It's a never ending debate but I have always felt he is better up front. He naturally comes deep to link in with the play. By starting him deeper, you get the same thing but just limit his goal threat. He plays pretty much the same way when up front but is in the box more often.
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I am with you. I prefer him up top and then his own work ethic etc means he drops in to get the ball sometimes. As you say, if he is up top he ends up on the box more often. I also wonder if all that energy at #10 gets in other peoples spaces. I can imagine Mata would be able to do well behind Rooney and RvP/Falcao.
He just shouldn't be playing in midfield, ever. He's a top striker.
Playing Rooney in midfield is like having a Barracuta Harrington jacket and using it as a table cloth instead of wearing it out.
When I say deeper, I mean the 10 role.
Fair play, though I was talking about him being played in midfield by Van Gaal - as on Sunday.
Yeh, with our current options, I see no need for him ever to be considered in the centre of midfield.
If we're going to keep Falcao, the best option is still for Rooney to reinvent himself as a goalscoring left-sided attacker. It's worth a shot until January.
---------Falcao/RVP----------
Rooney----------Mata/Januzaj
-----DiMaria-----Herrera---
-------------Blind--------------
with Mata tucking in and Januzaj playing a bit wider depending on matchup and such. Rooney looking to come inside and Di Maria and Shaw overlapping him often enough.
Though I think the diamond is more likely with Fellaini's form, Mata apparently being unable to play wide and Nani out on loan.
---------Falcao/RVP----------
Rooney----------Mata/Januzaj
-----DiMaria-----Herrera---
-------------Blind--------------
with Mata tucking in and Januzaj playing a bit wider depending on matchup and such. Rooney looking to come inside and Di Maria and Shaw overlapping him often enough.
Though I think the diamond is more likely with Fellaini's form, Mata apparently being unable to play wide and Nani out on loan.
feck why can't he play up top and get on the end of crosses like in 2010? Absolute shame. He still has speed and strength. Not at top strikers need silky touches like RVP. Rooney is an amazing header of the ball and his finishing in close is better than RVP if you ask me.
Completely agree. Would love to see this for a few games at some point in the season...
------------------------DDG-----------------------
Rafael--------Jones----------McNair--------Shaw
------------------------Blind-----------------------
-------Carrick------------------------ADM---------
------------------------Herrera--------------------
-------------Rooney-------------Falcao------------
Man Utd 1:0 Crystal Palace
He's not a CM, if we are going to play 4-3-3 we need two proper box to box CM's in there with a DM and Rooney as one of the front 3, his first touch and short passing are not suited to midfield.
Playing him in midfield and shunting Di Maria to the wing is painful.
Drop RvP and play Rooney up front. Everyone can get back to being in their favorite positions. Or play Rooney behind RvP and Falcao. This current formation suits no one!
You as Rooney fan should know that his favourite position is behind the striker.
Did a good job defensively and was alright going forward but was playing far too deep. It's an utter waste of talent.
Yeah, this is Van Gaal's biggest mistake thus far imo, and it must stop.
I'd honestly rather Rooney was sold than played in midfield, and I love Rooney.
He's a fecking striker, and a good one! It's ridiculous.
And it doesn't even mean dropping RvP! Today we could've lined up with this...
-----------------------DDG--------------------
Val---------McNair--------Blind---------Shaw
----------------------Carrick-------------------
------Fellaini----------------------ADM--------
-----------------------Mata---------------------
------------Rooney-----------RvP--------------
Or this...
-----------------------DDG--------------------
Val---------McNair--------Blind---------Shaw
----------------------Carrick-------------------
------Fellaini----------------------ADM--------
-----------------------Rooney---------------------
------------Wilson-------------RvP--------------
I'd honestly rather Rooney was sold than played in midfield, and I love Rooney.
He's a fecking striker, and a good one! It's ridiculous.
And it doesn't even mean dropping RvP! Today we could've lined up with this...
-----------------------DDG--------------------
Val---------McNair--------Blind---------Shaw
----------------------Carrick-------------------
------Fellaini----------------------ADM--------
-----------------------Mata---------------------
------------Rooney-----------RvP--------------
Or this...
-----------------------DDG--------------------
Val---------McNair--------Blind---------Shaw
----------------------Carrick-------------------
------Fellaini----------------------ADM--------
-----------------------Rooney---------------------
------------Wilson-------------RvP--------------
He was good today.
The "play him as a striker" gang is getting boring, he was shit every time he played striker this season and among our best players every single game when played behind the striker or midfield.
The "play him as a striker" gang is getting boring, he was shit every time he played striker this season and among our best players every single game when played behind the striker or midfield.
May be I should be looking into glasses, but I thought he had a bit of a stinker today. He looked a little tired and heavy footed, and he fluffed a couple of good finishing opportunities. Was much better against City last week, for instance.
I don't like him playing as deep as he does now, especially when RvP is doing next to nothing up top. But I think he's at his most influential in a more withdrawn role up top.
He was terrible today. Lost count of the how many times he dropped deep then played it put wide to Valencia. How about turn and play a killer pass or actually beat a man? Had a couple of good chances when Di Maria created space for him and stuck it wide every time. Watching him as a 10 is painful.
Fergie has said that it was difficult for him to adapt to new ways of playing or something to that effect..... he said Rooney tended to go back to what was familiar to him I guess when under pressure. Probably why he resorts to playing it out to the wings even if it's not the right thing to do at certain times.... ah well, it's for LVG & Co to sort out.
He was better than RvP, AdM and AnJaz. In the upper reaches of average, while they were in the middling part of average.
Please don't tell me this is a thing now?
His best moments in the game came from when he drifted out to the left and then cut in.
No, it's not a thing. It's just after i'd written RvP and AdM, I thought it would seem strange writing out Januzaj's full name.
Thank god for that.
In CM again I'm reading. I can understand it to an extent against City but don't understand playing him so deep vs Palace.
Spot on, i feel that we're missing out on a good striker at the moment, i understand the job he does in midfield that mata can't do, but rooney is a striker and i honestly don't believe for one second that he's happy playing that role in midfield.
This. I'd much rather have him return to the left hand role he was forced into when Ronaldo and Tevez were at the helm in 2008. Keep Di Maria central with the roaming role to interchange with Rooney and we'd instantly be better at transitioning from defence to attack via a ball carrier with pace.
Van Gaal has played a 433 for most of his career, and it seems that he's slowly introducing to Utd, which means Rooney has to play in centre midfield, as it seems unlikely Van Gaal will use him as a lone striker or a winger, although I wouldn't mind seeing him as an inverted winger, with Di Maria centre midfield.
I don't think Rooney's the problem, though. Certainly wasn't today anyway. Thought he had a decent game today. Kept it well enough. I just think our front three had no cutting edge when they got the ball in good positions.
Didn't watch the game but so I can't comment.
Rooney isn't a problem but I think this system is good when playing good teams but against weaker teams I think we'd be better playing Mata or Rooney in the no.10 role. Whether it be the diamond of 4231
Bizarrely as he's gotten older he's become incredibly one footed - now he only even seems to 'see' one side of the pitch - to his right. It was amazing watching him receive balls on the left side of midfield, he'd never even look to see what Shaw was up to, his whole body shape and 'picture of the field' are what he can find to his right.
Not a great trait for a player that wants to play in the hole, plus he used to be pretty two-footed. Dunno what the reason is. Too much time training with Giggsy!
Credit where it's due though, he genuinely bailed us out a few times with defensive tracking back.
Not a great trait for a player that wants to play in the hole, plus he used to be pretty two-footed. Dunno what the reason is. Too much time training with Giggsy!
Credit where it's due though, he genuinely bailed us out a few times with defensive tracking back.
I see what you mean, but if Van Gaal wants to play a 433 in the future, then we need to keep playing it, thus allowing the players to get used to the system. For example, Barca always stick to a 433, regardless of who they play. I think if we want to be more of a threat against the 'weaker' teams, then we should be looking to change personnel, rather than the formation, although like I said, we got into good enough areas today but didn't make it count.
Was disappointed that he didn't test the keeper. Sure shooting from outside the area isn't something you should rely on, but top players should test the keeper.
A few occasions where he wanted the pullback when he should've been making a run into the box. I think his goal scoring instinct is slowly disappearing and that needs to be stopped unless they genuinely believe he can play a deeper role and can pick up more tricks of the trade other than THAT pass out to the right.
I just want to see him have that moment where he's carried us forward and dragged us through a game. He's still not had that moment as captain. Again, I don't think its too much to expect from one of the top players in the squad - someone who made his name as a matchwinner.
A few occasions where he wanted the pullback when he should've been making a run into the box. I think his goal scoring instinct is slowly disappearing and that needs to be stopped unless they genuinely believe he can play a deeper role and can pick up more tricks of the trade other than THAT pass out to the right.
I just want to see him have that moment where he's carried us forward and dragged us through a game. He's still not had that moment as captain. Again, I don't think its too much to expect from one of the top players in the squad - someone who made his name as a matchwinner.
Poor performance again. That said, he's never a midfielder and the more I watch him play there, the more I feel he can't be one in the future either
He's not good enough as a #10 or a midfielder.
He's not a #10, never was, never will be. Why LVG insists on playing him in that role is beyond me. Just play him up top as a striker.
Agree with most in here in that he isn't great as a CM.
Interesting that you think he only sees the right side of the field. This picture that @Kostur put up in the Fellaini thread shows he actually played more balls to the left.
Huh, well can't argue with facts, but I really thought he spent most of his time ignoring Shaw when attacking. Guess not!Interesting that you think he only sees the right side of the field. This picture that @Kostur put up in the Fellaini thread shows he actually played more balls to the left.
See, that's the thing I think that a lot of people are guilty of when a certain player or trait of a player annoys them. I'm guessing the Rooney to the right thing annoys you, thus you focus on it, and see it happening more than the other things he does. I would have done likewise with - say Kagawa last year, and the amount of times I felt he turned and played a simple ball rather than trying to open something up.
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