Wayne Rooney needs a goal to help him find best form

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It is now 13 games for club and country since Rooney last found the net - in the opening minute of the Champions League quarter-final first-leg tie against Bayern Munich on March 30.

That period includes Rooney's below-par World Cup performances.

Rooney failed to get off the mark in a single pre-season appearance prior to the Community Shield and the 24-year-old seemed to be showing signs of anxiety for Manchester United on Monday night as a couple of chances with which he would normally be relied upon to at least hit the target went begging.

In contrast, Dimitar Berbatov is already on two for the campaign, while new-boy Javier Hernandez got off the mark in bizarre fashion at Wembley when an attempted shot rebounded off his face and into the Chelsea net.

Yet Ferguson is quite relaxed about the situation.

As a former striker himself, the United boss is acutely aware that moods can change markedly with just one goal.

"Strikers live by their goals," he said.

"It is quite straightforward. When they are not scoring they think they will never come. When they come they think they are never going to finish.

"He is no different to any other striker."