It's interesting that people think we can right the idea of him playing in midfield off within 2-3 games? I don't think it will really work there myself but you can't judge something like this off the back of a couple of games.
Wayne Rooney | 2012-14 Performances
- Thread starter gooDevil
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He is not a midfielder he isn't even a classic 10.
I don't quite see how you've reached that conclusion. What I see myself (and I may be wrong) is that some of us think he has shown enough in those few matches to make the experiment plausible. Whether Rooney can actually turn into a regular (and excellent) CM for us is a whole different kettle of fish. That depends on how well he can adapt – and that is anyone's guess.
I feel, however, that many simply dismiss the idea because he isn't an excellent CM now, here and now, as we speak. And that, to me, isn't a valid argument. If Fergie actually plans on transforming him it will obviously take some time. Right now I too would pick Cleverley over Rooney as Carrick's partner in a midfield two – simply because Rooney is far too unproven. But I think it's worth a try – he may have what it takes. I think he does. It's not sheer desperation, as some have suggested – it isn't only because I suspect we won't buy a top CM this summer either. It's because he does look like a real prospect in the position.
But he needs to prove himself – if he doesn't adapt to the new beat, if he can't get the hang of the movement and the positioning to a sufficient extent – then, well, feck it. Don't play him there – but it's not like Fergie doesn't know that he's a more than capable striker as it is. I get the feeling some people think Rooney will be horribly wasted as a mediocre CM – but that won't ever happen. Fergie wasn't born yesterday. In fact he was born so long before yesterday it's practically a joke.
I hate this type of simplistic crap. No one berates Mata for not being a Xavi.
I don't think Rooney has some of the attributes needed to be a top-class CM that Scholes has, such as fantastic awareness, split second decision-making or inch perfect judgement. He has all these things to a decent level but not in the same class as Scholes. When on the ball in deep areas with no time or space these qualities are vital because if you lose it your in big trouble. He has excellent imagination and also positioning is easier to improve with a run of games, but I think his qualities would be wasted when playing so deep.
A problem for him at the moment is that his natural role is being the furthest striker forward, where currently RVP is better than him. Thats the role where he plays his best football imo. His secondary role, off of the frontman, where he has been playing for us the last few years, is not his natural position. It might be controversial but I think Kagawa is a natural in this role and given faith and opportunities will overtake Rooney as first choice in this position, he's started to already in fact.
I love Rooney and think he is a brilliant footballer but at this moment I no longer see him as automatic choice in our team. If I had to play him where I thought I would get the best out of him I would have him up-front with Kagawa in-behind but obviously RVP is currently first choice in this position. I don't think we need to be shoehorning him in somewhere he isn't a natural just for the sake of having him in the team.
A problem for him at the moment is that his natural role is being the furthest striker forward, where currently RVP is better than him. Thats the role where he plays his best football imo. His secondary role, off of the frontman, where he has been playing for us the last few years, is not his natural position. It might be controversial but I think Kagawa is a natural in this role and given faith and opportunities will overtake Rooney as first choice in this position, he's started to already in fact.
I love Rooney and think he is a brilliant footballer but at this moment I no longer see him as automatic choice in our team. If I had to play him where I thought I would get the best out of him I would have him up-front with Kagawa in-behind but obviously RVP is currently first choice in this position. I don't think we need to be shoehorning him in somewhere he isn't a natural just for the sake of having him in the team.
Rooney has been world class as a striker for a decade, and is now coming to an age when he should generally be coming into his prime in a position he mastered. I'd understand the situation if he was about 7 years younger. I just happen to think he is too good a player to be dropped on a regular basis, and with RvP, Kagawa also in the squad this season playing up front is the only reason Sir Alex is giving him game time in midfield.
I think people are generalising a lot by classifying players just as a CM or Striker. In the modern game there is a lot more to in than that, for example I think that with Kagawa and Rooney both playing behind a main striker (eg RvP) and then support from the likes of Cleverley and Carrick behind them, it would be a very fluid and effective attack, with a lot of interchanging of positions.
Weren't you the same guy who said England needs to get over its obsession with posession, if so in the words of Brad, jog on.
Lampard and Gerrard's problem for England was just playing shite hollywood balls every time.
So anyone reckon he's gone then come next season? I reckon it's 50/50, depending how tempting potential bids are.
Nope.
I can't imagine him leaving, but I'd never rule it out.
Wayne Rooney has scored or assisted 22 goals in 25 PL appearances this year
Impressive if that's what he does in what most people consider a lacklustre illness/injury hit season. Imaging if we had kept him fit, I'm sure his form and consistency would have been even better.
Two goals more and two assists fewer than Mata (5 more apps) who most people would say has had an excellent season.
Buy then nobody would say Rooney has had an excellent season. Maybe that should tell you something: statistics aren't everything.
Yes it does say something, it says that in a season broken up by injury with a few underwhelming performances and not always playing in his best position, his contribution is equal to another number 10 having an excellent season.
It shows what a great player he is in that he still can have such a telling contribution in a season which nobody would rank amongst his best. It also says that his goals/assists, form and consistency would probably have been much better without the injuries and illness that has kept him out at times.
You're right, we've been lucky to have him this season 
You're right, we've been lucky to have him this season
Well his goals alone have won us something like 15 points so despite an underwhelming season he has made a telling contribution to us becoming champions. So despite your sarcasm you're actually exactly right.
Nobody is arguing its one of his best seasons but he's contributed to 22 goals in 25 PL apps. Stop trying to dismiss it altogether.
Even Rooney probably knows that by his standards , I know Saf thinks so.
Another stupid statistic which doesn't mean anything, but please do throw some more out.
He could do with having an established role for himself. The point has been made recently that we seem to be trying to fit him in, as opposed to him demanding selection in a certain role.
He may actually decide he wants to leave himself if, at 27, we seem to be shifting him here there and everywhere. Or 'sacrificing' him, as the official term goes.
He may actually decide he wants to leave himself if, at 27, we seem to be shifting him here there and everywhere. Or 'sacrificing' him, as the official term goes.
He's a striker at the end of the day, if he's not first choice there then there's no point shoehorning him into another position that somebody else can do better.
I agree with this. That said, so long as we are a team that plays with two strikers, he should have no problem getting into the team, as he's comfortably better than two of our four strikers.
If we play with one striker though, he may have a problem. I'm not sure the answer is just putting him a one of the midfield two. That seems almost cowardly to me, instead of just dropping him.
It does look like he's off, it even looks like Fergie is giving the press ammunition to think he's off (not mentioning him on Monday) but that doesn't mean he's off.
If he does leave it will be to cash in, and this club is so bad at cashing in, there's not much point.
We seem to be gradually shifting towards one striker most of the time. When we do play two upfront it's usually with Rooney playing more of an AM role, which I really don't rate him in in recent years.
So we pay 250k per week for him to be an ok-ish midfielder?
Just buy a midfielder
Just buy a midfielder
He still managed to score 27 league goals in that role last season. RVP will do well to beat that this season.
It's the rest of his game that is the problem in that position.
Has he actually put in a good performance up front since his injury?
Really needs some intense pre season.
I don't think he's played particularly poorly today. What's most concerning is that he didn't seem interested at times. Watching him off the ball he was standing still and watching the game go by without offering himself for a pass. After playing a pass himself he just stood there instead of creating an angle or making a run.
I know most of the lads seem to have found it difficult to get really fired up after winning the league but Rooney in particular didn't seem bothered.
Hoping its just that his mind is on his holidays rather than knowing he's leaving at the end of the season.
I know most of the lads seem to have found it difficult to get really fired up after winning the league but Rooney in particular didn't seem bothered.
Hoping its just that his mind is on his holidays rather than knowing he's leaving at the end of the season.
Much better second half from him, got a rocket from Fergie at half time I imagine.
A generally shit match with one or two classy passes in there
I thought he was really good for the last thirty minutes of the second half surprisingly. Was poor before that but finished the game well.
Much better from him in the second half.
RVP was worse and should have been subbed for Hernandez. At least Rooney looked like he was trying and had some good moments. RVP looked lost today.
I actually thought he had a pretty good game, some of his passing didn't come off but he ran a lot for us on the counter making angles for people, actually carried the ball well a few times and got back as usual. Certainly better than Valencia and arguably RVP who looked pretty tired.
Better in the second half. Lovely pass to Giggs before he got substituted.
Didn't really see the point of taking him off with 5 mins to play?
Didn't really see the point of taking him off with 5 mins to play?
I thought he was excellent in the second half, him and Nani always looked like creating something. First half, not so much.
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