Wayne Rooney has a habit of scoring in four straight games for Manchester United... Liverpool and Jurgen Klopp be warned
* Wayne Rooney scored twice in Manchester United's draw with Newcastle
* He also scored winning goals against Sheffield United and Swansea City
* The 30-year-old has history when it comes to scoring in four-game bursts
* Rooney went on similar goalscoring runs over the previous four seasons
* He will fancy his chances of scoring against rivals Liverpool on Sunday
They usually come around two or three times a season, when nets bulge regularly and Wayne Rooney enjoys a goalscoring glut.
Most things he hits fly past despairing goalkeepers and that famous grin keeps surfacing. When he's playing like this the Manchester United captain wears the expression of the teenager that English football once drooled over.
Rooney is enjoying himself, scoring four in his last three and helping Louis van Gaal out of a sullen hole. Yes, two were penalties, but the pair bookending those were sublime. Vintage Rooney: a cheeky backheel to down Swansea and sumptuous swish of the right boot across Rob Elliot at St James' Park on Tuesday night.
Wayne Rooney scores his second goal and Manchester United's third against Newcastle on Tuesday night
He has found one of this year's purple patches. History suggests they last four games and for that reason Liverpool should pay particular attention to him on Sunday.
Sportsmail's Jamie Redknapp had it right earlier this month when he said that deft touch against the managerless Swans could spark a run in front of goal.
Sir Alex Ferguson has referenced the striker's ability to go on bursts and we are seeing yet another.
Talking in February 2011, Ferguson said: 'Up until last season Wayne used to go on these scoring bursts.
'He used to do it in five or six games in a row and then go missing in terms of goals for a few games and then come back again.'
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ROONEY'S SCORING RUNS FOR CLUB AND COUNTRY
2014-15
Games 1-20: 14 goals
Games 21-29: 0 goals
Games 30-39: 7 goals
Games 40-47: 1 goal
2015-16
Games 1-20: 9 goals
Games 21-29: 3 goals
Game 30: 2 goals
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The way he allowed himself time to cut across the loose ball at Newcastle was prime Rooney. Elliot stood no chance as the shot bent beyond him.
For United fans, it was just something for one of their attacking players to have a dip. Yet for Rooney it represented something more. Perhaps in the past few months he might have checked on collecting Memphis Depay's blocked shot, waited for Juan Mata to get back onside and play him in on the right. Not now, he's seeing them like beachballs.
And that can only bode well for the weekend trip to Anfield. Steven Caulker, signed on loan from Southampton, will not fancy his Liverpool debut up against Rooney in this kind of mood. The Reds' enviable record of shutting out the former Evertonian in nine of 10 matches is in jeopardy.
Redknapp hit upon something salient in his column nine days ago when talking of Rooney's mini-streaks. Last season he scored four times in four matches in February and March, while doing similar - for club and country - in November. Seven wins from eight then.
The year before, 2013-14, it was four goals in three games during spells in both September and March. Four wins from six.
The campaign preceding that twice brought four-game goal hunts, first in December and then in January, where he netted on five occasions. Seven wins from eight.
In 2011-12, came seven in four during August, six in four in March and five in April. Eight wins from those, too.
Paul Scholes, so downbeat about United this season, could not hide his delight at Rooney's upturn and it should not be forgotten that it was his clever ball to set Jesse Lingard away for the second during Tuesday's 3-3 draw.
'For the last two or three weeks he's been on the brink of looking back to the old Wayne Rooney,' he said on BT Sport . 'This is the Wayne Rooney we love. 'It's great to have him back and I just hope it carries on.'
Jurgen Klopp will be praying he doesn't but the Liverpool boss has work to do if Rooney's four-match habit is to be broken.
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JAMIE REDKNAPP ON WAYNE ROONEY, JANUARY 3
What an unbelievable finish that was from Wayne Rooney (against Swansea). He’s been poor this season but, like all great players, he provided a nice little reminder of what he is capable of. It could not have been better timed.
I said last week that with Harry Kane breathing down his neck Wayne faces the biggest challenge of his career. Despite Rooney’s brilliant backheel, I stand by that.
On form right now Kane is England’s first choice. Of course Rooney can play with him but now he needs to go on a scoring run.
I remember Sir Alex Ferguson saying Wayne scored in bursts. He did last season — two purple patches for club and country and two lean spells — and it’s happened again this season. He started well then went dry.
Maybe this goal could spark him into life again.
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http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-3397353/Wayne-Rooney-habit-scoring-four-successive-games-Manchester-United-Liverpool-Jurgen-Klopp-careful.html