22 January,2011 07:29 AM IST | | PA Sport
Wayne Rooney may be playing second fiddle to Dimitar Berbatov in the goalscoring stakes this season ufffd but that has not lessened his pleasure at playing alongside the Bulgarian.
Manchester Utd forwards Wayne Rooney (left) and Dimitar Berbatov
Rooney has found the net only three times this season, two of which have come from the penalty spot. Berbatov exceeded that figure in a single game when he scored five against Blackburn in November, part of an overall Premier League tally of 14.
"I enjoy playing with Dimitar," Rooney told the official Champions League magazine. "If we are playing well together it is the product of us playing and training together for years. You start to learn which movements he will make, when he will pass the ball and when he will shoot. He is fantastic to play with. He can do things that are really special."
After relying on their defensive capabilities to secure a goalless draw at Tottenham last Sunday, United will hope their attack starts to fire ahead of a four-match run that could shape their season.
They open with a home encounter against a Birmingham side that snatched a point off them at St Andrew's over the festive programme, before heading to Blackpool for the first of their matches in hand.
Maximum points there, followed by encounters with Aston Villa and Wolves could leave the Red Devils in a very strong position ahead of the Manchester derby at Old Trafford on February 12.
Meanwhile, Man Utd manager Alex Ferguson said he won't be taking Birmingham lightly and expects them to be awkward visitors at Old Trafford today.
Blues managed to salvage a point when the two teams met at St Andrews earlier this term through a late Lee Bowyer strike and will be keen for a similar result.
"They will play five across the middle of the pitch and try to keep possession and make it difficult for us but that's where we'll have to find solutions," said Ferguson. "That's what you have to do at Man United when you play against a team who have a certain way of playing. Most teams come to Old Trafford with that tactic in mind and we have to find that solution."
