Wayne Rooney
Rooney has scored 21 goals from 26 league matches so far and with eight matches to go, Ferguson has backed the striker to continue finding the back of the net. REUTERS

Wayne Rooney and Peter Schmeichel have both insisted that Manchester United won't start panicking, as the side aim to challenge cross-town rivals Manchester City for the title.

United have moved to within two points of City in the Premier League table, and with the Red Devils facing third-placed Tottenham this weekend, the side have maximum pressure to keep within a short space of overtaking the title leaders as soon as they slip up.

But Rooney believes that the United squad are not concerning themselves with the end goal at this stage, with the club concentrating on each day at a time as they aim to overthrow their big-spending rivals.

"When I was a young lad and first at the club we might have been losing a game 1-0 or 2-1 and I'd have been saying 'just put the ball in the box' and panicking a bit about losing the game," he told Inside United.

"Now I'm older and more experienced you know how to just keep playing your game because there's always a chance you'll get an opportunity to score. I think that comes from playing so many games and the experience you pick up along the way.

"You know you have to be strong mentally to play at your best. We just need to keep focused, keep working hard and hopefully we'll get our rewards."

Meanwhile, Schmeichel, who played over 300 times for United, and was a part of the treble winning squad in 1999, believes that the best tactic in the run in to the end of the season will be to relax, and take each game as it comes.

"All you hear about in March, April and May on the TV or radio is the title race and people analysing who's going to win and who's going to lose," he said, according to the official United website. "It's relentless and there's no way you can avoid it.

"The media will talk about every defeat as if it's the end of the world. There's so much pressure on players at this time of the year, so the last thing you need is to invite more pressure on yourself by believing all the headlines when you drop points.

"And that's where United have the advantage. If you've not been in that situation before, it's easy to believe what you read or see on Sky Sports News.

"United have been here so many times. They know they can win the league even if they drop points. And that will be crucial."

Manchester United FC Wayne Rooney