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2015-16 Performances

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5.6 Season Average Rating
Appearances
41
Goals
15
Assists
6
Yellow cards
5
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He's a problem that would be fairly easy to fix if he could pick up any semblance of form. Even scrappy performances would do if he could start grabbing some goals. Our defensive prowess right now could probably carry us through these fixtures if he was able to put in average performances.
 
Even people from Canada working in the broadcasting of Premier League matches know how to write a good piece and show more common sense than almost any of their British colleagues in this case.

http://www.sportsnet.ca/soccer/prem...-united-uefa-champions-league-louis-van-gaal/

Time has come for Man United to drop Rooney
DONNOVAN BENNETT NOVEMBER 2, 2015, 10:45 AM
The writing has been on the wall for a while but the time has finally come. It is uncomfortable to say so I’ll just write it.

With a pivotal UEFA Champions League match against CSKA Moscow looming, Manchester United has to drop an under-performing Wayne Rooney from its starting 11. United’s last goal came in their previous meeting with CSKA on October 21 when Anthony Martial, not Rooney, equalized with a diving header. The official passing of the baton from false number 9 to number 9 in the team sheet needs to happen for the return match this week.

This season United have at times dominated possession for stretches of play without being able to finish in the final third. United have scored the fewest number of goals among the top six clubs in the Premier League this season, with Rooney contributing just two. The club-scoring drought has now stretched over five hours following Saturday’s goal-less draw against Crystal Palace.

Legendary United player Paul Scholes has criticized the pedestrian attacking set up by United under Louis Van Gaal.

Much of the Red Devils’ issues stem around Rooney’s lack of form in front of goal. He was at his worst in the derby with no shots on goal against Manchester City last week. It is not just that Rooney fails to create chances with the ball at his feet. Rooney also fails to get in the game for long stretches.

In their last game against CSKA, Rooney was equally invisible with goalkeeper David De Gea being the only United player that had fewer touches.

Van Gaal has been stubbornly loyal to his captain, calling on him to start all but one Premier League match this season. The Dutchman has dropped Juan Mata, Memphis Depay, Ander Herrera, Daley Blind, Ashley Young, and Matteo Darmian for performance issues far less egregious than Rooney’s.

Rooney should not be immune to having to fight for his place. Eden Hazard and Cesc Fabregas have been dropped at Chelsea. Vincent Kompany has been dropped by City. Part of playing at a big club is that you are going to be constantly in competition to keep your place. Rooney has been in cruise control, never fearing that any of the three United managers he’s played under were going to drop him.

Rooney is 30 and has played lots of football since making his debut as a 16-year-old. He’s lost pace, power, aggression, clinical finishing, and his short game has always been bad with a heavy touch. Now, one of his unique strengths, his long range passing, is starting to let him down.

When Van Gaal first took over United seemingly had an abundance of strikers and there was talk Rooney could be the next Paul Scholes and eventually move back to be a number 6. Now, that’s the last place you’d play him.

Van Gaal has already stated he is tired of answering questions about Rooney: “I have to talk every week about Rooney, why? You have your opinion—write it. I don’t give any more answers about Wayne Rooney. I am sick of them.” Well, the why is he has been one of United’s poorest performers while also being one of their highest wage earners. The why is that Van Gaal shipped out Javier Hernandez, Angel Di Maria, Radamel Falcao, and Robin Van Persie so Rooney could be is number one option and he’s failed to deliver.

Roy Hodgson has faced the same issues deploying Rooney in his England squad. Named captain because of a lack of quality alternatives, Rooney has rusted away before our eyes. Harry Kane and Daniel Sturridge are much more complete players up front. Raheem Sterling is a much better player in the hole behind a striker. Theo Walcott is a better option as a wide attacker in a front three. And England have a host of better options as a left-winger because Rooney is lost defensively in such a role. So the dilemma for club and country is similarly what do you do with a captain who doesn’t have a natural position that helps the team but naturally garners conversation if you drop the face of your franchise?

The issue is that Depay, Mata, and Herrera are all better suited to their natural positions than Rooney is, which is why Rooney is being played up front as a striker.

Martial’s best and long-term position is as a number 9. The young Frenchman is already performing at a higher level than the English hero. Martial has scored big goals in big moments when played centrally. By contrast, three of Rooney’s six goals this season came in a Champions League qualifier against Club Brugge. Only 19, Martial’s best football is ahead of him, while Rooney’s is behind him. Every time Martial gets the ball you’re on the edge of your seat. Every time Rooney gets the ball you feel afraid for him.

Martial now is forced to play out wide on the left but he is wearing number 9, not 11 for a reason. He has the makeup of a great striker. How often have you seen the first defender take down Martial one versus one? How many times have you seen Rooney beat a defender one versus one? Often times he isn’t driving forward and looking to take them on but instead recycling the ball safely.

What dropping Rooney also allows is more flexibility in formation. United have routinely set up in a 4-2-3-1. Rooney not being in the team would allow them to drop back and forth between Van Gaal’s preferred 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 whenever they need. Ander Herrera’s versatility is the lynchpin that allows United to drop him back as an attacking midfielder in a three-man midfield along Morgan Schneiderlin with Bastian Schweinsteiger as the holding base. This gives the “three Ms” of Mata, Martial, and Memphis the license to get forward and create havoc.

It’s hard to fathom one of the faces of Premier League being a support player. It’s not easy to drop the most prolific goal scorer in the history of the English national team. Yet Van Gaal has made a career of making hard choices. Will it hurt shirt sales at the megastore? Possibly. Will it be a mega controversy? Definitely. It is the right decision tactically? Unquestionably it is. The future is now for Manchester United. They need to drop Rooney, and get past the fact that their greatest English player of this generation is not one of the 11 best players right now at Manchester United.
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The future is now, ladies and gents. Remember it.
 
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It's a good article, but only 2 United managers are unwilling to drop him. Fergie dropped him a few times in his career.
 
Americano said:
It would be interesting to see a full opposition scouting report on him from this season.
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Pardew gave one indirectly when he spoke about just stopping Martial. Rooney who?

"We didn't give Martial an inch," he said. "Not an inch.

"It was a big target for us to stop him and we felt that if we could stop him we could stop their creative angle.

"I have to say that he's an impressive young player. I think he handled himself very well today, because he would have felt our presence around him, and still he had moments in the game.

"With such a young player, he'll have to be very, very careful, the Manchester United manager, to keep his exuberance there. Because we're all looking to stop him."
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Mutter Merkel said:
Rooney in on goal. Roooneeeeeeeeeeeeeey

1287507497_horse-plazying-with-big-ball.gif
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I'm keeping this for upcoming match threads.
 
Pogue Mahone said:
Yeah, what is it with the English media ignoring his poor form? Always giving English players a free pass.

http://dailym.ai/1N8zIAU
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In my fantasy league with The Sun it has become a running joke between my friends because I have Rooney in my team and no matter what he always gets above a 7 rating so in turn has gotten me a shed load of points. When in reality you look at the average rating he gets by our fans on here and it's around 4 :D
 
MUTV showing clips of his debut vs Fener. Man, what a player he was. He should just retire before most United fans grow to resent him for being a has-been weight on our backs.
 
Read in the latest issue of UWS that he WAS going to be dropped against Everton but, LvG went against the idea as he thinks he's a great captain, who gives the team something extra just by his presence in the line up.....
 
.Rossi said:
Read in the latest issue of UWS that he WAS going to be dropped against Everton but, LvG went against the idea as he thinks he's a great captain, who gives the team something extra just by his presence in the line up.
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Weird...did the conversation go like this?:

LVG: "I'm going to drop Rooney."
LVG: "Don't do that - he's a great captain."
LVG: "Ok Louis, I won't."
LVG: "'Bye, Louis."
LVG: "'Bye, me."
 
NinjaZombie said:
MUTV showing clips of his debut vs Fener. Man, what a player he was. He should just retire before most United fans grow to resent him for being a has-been weight on our backs.
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At 18 years old, Rooney was a terrifc player.
I'd describe him as a warrior. I'd definitely want him next to me when going into battle.
He basically matured very early and as such, he will also finish his career early.
I would liken him more to a 37 year old.
 
I don't think this debate will be over until Rooney is dropped for a run of games and people see how much our attacking play improves.

How can you create a host of chances if your only striker position is nowhere near the opposition goal? Or takes a bad touch anytime he gets on the ball?
 
.Rossi said:
Read in the latest issue of UWS that he WAS going to be dropped against Everton but, LvG went against the idea as he thinks he's a great captain, who gives the team something extra just by his presence in the line up.....
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how do they know stuff like this though, the staff are leaks now? if so it would be common knowledge throughout the squad if the captain was about to be dropped
 
clarkydaz said:
how do they know stuff like this though, the staff are leaks now? if so it would be common knowledge throughout the squad if the captain was about to be dropped
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I don't know but, they've been pretty much spot on with a lot of stuff the last few years now.

Also, as someone else pointed out on here, there were a lot of missing players at Rooney's birthday party. Obviously it's easy to read what you want into a situation though
 
Anyone else dreaming that he's rested tonight, Martial leads an exciting and dynamic line that scores 4 in the first hour before Rooney is given a run out on the 70th minute and it all turns to tumescent shite.... and the penny finally drops.
 
Alan McInally just said we definitely still need to start Rooney as he's our best player.

Pundits don't think before they speak do they?
 
It's bizarre how they build these England players up as kids, knock them down as soon as they do something wrong or don't perform as they should and then when they hit a certain age they become untouchable and enjoy a huge amount of media protection.


It's backwards. They should be protecting the young players while the senior players should be accountable for their performances.
 
At this rate we'll soon see Rooney in goal so DDG better watch out.
 
When he is dropped and he will be dropped, no one will have the opportunity to say that LVG didn't gave him a fair chance.
 
Herrera dropped ahead of Rooney. SHOCKING. Its beyond a joke now, it really is.

feck off LVG.
 
Pexbo said:
....and all will be forgotten.

That'll show everyone. Cue media gushing.
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The only way that he vindicates this start is if he genuinely has a very good all around performance. Don't even care about goals from him. We just need to see if he can actually play well and actually justify his untouchable status.
 
Not as bad as usual, which is something I guess.
 
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