He's not disciplined or tactically astute though, and he's becoming so now, which is what surprised and impressed Neville. Long may it continue.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
- 14
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Not consistently over a season anyway. He still has moments though. And could string a good stretch of games together.
Yes, a formidable team with quality players in a system that works is better than a team filled with Stars IMO.
Thought Neville's analysis was spot on. Rooney's positional play was excellent. These things don't show up in stats.
I like others have complained loudly when Rooney's dropping back into midfield constantly. He did his job well yesterday and we won/played well because of it. Deserves praise for that. Looks to be having a positive effect on the squad too,who aren't playing like they need to rely on Rooney all the time.
Ya, as Gazza said...."silent domination"
Silent domination meaning he done what the boss told him to? People are reading way too much into Gary Neville's analysis. The same guy who lambasted de gea after one mistake against Spurs a couple of years back yet people took what he said as gospel. A striker playing up top alone doing the minimum requirement that he was asked to is now his best match in a United shirt? Unreal. Imagine he actually played well.
I think Gary was clearly over the top in some of his comments. However some of the things he said do have value. I think Rooney has started playing with some tactical discipline to his game, and the examples Neville talked about were true.
Yeah.... no this is false. He has always been one of the most disciplined players we have had. How many strikers in Europe have had the skillset to play anywhere along the front line and have a significant role in the build up play, while racking up goals? (Yes, Messi and Ronaldo are not included here)
We can't have every striker as good as Falcao, it'd be too unfair.
I've never seen this video. I think it was on youtube but Sky must have taken it down because of how bad gary looked in it.
Never liked what he used to say about De Gea -- don't remember much lambasting thou -- and also Gary is full of it concerning diving.
Spot on on Monday though.
Spot on on Monday though.
Yeah, some fans are still hooked on his poor disciplinary record many years ago.
Was it even really bad? Just checked, and in his United career he has 84 yellows, 2 reds via second
Naughtier for England.
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Was it even really bad? Just checked, and in his United career he has 84 yellows, 2 reds via second red, and just a single straight red card (West Ham). That's not that bad, I'd say. 474 appearances.
Naughtier for England.
Yeah, the media pretty much made him look like the devil, doesn't help that he has a boxing background and he looks like a hobo.
feck yeah! This should be played in the dressing room before the Chelsea match - United are rampaging back.
So insipirational.
Wayne Rooney's team talks have been a source of inspiration before recent wins over Tottenham and Liverpool, and before United took on Manchester City on Sunday, the Reds skipper told United Review about his motivating speeches...
Louis van Gaal said recently about your pre-match team talks before the wins over Tottenham and Liverpool. Do you enjoy that part of being captain?I've always been quite vocal in the dressing room before games and I felt at the time it was right for me, after we’d lost to Arsenal in the cup, to put a few points across to the players which I thought might help the team. I’m not saying that’s why we won the games against Tottenham and Liverpool! [Laughs] But it certainly didn’t cause any harm doing it. It just felt like the right time for me to say something.
So your dressing room speeches can be quite impromptu?
Yes, it’s not something I do before every game. I’m always talking in the dressing room and giving my opinions to try to help the players get ready for the game, but on those occasions it was just something a bit different and something I felt was right to do.
How does it feel when you hear comments like Ander Herrera saying you are the epitome of everything United is about as a club?
It’s nice to hear but it’s not just me who speaks in the dressing room, there are a few of us. The most important thing is that the team keeps winning – that’s all everyone is focused on.
Our record in big matches has been excellent this season – why is that?I think we’ve been very well prepared going into those games. We put a lot of work and effort into making sure we’re in the right shape and set up in the right way to
play those matches and that’s obviously helped us a lot because we’ve done quite well in them.
Does it work in our favour, then, that we’ve got to face such high-profile opponents during the run-in?
I don’t think you can ever say that really because they’re always tough games. We have Chelsea away, Everton away, Arsenal at home…they’re hard matches. We just have to make sure we’re ready and fully prepared for them and hopefully we can pick up maximum points.
What’s changed in the last month or so for everything to click into place?
I think the performances have been coming. We’ve been getting better and, certainly over the last few games, people have seen that we’re playing good football, creating chances and controlling matches. If we continue to play like that I think it will be difficult for any team against us.
How important is it to not only secure Champions League football, but also setting a marker down for next term?
It’s important of course, but we have to take each game as they come and win the match that’s in front of us so we can try to end the season with the biggest points tally we can get and finish as high as we can in the table. That’s the main aim.
Louis van Gaal said recently about your pre-match team talks before the wins over Tottenham and Liverpool. Do you enjoy that part of being captain?I've always been quite vocal in the dressing room before games and I felt at the time it was right for me, after we’d lost to Arsenal in the cup, to put a few points across to the players which I thought might help the team. I’m not saying that’s why we won the games against Tottenham and Liverpool! [Laughs] But it certainly didn’t cause any harm doing it. It just felt like the right time for me to say something.
So your dressing room speeches can be quite impromptu?
Yes, it’s not something I do before every game. I’m always talking in the dressing room and giving my opinions to try to help the players get ready for the game, but on those occasions it was just something a bit different and something I felt was right to do.
How does it feel when you hear comments like Ander Herrera saying you are the epitome of everything United is about as a club?
It’s nice to hear but it’s not just me who speaks in the dressing room, there are a few of us. The most important thing is that the team keeps winning – that’s all everyone is focused on.
Our record in big matches has been excellent this season – why is that?I think we’ve been very well prepared going into those games. We put a lot of work and effort into making sure we’re in the right shape and set up in the right way to
play those matches and that’s obviously helped us a lot because we’ve done quite well in them.
Does it work in our favour, then, that we’ve got to face such high-profile opponents during the run-in?
I don’t think you can ever say that really because they’re always tough games. We have Chelsea away, Everton away, Arsenal at home…they’re hard matches. We just have to make sure we’re ready and fully prepared for them and hopefully we can pick up maximum points.
What’s changed in the last month or so for everything to click into place?
I think the performances have been coming. We’ve been getting better and, certainly over the last few games, people have seen that we’re playing good football, creating chances and controlling matches. If we continue to play like that I think it will be difficult for any team against us.
How important is it to not only secure Champions League football, but also setting a marker down for next term?
It’s important of course, but we have to take each game as they come and win the match that’s in front of us so we can try to end the season with the biggest points tally we can get and finish as high as we can in the table. That’s the main aim.
I'd actually like to see stats for other lone strikers in the league.
Per game over season
Rooney - Unsc Touches = 1.3, Dispossessed = 1.8, Passing = 84.3%
Costa - Unsc touches = 2.8, Dispossessed = 2.1, Passing = 76.5%
Giroud - Unsc touches = 1.8, Dispossessed = 1.9, Passing = 67%
Aguero - Unsc touches = 1.9, Dispossessed = 2.6, Passing = 85%
Kane - Unsc touches = 2, Dispossessed = 2.7, Passing = 75.1%
Not sure if you intend you show your biased against Rooney but you can't compare Rooney over a 6 game run and then our other Strikers over a season.
Anyway, think this shows Rooney probably gets some unflair stick over his touches and passing. Maybe it's because we set the bar quite high for him, maybe it's because we're want to still see him doing a million things with energy like 8 years ago, but he's a quality player for us.
Ofcourse he's going to lose the ball more than most, he's playing as a lone striker in the final 3rd of the pitch. He's got two central defenders on him, and possibly a defensive midfielder. Not to mention when the ball gets to that area of the pitch, everything is a little bit quicker, pressure gets that more intense. He's going to have quiet games, he's going to have games where he loses the ball alot, but that's the position. Fact is with looked better than we ever have all season him playing that position, not because of his on the ball work, but he's actually offers some movement and work up front. I really do think some people still have a grudge against Rooney for his contract sagas, or some people hold him to a crazy high standard and will nitpick at everything, but every time i come in this thread it seems his best games are average, his average games are his worst and if he does have a bad/quiet game, hell he's no longer the guy to play upfront for us and should be replaced next season...
Nice Stats
!!I do think at times Wayne is a victim of his own versatility. If he is not doing *everything* then he did not do enough. Like Neville said he did his job against City keeping the two CB occupied. Push Fellaini up and have the rest of the midfield making runs... and City couldn't handle the pressure
.As for him being undisciplined, I think some of his actions in the past could easily be perceived that way. Throw in Gary basically confirming that historically... well I won't be arguing. Although I do think his red this year mark a turning of the page.
Rooney hasn't played as a lone striker all season and I started counting since the team started clicking - in benefit of Rooney.
Rooney has played 11 out of 28 games as a central forward. He has more games as a central midfielder with 12 and then 4 as an attacking central midfielder.
Why the feck would you compare the passing percentage of a central midfielder with strikers and then use it to claim he's a better striker? Central midfielders are also less likely to be dispossessed and suffer from unsuccessful touches.
Carrick has been dispossessed 0.1 time per game in average and he 0.3 unsuccessful touches and Carrick/Herrera/Blind all have a passing accuracy of roughly 90% as our midfielders. So it is a lot easier to rack up these statistics from a central midfield than as a lone striker.
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He's always struck me as more in line with the description Neville mentioned, despite the exaggeration on his part, of a "street footballer". Someone who will leave his position to go get the ball. Someone who is all action, which has its huge benefits and flaws. A bit like Gerrard who was a great player but maybe not the most discipline. That's why Neville was championing the change lvg has brought about. Why else would he single Rooney out when others are also following lvgs instructions to the tee.? He seemed to believe that with Wayne it's a bigger achievement to get him to do that. I agree with him, to an extent. Not that I'm saying that rooney is ill disciplined or anything.
Yeah those stats are indeed misleading. Even so I'd imagine Rooney would have a better pass completion percentages in other seasons too because he likes to get involved in popping it about and is usually a second striker as opposed to the others who play right up top mostly and hence less likely to get into short passing interchanges.
I never said he's a better striker, I just compared to him to other strikers. The biggest complaint about Rooney on here seems to be about how much he loses the ball, through bad pass or poor touch. Just outlining that against other top strikers in the league, he's got similar stats. Fair enough he's played as Central Midfield, but he's doing a job there and we all know that not his natural role, more Van Gaal trying to shoehorn him in alongside RVP/Falcao.
You can say his stats are distorted to the variety number of positions he plays. How ever if you look at his stats over the last 5 years, he's in line with other players in his position. If you take 5 years, according to whoscored he's only had 1.1 bad touches per game and only dispossessed 2.2.
Point still remains though, i think Rooney gets unfair stick on here.
Games can pan out where the strikers will not receive possession for prolonged periods, so you only have a few chances to do something with the ball. RVP may have had a better touch in the final third but what he does after that was next to nothing. His off the ball contribution was terrible, his positioning and movement is so easy to read from defenders, he takes too long on the ball and his ability to compete with defenders is bordering on laziness.
Shooting, technique, goal instinct, first touch he may have the better of Wayne in those departments but that not all you need to warrant a place in the team. What displaced Rooney from striker to midfielder was RVPs sharpness and awareness to see chances from a mile off in Ferguson last season. The difference is now, he has lost that ability and no longer influences the games like he used to.
For Rooney, I think for me the Liverpool game was really his only worst game out of the last few because he was not trying to make it difficult for the defenders and I think he was over thinking things a bit too much which does creep into his games at times. But as a team player and his selfless attitude, I don't think there's many better. He has the qualities of a number 9 (not quite on the level of RVP) and a number 10 and I think that the players around him respond to that as opposed to RVP's orthodox Striker mentality where the team should service him at any given moment.
- One of the players to have played almost every single minute of all of our recent good performances including some very tough opponents
- Has been a handful and kept the center-backs busy despite playing as a single striker up front
- Has scored quite a few and assisted a few
- Has been praised by the manager as well as team mates and also has been a worthy captain with his captaincy again been widely praised
- Has provided better quality up front compared to the other strikers and links up better with our other forward players
But this being caf we are all very objective and we still find enough to complain about. One okay performances and if the response here is not 'Sell him and buy someone better' then its a begrudging 'has been average and wouldn't mind if he is benched'. I think our expectations when it comes to Rooney are not in the right place. Manager after manager has persisted with him as our key player up front but obviously they all do it because we have to sell the shirts. If RAWK is one extreme of supporting the players we are the other one (or at least in Rooney's case). Either its the bad first touch, or the fact that he only passes to the right side, or the fact that he only scores goals and assists but does nothing else, or because he shouted at someone for defending badly. Welcome to the Rooney thread.
- Has been a handful and kept the center-backs busy despite playing as a single striker up front
- Has scored quite a few and assisted a few
- Has been praised by the manager as well as team mates and also has been a worthy captain with his captaincy again been widely praised
- Has provided better quality up front compared to the other strikers and links up better with our other forward players
But this being caf we are all very objective and we still find enough to complain about. One okay performances and if the response here is not 'Sell him and buy someone better' then its a begrudging 'has been average and wouldn't mind if he is benched'. I think our expectations when it comes to Rooney are not in the right place. Manager after manager has persisted with him as our key player up front but obviously they all do it because we have to sell the shirts. If RAWK is one extreme of supporting the players we are the other one (or at least in Rooney's case). Either its the bad first touch, or the fact that he only passes to the right side, or the fact that he only scores goals and assists but does nothing else, or because he shouted at someone for defending badly. Welcome to the Rooney thread.
Rooney must be the most discussed player in the team/league.
Chelsea 1:0 Man Utd
I think he should have actually done a bit more because from the looks of it, Herrera is the deeper cm, and Rooney's doing the Herrera role.
We've not seen the sort of interplay on the right side that we've grown accustomed to these past weeks.
We've not seen the sort of interplay on the right side that we've grown accustomed to these past weeks.
Very rarely plays a forward pass. Always spraying it sideways which is a problem with him in midfield, his failure to spot runs. Done decent enough otherwise. Hopefully back upfront next week.
I thought he was good, one of our better players today IMO.
Felt he was average today, again. but hey, that's just me.
Should have scored though, no doubt that!
Should have scored though, no doubt that!
Rarely links up with our main striker when he plays midfield. No one-twos, no dummies and rare if any through passes.
This is the problem for me. His first instinct is always to open his body up and play it wide.
Had a good game and the kept the ball ticking. He and Herrera did a pretty good job of covering for Carrick.
It slows us down too often on the attack, and Chelsea were happy to let us dominate because we rarely played anything towards the box.
I liked how he was taking the ball on the half turn most of the time and getting us going straight away, but his lack of variety in passing is why he's not a CM, but his defensive discipline was again good and he was often there helping Herrera. Shame he didn't bury that cut back from Shaw in the first half, it was a good chance by his standards.
He had a good enough game but he needs to go up top next week. It's a pity that game is Goodison where he'll be useless.
Chelsea sat back which allowed Rooney and Herrera plenty of the ball, problem is they did little with it where it mattered.
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