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2014-15 Performances

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5.9 Season Average Rating
Appearances
37
Goals
14
Assists
6
Yellow cards
4
Red cards
1
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He's not a midfielder. Its just a complete and utter waste.
 
He has gotten deeper and deeper as the season has gone on. At this point with Di Maria in the free role and RvP/Falcao/Wilson all getting the strikers spots between them, he is basically playing as an orthodox CM, something he hasn't got the patient passing or variety to do effectively, at the very most playing as an AM like De Bruyne for Wolfsburg is the most he should be asked to do. I guess right now LvG just trusts him over Herrera and Fellaini to help Blind.
 
Sammyjunn said:
We have to play him as a striker, and not a striker who has to come and get the ball, just as a pure striker. He adds close to nothing in midfield.
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I'm all for playing Rooney as a striker, but I wouldn't say he adds nothing to midfield. In, my opinion, he made us a lot more solid, with his great work rate and willingness to get back - something we didn't have when we played Leicester away. He also demands the ball off others, keeps the ball ticking and has a great passing range.

Today Rooney made 107 passes, with a passing accuracy of 86%. People sometimes get annoyed with his constant long balls out wide, but in such a narrow formation, against teams that defend compact, they can prove to be very effective, as it often create's one vs one situations. Today Rooney completed 13 of his 19 long balls.

I wouldn't even mind Rooney playing in centre midfield, just as long as he's the more advanced one - similar to how Lampard was played for Chelsea.

Next season, if we can see a three of say Blind, an all round box to box player and Rooney, where he can venture forward, knowing he's got enough protection behind him, then I think he'll shine. At the moment, he's playing too deep.
 
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Walters_19_MuFc said:
I'm all for playing Rooney as a striker, but I wouldn't say he adds nothing to midfield. In, my opinion, he made us a lot more solid, with his great work rate and willingness to get back - something we didn't have when we played Leicester away. He also demands the ball off others, keeps the ball ticking and has a great passing range.

Today Rooney made 107 passes, with a passing accuracy of 86%. People sometimes get annoyed with his constant long balls out wide, but in such a narrow formation, against teams that defend compact, they can prove to be very effective, as it often create's one vs one situations. Today Rooney completed 13 of his 19 long balls.

I wouldn't even mind Rooney playing in centre midfield, just as long as he's the more advanced one - similar to how Lampard was played for Chelsea.

Next season, if we can see a three of say Blind, an all round box to box player and Rooney, where he can venture forward, knowing he's got enough protection behind him, then I think he'll shine. At the moment, he's playing too deep.
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Fair enough, but he loses the ball too often, his touch isnt good enough in those tight spaces and his positional awareness just isnt that good, other than that, we're wasting his qualities by it, based on his last 7 performances, I wouldnt even think he's a world class player. He isnt very creative for a midfielder and he doesnt rase the tempo. Herrera is a far better option for midfield imo.
 
He'd give us some of what we lack as a striker and allow us to play an actual midfielder in midfield.

Makes too much sense to do it I guess.
 
It's a shame seeing him in midfield. 1, because Herrara does his job 5 times better and 2, he's much better up front alongside RVP.
 
I wasn't impressed. I'm still of the opinion that giving him that huge deal was one of the biggest errors of recent years (though not quite a Moyes level blunder).

Rooney is a good player, no better, no worse than that. He certainly shouldn't be in the team regardless of form. In midfield he seems to have some games in which his late runs into the box are more than the opposition can cope with, while other times I wonder how he got selected.
 
People keep saying about him scoring goals from midfield, he has scored 8, the last two against Newcastle on Boxing Day, 5 from a midfield position. 8 goals from a Wayne Rooney in any position isn't great. When the forwards aren't scoring then he should be picking up the slack. This could end up his worse goal scoring season ever, can't see him being happy about that.
 
That diagonal ball to Valencia/van Gaal was something else, I thought even him isn't capable of something that stupid.
 
He is no midfielder.

It is funny that many are so critical of him in this role though as it is often used to help him win many a comparison debate. 'RVP is the better striker but Rooney is a better player. I'm sure Persie couldn't play midfield'. I think it is becoming clear that neither can Rooney at the top level.
 
Either play him as a forward, #10 or don't play him at all. Its not his fault really but it's so obvious he's not a Midfielder
 
It's absurd isn't it? I mean I sort of get that Van Gaal wants Falcao/RvP (although he should see by now it's not working very well), but why not Rooney as the AM and Herrera in the team deeper down? Why Rooney in CM? It baffles me.
 
Garethw said:
A 25-30 goal a season striker being played in midfield is fecking madness.
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Add the fact that there was over £90 million worth of midfielders sat on the bench today, and it makes you want to cry.

I don't have a problem with Rooney being played in midfield in times of need (suspensions or injuries) or when he gets older, but right now he should be in his prime, up top, doing what he does best. Playing him in midfield just smacks of trying to find a way to fit in all the 'superstars'.
 
kundalini said:
I wasn't impressed. I'm still of the opinion that giving him that huge deal was one of the biggest errors of recent years (though not quite a Moyes level blunder).

Rooney is a good player, no better, no worse than that. He certainly shouldn't be in the team regardless of form. In midfield he seems to have some games in which his late runs into the box are more than the opposition can cope with, while other times I wonder how he got selected.
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Look at the position he was asked to play today mate. At times he was closer to the CB's than Blind! LVG's tactics and team selections right now are questionable to say the least.
Sam said:
Add the fact that there was over £90 million worth of midfielders sat on the bench today, and it makes you want to cry.

I don't have a problem with Rooney being played in midfield in times of need (suspensions or injuries) or when he gets older, but right now he should be in his prime, up top, doing what he does best. Playing him in midfield just smacks of trying to find a way to fit in all the 'superstars'.
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Spot on!
 
When he plays in midfield there's too many occasions when he receives the ball facing the defence and plays the ball first time either sideways or backwards, often straight back to the player who passed him the ball, which slows our build-up play. On many of these occasions he is actually under little or no pressure and has space to turn with the ball and then start an attack. As a striker he is probably used to having no time on the ball and so it is instinctive for him to make that choice. It's things like that which need to be coached out of him if he is to adapt to that role and it's just one example of how changing his position so often may hinder his instincts.

Scholes, for example, would always receive the ball on the spin ready to play a penetrating pass and would only play sideways or backwards once he had decided the forward pass wasn't on.
 
marjen said:
He absolutely is. Best finisher at the club. The last time he played as an out and out striker he scored 27 league goals in 34 matches. Just saying.
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That was four seasons ago and he's regressed physically since then. Plus successive managers haven't thought him good enough up front any longer.

Granted some of it is the lack of bodies in midfield so he's not had a hugely consistent run but I don't think he's got it in him to lead the line and be amongst the leagues top scorers anymore.
 
matherto said:
That was four seasons ago and he's regressed physically since then. Plus successive managers haven't thought him good enough up front any longer.

Granted some of it is the lack of bodies in midfield so he's not had a hugely consistent run but I don't think he's got it in him to lead the line and be amongst the leagues top scorers anymore.
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Whether right or wrong I actually think they feel he's too good to be wasted playing on the shoulder of the last defender.
 
marjen said:
It's absurd isn't it? I mean I sort of get that Van Gaal wants Falcao/RvP (although he should see by now it's not working very well), but why not Rooney as the AM and Herrera in the team deeper down? Why Rooney in CM? It baffles me.
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LvG can't play him as an AM now as he's decided to use Di Maria there as his passing is way too erratic to actually play in the midfield.
 
Thought he was our worst player although did improve slightly. He just isn't a CM. Like has been said it is a complete waste to play him there. It helps no one either. The team would be a lot better with Herrera or Fellaini in that role. Rooney should be competing with Falcao/RvP for a spot. But LvG doesn't seem to have the guts to drop one of them (at least not for a sustained period).
 
Said it before and I'll say it again.

We have better midfielders, better #10s and IMO better #9s.

Rooney being made captain and thus starting every game was a mistake, and a major elephant in the room.

Perhaps not as big an issue at the moment as it will be the next few seasons.

Ferguson wanted rid, and to be honest, if he had managed to get rid and bought wisely we'd of been better off for it.
 
I thought after the Newcastle match that LVG may have been on to something giving him a box to box role. I was wrong, he looks like a poor man's Gerrard out there.

If he isn't good enough to play as a striker he needs to sit on the bench more often, because we would be better off playing actual midfielders in their proper position.
 
shamans said:
Play him up top and he will be.
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What proof do you have of that?

I'm basing my hunch on the fact he's slower, less agile and generally less mobile than he was before. That's due to age, that's the same reason why RVP and Falcao (well, plus the injury) aren't what they were. You can't fight it and I think Rooney will be more susceptible to age deteriorating his physical traits than most others.

I don't have proof either but at least it's solid reasoning. He's not what he once was and LVG knows that, hence he plays in midfield.
 
Bwuk said:
Said it before and I'll say it again.
We have better midfielders, better #10s and IMO better #9s.
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I don't think RVP or Falcao are better than him right now. RVP has lost a step and Falcao is in some sort of Torres-ian existential post-injury physical and mental funk. I think Rooney is the best 9 we have these days.
 
matherto said:
What proof do you have of that?

I'm basing my hunch on the fact he's slower, less agile and generally less mobile than he was before. That's due to age, that's the same reason why RVP and Falcao (well, plus the injury) aren't what they were. You can't fight it and I think Rooney will be more susceptible to age deteriorating his physical traits than most others.

I don't have proof either but at least it's solid reasoning. He's not what he once was and LVG knows that, hence he plays in midfield.
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If he is declining physically like you suggest then wouldn't that make playing him in midfield even more silly? He needs mobility and agility to cover the pitch in that box-to-box kind of role.
 
Anyone think LVG might offload him in the summer?

Just a thought....It's not like with Fergie where we were used to things and saw it coming. We don't know with LVG

Obviously it's just me speculating....Anyone think the same?
 
ZDwyr said:
I doubt he'd offload the captain.
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Dunno now....Many of us thought Fergie would never offload Becks....Not to mention Keane, who we all thought was close to Fergie.

As I said it's just me speculating. The fact we're trying to shoehorn him into midfield and it's not working kinda made me think this.
 
ZDwyr said:
If he is declining physically like you suggest then wouldn't that make playing him in midfield even more silly? He needs mobility and agility to cover the pitch in that box-to-box kind of role.
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It would indeed. But there he is, looking like a fish out of water in midfield so obviously this doesn't matter.
 
.Rossi said:
Anyone think LVG might offload him in the summer?

Just a thought....It's not like with Fergie where we were used to things and saw it coming. We don't know with LVG

Obviously it's just me speculating....Anyone think the same?
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I'm one of those who thought Rooney would fall out with van Gaal when LVG wouldn't play him as a striker, so my judgment is a bit biased against our captain. Offloading Rooney would solve a lot of problems for van Gaal. We have too many under performing big names that can't be fit into a "balanced" 11 and he doesn't seem to rate Rooney as a striker. I think Fergie saw him becoming a long-term problem due to physical decline and Moyes didn't take the opportunity that Fergie set up for him to get rid of Rooney without being blamed for his exit.
 
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