rio: don't overburden rooney

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Rio Ferdinand has cautioned against the rising expectation surrounding Wayne Rooney - but admitted the striker's sensational FA Cup cameo came as no surprise. In contrast to fellow youngster Cristiano Ronaldo, Rooney has been a muted force in Manchester United's pursuit of glory this term. For, a week after breaking a seven-game scoring drought at Arsenal, Rooney added another two to his season's tally as United overcame Portsmouth's defiance to reach the last 16 for the fifth year on the trot. Although his first was probably the crucial strike, it was Rooney's second which will be talked about long after the match itself is forgotten. Taking Gary Neville's pass 20 from goal, Rooney launched an audacious chip which soared over goalkeeper David James before clipping the underside of the crossbar and bouncing in."I am not surprised by what he did," said Ferdinand."Wayne is a fantastic footballer. He is a joy to play with and a joy to watch.""I am so pleased he is on my side because he is capable of doing things like that. But people must not forget he is still a young player and still on a learning curve.""Sometimes, they expect too much of him. During this spell, when people have been questioning his goalscoring, Wayne's work-rate and team ethic never wavered at all."Is it true Rooney really overburned?