Is Sneijder playing ahead of Carrick and Giggs a big improvement on Rooney playing ahead of the two, if at all? Yeah Rooney could play up front on his
own, but he'd touch the ball even less than he did in the final. Sneijder is a free role player, we need someone who plays deeper, who can control a game and get the ball to our players like Rooney. We can sign a Sneijder type player but it will be the same problem, getting the ball to that player who plays further up the pitch. Look at our games against Arsenal and Barca, we weren't lacking in that free role area as Rooney performed well when in possession, we were just overran and couldn't get the ball to him and the attackers enough.
Rooney is arguably the best number 10 around except for Messi, i'll have him at the tip of my midfield ahead of the likes of Sneijder/Ozil etc. We're more in need of central midfielders who can control the game from deep. The likes of Modric/Banega/Schweinsteiger would all be better buys in my opinion. Not saying they are better than Sneijder, just that they would benefit the team more.
Ideally you need both. Sneijder | another deeper M | Carrick/Fletch.
That 'missing' piece #2 in midfield should/could be anderson. Perhaps. This coming season is "make or break" from the lad. Otherwise, we'll have to go to the market for two midfielders.
Sneijder isn't as '2nd striker' ish as van der vaart is for example.
As for wazza and the #10, why can't be play false 9 a la messi? He's done it before as he's dropped deep. Forget europe, but in the league when we played ronnie, tevez, and wayne together, wayne would drop false 9. Does having iniesta stop messi from being at the 'tip' of the midfield tons of times?
If you want to shoehorn hernandez as the cetnral striker, then wayne will have to play wide left. I agree, he struggles with this and can't be as flexible as someone like eto'o though wayne is just as naturally gifted if not moreso.
Ideally I'd like to see this:
Nani------Wayne-----Sanchez or Wayne----Hernandez---Nani/Sanchez
with a midfield of:
Sneijder, Ando/new signing, Carrick
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Mind you, this doesn't have to be done ALL at once this off season. However over the course of two summer windows, I'd like the team to be able to go to this lineup for europe if fergie wants to win it back within 3 years.