It was also done to hand Van Persie and Kagawa the chance to prove their credentials, which they did emphatically. When Ferguson last dropped Rooney, following a boozy Boxing Day trip to Southport last season – an incident which left the manager furious with the player’s lack of focus – the player responded with 12 goals in 11 games. But Rooney’s goals last term masked a deterioration in his all-round play which was evident with England at Euro 2012. After 10 years in the game, he appears to have lost his explosive energy, the zip which once took him away from players, and the ability to energise a team with his enthusiasm.