Unfortunately, what we predicted actually happened to Manchester United star Wayne Rooney: his return to action against Liverpool brought him little comfort. The 0:2 loss, in which he had a bar of more than 25 rating points to beat, had dire consequences for his FTBL rating.

Rooney has now fallen to a very low (for a player of his caliber) 146.75 points. Regardless, he retains the lead in our ranking of English strikers.

The next two games at home should allow the England international to glean at least 30 rating points.

But beyond that, Rooney will face another serious test against leaders Chelsea, in which his plank to beat will amount to 10 rating points. The game will determine in big part the fate of his ranking.