Put Rooney and Falcao up front. Let Mata play his #10 position and see how that goes...
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
- 14
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Red cards
- 1
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That's fair enough but it was still an odd time for him to react like that, preferably he'd give the bollocking before a goal happened and especially one that he played a big part in it happening.
One interesting thing I picked up was in the LVG interview, LVG said Rooney told him that his best position is the #10. Make what you want of that but what I make from it is Rooney is being clever, by saying that it's either him or Mata and he knew Mata won't track back like he does, if he said striker is his best position which it is then he would be fighting for his place with RVP and Falcao who are miles better then him as a striker.
I'd like to see Rooney dropped just to see how it goes but his defensive duties are keeping him in the team more then anything else (apart from the 2nd goal today which he was part at fault)
I'd like to see Rooney dropped just to see how it goes but his defensive duties are keeping him in the team more then anything else (apart from the 2nd goal today which he was part at fault)
But It's not like LVG cannot assess things himself.
Exactly. I'd be surprised if LVG pursues Rooney playing behind the strikers for too long.
This needs to be done.
Was a poorly weighted pass ADM had to improvise on greatly to score. Also directly at fault for their equaliser with a blind Clearance. Otherwise decent but not close to our best player today.
As a captain - very poor.Should have rallied the troops at 3-1 but instead lost the plot and caused 3-3.
I'll never understand how Rooney can make the long passes with such precision but fail miserably at the short to intermediate ones.
U actually thought this was one of rooney's best no. 10 performances in a while! We looked dangerous with him dropping unto space.
As for the clearance I don't think he could have done much better but I should look again. Seemed like the ball came at him quick on a weird angle.
As for the screaming- if he did nothing people would have complained too. I saw nothing g wrong with it. A kick up the ads was needed.
Another assist. Ridiculously productive player. Will start next week up top with Falcao. RVP to be a sub and deservedly so.
As for the clearance I don't think he could have done much better but I should look again. Seemed like the ball came at him quick on a weird angle.
As for the screaming- if he did nothing people would have complained too. I saw nothing g wrong with it. A kick up the ads was needed.
Another assist. Ridiculously productive player. Will start next week up top with Falcao. RVP to be a sub and deservedly so.
Rooney looks incredibly cumbersome and slow mentally and physically in the #10 role when compared to Mata. I just hope that van Gaal drops one of Rooney/RVP/Falcao for Mata before we drop too many points.
It was pretty funny when he lost his head. Very Arsenal's Gallas.He's taking this captaincy thing seriously, isn't he?
That's how I felt after the goal so was happy to see it.
Rooney had a good game so really don't buy into the "he was average today". He's not really a favorite on the caf. If someone like Kagawa or Rafeal had a similar game we'd be happy.
I just always feel like you guys use a different scale for Rooney's performances based on his salary.
This is just sad and completely desperate.
He was good in the first half but his 2nd half was shocking. There was a time he just passed to the corner flag, it was such an bizarrely awful pass. He's miss hit clearance led to the 3rd goal, you'd expect some composure and leadership from him but he was just constantly giving the ball away.
Not really that uncommon in English football. Michael Dawson, Gerrard, Huddlestone, Matt Taylor... lots of players who are excellent long passers but lack the consistency/focus/skill to hit short passes like Scholes, David Silva or even someone who never really tried much but always completed his short passes (Makelele) come to mind.
He was average in the second half... maybe less than average but not "shocking".
I was laughing at that. Not that they didn't deserve it, defending the way they did, but his team mates could have just piped up and muttered "you could have cleared the ball better, Wayne."The thread comparing today's Rooney to a 17-year old Rooney had CAF members gushing about the young Rooney who had that temper in him. Well, now, as you've pointed out it just makes him look worse. Especially when you are the captain.
What's admirable about Rooney is that he kept tracking back, getting into Rojo and Blind's positions when they ventured forward. However, the 3rd goal showed us the ridiculous side of his game and he went bonkers after that. Bit of a hit and miss in the game.
I hope he gets it from LVG for his captaincy and the way he lost it.
People have pre-conceived notions that they just don't want to change. Until the 3rd goal he was our best player and played very well as a number 10. He was playing the kind of passes Mata is supposed to be able to play but has never done for us.
Jeez, it was a poor clearance, that could happen to anyone at any time. Not something that's part of his game, which tracking back is.
His poor side = that clearance + importantly, his reaction after that. Not sure he should have done that, especially when he was responsible for the goal too.
Him still being at the club shows how soft Fergie had become. Should have been sold a couple of seasons ago. Instead we gave him a contract so good we basically can't sell and have to play, and currently there are players better than him in both of his positions.
But since we can't get rid he should be used as an attacker solely. He can still knock em in with confidence and efficiency, I'll give him that. Let's put that to good use while we can. Someone like Mata should not be benched just so Rooney can show it's possible to earn a Lamborghini every week by being outpaced like a truck driver.
But since we can't get rid he should be used as an attacker solely. He can still knock em in with confidence and efficiency, I'll give him that. Let's put that to good use while we can. Someone like Mata should not be benched just so Rooney can show it's possible to earn a Lamborghini every week by being outpaced like a truck driver.
ffsThey are strangers. They've never played together. They've scarcely even trained together. That long overdue bollocking might have made Rooney and some of the fans feel better, I doubt it did anything useful for our defenders. What followed suggested it didn't help. As for Rooney himself, after the penalty he went to pieces like the rest of the team.
Wasn't that the upside of this season out of Europe? All day, every day drilling together in specific combinations for the game at the weekend? That's a very weak excuse for their chaotic and ill-disciplined performance. Not to mention the number of physical battles they were losing. The sort of thing that would have had Schmeicel or Keane bursting a blood vessel if it happened when they were on the pitch. They richly deserved that bollocking, whether it made much of a difference or not. If nothing else, it might make them pay a bit more attention in training this week.
To play in midfield permanently now?
http://www.theguardian.com/football...ter-united-midfield-louis-van-gaal?CMP=twt_gu
Note: It's from Jamie Jackson so the text around the quotes could be as factual as a flying pig but interesting references from Louis all the same.
http://www.theguardian.com/football...ter-united-midfield-louis-van-gaal?CMP=twt_gu
Note: It's from Jamie Jackson so the text around the quotes could be as factual as a flying pig but interesting references from Louis all the same.
Smalling's only just back in training. I've no idea how much time he and Blind have spent working together. I'd have thought the priority was for Evans/Blackett/Blind work, but obviously I don't know.
If Schmeichel or Keane had been on the pitch Rooney would have been getting the bollocking along with them.
His club captain and his one of the highest earners worldwide so why shouldn't he be judged on the same level as Messi and Ronnie when his getting paid around there level?
FFS Pogue, the issue isn't giving out bollockings - it's the fact that he was one of the key components that completely fell apart and lost his shit as soon as 2-3 went in.
If he had taken responsibility as a captain we might have prevented the meltdown. Instead he lost his shit, fluffed a clearance that lead to 3-3, yelled at everyone like an angry kid and spent the rest of the game trying to get sent off instead of reestablishing control, retain possession and try to win us the game.
If he had taken responsibility as a captain we might have prevented the meltdown. Instead he lost his shit, fluffed a clearance that lead to 3-3, yelled at everyone like an angry kid and spent the rest of the game trying to get sent off instead of reestablishing control, retain possession and try to win us the game.
Key components? Responsibility as a captain?
Sorry but what should Rooney have been doing differently to stop us conceding stupid goals? His role on the pitch had zero defensive responsibilities (even though he was the only United player to get anywhere near Varney's run for their fourth)
That fluffed clearance is being massively exagerrated too. He was facing goal, 5 yards away from Smalling when the centre half went up to head a dropping ball, with no Leicester player anywhere near him. He'll have been expecting to watch the ball sail over his head, far away from the box. You can bet Rooney was as surprised as the rest of us when Blind challenged his own fecking man for the ball and Smalling could only manage a downwards header which reached Rooney about waist high. That's why he scuffed the clearance and that's why he was so annoyed. Justifiably so. It was one little incident which typified the complete lack of communication and concentration at the back.
Zero defensive responsibilities? That's not true. As LVG said he played him as a midfielder, not an attacker. Midfielders are supposed to defend. What made our game vs QPR impressive was the way our diamond worked together both attacking and defending (high up the pitch).
But okay, fair enough, what about retaining possession, calming the tempo of the game down instead of melting down like a spoilt child and starting to kick everyone around him for the last 10 minutes?
The reason we conceeded stupid goals is we lacked any semblance of control in the midfield areas, since all our players were concerned with running forward and none bothered to hold and control at all. Shouldn't our captain, playing in midfield, at some point, I don't know, do anything about that?
And he panicked as much as everyone as soon as 2-3 went in. At a time when we needed a calm head, a leader, he once again exposed himself as somewhat immature. It's not that anyone else did anything to prevent it, it's that Rooney's expected to. He's the captain. It's not really difficult to comprehend is it?
For what it's worth: Yes, Smalling again showed he's no leader. Not that we didn't know that.
Most of them are strangers.
Maybe he could have started with calming players on the pitch after the second / third goals?
Granted that he went after the referee after the second goal and after Blind/Smalling after the third. However, he should have know then that it's the most important time to stay cool and keep possession. As a captain he had to do that. If panic set in after the goals, he was the one who should really have had a word with people. Doesn't really help if you are irate as a leader in such situations, only helps winding everybody up.
I really don't think Rooney is capable of that. He's a hot head who does not lead by example. Whilst Keane was also the former, he could do the latter.
Rooney was playing as a our most attacking midfielder. If you're trying to have a whine about his lack of defensive effort you're coming across as more than a little clueless tbh. Not to mention that, as I have already pointed out, he seemed to be more involved in defending than any other attacking player.
And yes it's easy to comprehend what a captain's responsibility is, thanks. This includes reminding players of their responsibilities and standards expected of them. I don't know if you've ever played football (I suspect not) but that will often take the form of shouting at the, rather than some sort of gentle word in the ear. Exactly what we regularly saw from players like Keane and Schmeicel and exactly what has been conspicuously lacking from United in recent years.
Thought he was mediocre. A mixture of a few great passes, a few horrendous first touches that caused the opposition to re-group, a few good defensive contributions and a few stupid mistakes (such as for their 3rd).
Bollocking the defense is absolutely fine, but I'd like to see him leading by example. A quality captain for instance goes up to Herrera and tells him to calm down after his first hoof upfield post meltdown, rather than losing their head and starting to run around like a headless chicken. I'd like to see him apply a bit of intelligence and composure (in the form of a bollocking if needed), rather than just ranting, raving and losing his own head.
Bollocking the defense is absolutely fine, but I'd like to see him leading by example. A quality captain for instance goes up to Herrera and tells him to calm down after his first hoof upfield post meltdown, rather than losing their head and starting to run around like a headless chicken. I'd like to see him apply a bit of intelligence and composure (in the form of a bollocking if needed), rather than just ranting, raving and losing his own head.
I do play football at a higher level than you'll ever play, thank you. I also happen to have been captain of my team on numerous occasions.
And I'm all for giving away bollockings - but only after you yourself have done your job at a good level, taken care of your responsibilitites - running around shouting at everyone and losing your head isn't leadership, it's immaturity.
I'm not whining about his lack of defensive effort. I'm whining about his lack of leadership and ability to calm things down when shit started to hit the fan. Five minutes of calm, composed play with the added threat of hitting Leicester on the counter would've killed that game off even after the 2-3 goal.
I know you've got this urge to be contrary to most other opinions, but I'm completely agreeing with finneh's post here. He should've had a word with the players as soon as we went 2-3 up not turning into Shrek and shouting at everyone. You surely can't believe he kept calm and did his job after 2-3 went in? He completely lost it and his game went to shit. He was a contributing factor to the meltdown, not hindering it.
Captain, no-Captain, screaming, shouting, whatever... Frankly, all I'm arsed about is that, as a footballer, Rooney - like everyone else, totally lost it after they got that penalty. There was no calmness to his play, and he was seemingly charging around like a bit of a loon... it wasn't helpful to the situation we were in, but he wasn't the only one.
Then you bring in the Captain thing and you think, yeah, maybe he should have been the guy to calm everyone down a bit - bring order... and he should be, but really, LVG is the man who should have done something - especially when it got to 3-3. We should have been keeping it calm for 10/15 then pushing for a late winner.
Then you bring in the Captain thing and you think, yeah, maybe he should have been the guy to calm everyone down a bit - bring order... and he should be, but really, LVG is the man who should have done something - especially when it got to 3-3. We should have been keeping it calm for 10/15 then pushing for a late winner.
Never a surprise to see Pogue defending anything Rooney does and any of his performances are immune to criticism. It was a shit clearance. Absolute shit. If any defender done it then you would be pretty annoyed at them. Just clear it out of play, anywhere but right back into the danger zone. All he did afterwards was lose his head.
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