Can't wait for a starting midfield of Jonah and The Whale.
Wayne Rooney | 2012-14 Performances
- Thread starter gooDevil
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Can't wait for a starting midfield of Jonah and The Whale.
Sign that fecking contract Wayne. Please!
Most influential player in the squad, simple as.
As good as VP was last year, I never wavered from that view.
As good as VP was last year, I never wavered from that view.
I agree with your point regarding the Suarez, Rooney comparison. I also agree with LR7, it's incredible that he has contributed to this much at this stage of the season. Obviously he has the talent, but to get to these figures at this stage is very impressive, especially for a player that has just come off an inconsistent season.
That's the great thing about Rooney, his ability to sacrifice his himself in favour of the team. It didn't work as much as I expected it to last season, but Fergie made some two shocking decisions: playing Rooney on the right against Reading while Anderson played behind Van Persie against Reading, and playing Rooney on the right against Real Madrid, which was one of the worst defensive performances Rooney has offered us. In the Reading game specifically, Anderson went off for Jones... Fergie still played with Rooney on the right, and with Jones in an advanced position, ironically.
My criticism this season remains... Play Rooney high and our midfield will struggle. Play Rooney slightly deeper and you will see us at our best, and that's exactly what's happened against Aston Villa and West Ham. We have played our best football in the league against these sides. The funny thing is, dropping deep doesn't mean you're going to sacrifice goals. Rooney had a great chance against Aston Villa to score and was in advanced positions against West Ham. It just means that our build up will look very good and defensively, we will be more robust, which stops Moyes from having his wingers tuck in when out of possession.
Do you know how they actually categorise 'through the middle', because I've just gone back and rewatched a few of our CL games and that looks deeply suspect to me. If it's simply done by splitting the pitch into three strips and looking at where the assist was made from or something like that, they maybe need to widen the 'central' strip. If it's about who is involved in the move, then that's obviously ridiculous. Even out-and-out wingers are often involved in 'central' moves, and in the CL we've been playing the likes of Kagawa, Januzaj and Nani on the wing, so their involvement hardly makes a move 'central'. Also how far back do you look when deciding if a move is from wide or central. If Rooney, Cleverley and Welbeck move the ball through the opposition's midfield and into their box with a neat bit of interplay before Rooney slides a ball through to Valencia just inside the box near the dead ball line, who slides it across for Welbeck to tap in, is that a 'wide' move? The assist came from the winger, it was a lateral pass (a 'cross'), and Valencia was probably in the 'wide' third of the pitch, but it was clearly a move that was build through the middle.
Basically, the more I think about it, the more unlikely it seems that this stat is of any use at all. It is simply to complicated to say whether a goal came from wide or central areas to make a stat out of it.
I'd appreciate a link to where you're finding that stat if you have one, I'd be interested to do some comparisons.
Even left wing?
No I don't know how they categorise it. It's hardly surprising though. I haven't looked recently but we were playing the most crosses in the league per game at one point so it's inevitable that most of our attacks would be coming from the flanks.
I got the stats here: http://www.whoscored.com/Regions/25...amStatistics/England-Premier-League-2013-2014
We often mention playing Rafael instead of Pogba in that infamous Blackburn match as one of the biggest tactical mistakes by SAF but all the times he played Jones behind the striker left scratching my head really hard. I never understood the idea behind it.
I find it a little worrying he hasn't put pen to paper on a new contract yet.
Here's my take on the situation:
1. United were not selling him this summer, full stop. It'd have been the equivalent of tying a noose around Moyes neck if we did.
2. I think Rooney has been told by the club and probably his agent that if he isn't moving, the best thing he can do for his career is play out of his skin for us and either earn a massive transfer (in terms of his wages anyway) or earn a new contract from us.
3. He's also got a World Cup year on his side, if he's playing for his last big contract, what better to have a good season in preparation for the biggest shop window of them all?
4. It could also be that he has the same fears he had in 2010 about the quality of the team and he is waiting to see what signings we make come the summer before he decides whether United is the place for him.
As much as we all hate to admit it, it could well be true that he could get the most out of his final years as a top player playing for another side.
I wonder if all those people pre season who were saying they'd gladly swap Rooney for Mata still think that.
To be fair it was based on the notion that he went against Sir Alex who most loved and that HE wanted to leave.
It wasn't mad for people to say they'd want a Mata or Ozil to replace Rooney if he got his wish to leave (which still isn't 100% true or false).
Rooney was fat and unmotivated last year whilst Mata was one of the top 5 players in the league. It sounds crazy now because of the season he's had. However with all the Chelsea rumours in the summer which he never squashed most expected him to have another poor season.
I'd still take Mata, mind.
Don't know if this has been posted, but Sir Alex talks about Keano, becks and Rooney. Regarding the Rooney transfer fiasco last season, Sir Alex clarifies that he doesn't give in a written transfer request, but just asks for a transfer because he wasn't played in his favorable position.
Rooney has the talent and work ethic to be a top midfielder, wht he lacks is restraint, we have seen already this season that petulant Rooney is there still, pushed deep maybe but still there. If he is in the middle of the park right in the thick of it tacking and getting tackled more added to how refs do seem to love to jump on him he'd spend more time suspended than playing. Leave him as a number ten, if he insists he hates it that much then fair enough, thanks for everything and goodbye.
Ronney is among the top 3 players in the world currently. The heart of our team.
I prefer the petulant, nasty, street fighter Rooney. It was an ingredient missing last season.
I wouldn't say Rooney is among the top 3 players in the world at the moment but he would be in the top 3 most important players to their clubs.
Seems to be blaming Victoria for David's desire to become the most famous person in the solar system. Interesting though, Fergie looked uncomfortable answering some of those questions. Clearly he wasn't a man to be crossed.
No he's clearly not.
He's a fantastic player though. One of the best.
A top player for sure.
He doesn't hate playing as number 10, he hated playing as a CM next to the likes of Carrick. Very different position role than the number 10's.
he was unhappy being asked to play as a central midfielder last season. different from the position he has played in over the last 2 matches, which is more like an attacking midfielder, that enable him to be involved more in the game. got to say we are much better with him playing a bit deeper to help out the midfielders.
Rooney played in central midfield about 3 times in the entire season. His excuses are folly and were convenient piss in an effort to come up with reasons for what was essentially a massive huff at the rise of Van Persie and his own average form. He wants to be the main man, hence he's happy right now.
I kinda agree with this, it was a shame because Rooney is good enough to be Man Utd' s main man and even with RVP fit and firing. I'd understand his reactions better if his performances were top draw and SAF somehow still gave RVP preferential treatment. It wasn't the case.
...and I clearly disagree with what you say.
Top 5 then.
Indeed. The man is an imbecile and I don't see that changing anytime soon. However, he's in good form and hopefully he's embracing his deeper role, because that is what is best for the team. Whether it is Rooney, Kagawa or Januzaj, we look so much better when we have a link between midfield and attack. When we play with two strikers, our midfield is woefully exposed and we've been terrible. It is of no coincidence that our best football throughout the season has coincided with Rooney or Kagawa actually in the hole. Hopefully it stays this way.
I hope and I think there is a good chance it'll stay this way. Playing this role of the last few games is exactly tailored for him, he gets to be involved in everything and also very importantly for a guy who is a striker at heart, he can have some goalscoring chances. He seems happy playing this role I think.
Agreed. I hope so!
He was arguably our best player during the period of time where RVP didn't score for 10/11 games, he was then injured for a game and returned against Man City where he had a good game. He then found himself dropped to midfield with Fergie's reason being Rooney's form was poor. Maybe that's one of his reasons for leaving. In contrast, this season he is being praised as a team player for dropping deeper into midfield and making assists.
I suppose it's not all black and white, SAF could have handled it better but then again we were( are) so weak in midfield.
His 150th goal and what a fecking beauty!
Another assist.
what a player we have. Just give him what he wants and get him tied down.
Absolutely, our best player by miles, another goal and assist in just 20 minutes.
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