intimated, after speaking to the former Atletico Madrid ace about his future, that he could do no more to persuade the striker to stay on Merseyside.

Manchester City boss Roberto Mancini has since said he would be interested in signing Torres – if the price was right – while Chelsea and Barcelona have also been linked with big-money swoops.

Torres has so far stayed silent on his future but is still on holiday after his exploits with Spain at the World Cup and is not due back on Merseyside for another week.

Hodgson had hoped the fact skipper Steven Gerrard has committed his future to the club, coupled with the capture of Joe Cole on a free transfer, would help persuade Torres to stay but it appears the 26-year-old is yet to be convinced Anfield remains the place to be.

Dalglish, though, is confident Torres will eventually decide to stay with the Reds.

“When Torres sees that (Gerrard staying and Cole’s signing) and talks with Roy I’m sure he’ll give us good news,” Dalglish told BBC Radio 5 live.

“I hope Torres stays. Only Fernando knows what he is going to do. Unfortunately for him he is injured but he is a fantastic player and is very happy around the club and the city.”

He added: “The fact that Stevie is staying will be a great help and players like Joe Cole, Milan Jovanovic, Jonjo Shelvey and Danny Wilson mean there is buying for present and the future.”

Torres is recovering from a groin injury will not feature in Liverpool’s first competitive match of the season, the Europa League qualifier against Rabotnicki on Thursday (Rabotnicki 12/1 to win, Liverpool 1/5- first leg 90 minutes) but may be fit, should he decide to stay, for the opening Premier League game of the season against Arsenal on August 15 (Liverpool 5/4, Arsenal 7/4 – 90 minutes).

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Manchester United

Rooney notched an impressive 34 goals in all competitions for United last season, his best ever return.  The forward’s contribution ensured United continued to push for the Premier League title until the very end, only to lose out to Chelsea, and Ferguson is delighted with his striker’s development.

“He had an improvement in terms of his timing and movement in the penalty box. His positioning also improved from the previous season,” explained Ferguson.

“He got us over 30 goals and if he does that again and adds a little bit to his game then that is what we expect.

“The boy has got an incredible armoury of talent and what we have to do is to wait for that maturity.

“We also do nurture it and try to advise and coach in a fashion which will improve his game.

“But the most important thing I think he needs now is maturity and, when he gets that, I think you will see the complete footballer.”

However, after his blistering domestic campaign the striker disappointed at the World Cup with England, with Rooney unable to find the net or make any real contribution in any of the Three Lions four games in South Africa.

The United boss has always been an advocate of a mid-season break, with Ferguson convinced fatigue played a major part in the poor showing of England – and Rooney – in South Africa.

Ferguson reiterated his calls for the Premier League to implement a winter break and feels this will only improve England’s performances in future international competitions.

“The FA has to give the country the best possible chance of doing well in the World Cup,” added the Scottish manager.

“Because of the nature of our game and because of the demands from television to have a programme every week, I have been talking about a winter break but nothing has happened.

“They must realise that, going into the World Cup, they have handicapped their team.”

Rooney shouldered the burden of scoring the majority of Manchester United’s goals last season but he will have a new striker partner in the shape of Mexican Javier “Chicharito” Hernández for the 2010/2011 campaign, while Dimitar Berbatov has impressed in pre-season.

Ferguson remains confident the Bulgarian will hit top form at Old Trafford after two years with United (Manchester United 5/2 to win the Premier League).

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German champions Bayern Munich lock horns with their Italian counterparts Inter in the first UEFA Champions League final to be played on a Saturday and both sides are eagerly anticipating the biggest game of the season excluding the World Cup.

Dutch wizard Arjen Robben has stated he expects Inter to start the game with attacking intentions, but pointed out that Bayern have to play their own game if they are to be successful at the Santiago Bernabeu.

“I don’t expect Inter to defend as much as they did against Barcelona, though of course they also had a player sent off,” Robben was quoted as saying by the official UEFA website.

You Can Bet On This Outcome Now: Inter v Bayern Champions League Final

“We have to play our own game. We can’t change our tactics. We’ve played the whole season the same way and that’s what we will do in the final as well. On the day you have to sometimes be a bit lucky, but at least you have to be sharp in front of goal and the chances you get you have to take.

“The main goal for Bayern was to win the league and that’s what we did. But now we’re in the final of the Champions League and you have to try to win it. You have to give all on this day and I think we will see 22 players who will play for their lives.”

Meanwhile the speculation regarding Joes Mourinho’s future after the Champions League final has hit override with reports of Inter Milan lining up Liverpool’s Rafa Benitez to replace the ‘Special One’ should he depart for Real Madrid. Mourinho has poured more fuel on the fire by once again stating his dislike for Italian football and his desire to have two-to-three days to think about his future after the Champions League final. So as Inter fans brace themselves for life without Mourinho they can take comfort in the fact that Frank Ribbery will definitely be suspended for the final after UEFA upheld his ban

You can bet on the Champions League final with PartyBets.com, Inter Milan are favourites at 2.30 with the Germans available at 3.20.

Related posts:

1. Bayern Munich Bag Champions League Final Berth
2. Inter Milan v Barcelona Champions League Semi Final
3. No Real Surprises in Champions League Openers

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