Now the majority of the Caf seem to be in agreement that deploying Rooney in midfield is one of numerous reasons behind our midfield being as dire as it is. That said, many also claim that Rooney is nevertheless the solution to our attacking woes too and that playing him up top as well as playing a good midfield behind him with proper midfielders will lead us to the promised land, or make us a side worth watching again.
The discussion I want to put forward is this... Fergie wanted rid of him. Fergie wanted to move on from the Rooney era and was actively seeking new strikers. He thought Rooney had peaked and had reached that stage where his ego was bigger than his actual performance output. He was the 'big man' in reputation only and not in terms of performances on the pitch. Did Fergie see him as a potential hindrance to the side's progression going forwards?
Rooney has worked his bollocks off this season, playing out of position but I still feel that if I am being brutally honest, even as a striker... he isn't Aguero/Costa in terms of performance level. He could still bang in a large number of goals, I do not doubt that but I feel that having him in the side affects the style of play of the entire side... he is such a dominant personality, he affects the fluidity we are looking to seek on the ball. He's a magnet for the ball but the problem is, the more he sees of it, the slower and the more predictable our play becomes. Contrast this with Aguero or Costa, they blend in seamlessly to any formation/type of game, whereas Rooney inevitably has to be catered to and he can have absolutely awful games where he just stinks up the place, yet he'll nab a goal and he disguises his poor performance.
The last world cup was the first time I lost a little love for Rooney as a player. I could see he was almost like an albatross around the teams neck, just like Lampard/Gerrard used to be. You had young lively technicians in Sturridge/Sterling/Danny and then as soon as the ball got to Rooney it slowed down, the tempo dropped. His sulky performance against Italy cost us the game and he manipulated the situation to ensure he played as a #10 in the next games and we never hit the heights of that first game, yet he managed to get a goal in the end... disguising the fact he was horrendous and the main reason behind the malfunctioning of our attack.
The reason I compare him to 'Stevie Me' is that I see a lot of potential in this Liverpool side, but the power Gerrard wields over selection by his mere existence at the club ensures that the team can't escape from his shackles. The team is trying to break free but he still features in the main games and he is their worst player time and time again. He is a hindrance. In fact one could argue, we are a team full of Gerrards... a lot of big names who demand to be selected based on reputation but are shadows of what they once were or are just tactical misfits.
Rooney is a more dangerous hindrance because he can still contribute in terms of goals and assists, he gives the impression that he is a vital component of any team. I would argue that like Gerrard, like Ruud of 2006 for example, moving Rooney up front might be an improvement on RVP/Falcao and he would score a fair few but in the long run, that decision will itself present a problem in the not too distance future. As all our competitors stockpile on livewire 9's who can dribble, shoot off either foot etc, we'll be stuck with the fading flame of Rooney.
Thoughts?
The discussion I want to put forward is this... Fergie wanted rid of him. Fergie wanted to move on from the Rooney era and was actively seeking new strikers. He thought Rooney had peaked and had reached that stage where his ego was bigger than his actual performance output. He was the 'big man' in reputation only and not in terms of performances on the pitch. Did Fergie see him as a potential hindrance to the side's progression going forwards?
Rooney has worked his bollocks off this season, playing out of position but I still feel that if I am being brutally honest, even as a striker... he isn't Aguero/Costa in terms of performance level. He could still bang in a large number of goals, I do not doubt that but I feel that having him in the side affects the style of play of the entire side... he is such a dominant personality, he affects the fluidity we are looking to seek on the ball. He's a magnet for the ball but the problem is, the more he sees of it, the slower and the more predictable our play becomes. Contrast this with Aguero or Costa, they blend in seamlessly to any formation/type of game, whereas Rooney inevitably has to be catered to and he can have absolutely awful games where he just stinks up the place, yet he'll nab a goal and he disguises his poor performance.
The last world cup was the first time I lost a little love for Rooney as a player. I could see he was almost like an albatross around the teams neck, just like Lampard/Gerrard used to be. You had young lively technicians in Sturridge/Sterling/Danny and then as soon as the ball got to Rooney it slowed down, the tempo dropped. His sulky performance against Italy cost us the game and he manipulated the situation to ensure he played as a #10 in the next games and we never hit the heights of that first game, yet he managed to get a goal in the end... disguising the fact he was horrendous and the main reason behind the malfunctioning of our attack.
The reason I compare him to 'Stevie Me' is that I see a lot of potential in this Liverpool side, but the power Gerrard wields over selection by his mere existence at the club ensures that the team can't escape from his shackles. The team is trying to break free but he still features in the main games and he is their worst player time and time again. He is a hindrance. In fact one could argue, we are a team full of Gerrards... a lot of big names who demand to be selected based on reputation but are shadows of what they once were or are just tactical misfits.
Rooney is a more dangerous hindrance because he can still contribute in terms of goals and assists, he gives the impression that he is a vital component of any team. I would argue that like Gerrard, like Ruud of 2006 for example, moving Rooney up front might be an improvement on RVP/Falcao and he would score a fair few but in the long run, that decision will itself present a problem in the not too distance future. As all our competitors stockpile on livewire 9's who can dribble, shoot off either foot etc, we'll be stuck with the fading flame of Rooney.
Thoughts?
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