Or Arguably our worst player this season..there are different ways to look at it..At least he's consistent.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 41
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
He's been shite for a long time.
Silent domination, what bullshit. 
Surely his time with us is coming to an end. We cannot expect to have any sort of decent sustainable results with him as captain and leading the line.
He's been amazing for us 2004-2013, but he is a shadow of his former self now. A hollow shell of the man he was.
Here is a nice tidbit from the Beeb that puts it into perspective:
Shocking.
Surely his time with us is coming to an end. We cannot expect to have any sort of decent sustainable results with him as captain and leading the line.
He's been amazing for us 2004-2013, but he is a shadow of his former self now. A hollow shell of the man he was.
Here is a nice tidbit from the Beeb that puts it into perspective:
Shocking.
How long will we have to endure this passenger in our team? Are we talking months? Years??
236 goals, not yet 30 years old. Is he really done? Surely not.
Wayne in the past would come up with a moment of genius, even when he was having a bad game. That has gone. As I have said he needs everything on a plate and you cannot even guarantee he will make the most of it.
Their CBs are slow as feck and he couldn't beat them for pace. Fecking shambles. I'm angry just thinking about it.
nobody doubts what he has done in the past
Yes..Certainly for a team with any genuine aspirations of silverware.
He was playing in a poor team, under a poor manager and still scored 19 goals and assisted over 20 goals. Look at his productivity under LVG, 14 goals in 37 appearances last year, 6 goals in 13 this year and no assists. That's a huge difference. He's taken the advice of 'save your energy for scoring goals' a bit too literally and plays with no aggression any more, jogs around when pressing an opponent.
Under Fergie and Moyes he would drop deep as well if there was no service and try to help the team. Think back to our 2-2 draw at White Hart Lane under Moyes and recall his lone striker performance. Maybe he doesn't have that license to drop back under Van Gaal.
I agree. In Moyes' side he really did bring some attacking impetus. When he was out, it really showed.
But remember, this was before Herrera, Martial, Memphis and Mata. Our attacking players then were Valencia, Welbeck, a really poor version of Young, a rather past it RVP and a poor Fellaini.
Radamel Falcao. 205 goals. Not yet 30. Is he really done? Surely not. You know why? Because how you play now is completely irrelevant if you got great stats to show from your career. Also even if you have been shit for two years you just don't lose your quality. Bulletproof theory.
This actually shocked me a little tonight. I know he's awful and all that, but tonight he looked like a 40 year old man trying to play football at the highest level. In a way, it was a bit sad. I know I'm strongly against him still being a big presence in our team, but even I could not help but feel a bit sad. Never easy when an athlete comes to the end of their time. But his 'undroppability' is going to ruin our bloody season....
Herrera can't play ten and Martial can't play up front because of this nothing player playing those roles. It's not just how ineffective he is, it's how he's road blocking other players that's really pissing me off. He must be as sweet in the dressing room as people say because if I was them I'd be furious.
He's an itch you can't scratch.
He's an itch you can't scratch.
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Until Van Gaal thinks it is actually impacting the team or an unfortunate injury. Right now United best striker is a 19 year old French kid hardly anyone had heard of 2 months ago.
most certanly our worst plaer in the squad. How on earth is he guaranteed starter, while shouodn't be even on the bench?
Mr. VG show some balls ffs!
Mr. VG show some balls ffs!
Since Moyes and Fergie he's declined drastically. We see what happens when he drops back and starts getting in everyone's way. He fecks things up so quite frankly he really shouldn't have any sort of 'roaming licence'. The problem is we have is now he doesn't fit anywhere.
He should be made to wear our blue and white strip from 96 cos he is playing like a tesco value striker
So Martial and Memphis when he plays don't have pace?
he needs pacey players around him to control a ball?
Why do these pundits keep making excuses for him? Needs to be playing no.9....oh no, he's shit there now...needs to be playing no.10.....If all else fails they trot out the old "works his socks off"
This pundit doesnt
“He is still 19 years old. He has to adapt to a new culture, to the high rhythm of the Premier League. You cannot expect that players this age have consistency.”
They were the words of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal after his £36m deadline day signing Anthony Martial announced his arrival to a worldwide audience with a stunning debut goal against Liverpool, yet the patience that was called for has not been forthcoming in the weeks since.
At the tender age of 19, it was assumed that Van Gaal would ease Martial into his first team with brief cameo appearances that would be backed up by the occasional starting berth, but Martial has been asked to start in every Premier League game since his arrival, with the demand to deliver weighing heavy on the French youngster.
On a night when Van Gaal was expected to shake-up his team and hold back some of his star names ahead of next Sunday’s crucial Premier League derby game against Manchester City, Martial could have been one of the names asked to warm the ice-cold bench for the Champions League Group B clash against CSKA Moscow in the Russian capital.
Instead, Van Gaal sent Martial back into battle once more, as he again deployed him in the wide role he suggested prior to kick-off may be his best, despite an increasingly vocal collection of observers arguing Martial is far better suited to the central striking role that saw him make an instant impact at United.
Van Gaal must recall the occasions when Martial was dancing through the Liverpool defence to score his iconic opening goal, while his two-goal display in the win at Southampton a week later appeared to confirm that he was the future of a United side that may be moving on without a jaded Wayne Rooney as their central striker.
Yet inexplicably, Van Gaal has restored Rooney to his lead striking role for United’s last two matches and while the 3-0 win at Everton on Saturday suggested it was a policy that had worked, the folly of the decision was exposed in Moscow’s Arena Khimki.
Rooney was not alone in looking off the pace in a first half that was dominated by United according to the possession statistics that confirmed they were in control of the ball for 70 per-cent of the game, yet it was CSKA that carried all of the threat with their thrilling counter attacking brilliance that eventually produced a goal.
Ahmed Musa and Seydou Doumbia gave United’s defence plenty of concern with their direct attacking play and when Martial handled in the box after 15 minutes, Doumbia was on hand to convert from close range after David De Gea had kept out Roman Eremenko’s penalty.
With Martial looking out-of-sorts out on the left flank and Memphis Depay again consigned to a role on the bench, Rooney looked horribly isolated in the lone striking role that is exposing his definiteness as he closes in on his 30th birthday this weekend.
How long can this United great hang on to his place in Van Gaal's team? It is a question that will be a recurring theme throughout this season until he is inevitably withdrawn by his manager.
Rooney claimed prior to this game that he expected to be United’s lead forward for many years to come, yet such a prospect was not greeted with universal approval from supporters of a club that have long since concluded that life without their soon to be club record scorer may prove to be more profitable.
Being 30 is hardly a death sentence in this game, but Rooney's lengthy time at the very top of the game has taken its toll on his frame and when compared to the likes of Martial and Depay in the United forward line, he looks close to pensionable age.
As the abuse flowed in Rooney’s direction on Twitter once again during the course of his latest Champions League performance, the idea that Van Gaal has invested too much public faith in his skipper to consider dropping him or replacing him in such a high profile fixture is no longer an option.
Van Gaal would doubtless dispute a theory that anyone is untouchable in his team, but it was telling that Rooney missed when handed a chance to draw United level with a 60th minute header and yet Martial was the man who scored the crucial equalizer when served up a similar chance a few minutes later.
With the momentum in this match flipped, it seemed as if United could push on and score a winning goal that their vastly improved second half display may have merited and yet this was another night when Van Gaal’s philosophy of safe, possession football failed to deliver reward.
It was only when United stepped on the accelerator pedal and started to play with a little more pace that they troubled CSKA and sadly, pace is not a quality Rooney possesses at this late stage of his career.
You can never fault Rooney’s effort and his desire to fight for every ball was in evident again in Moscow, but the future of the Manchester United forward line is Martial and his youthful brigade.
Should Rooney start for United in Sunday’s Manchester derby? Probably not, but Van Gaal seems determined to give his talisman every chance to banish the notion that his sell-by date is fast approaching.
Van Gaal is noted for his ruthlessness when making decisions involving high profile players and there will come a point in this season when he needs to take Rooney out of his firing line and crown Martial as United's new first choice striker.
That moment must be edging ever closer.
They were the words of Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal after his £36m deadline day signing Anthony Martial announced his arrival to a worldwide audience with a stunning debut goal against Liverpool, yet the patience that was called for has not been forthcoming in the weeks since.
At the tender age of 19, it was assumed that Van Gaal would ease Martial into his first team with brief cameo appearances that would be backed up by the occasional starting berth, but Martial has been asked to start in every Premier League game since his arrival, with the demand to deliver weighing heavy on the French youngster.
On a night when Van Gaal was expected to shake-up his team and hold back some of his star names ahead of next Sunday’s crucial Premier League derby game against Manchester City, Martial could have been one of the names asked to warm the ice-cold bench for the Champions League Group B clash against CSKA Moscow in the Russian capital.
Instead, Van Gaal sent Martial back into battle once more, as he again deployed him in the wide role he suggested prior to kick-off may be his best, despite an increasingly vocal collection of observers arguing Martial is far better suited to the central striking role that saw him make an instant impact at United.
Van Gaal must recall the occasions when Martial was dancing through the Liverpool defence to score his iconic opening goal, while his two-goal display in the win at Southampton a week later appeared to confirm that he was the future of a United side that may be moving on without a jaded Wayne Rooney as their central striker.
Yet inexplicably, Van Gaal has restored Rooney to his lead striking role for United’s last two matches and while the 3-0 win at Everton on Saturday suggested it was a policy that had worked, the folly of the decision was exposed in Moscow’s Arena Khimki.
Rooney was not alone in looking off the pace in a first half that was dominated by United according to the possession statistics that confirmed they were in control of the ball for 70 per-cent of the game, yet it was CSKA that carried all of the threat with their thrilling counter attacking brilliance that eventually produced a goal.
Ahmed Musa and Seydou Doumbia gave United’s defence plenty of concern with their direct attacking play and when Martial handled in the box after 15 minutes, Doumbia was on hand to convert from close range after David De Gea had kept out Roman Eremenko’s penalty.
With Martial looking out-of-sorts out on the left flank and Memphis Depay again consigned to a role on the bench, Rooney looked horribly isolated in the lone striking role that is exposing his definiteness as he closes in on his 30th birthday this weekend.
How long can this United great hang on to his place in Van Gaal's team? It is a question that will be a recurring theme throughout this season until he is inevitably withdrawn by his manager.
Rooney claimed prior to this game that he expected to be United’s lead forward for many years to come, yet such a prospect was not greeted with universal approval from supporters of a club that have long since concluded that life without their soon to be club record scorer may prove to be more profitable.
Being 30 is hardly a death sentence in this game, but Rooney's lengthy time at the very top of the game has taken its toll on his frame and when compared to the likes of Martial and Depay in the United forward line, he looks close to pensionable age.
As the abuse flowed in Rooney’s direction on Twitter once again during the course of his latest Champions League performance, the idea that Van Gaal has invested too much public faith in his skipper to consider dropping him or replacing him in such a high profile fixture is no longer an option.
Van Gaal would doubtless dispute a theory that anyone is untouchable in his team, but it was telling that Rooney missed when handed a chance to draw United level with a 60th minute header and yet Martial was the man who scored the crucial equalizer when served up a similar chance a few minutes later.
With the momentum in this match flipped, it seemed as if United could push on and score a winning goal that their vastly improved second half display may have merited and yet this was another night when Van Gaal’s philosophy of safe, possession football failed to deliver reward.
It was only when United stepped on the accelerator pedal and started to play with a little more pace that they troubled CSKA and sadly, pace is not a quality Rooney possesses at this late stage of his career.
You can never fault Rooney’s effort and his desire to fight for every ball was in evident again in Moscow, but the future of the Manchester United forward line is Martial and his youthful brigade.
Should Rooney start for United in Sunday’s Manchester derby? Probably not, but Van Gaal seems determined to give his talisman every chance to banish the notion that his sell-by date is fast approaching.
Van Gaal is noted for his ruthlessness when making decisions involving high profile players and there will come a point in this season when he needs to take Rooney out of his firing line and crown Martial as United's new first choice striker.
That moment must be edging ever closer.
Come on Scholes, we can't be accommodating a 30 year old player at the expense of everyone else, more than we already are (sigh). He's got some pace around him - he just can't do what he used to. I cannot believe these people can't see how bad Rooney is and it has nothing to do with who is or isn't around him.
TBF, I dont care what his age is, if he was playing like this at 24, I would want him out the team. Its not good enough. Id rather he goes out wide and we put Martial up top to stretch teams.
Fellainis hold up play was better than him as well.
Fellainis hold up play was better than him as well.
He means that..he means..ah feck it, Even Scholes knows the truth and was the first to say it years ago.
The number of articles about Rooney are increasing..I think in a way this will make getting rid of him even easier at year end, if LVG chooses to take it.
I think he's frustrated with himself too.
They distract the opponents, giving Rooney more time to control the ball maybe? Thats the best I can come up with.
His buddies scraping the barrel to find excuses for him. He made a couple of decent runs tonight but he is basically the Tom Cleverley of strikers at this point, just offers next to nothing, like toast without butter.
Lingard, Martial and then Memphis for a bit. Our slowest guy Mata didn't even get on the pitch. It's a lazy excuse, from a shite pundit.
Over reaction don't you think
looking forward to Garth Crooks' evaluation of things
It's a justified reaction; Rooney has been woeful too consistently for too long. We must drop him.
By the way, I don’t think his pace/lack of pace is a problem. He could be Bellerin-eque fast and that wouldn’t take him far with lack of motivation and especially shit first touch.
He loses more than 60% of his duels. Tired of this shit.
Another very good game of him sacrificing himself by being poor for the sake of other players.
In addition to what has already been said, does anyone get really annoyed when he thinks that one of his duties as captain is to spread his arms at the ref whenever one of our players goes down, no matter how soft it was?
We might have been able to accommodate Scholes' lack of pace, but accommodating Rooney's lack of ball control is an entirely different proposition.
He said some seriously stupid shit post match. Essentially blamed everyone else but Rooney for Rooney being shit. Rio got in on the act too.
- Status