Memo to the Manchester United detractors: Write off Wayne Rooney at your own risk.After setting a team record and moving within one goal of one of the clubs most cherished marks, Rooney hopes to claim a spot in the starting XI on Sunday when the Red Devils host West Ham United at Old Trafford.It has been a trying year for Rooney for both country and club. Having to endure Englands shocking loss to Iceland in the round of 16 in the European Championships this summer, the one-time talisman of the Three Lions has seen his playing time dwindle as manager Gareth Southgate appears to be phasing him out for younger blood as the side tries to qualify for the 2018 World Cup.Rooney did not help matters recently when he was photographed looking inebriated at the teams hotel following Englands World Cup qualifying win over Scotland. Though he offered a public apology, the incident appeared to be another chapter of frustration in a domestic season in which Jose Mourinho has seldom started the 31-year-old Rooney in league play while leaning on him for Thursday night duty in the Europa League.For one night, though, Rooney turned it all around as his delicate chip over keeper Brad Jones in the 35th minute opened the floodgates as United (5-4-3) stormed to a 4-0 victory over Dutch side Feyenoord. The win means the Red Devils need only a draw in their final group match at Ukrainian side Zorya Luhansk next month to advance to the knockout round of the Europa.It was Rooneys 39th goal in European competition, surpassing the team record of Ruud Van Nistelrooy. And it was also his 248th career goal with Manchester United, leaving him one shy of matching the immortal Sir Bobby Charlton atop the clubs storied list of scorers.Its a great feeling to score goals and to score goals for this club, Rooney told MUTV after the victory. Im pleased and Im sure theres plenty more to come. Im happy with the win first of all but also with the goal. I think overall we played some good stuff.Rooney has a strong track record against West Ham (3-2-7) with 12 goals in 20 lifetime contests, highlighted by a hat trick that rallied Manchester United to a 4-2 victory at Upton Park on April 2, 2011. Five of his goals against the London side have been match-winners.While much will be made over whether Mourinho restores Rooney to the starting lineup, the Portuguese manager singled out midfielder Henrikh Mkhitaryan for praise following Thursdays romp. It was just his second start and sixth overall appearance for the Red Devils since his ￡26 million signing from Borussia Dortmund in the offseason, but after claiming Man of the Match honours, Mourinho may be ready to give the Armenia international more playing time.Always improving, improving, improving, improving until the moment he was really tired and I felt it was the right time to take him off and to let him come off with a very good performance, Mourinho explained. It was important for his confidence and he will try to keep adapting and trying to replicate this kind of quality performance in the Premier League which is a competition with different difficulties.Mourinho will also have first-choice striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic available for selection after the Swede missed Uniteds 1-1 draw with Arsenal last week to serve his ban for yellow-card accumulation.As Manchester United finally appear to be finding a rhythm under Mourinho, West Ham counterpart Slaven Bilic is still waiting for his side to show the form that helped them to a seventh-place finish and club-record 62 points last season.West Ham enter this contest in 17th place and one point above the drop after a heartbreaking 3-2 London derby loss at Tottenham Hotspur. Michail Antonio and Manuel Lanzini both gave the Hammers the lead on either side of halftime, but two late goals by Harry Kane -- first in the 89th minute and then in stoppage time from the spot -- condemned Bilics side to another painful defeat.We are extremely disappointed, Bilic said. We were 2-1 up with three or four minutes to go and (before that) we had three really good opportunities to score the third one. When you are up with three minutes to go you want to win the game. Ok, they can equalize, but to concede two goals -- one of which is a penalty -- is hard to take.Winston Reid added to the pain of the loss by being sent off after getting two yellow cards late and will miss this match. The captains absence has left Bilic pondering whether to turn away from a three-man backline hes used that helped Hammers improve their play of late in spite of the results.He has been instrumental, Bilic said of Reid. He has been really good since we changed the system. He was suspended for the game against Stoke and we have players we can put in without changing the system, or we can change it.Bilic denied he was concerned about his job security given West Hams struggles, but he did acknowledge the urgency of the situation in that his team needs to quickly gain points.With a win against Tottenham we would have been twelfth or eleventh, but we are in the position we are, he said. You can say its still early days, but we have to start picking up the points. We can say we were unlucky or we deserve more, but the table doesnt lie.The teams did not lack for entertainment in their four matches last season.After playing to a scoreless draw in the regular-season fixture at Old Trafford, Manchester United bounced the Hammers out of the FA Cup with a 2-1 victory in a quarterfinal replay at Upton Park on second-half goals by Marcus Rashford and Marouane Fellaini. That came after a 1-1 draw at Manchester in which Dimitri Payet scored on a devastating bending free kick from 30 yards that was canceled out on a late goal by Anthony Martial.West Ham then closed out Upton Park in style in May by rallying to defeat the Red Devils 3-2 as Payet turned playmaker for goals by Michail Antonio and Reid four minutes apart late in the second half. The victory ended a 12-match winless streak (0-5-7) to Manchester United in all competitions and a 14-game drought (0-3-11) in league play.This will also be the first of two games between the teams in four days as Hammers will return to Old Trafford for a League Cup quarterfinal tie Wednesday.Honestly, I dont like it, I never like it, Mourinho said when asked about playing the same team twice in a short period of time. It has happened to me many times in my career and its something that I think is not good. But we have to just forget the second game and focus on the first one and go step by step.West Ham have gotten draws in their last two trips to Old Trafford after losing the previous eight. They have not left with a victory since Carlos Tevez provided the only goal in a 1-0 win May 13, 2007.Manchester United are 17-2-1 at home versus West Ham in the Premier League era. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Keyshawn-Johnson-Jersey/ . That left plenty of energy for pitching books and swatting away free agency questions. Anthony had 24 points and nine rebounds, and the Knicks avenged an embarrassing home loss with a rout of their own, beating the Boston Celtics 114-88 on Wednesday night for their third straight victory. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Hats/ . I cant pinpoint a date, but I do remember a player from my youth. Brian Downing was with the Chicago White Sox at a time when I listened to every game I possibly could on the radio. That particular season the late great Harry Caray was calling the White Sox games. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Rashard-Robinson-Jersey/ .J. Ellis hit two-run homers and the NL West champion Los Angeles Dodgers defeated the San Diego Padres 4-0 Saturday night. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Wayne-Chrebet-Jersey/ . -- There were a lot of firsts for the Edmonton Oilers on Tuesday night. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Lorenzo-Mauldin-Jersey/ . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases.Paul Nicholls is not concerned about the Crabbies Grand National trip for Silviniaco Conti at Aintree on Saturday. The 10-year-old is 10-1 second-favourite with Sky Bet for the race over the extended four-mile-two-furlong course in Liverpool, fully a mile further than the Dom Alco gelding has ever raced.However, the seven-time Grade One winner certainly has the class and hes well-handicapped too, officially 6lb well-in following his latest top-level win at Ascot that was achieved after the National weights were released. With the ground set to be perfectly acceptable for him whatever the weather does over the next five days, the major question mark hanging over him is the trip - but his trainer is confident hell stay.From the day I had him in the young days hes always been a stayer, Nicholls told At The Races.Hes by Dom Alco, like Neptune Collonges and theyre all stayers.Throughout his career in the Betfred Bowls, the King Georges weve always wanted to make plenty of use of him and make every post a winning post as staminas his forte, always has been.With the distance not a concern to Nicholls, what about the fences? Silviniaco Conti has never run over the Aintree spruce, but his handler has tried to prepare him for the experience the best he can.Nicholls continued: We put some spruce on our fences here and he jumped them with Unioniste the other morning when Noel [Fehily] was very happy with him.You need an awful lot of luck in the National but of course were excited by his chance.Silviniaco Conti isnt Nicholls only chance in this years National, with Unioniste, Just A Par, Wonderful Charm and Rocky Creek also set to run from the Ditcheaat yard.ddddddddddddUnioniste appears to be heading that list for owner John Hales, who won the race in 2012 with Neptune Collonges, another grey son of Dom Alco also trained by Nicholls.Last year Unioniste fell in the National, but hes come down the handicap since and ran well behind Many Clouds at Kelso last time.Nicholls said: Last year he probably wasnt quite right, he lost his confidence jumping but hes got that back and he ran very well at Kelso behind Many Clouds where he stayed on.He is in the mould of Neptune Collonges and if he is anywhere near them jumping the third last hell gallop all the way to the line, hes got a chance.As for the rest of his team, Nicholls was upbeat about the chances of Just A Par, but less so Rocky Creek who has been well beaten on his last three starts.He ran his best race first time up behind Don Cossack but he has been disappointing since, said Nicholls of Rocky Creek.Id be more sweet on the chances of Just A Par and even Wonderful Charm.I havent run Just A Par all winter because of the ground and that last run at Exeter was just what he needed.Last year before he won the bet365 Gold Cup he had the same prep at Chepstow three weeks beforehand and hes in good shape.Hes got the right profile and he stays. If he can get into a good rhythm and jump hell give Sean [Bowen] a great ride.Paul Nicholls is 9/2 to train the Grand National winner with Sky Bet. Click here for all of Sky Bets Grand National specials. Also See: Live results service Full racecards ￡10 free bet Get Sky Sports Jerseys NFL China NFL Jerseys Outlet China NFL Hoodies China Jerseys Cheap Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys Discount NFL Jerseys Youth NFL Jerseys China NFL T-shirts From China Cheap Authentic Jerseys NFL Jerseys Outlet Cheap Authentic Jerseys Camo China NFL Jerseys Cheap Jerseys 2020 Cheap NFL Womens Jerseys ' ' '