But how can they, he signed a long term contract! Face it, Rooney is undroppable captain for years.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
Hypothetically speaking, of course.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 41
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
And it's bizarre how easy you can hypothesize that someone like van Gaal would've agreed to something like that. And basically tell a lie for more than a year now. Though, maybe we'll hear interesting stuff from him once he retires, just like Fergie told all those stories about Glazers.
Facts are that four players that have often wear an armband left in the same year. That Rooney is easily the longest serving player of the club today, noone else comes close. And he become a captain after an excellent season under Moyes. Well, that one might be more of a facht.
Facts are that four players that have often wear an armband left in the same year. That Rooney is easily the longest serving player of the club today, noone else comes close. And he become a captain after an excellent season under Moyes. Well, that one might be more of a facht.
I do think Rooney takes a little while to get into his stride. The pre-season, regardless of his performances overall, will be really good for him, plus he has to get used to new players. He should be given the chance to be continuously playing in his preferred position, especially since he seems to have been taking one of for the team for a long time in terms of playing in other positions. LVG isn't daft, if he isn't delivering things have to be done. Remember, LVG and RVP had a love in, but that didn't stop the demise of the relationship when the later was ambling along not delivering.
It's ridiculous because your initial presumption is wrong and that colours your judgment. You think he has been poor and should be dropped. He wasn't. So rather than rethinking your thought process you come up with farfetched conspiracy theories and a whole load of nonsense besides to explain something that needs no explaining.
As to why Rooney wasn't dropped, his worst run of form last season coincided at points where the whole team was shite (The start and end of the season). He was quite good for large part of the season although its now fashionable to presume that every single game he played in midfield he was shite in. He was (again) our most productive player despite playing all over the place. Second, Di Maria was only dropped after he got suspended and LVG magically hit upon a something that worked. Same with RVP except he got injured. Had that not happened neither would have probably have been dropped. In fact RVP walked straight back in as I recall in the WBA game.
People are doing a complete 360 on Van Gaal. When he came in he was supposed to be this control freak who didn't give a shit for reputation and his record backed that up. Not less than a year ago people were lapping up shit from the Daily Mail that Rooney didn't want Van Gaal as manager because he would be dropped for Christs sake. Now, people would have you believe that someone as outspoken and volatile as Van Gaal would say nothing about his hands being tied on team selections. Sorry, but that's complete bullshit. But whatever paints Rooney in the worse possible light I guess....If Van Gaal wants to drop Rooney then he'll drop Rooney. Being captain didn't stop Van Bommel from being dumped did it?
If that is your story then by all means, stick to it. I didn't say 7.2 was a great score, I said 7.2 was +0.6 above the average for that game, put into perspective when David De Gea is the highest rated player for the season with 6.7 then it has to mean at least something. Colm was full of praise, not much more was said about his all-round game other than he had very few touches and was not that great. Don't think anyone on the pod was saying he was poor at all.
We would've had Van Persie. With Welbeck and Hernandez as backups or wide forward, in Welbeck's case. And Kagawa in the hole, with possibly Herrera coming in.
There's no bigger what ifs for me than a what if of Fergie just staying on for a year.
Rooney was not good last season. Again, he was not as bad as Balotelli, if this is basically what you are trying to say. However, he was far, far away from the Premier League football players that came out of the season considered 'good'. I don't even think there is a need to name those players, I think we all know them. Perhaps you have mitigating circumstances for Rooney not being as good as them, after all, there always is. There is a section of posters who seem to imply that Rooney is in fact, Aguero, but stupid managers have not realised they have that level of player on their hands and misuse him. Can Aguero play centre-mid? Can Suarez? My guess is we will never know, because they are actually too good in their preferred roles to be moved.
I can almost guarantee you that if Rooney was a consistent 30-goal a season striker, he wouldn't play a single game in midfield, we'd start Ben Pearson there before we played him there.
Not Rooneys biggest fan recently but I thought against PSG he looked better. He made a few nice runs forward and his touch was pretty good for once, didn't lose possession much that I can remember. Needs to build on that performance though.
If I didn't say it I should have! Not poor, decent, just not great.
If Wayne Rooney being top scorer for United scoring 14 goals is considered not good then him having a great season is going absolutely blow every fans cock off. Somewhere in the middle of that likes the truth, probably a little closer to you know what, to score 14 goals in that kind of season probably deserves a bit of praise.. but not to much!
I can absolutely guarantee you that Wayne Rooney won't score an absolute swag full of goals this season. Not because he is in decline, not because he's turned into a rubbish footballer (which will definitely be the running theme this season no doubt). It is simply because in this system of possession and methodical buildup, unless the numer 9 is an absolute powerhouse striker like Mario Gomez then he's not going to score a tonne of goals. Rooney however, at this great club of ours is probably the most adaptable player in the squad, the least likely to fuss, the captain and the talisman player. He's been the one to kick up the least of a fuss when asked to perform a job for the team, he'll play anywhere, he'll do anything. He is basically one of the best at following orders. So he's played wherever Van Gaal wants him to play and he won't be dropped because of it, no matter how bad we think he is. He's the perfect Van Gaal system player.
I can also guarantee you that no matter how bad we think he's playing, if he's still in the team come Christmas and still up front, it won't change and he's doing exactly what Van Gaal wants and the fault lies with Van Gaal.
I think there is a big gap between Poor and Decent when it comes to Rooney. Something like 0 and 7.. with Fine and fantastic being in triple figures. Haha.
20%
20%
14%
28%
14%
28%
17%
16%
19%
18%
17%
Percentage of Rooney's goals of all United's goals of that season.
20%
14%
28%
14%
28%
17%
16%
19%
18%
17%
Percentage of Rooney's goals of all United's goals of that season.
You are changing the goalposts now and resorting to strawman arguments. No one has claimed Rooney is better than Aguero (I certainly haven't). Your main point was that because Rooney wasn't dropped it must mean he must be because Van Gaal couldn't drop him which is a bit ridiculous. He wasn't dropped because for a lot of the season he was better than most of the players you mentioned.
Consistent 30-goal a season strikers don't grow on trees you know. If you're looking at the big 4 leagues, Aguero has only done it twice. Suarez has only done it twice, Lewandowski has done it twice, RVP did it twice, Falcao has done it twice, Ibra only did it once and Rooney has also done it twice.
Besides, the two times Rooney has scored 30 a season he spent the following season in more withdrawn roles. It's not because he's shit up top, it's because a succession of United managers have all realized that despite his potential goal tally he's just a much better player in a more withdrawn role. Like I've repeatedly said, despite the widespread clamor for him to only play up top he's quite simply not a #9.
Fair points, well made.
I still think that Rooney's performances would not have made him 'undroppable' last season if it were someone else. You're post implies that he performed better than Smalling and Herrera whose places have always been made to feel at risk under LVG, when that is not true.
I also think that, by rule, a team's main offensive weapon shouldn't, if not wouldn't, be played in midfield. The team is set up to HIS strengths, as the loss is too significant. In no planet does what Rooney offers us in midfield or as a winger is of a level where it should be prioritised over anything.
As for him being a 'number 9', I've never gone with that either. I think it's a theory that his apologists use, personally. I can accept if he is not being used as a striker, but so long as he is one of two strikers, which he has been for the vast majority of his United career, then it is nonsense to say he's being played 'out of position'. It is basically a way of saying that if Rooney got all of our chances, he'd score x amount. It's nonsense. And all of the other players who do put up huge numbers in the Prem often do it as part of a pair anyway. Suarez and Sturridge both did it in the same season. This whole 'if he's played as a 9'. What's wrong with him getting 25 league goals up front with Van Persie, or Hernandez, or Berbatov, or Saha, or Ruud?
Overall, I think your points are fair. All of this is probably futile anyway, as it all probably stems from your belief that Rooney is a top player, pitted against mine that he is average (as in Mandzukic average, not Lambert average). 'Good', is perhaps more fair.
Because he plays a different role when he's paired with another striker and plays around 50 passes per match as a number 10 whereas he has less of the ball at 9 and is less involved in build up play. The way Suarez and Sturridge played together is different to how Rooney and Hernandez played together in 10/11 for example.
^ Are you telling me that you expect him to hit 30 goals playing from there positionally? Are you telling me that's where Suarez/Sturridge played for Liverpool?
He did get over 25 league goals playing with Berbabtov btw, it was in 09/10 and that's when (surprise) he was the furthest forward striker and Berbatov was the 10 playing deeper. Also (surprise), Berbatov scored more the following season when he played further forward. And Rooney scored less playing a deeper role behind Hernandez. See the pattern here? It would be absolutely foolish to have the same goal expectations of Rooney in the 09/10 season and the 10/11 season based on position.
I can't watch that video at work, but if you are one of two strikers, with 4 actual midfielders behind you, you can score 25 goals. Whether Rooney plays with Berbatov or Hernandez, he will continue to drop deep. He has done it all pre-season. Aguero plays with Dzeko, Bony, or Negredo recently, and scores goals, and I'm pretty sure they are not 10s.
Smalling was only dropped on a couple of occasions and I'm not sure that's wholly relevant given he's not competing with Rooney. Dropping Herrera was a bit weird admittedly but at any rate I don't think Rooney was ever playing in a way that would have had him dropped.
I don't think think the team is set up to his strength at all. I don't think it's set up to anyone's strength right now. It's just plodding around aimlessly for 90 minutes.
When Rooney plays as a pair, he does it completely differently and it's very rarely a flat out 4-4-2. Fully agreed with @AttackingFlair . There's a huge difference in the way Rooney played with Hernandez compared to when he played with Berbatov. I suspect that as the season goes by we'll see Depay playing more as a #9 than and Rooney playing deeper.
I think Rooney was a top player. He's not as good as he was (Although still one of our best players) and LVG should have either kept RVP or signed Benteke or someone to provide competition and eventually replace Rooney.
Fair enough. And I think it's just in Rooney's nature to drop deep. But yea, I agree that we are not set up to his strengths, but I wouldn't know what strengths those are anyway tbh, other than the ability to score goals, which is a basic strategy of 'create chances for Rooney'. I think Van Gaal would create the conditions if he had an individual player with enough ability, as he did with Arjen Robben. I think he ultimately sees Depay having a similar impact.
I also agree with your last paragraph. But this is the sort of thing that has raised concerns for me. The quite obvious fact that Rooney is not this top level player anymore that you and I can see, seems to be lost on Van Gaal. It appears that he has actively looked for proper competiton for everyone except him, and is seemingly guaranteeing that he will be the main striker. My main point has always been that surely, even if he wasn't Balotelli bad last season, he was definitely not good enough to warrant that. From where I'm stood, nobody is guaranteed to play except Rooney. On what basis? What he did x amount of years ago? Surely nothing he's done in the last few? And regarding Smalling, I included him more on the basis of what seems to be happeningin pre-season, likeweise Herrera. Of course, the Spurs lineup is not revealed, but so far, Van Gaal seems to have pushed him out of the team. Rooney has done less than Smalling and Herrera under LVG to have earned the status he has, or seems to have anyway.
He's said his captain is undroppable not Rooney himself and he has a previous for dropping captains and selling them so I wouldn't look too much into that. If he doesn't step up I expect Van Gaal to drop him. I think a lack of competition is probably more down to availability and the likes of Wilson/Depay (LVG seems to rate them both highly). Most of the available strikers were grossly expensive and overpriced (Kane, benteke etc).
I'm not sure any striker would score goals for us the way we play these days.
You're being ignorant to tactics. Yeah Rooney COULD play right up next to his strike partner like Aguero does but that's not been his role. You don't see Aguero playing 50 passes a match and helping out the midfield. That's not Aguero's skill set and I wouldn't expect him to (not saying Rooney is a better player).
City have struggled in Europe with 442. We reached a CL final with Rooney and Hernandez in 10/11 because Rooney wasn't right up there with Hernandez, his role isn't the same as Aguero's. Rooney's role in 09/10 is far more comparable to Aguero's. You can't just say because Aguero scores X amount of goals paired with another striker that Rooney should also, without looking at their roles.
I guess so, although I don't know how much of it is 'role' and some is just Rooney's natural instincts.
(i)Rooney has managed more than 20 league goals twice in a season in his whole career.
(ii)He has managed more than 20 goals (all comps) in a season four times in his whole career. 29 years old.
Rooney - (i) 2, (ii) 4.
Some other players:
Aguero - (i)3 times, and (ii)6 times. 27 years old.
Ibra - (i)4 times, and (ii)9 times. 33 years old.
Benzema - (i) 2, (ii)7. 27 years old.
Lewandowski - (i) 4, (ii) 7. 25 years old.
RvP - (i) 2, (ii) 4. 31 years old. (This one is a bit of a strange one as his average games played per season is a lot less in comparison to the other strikers listed).
Falcao - (i) 3, (ii) 4. 29 years old.
Luis Suarez - (i) 4, (ii) 6. 28 years old.
Cavani - (i) 3, (ii) 5. 28 years old.
Torres - (i) 1, (ii) 5. 31 years old.
(ii)He has managed more than 20 goals (all comps) in a season four times in his whole career. 29 years old.
Rooney - (i) 2, (ii) 4.
Some other players:
Aguero - (i)3 times, and (ii)6 times. 27 years old.
Ibra - (i)4 times, and (ii)9 times. 33 years old.
Benzema - (i) 2, (ii)7. 27 years old.
Lewandowski - (i) 4, (ii) 7. 25 years old.
RvP - (i) 2, (ii) 4. 31 years old. (This one is a bit of a strange one as his average games played per season is a lot less in comparison to the other strikers listed).
Falcao - (i) 3, (ii) 4. 29 years old.
Luis Suarez - (i) 4, (ii) 6. 28 years old.
Cavani - (i) 3, (ii) 5. 28 years old.
Torres - (i) 1, (ii) 5. 31 years old.
You honestly think for example that it was instinct that Rooney didn't play right up top with Hernandez in the CL final against Barcelona?
There's a reason Rooney has been well liked by LVG and Moyes and that's because he listens to instructions, he doesn't just do whatever the hell he wants, contrary to your belief.
I find it strange reading through this thread and seeing next to no analysis of what's happening on the pitch during pre-season but so many posts absolutely slaughtering Rooney.
I don't think Depay has done him many favours with his youthful naivete and greed at key times in attacks. Rooney's made a number of runs off of his marker whilst Depay is carrying the ball only to then see Depay run into traffic, or choose the wrong option thus spurning the well worked opening Rooney has created. A proper #10 would play his front-man in on a number of those occasions and that's when the #9 would be judged on what he's done from that point onward. Unless Depay improves his decision making, or Van Gaal actually puts a proper #10 in the hole, a lot of Rooney's off the ball work is going to be for naught, and eventually, he'll stop making those runs.
Another issue is that our balls in from the wide position have been poor for the most part during the whole pre-season, and unless you put a Drogba-esque, battering ram up there to contest those balls, they're going to make the striker look poorer.
We've lacked creativity and cutting edge all throughout pre-season and given Rooney scraps to feed on. Granted, he hasn't turned water into wine as his first touch has been poor, but the best time to scrutinise a #9, and bear in mind Rooney is being played as a #9 now, is off his conversion rate and aptitude going towards goal, and on that score, those behind him haven't given him the best platform to shine.
There's more than one way to play the #9, and it's pretty obvious Rooney's forte is more running off his man and working space for himself than it is in holding up the ball and bringing others into play, so as long as he proves adequate with basic lay offs, whilst foraging for space on the other side of the play, there's ample opportunity for a good #10 to come to the fore and enable Rooney to do what he's best, or, better at.
I've thought the cohesiveness of our actual attacking line has been a bigger problem this tour than any one individual, personally - if we were playing great football up to the point where Rooney got on the ball, and then it all went to shit, fair enough, but it hasn't been anything of the sort. If we're to continue with the same attacking personnel, it'll take a while before the daggers should be out for any of them. There's just no way Rooney's our biggest problem of all in attack at the minute, and I think what's gone on last season should be put to the side as this is a new team with different problems, strengths and weaknesses.
It's unfair to just suppose Rooney can come alive in an incohesive team; his first touch has been bad, but there's far more to #9 play than that, and until we get the full picture and can tick or cross off the other boxes Rooney is failing/succeeding in, it's just too early for all of this furore about his play.
I don't think Depay has done him many favours with his youthful naivete and greed at key times in attacks. Rooney's made a number of runs off of his marker whilst Depay is carrying the ball only to then see Depay run into traffic, or choose the wrong option thus spurning the well worked opening Rooney has created. A proper #10 would play his front-man in on a number of those occasions and that's when the #9 would be judged on what he's done from that point onward. Unless Depay improves his decision making, or Van Gaal actually puts a proper #10 in the hole, a lot of Rooney's off the ball work is going to be for naught, and eventually, he'll stop making those runs.
Another issue is that our balls in from the wide position have been poor for the most part during the whole pre-season, and unless you put a Drogba-esque, battering ram up there to contest those balls, they're going to make the striker look poorer.
We've lacked creativity and cutting edge all throughout pre-season and given Rooney scraps to feed on. Granted, he hasn't turned water into wine as his first touch has been poor, but the best time to scrutinise a #9, and bear in mind Rooney is being played as a #9 now, is off his conversion rate and aptitude going towards goal, and on that score, those behind him haven't given him the best platform to shine.
There's more than one way to play the #9, and it's pretty obvious Rooney's forte is more running off his man and working space for himself than it is in holding up the ball and bringing others into play, so as long as he proves adequate with basic lay offs, whilst foraging for space on the other side of the play, there's ample opportunity for a good #10 to come to the fore and enable Rooney to do what he's best, or, better at.
I've thought the cohesiveness of our actual attacking line has been a bigger problem this tour than any one individual, personally - if we were playing great football up to the point where Rooney got on the ball, and then it all went to shit, fair enough, but it hasn't been anything of the sort. If we're to continue with the same attacking personnel, it'll take a while before the daggers should be out for any of them. There's just no way Rooney's our biggest problem of all in attack at the minute, and I think what's gone on last season should be put to the side as this is a new team with different problems, strengths and weaknesses.
It's unfair to just suppose Rooney can come alive in an incohesive team; his first touch has been bad, but there's far more to #9 play than that, and until we get the full picture and can tick or cross off the other boxes Rooney is failing/succeeding in, it's just too early for all of this furore about his play.
I do wonder what role he'll have in tomorrow's testimonial of Big Dunc. Apparently, it's just Ferguson and him that will feature of past Everton players, rest, current squad? They do have a match today as well.
Just don't get hurt. On your way to Liverpool I mean.
Just don't get hurt. On your way to Liverpool I mean.
I've seen a few "full highlights" of the pre-season games and I watched the first half of United-PSG, and I thought that he's been alright. His touch at times has been dire, and I'm a big Rooney fan. No point beating around the bush, it's astonishing how bad it can be at times. But I do feel he gets unfair stick for the rest of the play. I can definitely see a partnership clicking between him and Memphis. A few times he's played some delicious touches to Memphis, but the latter didn't read it properly so he didn't expect it. With time and games, that will come. It's great seeing Memphis making runs past Rooney - gives a great option of Rooney being able to slip someone through with pace from midfield. Something we've lacked for a while. ADM showed it a few times, but not enough unfortunately.
Rooney will score 15+goals next season I'm sure. Is that a good target? No of course not. But I feel he'll create a lot more for Memphis and I expect an increase in his assists stats next season. Should we have competition for him? Absolutely. I really hope he breaks the record but it's obvious he can get a bit complacent at times and not having RVP/Falcao competing with him (as if they did last season!) may make him put the gas off the pedal a bit - or it may even drive him to higher levels knowing that there is a feck load more responsibility on him given he's the only world renowned striker that's at Manchester United at the moment. No one can deny his determination and leadership (not in my eyes anyway) so I'm hoping it's the latter that'll happen.
A good start to the season will give us all confidence I'm sure. Will ease the pressure off our new signings to settle in too. Hoping he'll get off to a good start vs Spurs with a goal or two.
Rooney will score 15+goals next season I'm sure. Is that a good target? No of course not. But I feel he'll create a lot more for Memphis and I expect an increase in his assists stats next season. Should we have competition for him? Absolutely. I really hope he breaks the record but it's obvious he can get a bit complacent at times and not having RVP/Falcao competing with him (as if they did last season!) may make him put the gas off the pedal a bit - or it may even drive him to higher levels knowing that there is a feck load more responsibility on him given he's the only world renowned striker that's at Manchester United at the moment. No one can deny his determination and leadership (not in my eyes anyway) so I'm hoping it's the latter that'll happen.
A good start to the season will give us all confidence I'm sure. Will ease the pressure off our new signings to settle in too. Hoping he'll get off to a good start vs Spurs with a goal or two.
Last year at the club IMO.
No breaking records, the usual good month of form followed by amateur bullshit, when his first touch makes a Rhino look good.
Him as our leading striker is utter suicide imo. That's unless LVG gets someone who can play with him. Which will be a challenge as, Saha, RVN. Berbatov, Tevez and even Welbeck couldn't
And I know people will say that "Oh look at his record".....Yeah, if RVN and Ronaldo stayed they would have wiped their arse with the record at least 3 or 4 years ago.
Happy to be proved wrong but, I think he's done.
More then happy to be quoted at the end of the season when the fecker scores 40 goals
No breaking records, the usual good month of form followed by amateur bullshit, when his first touch makes a Rhino look good.
Him as our leading striker is utter suicide imo. That's unless LVG gets someone who can play with him. Which will be a challenge as, Saha, RVN. Berbatov, Tevez and even Welbeck couldn't
And I know people will say that "Oh look at his record".....Yeah, if RVN and Ronaldo stayed they would have wiped their arse with the record at least 3 or 4 years ago.
Happy to be proved wrong but, I think he's done.
More then happy to be quoted at the end of the season when the fecker scores 40 goals
Wishful thinking, the guy has play through until retirement written into his contract. Ambassador role and all of that. As much as it is a personal attack on a lot of fans it is pointless to even think that he'll be moving on or he's not good enough. His stature at the club is as of a legend already.
You won't be proven wrong. He'll be a construct player this season however, playing on the shoulder and basically playing for his team mates. LVG's strikers don't usually have a free goal scoring role. (Save Gomez but he was a physical beast and a good poacher). He's not going to score a lot of goals but if he keeps starting then he's doing exactly what LVG want's him to do contrary to the moaning fans wanting him dropped. If he should be dropped in LVG's eyes he'll be dropped.
In essence, his unstoppable status comes from the fact that he's the most adaptable player in the team. Basically LVG trusts him because he does exactly what he tells him to do and not kick up a fuss. If it were the opposite, Rooney would be gone.
Well, a few weeks ago he said if he's a striker he'll get 25 or 30 goals.
I honestly don't believe that for a split second.
So what happens when he doesn't?
Basically another silent domination post.
No idea what that means, but no worries. Thanks.
Of course he's going to say that? It is what the fans want to hear. I don't believe that for a second either. I think he'll net about the same amount of goals as last season again. You have to factor in that if Van Gaal thinks he's playing the role exactly the way he wants then what do you think is going to happen?
What?
IF he scores again another 12 goals, then we won't get into UCL zone and LVG will be rightfully sacked. Liverpool won't be as shit as last season this time.
Even for midtable teams it is unacceptable that the main striker would score 12 goals.
If Rooney doesn't manage to score at least 20 goals (assuming that he'll play as main striker) then I think this will be his last season as a starter.
It is all speculative. Even scoring 14 in a season and being the club's top goal scorer in your scenario would mean being replaced. I don't think it is that easy.
Van Gaal's strikers have never been goal machines. I don't think he's going to magically be able to conjure up a goal machine and insert him into the team and reap the rewards straight away. Especially if it is Wayne Rooney. If he was changing the entire system to accommodate Rooney then by all means I'd be a lot more optimistic. But in this rigid system he's created at the club if the striker is performing correctly then he's not going to be a goal machine.
Time will tell through the season, who knows what will transpire.
20 goals is far from goal machine. Any good striker should be able to score 20 goals.
His strikers weren't Ronaldo or Messi levels, but they scored a ton of goals.
Rivaldo scored 28 goals in 97/98, 29 goals in 98/99 while 23 in the following season (Kluivert scored 23 too).
Kluivert scored 20+ goals in two seasons for Ajax under LVG.
Litmanen did so 3 times, one of those times scoring 36 goals (that is what I would consider a goal machine).
Bergkamp scored twice 30+ goals for LVG.
Muller scored 19 goals in each of the two seasons he played for LVG.
Olic scored 19 goals in his first season for LVG.
Mario Gomez scored 39 goals in his second season for him (that is an another goal machine).
El Hamdaoui scored 25 goals in his last season for LVG.
Point is, LVG's strikers always scored a ton of goals. If Rooney cannot manage that (especially if he leads the attack), then I think he'll be benched. You cannot afford your top striker, playins as a No.9 to score 15 goals or so and also to challenge for trophies (unless you're Fabio Capello, obviously). Rooney while creative has a quite bad all round game currently, so it isn't that you have to play him if he doesn't score.
Rooney said that he can score 25 goals and LVG seems to believe so. I think that 20+ goals for Rooney is definitely possible. If it isn't, then next summer we will upgrade that position.
20 goals is really the minimum for a top striker having an excellent season. Good strikers score 10+, any striker having a 20+ goal season is having an excellent season.
Only a few in that list have had epic goal scoring seasons. Rivaldo and Bergkamp who are undoubtedly some of the games greatest goal scorers, Litmanen and Gomez (out of a lot of players) are the other two. That list paints (to me) more hit and miss than a system designed for forward players to thrive. But we can agree to disagree.
I am not buying into the whole Rooney must score loads for us to be successful, in my eyes you can't put a figure on the goals he scores and directly related it to how successful we will be. He was top scorer last season and we barely limped into 4th place. One would like to think that with the bar raised and the conditions made more favourable the amount of goals will go up to accommodate these conditions. I don't really see that just because he's going to play up front consistently that he's going to score a lot of goals.
Rooney and Van Gaal will of course say that. Why would they not? It would be stupid to come out at the start of the season and say I think I'll struggle, I've been a bit hit and miss lately.. my touch is a bit off as well.. Van Gaal is not thinking purely at an output level. If he is playing the role properly and to his liking and he's scoring some goals (not a lot of goals) then I think he'll stick with him.
The bottom line is, possession football in England doesn't work. A lot of this clubs ethos is built on high energy, risk taking, entertaining football. To get the best out of most of the past and present (in the LVG era) players the football needs to be played a certain way. When you change something that big you can't expect every player to thrive in the system. I don't think Rooney is going to thrive in this system, the build up is way to slow and he gets lost between the lines playing up front in a tactical role. But I also don't think it means he's a poor footballer.
I think this is quite canny of LVG: he's, at once, shown faith in Wayne and also made sure - very publicly - that there's pressure on Rooney to deliver on his promise.
Yep. He keeps mentioning how the media said how he should play striker.
If Rooney doesn't play well then the same media will be on his back.
I doubt it, mate - instead, it'll probably be 'Dutch Blockhead Van Flop ruins Our Wayne'.
Nah that'll be the Rooney fan club making excuses for him on here.
Our Wayne is on the bench for Everton today against Villarreal for Duncan Ferguson's testimonial. Doubt he'll get more than 30 minutes but hopefully his appearance will be appreciated by the Everton fans.
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