[CrashDavis]

What has C.Ronaldo ever done in WC?

Apart from the odd wink nothing really, although he did get a fairly weak side to the last when he tore Sweden a new one. Still though, I wouldn't be Ronaldo's biggest fan anyway.

When was the last time Rooney looked a class above the rest in an England jersey?

 

[Shimo]

Rooney may not be playing great but, I think all forwards suffer from the support they get from the rest of the team. In the last year and a bit, none of our forwards have looked that great - this includes Chicha, RVP and Rooney. They've been shadows of themselves in so many games. Did they all suddenly become shit together or are there circumstances that have lead to this drop off?

Maybe a long time ago, Rooney could have taken over a game on his own and just played brilliantly without needing others but, even looking back to one of his best seasons (think 2010) - he was playing really well because we had an inform Valencia and even Nani supplying from the wings and behind him we had Scholes and even Giggs still around producing the goods. He is at his best when the team around him is playing well. When the team is mediocre, he isn't like Messi or Ronaldo, he also looks poor but, because he is a top player, still manages moments that win matches and have stats which belie the overall performance on the pitch.

The same applies to Rooney in the England team which as a whole plays such drab football and it's only individual players like Sterling that really standout. For United it's been Adnan because he is the one player we've had that can still do things on his own and now we have Di Maria. I think once the team starts playing with a little more tempo and a little more threat going forward, many will be talking about how good he is again. Someone mentioned the Leverkusen match, that's a great example of how good Rooney can be when the team plays well - something we've not really had happen in the last year too often.

 

[SteveJ]

Fat chance.

Wish his tagline was 'Bannibal'.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Rooney may not be playing great but, I think all forwards suffer from the support they get from the rest of the team. In the last year and a bit, none of our forwards have looked that great - this includes Chicha, RVP and Rooney. They've been shadows of themselves in so many games. Did they all suddenly become shit together or are there circumstances that have lead to this drop off?

Maybe a long time ago, Rooney could have taken over a game on his own and just played brilliantly without needing others but, even looking back to one of his best seasons (think 2010) - he was playing really well because we had an inform Valencia and even Nani supplying from the wings and behind him we had Scholes and even Giggs still around producing the goods. He is at his best when the team around him is playing well. When the team is mediocre, he isn't like Messi or Ronaldo, he also looks poor but, because he is a top player, still manages moments that win matches and have stats which belie the overall performance on the pitch.

The same applies to Rooney in the England team which as a whole plays such drab football and it's only individual players like Sterling that really standout. For United it's been Adnan because he is the one player we've had that can still do things on his own and now we have Di Maria. I think once the team starts playing with a little more tempo and a little more threat going forward, many will be talking about how good he is again. Someone mentioned the Leverkusen match, that's a great example of how good Rooney can be when the team plays well - something we've not really had happen in the last year too often.

While that's all well and good, bad service doesn't mean when you get the ball your touch turns rubbish and your passing goes bad. In tight situations he can hardly ever get away from a defender these days. Sturridge and Sterling looked head and shoulders over him unfortunately yesterday.

No doubt Rooney can still finish when given the chance, but the rest of his game which used to be so strong is becoming quite poor now.

 

[Shimo]

While that's all well and good, bad service doesn't mean when you get the ball your touch turns rubbish and your passing goes bad. In tight situations he can hardly ever get away from a defender these days. Sturridge and Sterling looked head and shoulders over him unfortunately yesterday.

No doubt Rooney can still finish when given the chance, but the rest of his game which used to be so strong is becoming quite poor now.

Rooney's touch to me hasn't always been all that - I still use that 09/2010 season as a good example - in the early part of the season he was scoring goals but, his touch was absolutely atrocious and it wasn't until January that somehow he finally found it and after his injury against Bayern he lost it - more like he went back to his old self, where it's really hit or miss with him on any given day. As for getting away from defenders, again I think it goes to the type of player he is - for him if the game is flowing and he is in a rhythm, then he can but, he is not the 18 year old Rooney or a player like Di Maria who you can expect to go past players at a whim.

His touch may not be the best but, because of who he is and what's expected of him that it's made out to be terrible. It's probably the weakest part of his game but, he has strengths such as his passing, goal scoring, set pieces, tireless running, mental toughness that make him integral to the team. That's why none of the managers drop him - because even when he his game is not that good - he offers a lot to the team.

 

[Jerch]

Apart from the odd wink nothing really, although he did get a fairly weak side to the last when he tore Sweden a new one. Still though, I wouldn't be Ronaldo's biggest fan anyway.

When was the last time Rooney looked a class above the rest in an England jersey?

Every time when he carried England through qualifying competition for the big tournaments. He is englands best player in the last 1 years simple as that. As with Ronaldo, you can argue that Portugal have better teams than England in the recent years.

But enough of that i just wanted to prove you wrong when you said that a player have to shine in the World Cup to be WC player.

 

[CrashDavis]

Every time when he carried England through qualifying competition for the big tournaments. He is englands best player in the last 1 years simple as that. As with Ronaldo, you can argue that Portugal have better teams than England in the recent years.

But enough of that i just wanted to prove you wrong when you said that a player have to shine in the World Cup to be WC player.

Qualifying campaign? Surely England have enough about them to get out of those kinda groups and into major tournaments... that's a given really and obviously Rooney will get a couple of goals here and there, but when tested against the bigger teams he's found wanting. His general play just isn't good enough against better quality teams.... slow and deliberate. Needs to be dropped in my opinion.

 

[Jerch]

Qualifying campaign? Surely England have enough about them to get out of those kinda groups and into major tournaments... that's a given really and obviously Rooney will get a couple of goals here and there, but when tested against the bigger teams he's found wanting. His general play just isn't good enough against better quality teams.... slow and deliberate. Needs to be dropped in my opinion.

Ok agree do disagree.

 

[saivet]

Every time when he carried England through qualifying competition for the big tournaments. He is englands best player in the last 1 years simple as that. As with Ronaldo, you can argue that Portugal have better teams than England in the recent years.

But enough of that i just wanted to prove you wrong when you said that a player have to shine in the World Cup to be WC player.

I watch pretty much every England game and to suggest he's carried us is ridiculous. Most of the time, we've sailed through groups easily without needing any individual to carry us through. He's scored goals and has been one of our better players but England would have made it out of most groups without him.

 

[Jerch]

I watch pretty much every England game and to suggest he's carried us is ridiculous. Most of the time, we've sailed through groups easily without needing any individual to carry us through. He's scored goals and has been one of our better players but England would have made it out of most groups without him.

Count out the points which brought Rooney tthrough his goals and you will see the result. He scored the most in the last 4 years for England and i am saying that by not watching any stats because every time you look who scored a goal for England it is almost always Rooney.

He is so underrated that it hurts. If England or United play bad it is always Rooney fault regardless that there is 10 other players on the pitch. When he does well it is his job or the other players made him look good

 

[saivet]

Count out the points which brought Rooney tthrough his goals and you will see the result. He scored the most in the last 4 years for England and i am saying that by not watching any stats because every time you look who scored a goa for England it is almost always Rooney.

He is so underrated that it hurts. If England or United play bad it is always Rooney fault regardless that there is 10 other players on the pitch.

Others have mentioned it before but say he's having a shocker and it's 0-0. Say Sturridge wins a penalty and Rooney dispatches. The stats say that Rooney got us the 3 points which becomes misleading.

If Rooney doesn't play then someone will fill his place, they may be worse or they may be better but simply removing Rooney's goals or assists doesn't prove anything.

He's been good for both United and England, no one can deny that but I think cries for him to be dropped from either team are understandable.

 

[sizzling sausages]

Count out the points which brought Rooney tthrough his goals and you will see the result. He scored the most in the last 4 years for England and i am saying that by not watching any stats because every time you look who scored a goal for England it is almost always Rooney.

He is so underrated that it hurts. If England or United play bad it is always Rooney fault regardless that there is 10 other players on the pitch. When he does well it is his job or the other players made him look good

Yeah, because his competition before Sturridge came into the team was Gerrard, Lampard and Defoe. It would be poor if he didn't have the most goals.

And people who bring up the fact that he will most likely become top scorer for United and England have to take into consideration that he has been starting up front for both teams for a decade now. Most good strikers would be close to the records if given the same time in the teams. And I do realise that he has obviously been doing something right to manage to keep a starting place for a decade, I just don't it's something peple should use when they are defending him.

 

[berbatrick]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/04/wayne-rooney-england-manchester-united

A month into a campaign where Wayne Rooney has been named captainof club and country, questions remain about his precise role in both sides. Manchester United’s signings of Ángel di María and Radamel Falcao provide Louis van Gaal with other top-class attacking options, while it increasingly seems Rooney is crowbarred into the England side at the expense of overall cohesion.

In fairness, while Rooney was not in spectacular form at the World Cup, he was not one of England’s worst performers either. He created Daniel Sturridge’s equaliser against Italy with a fine run and cross, before scoring England’s only other goal of the tournament against Uruguay.

In terms of goalscoring, Rooney remains consistent: he has reached double figures in 10 consecutivePremier League seasons, a truly outstanding record. Nevertheless, it is fascinating thatwhile United have won the title in half of those seasons, Rooney’s best four goalscoringcampaigns have come when others have triumphed – Manchester City twice and Chelsea twice. Perhaps that tells the story: what is best for Rooney is not always best for his side.

At international level, there is a similar feeling. Rooney is now on 41 England goals, but Wednesday’s 1-0 victory over Norway was a microcosm of the situation – Rooney scored the only goal from the penalty spot and therefore found his name in the headlines yet again, but England looked most lively after he was substituted, with 20 minutes remaining.

That allowed Roy Hodgson to change system, playing Daniel Sturridge and Danny Welbeck upfront together, with Raheem Sterling at the head of a midfield diamond, where he had excelled for Liverpool in their 3-0 thrashing of Tottenham last weekend. There was greater pace in England’s attack, neater combinations between the lines and more players in advance of the ball, giving the midfielders options.

Even when Rooney was on the pitch, he was not involved in England’s best moves. Club combinations came to the fore: Sterling and Sturridge twice interchanged passes excellently, then Jack Wilshere and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain played a neat one-two. England’s best passingmoves were played around Rooney, rather than through him, and for a No10, that is a damning indictment of his minimal influence.

In truth, Rooney’s best position for England might be as the primary striker, the role he developed into during the 2009-10 campaign for United, but has seldom played since. However, the fine club form of Sturridge means that position is not available, and shoving Sturridge out wide is an unhappy compromise.

Rooney can be fielded wide, but in England’s opening World Cup fixture, he was put on the left and failed to track Italy’s right-back Matteo Darmian, leaving Leighton Baines exposed. Worryingly, Rooney was only playing there to free him from the defensive responsibility of tracking Andrea Pirlo, something he was not capable of during Euro 2012. Not only has Rooney’s creative potential declined, his tactical discipline has vanished too.

Strangely, the Rooney problem will not be critical over the next 18 months – in such a weak qualification group England should defeat minnows with a minimum of fuss, the central midfielders should be able to command matches as a duo, and Rooney can concentrate on goalscoring.

Against stronger opposition, however, England will continue to look fragmented. By Euro 2016, Rooney will probably be England’s all-time record goalscorer, but Hodgson will be faced with the same old dilemma about how to use him.

Pretty much sums up what I feel about him...he's not the #10 to use if we want to play sharp passing football. He remains an efficient striker.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Pretty much sums up what I feel about him...he's not the #10 to use if we want to play sharp passing football. He remains an efficient striker.

What's with this Rooney and #10?

We always play with 2 strikers and Rooney is a Second Striker. The fact that he drop to create does not make him a AM. Be it Fergie's 4-4-2 (Scholes create from the midfield 4) or LvG's 3-4-1-2 (Mata creating from as the 1), he is part of the front 2 and that's where he excels in.

The problem is due to the weakness in the middle, Rooney spends more time creating rather than supporting the striker and this creates a perception that he is playing as #10 which is totally incorrect. This is probably the reason for this reduced effectiveness in goal scoring and not because he 'not a good AM'. Play him as SS with a good midfield and we'll reap benefits!

 

[The Mitcher]

What's with this Rooney and #10?

We always play with 2 strikers and Rooney is a Second Striker. The fact that he drop to create does not make him a AM. Be it Fergie's 4-4-2 (Scholes create from the midfield 4) or LvG's 3-4-1-2 (Mata creating from as the 1), he is part of the front 2 and that's where he excels in.

The problem is due to the weakness in the middle, Rooney spends more time creating rather than supporting the striker and this creates a perception that he is playing as #10 which is totally incorrect. This is probably the reason for this reduced effectiveness in goal scoring and not because he 'not a good AM'. Play him as SS with a good midfield and we'll reap benefits!

This!

 

[markhrad]

He will score goals in the qualifiers for England and the media will announce his return to greatness and leadership. Then when the finals come around he will disappear as per usual. Its amazing how many goals he amasses in the qualifying arounds against lesser opponents but comes the WC and Euros he is crap.
In Brazil England looked pretty good against Italy and Rooney was a non-factor but instead of pushing on with the same formation they changed it up to favour Rooney. Sterling then looked less effective and Rooney scored a goal that was harder to miss than score and everyone said he redeemed himself at international finals.
Good thing LVG is not Hodgson. Captain or not if he keeps up his present form he will become intimately acquainted with our bench.

 

[CrashDavis]

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/sep/05/wayne-rooney-england-captain

Very nicely written piece there.

 

[Lu Tze]

Played well tonight.

 

[charleysurf]

Sorry lads but he's bordering on wank at the minute, watching him perform for England just now and it's fairly cringeworthy,
stuff, his touch has completely deserted him.
R.I.P

what universe is this from?

 

[siw2007]

Thought he was one of the better players tonight. I can think of 3 maybe 4 moments where he cocked it up a little but over all he looked one of the more inventive players and linked play nicely when required.

 

[RayK47]

He was good today.

 

[Mrs Smoker]

Sorry lads but he's bordering on wank at the minute, watching him perform for England just now and it's fairly cringeworthy,
stuff, his touch has completely deserted him.
R.I.P

Apology not accepted.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

what universe is this from?

Thought it was somone posting who'd only watched the first 5 minutes! Never ceases to amaze what a massively distorted opinion bias can cause. Really bizarre.

 

[charleysurf]

Thought it was somone posting who'd only watched the first 5 minutes! Never ceases to amaze what a massively distorted opinion bias can cause. Really bizarre.

feck them. I just hope he continues to get back to his best. We need him, especially if RVP can't get going.

 

[predator]

I don't think he's been bad at all this season so far.

 

[Smores]

Problem is that's his reputation outweighs his ability. You expect him to be the exciting star man for club and country and he just hasn't been that for many years. Not sure that's his fault really, media expectation.

 

[Sam]

Played okay, much better then so far this season.

His touch, however, is appalling.

 

[Rossa]

I don't think he's been bad at all this season so far.

No, he hasn't - he's been appalling! Hopefully he picks himself up and plays well though.

 

[Hed Zitin]

I'd say Welbeck and Saha are the only players he's ever partnered well with on a regular basis. Tonight you could see the difference without Sturridge.

 

[Kag]

Thought he had a good second half and his dribbling in attacking areas was actually quite sharp for a change.

 

[m1y2]

I don't think he's been bad at all this season so far.

hes been one of our worst players, tonight he has been good but its disappointing performance from him in the end because he wasted four chances and didn't score. I think that's how we used to judge Welbeck didn't we?

 

[santeria13]

I don't think he's been bad at all this season so far.

Are you serious? He had a good game today but in his 4 games before that he has been abysmal. This has been the case with Rooney for years now. Too inconsistent to be regarded as world class, even though he is most certainly capable of world class moments.

 

[charleysurf]

hes been one of our worst players, tonight he has been good but its disappointing performance from him in the end because he wasted four chances and didn't score. I think that's how we used to judge Welbeck didn't we?

my but the Rooney haters have some very twisted minds!

 

[Mali_Zeus]

my but the Rooney haters have some very twisted minds!

They say sthing positive but quickly find the negative thing.

 

[ThierryHenry]

Showed tonight that he's suffered from the lack of pace in your team more than anyone. Good performance.

 

[santeria13]

hes been one of our worst players, tonight he has been good but its disappointing performance from him in the end because he wasted four chances and didn't score. I think that's how we used to judge Welbeck didn't we?

Exactly. Welbeck generally always used to perform well but could never really take his chances. Double Standards.

 

[santeria13]

my but the Rooney haters have some very twisted minds!

What's wrong with his point? He put in a generally good performance whilst missing a couple of sitters. That's exactly what we used to complain about with Welbeck, no?

Except with Rooney it's usually the other way round. He generally puts in awful performances whilst taking his chances well.

If he can start doing both, consistently then I don't think anyone would be complaining

 

[m1y2]

Showed tonight that he's suffered from the lack of pace in your team more than anyone. Good performance.

It is always good to know that there are players who suffers from lack of pace in the team and needs players around them(Rooney) and there are players actually with pace, generates spaces for their teammates and help them to look better (Welbeck) yeah and they actually score goals when playing as a striker..

 

[Pogue Mahone]

What's wrong with his point? He put in a generally good performance whilst missing a couple of sitters. That's exactly what we used to complain about with Welbeck, no?

Except with Rooney it's usually the other way round. He generally puts in awful performances whilst taking his chances well.

If he can start doing both, consistently then I don't think anyone would be complaining

What's wrong with his point? He put in a generally good performance whilst missing a couple of sitters. That's exactly what we used to complain about with Welbeck, no?

Except with Rooney it's usually the other way round. He generally puts in awful performances whilst taking his chances well.

If he can start doing both, consistently then I don't think anyone would be complaining

What game were you watching? Sitters?!

 

[charleysurf]

What's wrong with his point? He put in a generally good performance whilst missing a couple of sitters. That's exactly what we used to complain about with Welbeck, no?

Except with Rooney it's usually the other way round. He generally puts in awful performances whilst taking his chances well.

If he can start doing both, consistently then I don't think anyone would be complaining

Eh? He can't have been good and had a disappointing performance. Christ, only people with agendas can get tied up in such knots.