It was a game of two Waynes. In the first half you saw the Rooney who does not know what he is doing when he plays as a lone forward with his back to goal. In the second you saw just how destructive he can be when he runs at people, especially ageing Italian defenders.

I hope they learn the lesson for the second leg and do not go to Milan to play a containing game.

Rooney ended up being the star man, but the way he played in the second half showed that he could have murdered AC Milan’s back four if Manchester United had been more aggressive from the start.

I was bemused by Ferguson’s decision to leave out Alan Smith and go with only one striker. That takes away from what United are all about and harks back to the days when they played Ruud van Nistelrooy on his own with Paul Scholes just behind, a tactic that was proved to be unsuccessful. In the first half last night, it was also noticeable how little Scholes was involved. That’s because if you give him a nothing role, he will give you a nothing display. It all changed in the second half because United upped the tempo and Milan settled for what they had. Suddenly, Scholes and Rooney shone.

Rooney is at his best when he is the focal point of the attack rather than the springboard for it. His second goal highlighted how good he is when he is facing the goal and running at people. Fortune favours the brave and I felt that the selection handed the initiative to Milan. Let them worry about you rather than be concerned by their midfield. When United went for it in the second half and the full backs began to find more space, they were a different team. And Rooney had the opportunity to show his class.

Milan also played with one man up front and Alberto Gilardino didn’t do too much. But what he did do was get a few knock-ons and clear a bit of space for Kaká to break into. Rooney must have looked at Cristiano Ronaldo bombing forward with a bit of envy, because that is what he wants to do. Paolo Maldini has been a great player, but he is 38.

I first saw Rooney playing the solo role when he was at Everton and I thought this kid is good, but he does not know how to play there. It took him out of the game in the first half and it became a one-man crusade with Ronaldo. In the second half, he did not have his back to goal and everyone saw the difference.

In the good days in Europe, United had Dwight Yorke and Andrew Cole, and then Teddy Sheringham and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. The Rooney of the second half showed the way forward in Milan.