Actually, expected him to play the no.10 role yesterday with Mata out (The role which Mata had been playing). I wonder why he kept playing left midfield, rather than him pushing a little more forward and Herrera a little deeper.
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Actually, expected him to play the no.10 role yesterday with Mata out (The role which Mata had been playing). I wonder why he kept playing left midfield, rather than him pushing a little more forward and Herrera a little deeper.
I wonder if part of the issue is that LvG likes two #8's in his systems and Rooney doesn't want to play as a pure #9 it seems as he likes to be more involved.
And? Last year our captain wasn't arsed to help the team fighting for top 4 when we had the worst season in PL era and just decided that he will leave us on a free transfer. On top of that he told the media he is leaving mid-season and distanced himself from what was happening to us.
To much is spoken about he is captain and should do that and this. The truth is he underestimated our opponent and didn't give all he could in that game but he was not the only one who didn't. He is stil probably our most important player and the one who is leading by example in most games.
You should probably watch other games from yesterday.For example all City players were not arsed until second half.
I guess my vision of seeing him in a counter attacking and interchanging front 3 will never happen.
There was a compilation of his best 100 goals in this thread and the amount of goals he has scored on the counter is amazing. Definitely the best British counter attacker I've seen.
There was a compilation of his best 100 goals in this thread and the amount of goals he has scored on the counter is amazing. Definitely the best British counter attacker I've seen.
I think he's done alright considering he's also played all bar 12 minutes of our last 6 games in just 21 days. 528 minutes.
He's looked much better when his partner performed though. A fatigued Carrick or Fletcher give him a lot of running to do. He's much better when he can time his running better and use his energy efficiently.
He's looked much better when his partner performed though. A fatigued Carrick or Fletcher give him a lot of running to do. He's much better when he can time his running better and use his energy efficiently.
I thought he was not good enough for his last 2/3 games. He was magnificent against Newcastle and great first half against Spurs, but he runs too much in this position and probably played too much recently.
I think that we need him higher on the pitch, and his inter playing with Mata and Herrera is very interesting but we desperatly lack pace with them.
I think that we need him higher on the pitch, and his inter playing with Mata and Herrera is very interesting but we desperatly lack pace with them.
The question is who will be dropped if he moves forward, looks like it would be rather Falcao than RvP. Nevertheless, I'd prefer to see him play as a striker
Completely wasted in midfield. A couple goals / assists don't hide how unsuited he is in the middle of the park. He's a world class striker on his day and that's where he should play.
Surprised he wasnt rested yesterday. Getting a lot of football at the moment, 90 minutes in most games every 3 days will take its toll. Not that its looking that way. But against Southampton we need him to be at it, as they have a really solid midfield.
Hopefully he's not tired. But will need a rest at some point not too far away. But as LVG said in pre-season ''his captain plays 90 minutes''
Hopefully he's not tired. But will need a rest at some point not too far away. But as LVG said in pre-season ''his captain plays 90 minutes''
He played wonderfully just recently in midfield. He can do the job there, hardly completely wasted. Though, I do also believe he's much more useful up front.
Yep, he’s hit and miss in midfield, but that’s to be expected as his best position is up front. If Rooney continues to play in midfield I’ll be concerned that he is only playing there to ensure that he is in the team. LVG needs to start playing players in their best positions, if that means dropping certain players then so be it. He has said many times that the team comes first, it’s about time he showed us that in his team selection.
Team selection and in the transfer windows. When you sign a player with Falcao's profile, the intention is obviously to start him. Thrown in Van Persie and Rooney (who would both be expected to start games) and you're stuck with three strikers competing for two (arguably one) slot. Van Gaal created a rod for his own back the moment he agreed to sign Falcao.
....after spending the summer complaining about a lack of balance in the squad.
The whole thing stinks of a manager who's always worked with a DoF being led by the nose by a new CEO who felt he had a point to prove and got ideas above his station.
Actually his balance complaint was about too many number 10s playing behind the striker, not too many strikers. If you see Rooney as a number 10 then (pre-Falcao) our options at number 9 were RvP & Wilson.
Fairly sure, he complained about having too many strikers and too many #10's in the summer. He played Rooney exclusively as a striker until QPR after which he hasn't played there.
Going into the season with Rooney RVP and Wilson as the strikers wouldn't have been wise. Especially with Wilson being an unproven talent.
EDIT: Hernandez wanted out and he didn't rate Wellbeck as he said. Also Will Keane had his chance in preseason and LVG said he wasn't ready
He may have said something elsewhere, but I definitely remember the four number 10s quote, since we were all trying to figure out who he counted as a number 10.
Yeah it seems that way, it leads to me believe that Falcao was not a van Gaal signing, but a Woodward one.
Yeah I remember that, Rooney, Mata, Herrera and Januzaj I believe was mentioned on here.
Kagawa would also have been included in the "too many number 10s" comment in pre-season.
Still, it's obvious to everyone that Rooney can also play as a 9. It's certainly less of a stretch to adjust to that role than it is to ask him to play in central midfield.
Van Gaal's early season comments about Rooney not having what it takes to play as a striker ring particularly hollow when you consider the performances of RvP, Wilson and Falcao in that role ever since (for different reasons, obviously). As it turns out, Rooney is joint highest scorer despite being mainly played in the deepest role out of all of them. Go figure.
Still, it's obvious to everyone that Rooney can also play as a 9. It's certainly less of a stretch to adjust to that role than it is to ask him to play in central midfield.
Van Gaal's early season comments about Rooney not having what it takes to play as a striker ring particularly hollow when you consider the performances of RvP, Wilson and Falcao in that role ever since (for different reasons, obviously). As it turns out, Rooney is joint highest scorer despite being mainly played in the deepest role out of all of them. Go figure.
Woodward certainly benefited an awful lot more from our summer than the team did. People were calling for his head right up to the final few weeks of the window and then he pulls the galactico-lite signings out of the bag...
why cant we play him upfront 
Rooney did struggle quite a bit in central midfield. It's as if he's at his best playing more of a goalscoring role than a playmaking one. Him dropping deep to receive the ball seems to be more down to him wanting to be involved in play and bringing the ball forward. If he's told to play as a central midfielder, he restricts his movement and positioning quite a bit and rarely drifts around vertically. His vision and technique isn't good enough for him to play as a central midfield playmaker. He's much better suited to playing a more goalscoring role regardless of what position he takes up on a formation on the paper.
His style, attributes, and skill set all indicate that he's best in a goalscoring role with a striker ahead of him. He hasn't consistently played well as a leading striker since the 2009/10 season, and as a leading striker, he struggles when there aren't any other goalscorers around him who can make runs beyond him (see Everton away last season). Even this season, against Swansea at home and Southampton away, he has struggled when playing up front like a leading striker when not given the freedom to drop back, drift around, and get involved. He can't play as a proper #9 like Falcao or van Persie of today, but he can do well as a 9.5 beside a proper #9 or with a goalscorer or two in the team (Herrera, di Maria, and/or Mata).
His style, attributes, and skill set all indicate that he's best in a goalscoring role with a striker ahead of him. He hasn't consistently played well as a leading striker since the 2009/10 season, and as a leading striker, he struggles when there aren't any other goalscorers around him who can make runs beyond him (see Everton away last season). Even this season, against Swansea at home and Southampton away, he has struggled when playing up front like a leading striker when not given the freedom to drop back, drift around, and get involved. He can't play as a proper #9 like Falcao or van Persie of today, but he can do well as a 9.5 beside a proper #9 or with a goalscorer or two in the team (Herrera, di Maria, and/or Mata).
Rooney is clearly not a midfielder, although the man deserves praise for filling in nobly.
The problem is "three striker/two slots". Now that Mata and Herrera are both fit, and Carrick and Di Maria are in good form, Louis needs to decide between RvP or Falcao for any particular match.
If he perseveres with a back 3, this:
De Gea
Back 3 plus whoever is fit for wingback duty
Carrick
Herrera (or Mata) Di Maria
Rooney RvP (or Falcao)
I'm not a big fan of the 352 for all the reasons others have discussed. So if we go back four then this:
De Gea
Back four (problem at RB with Rafael out again)
Herrera Carrick Di Maria
Rooney Mata
RvP (or Falcao)
Rooney and Di Maria will roam wherever they wish to roam. With their experience and guile I would trust them to get it right and not abandon their defensive duties.
We don't need to win every single game. We're out of the hunt for the prem trophy but third place is definitely within reach and it would almost take an epic collapse to drop down to fifth place by season's end. So now would be a perfect time -- before we meet Chelsea and City again in April -- to experiment with different formations to see if we can improve on our dire form in the 352 formation.
The problem is "three striker/two slots". Now that Mata and Herrera are both fit, and Carrick and Di Maria are in good form, Louis needs to decide between RvP or Falcao for any particular match.
If he perseveres with a back 3, this:
De Gea
Back 3 plus whoever is fit for wingback duty
Carrick
Herrera (or Mata) Di Maria
Rooney RvP (or Falcao)
I'm not a big fan of the 352 for all the reasons others have discussed. So if we go back four then this:
De Gea
Back four (problem at RB with Rafael out again)
Herrera Carrick Di Maria
Rooney Mata
RvP (or Falcao)
Rooney and Di Maria will roam wherever they wish to roam. With their experience and guile I would trust them to get it right and not abandon their defensive duties.
We don't need to win every single game. We're out of the hunt for the prem trophy but third place is definitely within reach and it would almost take an epic collapse to drop down to fifth place by season's end. So now would be a perfect time -- before we meet Chelsea and City again in April -- to experiment with different formations to see if we can improve on our dire form in the 352 formation.
And you honestly think I hold the merceneries at City as benchmark for how players should behave?
Especially given his reluctance to bench RVP. I don't have a huge problem with signing Falcao (although it does smack of Woodwardian dick-swinging,) but playing Wayne Rooney, one of the best strikers in the world, out of position is just mind-boggling.
Hes not the first manager to play him in midfield though tbh, there must be something in it.
Also LVG mentioned he couldn't bench RVP earlier in the season because Falcao wasn't fit enough.
I really want to see that. Send Falcao back( I don't think we need another poacher style striker), and RVP can be rested for some games. Play it against a minnow team and completely batter them
I have no doubt Wayne Rooney can be an effective midfielder (or even a decent winger, as he was towards the end of Ronaldo's time,) but he's a top 5 striker (in my opinion,) so why in the hell wouldn't you play him there? As for the second point, then why not play Rooney up front on his own, ala 2009-10? Perhaps with Mata playing just behind him?
I think Rooney played up top in a few games and the gaffer wasn't impressed, he said as much. I would prefer him up top too tbh.
Yeah I guess we'll just have to trust LVG's judgement on this one.
This
I think he's been brilliant. Gets box to box. Defending incredibly well. Still manages to break. He's never going to be a brilliant playmaker but I honestly think we're getting the best out of him, given that we have better strikers
Well said.
Who are these better strikers? I haven't seen much coming from RvP or Falcao in the past 5 months that makes me think they are better options up top than Rooney. He has done pretty well in midfield for sure, but I also really liked his last games for England where he played in a very fluid front 3 with Welbeck and Sterling, that is what we should be building towards IMO, Rooney in a front 3 not as a CM or a loan #9.
He's either got a long term future in CM, or he's completely wasted. Make your bloody minds up lads.
Do we have better strikers? RVP - although he has improved, has been inconsistent, Falcao has yet to really get into the groove, and Wilson is a kid developing. So, no we do not really have better strikers.
Whether or not we rate him there I think we're likely to see him in midfield for the remainder of the season, the squad is still unbalanced and will take another couple of windows to rectify. I still want us to go 4-3-3 with Rooney as the striker, using van Persie a little more sparingly.
saying this again. he can play in midfield for the home games.. liverpool and newcastle were 2 examples how he did well there, making those late runs into the box as we are expected to dominate more at OT.
however, recent away matches at villa, spurs, stoke and even yeovil, we are not dominating much thus rooney will spend most of the time in his own half and which obviously did not suit his game at all.
however, recent away matches at villa, spurs, stoke and even yeovil, we are not dominating much thus rooney will spend most of the time in his own half and which obviously did not suit his game at all.
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