I think he's only playing there as much because our other box to box options are so lightweight, and it's making his role too defensive as well as he's the one being more disciplined positionally than Mata or Herrera.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
- 14
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Red cards
- 1
- Status
Bit of a change from my captain always plays 90 minutes.
Asked about Rooney's selection by MUTV, Van Gaal said: 'It’s dependable on how the balance in the team is. I need balance in the team. I’m looking for the balance.
'I hope to perform better because then the game shall be more attractive. I don’t know if I shall use him always because it’s also dependable of the form of the strikers.
'He’s also a very good striker so I can use him on different positions and I like that because I like multi-functional players. I normally buy more multi-functional players than specialists.'
Van Gaal went on to proclaim his interest in developing the younger generation at Old Trafford.
'I have had the time to know all my players,' he continued. 'That’s another exciting time because that’s why I became a manager.
'I want to work with young people. It keeps you young and you can make a team out of it. Now we are still building up and in the process.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nchester-United-youngsters.html#ixzz3O2HPPGLr
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
Asked about Rooney's selection by MUTV, Van Gaal said: 'It’s dependable on how the balance in the team is. I need balance in the team. I’m looking for the balance.
'I hope to perform better because then the game shall be more attractive. I don’t know if I shall use him always because it’s also dependable of the form of the strikers.
'He’s also a very good striker so I can use him on different positions and I like that because I like multi-functional players. I normally buy more multi-functional players than specialists.'
Van Gaal went on to proclaim his interest in developing the younger generation at Old Trafford.
'I have had the time to know all my players,' he continued. 'That’s another exciting time because that’s why I became a manager.
'I want to work with young people. It keeps you young and you can make a team out of it. Now we are still building up and in the process.'
Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...nchester-United-youngsters.html#ixzz3O2HPPGLr
Follow us: @MailOnline on Twitter | DailyMail on Facebook
The penny might be dropping. Thank feck.
Yep!
Hopefully, when Felliani returns (I never thought I would ever say that!) and obviously Blind, then Rooney will either be the striker, or behind the front 2 again... please!
I wouldn't even be too happy with that. Mata's been our best player in his last two appearances IMO.
Rooney needs to be upfront. Its not other midfielders accommodating for Rooney, its Rooney who is having to accommodate for RvP and Falcao. And neither have been good enough to continue their warrant upfront.
Rooney's best position for me is behind the striker, but I think our current crop of strikers might not be most suitable for him, or at least van Persie isn't. I would like to see him for few games behind Falcao to see if they might compliment eachother (altough, Falcao didn't show much to warrant a place in starting XI for me, but it's not like van Persie is great either).
I think he means "I don't know if I shall use him always - as a midfielder..."
I think he means "I don't know if I shall use him always - as a midfielder..."
Agreed, he seemed pretty categorical at the start that his captain always plays, if there is a change it is more likely to be in where than whether he fits him in.
We have better 9s. If someone in here said Rooney was a better 9 (not 10) than falcao 18 months ago he would have been perma banned
Lets not go into specifics here, you said strikers. We really do not do we? He's currently joint top goal scorer with RVP whilst Falcao has 3 and Wilson has zero. He also has more assists than RVP, so Rooney has been our best so far this season. If he weren't playing in midfield mostly so far, he would probably have had more goals. The fact he has scored as much as RVP playing mostly in a deeper role show's your opinion up to be honest.
Right now... no, we don't have better 9s. If we played Rooney as a 9, he would be better than the current RVP or Falcao or Wilson.
Based on when hes played as a 9 this season that might not actually be true (not saying it isn't)
How I miss the good ol' day when our striker can give consistently good (occasionally brilliant) performance week in week out. Now we have one that started to show that, and he's been dropped to CM for the other two who only there based on reputation alone.
I used to 'despise' Rooney's consistentsy, but these other two are even worse.
I think its harsh to blame rvp and falcao when we just knock the ball around our 5 defenders for 90 minutes. They're on the move all the time but we're not allowed pass it forwards until a team has 11 men behind the ball
Yeah, but the Falcao on display right now isn't exactly the same one from his Atletico days. RVP also isn't what he used to be. So I would say that Rooney probably is our best number 9 at the moment. For me, it's his best position - he was fantastic there in 2009-10.
Based on what though? You are basing it off a season in 09/10? He's been as inconsistent as RVP this season.
Full disclosure: I haven't been able to see all the games this season. How many times has Rooney started up (in the number 9 position)? Genuine question, as I really don't know.
That's not what I'm saying though. Where is the evidence that Rooney would be a superior number 9, other than his stats up there almost 5 years ago. RVP is our most consistent scorer in the past 2 and a half seasons. Fergie obviously didn't see Rooney as an out an out number 9 either considering he barely played him there.
But I sometimes wonder if Rooney's versatility works against him. Once Chicharito, and then RVP came in, perhaps Fergie felt he could get maximum effect from playing Rooney a bit behind, a position he has also excelled in. All I'm saying, is the one time I truly thought Rooney was a top-5 player in the world was when he played that position in the year after Ronaldo left. I've always wanted to see him back there, but like you said, Fergie and LVG seem to think he's best utilized elsewhere.
His versatility certainly does, because when he's playing deeper his inconsistent form hurts the team more than him playing up front away from the heart of our play. I really dislike seeing him deep in midfield because he doesn't offer us enough there. Keeps things too simple and slows our attacks down. I'd much prefer him off a main striker but that probably wont happen anytime soon. He has racked up alright stats this year, but then he's always been like that hasn't he?
As well, even though he's quite inconsistent, the one aspect of his game that is relatively reliable is his finishing. So even on an off-day, I'd back him to bury a half-chance; whereas he can be a liability playing further back when his passing radar and his touch is off.
I agree with this. In fact, if Van Gaal wants to play both RVP and him, I'd rather Rooney be the 9, with RVP dropping deep. Rooney's finishing has been more consistent than Van Persie this season.
Man Utd 0:1 Southampton
His annual inconsistency is back.
4 games of shite since Newcastle. So annoying seeing him stroll around in midfield. He's not very good there!
He was crap but he's not a midfielder and he's been run into the ground over Christmas.
Why on earth wasn't he taken off instead of RVP? Rooney seems to be the only undroppable one no matter how bad he is playing.
Why in the world of feck is he a)playing every game with no rest b)playing as a fecking cm?
Brainless from Van Gaal.
Brainless from Van Gaal.
Been said before but for a supposed top player his bottom level is shocking, I see a a better standard at my 5 a side weekly league, and those players pay a fiver to play every week, they don't receive 300k.
He looked tired. Shouldn't have been with a week off between games.
Needs to step it up again.
Needs to step it up again.
I do not know why Di Maria and Rooney did not just switch positions.
He's been terrible for a while now so today wasn't a surprise. Hollywood passing or not he'll never be a midfielder. Not a good enough one anyway.
Never a midfielder. Play him upfront. Drop RVP if necessary or better yet, ditch the 5 man defence and go with 2 upfront in a 4-4-2.
Should be upfront. We have enough fecking CMs now.
Not a midfielder. The blame goes to Louis for insisting that he plays there. No excuse for shit passing and offering nothing though.
Didn't receive much service up front due to our lump ball tactics.
Didn't receive much service up front due to our lump ball tactics.
Are you like...happy or something?
But hey hey hey, he is our best player, captain elect, someone who can't wrong no matter what he does and has the same goalscoring record as Aguero since the latter joined the PL.
But you're still wrong.
He's had more good games than bad games this season, but was poor today in midfield that performed abysmally.
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