This. Deserves it own thread, to be fair. Great achievement.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 41
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
This. Deserves it own thread, to be fair. Great achievement.
Unnecessary.
I've said I will credit Rooney when he plays well. The problem is his level has been so low (not even Championship level) that people immediately think any game in which he isn't disastrous to our attacks and scores a goal (created by his team) that he's deserving of a solid score out of 10. Sorry, his level is still too low. He needs to improve. I hope he improves and proves he is still a world class player.
My observations of his game tonight were that he switched the play relatively well at times, although he's too deep and too static much of the time as the 10. This is caused by the fact his legs aren't willing any more. There's an example towards the end of the game where he could have attacked the space down the wing but instead he turned back inside, choosing to come to a standstill. The Rooney of old would have attacked there, for sure. A couple of his touches in and around the box were decent, and he did well not to let his head drop after he missed a sitter, but these very fleeting moments of quality are still so far between when the general play is so sloppy. He absolutely did give the ball away leading to one of the only counterattacks CSKA Moscow had, and that was not the only time but is the one that stands out in my recollection of the game.
In my opinion, the level is too low for a Manchester United player. You were happy with him today. OK.
Wayne deserves a lot credit for scoring the match-winner.
That said, while he was absolutely improved off his horrid recent performances he was nowhere near the level he should be at. He's lost his explosiveness (no news flash here) and has no ability to beat a defender on the dribble or to be first to the ball.
On the play that resulted in the Rooney goal, watch the defender. He completely switched off and Wayne was wide open for the easy header from 6 yards out. Still, he knew where to be exactly at the right time from the fantastic volley cross by Lingard.
But there is no way any of us can be happy with his overall play today, even while conceding that he scored the match-winner. He has work to do to get back to an acceptable level of play for an attacking player of a top four club. Let's hope Louis can solve the mystery of how to help Rooney find that form.
That said, while he was absolutely improved off his horrid recent performances he was nowhere near the level he should be at. He's lost his explosiveness (no news flash here) and has no ability to beat a defender on the dribble or to be first to the ball.
On the play that resulted in the Rooney goal, watch the defender. He completely switched off and Wayne was wide open for the easy header from 6 yards out. Still, he knew where to be exactly at the right time from the fantastic volley cross by Lingard.
But there is no way any of us can be happy with his overall play today, even while conceding that he scored the match-winner. He has work to do to get back to an acceptable level of play for an attacking player of a top four club. Let's hope Louis can solve the mystery of how to help Rooney find that form.
He was very good today. Pulled the strings in the final third and was involved most of our good play. Some fantastic one-touch passes as well. Rumours of his demise were greatly exaggerated.
He only needs 12 more I think could be wrong but I believe he will.
Last edited:
14 more, it's going to be close. If he's shipped out next summer he won't do it IMO. But now that I really think about it I don't think there's any chance of him leaving the club.
12 more is it not?
Sir Bobby had 249 and Wayne has 237 so we're both wrong, it's 13 more.
He scored cos he got the taste of scoring from that open net one where the crowd sarcastically cheered 
Agreed, it's not hard for him to be a bit better than he's been but it was against a team that put zero pressure on the ball, unlike PL teams. The fact is that as long as he remains a started for us we wont be serious contenders for the PL or CL.
I think he snatched at it with his left foot because the defender was about to make a tackle. Rooney definitely could have done better, but it wasn't an easy chance.
Yeah, there was like 2 right after each other. On one he played that really nice pass through to lingard which drew a good save, and the other he seemed set up for a shot similar to how he scored that winner vs Milan in the semi's back in 2007, but he just pulled it back to nobody. Today was very encouraging though as it showed if we play with a bit of pace and width, he can still show he is a good player. Just needs more confidence and to get more anger in his shots like he used to instead of always trying to play the killer pass or finesse it in.
Also maybe I'm being overly optimistic, but this was genuinely the first time where I've felt like it could be a turning point for Rooney to kick start a good run of form. Sure he scored a hat trick against Brugges, but everyone knew they were pretty shite and it was a really easy game. His goal vs Sunderland was just him bundling it in, and then he scored vs Ipswich in the capital one cup so barely mattered. Everton was pretty good but still just didn't have that feeling like he would kick on from there. This was his first all around performance where he looked like a good player at all. Good link up play, good vision to play good passes, looked dangerous, scored a goal. We'll see, but hopefully I'm not wrong and he kicks on because it'd be a huge boost to have him in even decent form.
Last edited:
He wasn't good Pogue. He still looks off the mark. A couple of his one-twos where completely mistimed. He was slow, wasn't very aware of his surroundings. He had a positive spell of about 5 minutes but rest of the game he was bad-to-average.
His long-range passing was very good. It was a better performance but that was also because he wasn't playing as the furthest man up the pitch. He can find form as a #10 but he's not good enough to be a striker anymore.
I thought he was less frustrating than Lingard overall but in hindsight Lingard was starting for his 2nd time or so and was probably instructed to take so many runs so he gets a pass. Rooney hasn't got any goodwill left this season. In order for him to get people off his back he has to do more than be slightly better than what he's usually shown this season. The goal should help with that.
I thought he started the game really well, was probably our best player for the opening half hour and then faded.
Like everyone else I thought he was sloppy in the 2nd half and although the chance he missed may not have been quite as easy as it first looked, it was still a poor effort and a good example of how he just seems to have lost a step. He was caught flat footed.
Still, he took his goal well and I think performances like tonight are probably as good as we're going to get from him. I'd give him 6.5/10, his best non brugge performance of the season.
Like everyone else I thought he was sloppy in the 2nd half and although the chance he missed may not have been quite as easy as it first looked, it was still a poor effort and a good example of how he just seems to have lost a step. He was caught flat footed.
Still, he took his goal well and I think performances like tonight are probably as good as we're going to get from him. I'd give him 6.5/10, his best non brugge performance of the season.
No surprise Martial has an average game with world class wayne at the 10 position. RVP suffered in the past because of it and he will going forward.
Well-taken goal today, and an overall slightly better performance from him.
Hopefully he can carry it on into the weekend against West Brom.
Hopefully he can carry it on into the weekend against West Brom.
Remind me who played the most games at number 10 in the one great season RVP actually had for us.
Remind me who assisted the most goals (10) for RVP during his spell here as well.
I thought he was decent today, got to praise the man when he gets it right, right?
Doesn't make up for how shite he has been overall, but i hope this goal will give him some confidence going forward, we need Rooney to score us goals this season.
Doesn't make up for how shite he has been overall, but i hope this goal will give him some confidence going forward, we need Rooney to score us goals this season.
You'd think so, wouldn't you?
His touch for definitely better today.
I'm still not remotely confident that he's turned a corner. with his stature in the game and hefty wages today's performance should surely be one of his poorer performances. the fact that it's being praised as one of his best performances (which it actually is and I'll give rooney credit) is probably more damning towards him because our expectation of his performances over the years has dropped like a rock.
also you'd think if goals help boost his confidence he would've kicked on from the hat trick against brugge, goal vs everton, etc. which never happened after any of those games.
Last edited:
I'd agree with this. He was ok but the standard has been set so low with him that an ok performance gets praised (which is understandable).
There are definitely a few agenda posters when it comes to Rooney. It's frustrating because people should at least try and have a balanced view. He'll play poorly again soon and they everyone can criticise him. He was decent-good in the CSKA match though. Doesn't deserve some of the stuff in here.
In RVP's great season here Rooney managed 4 assists from his 30 goals, 1 was from a set peice and the one against Villa was him playing in CM not as a 10. He played plenty of games in CM and was eventually dropped al together from the side with Welbeck being used at 10 which led to his supposed transfer request.
His best game of the season.
Rooney was very good in the first 15-20 min, then slumped into mediocrity for the rest of the first half. He started the second half well and delivered a great ball for Rojo. Then he became average again and made a bad miss from Mata's pass. Then scored with a nice goal and created a very good chance for Lingard. He didn't finish the game brilliantly but that was a decent performance overall with some excellent moments. Hopefully, he can keep this level of performances at least for a month or two before inevitably losing form again.
Generally, the pattern of his form this season has been two steps back, one forward. The step forward keeps alive the hope that he's going just through a bad patch of form and will soon be Rooney of old.
Generally, the pattern of his form this season has been two steps back, one forward. The step forward keeps alive the hope that he's going just through a bad patch of form and will soon be Rooney of old.
See I think that's fair. Just goes to show that even one of his harshest critics can acknowledge an improved performance when it happens. Puts the earlier laughable comments about "3/10 performance" into perspective.
Thought he was actually good last night. Showed a number of really nice touches although he did muck up a number of 1-2 opportunities and plays. Did well to get the goal so I hope it builds his confidence. Definitely thrived when we played the ball a lot quicker.
I hope he builds on it in our domestic games.
I hope he builds on it in our domestic games.
3/10 is just being spiteful, 6 is perfectly fair. Although the fact so many of is are happy with a 6/10 tells it's own story
Played well I thought - and it's no coincidence that he was up front with a partner in Martial. Not a great game, but a lot of improvement over what we've seen this season.
Yeah, true. It should be bit of a "meh" performance, despite the goal. The fact it's up there with his best of the season is a problem.
Still, the 3/10 stuff is ludicrous. Biased fools. Can't see what's happening in front of their own eyes.
Played better but there were still worrying signs. One goal doesn't answer critics or change things but it's a step in the right direction. Next three games against West Brom, Watford and PSV should be good games for him to build on it.
I think the problem is he's lost his acceleration, which means his touch need to be that much more perfect, if not he'll lose the ball since he plays in crowded areas. This is also why he seems so ponderous when put through, he overthinks his touches because he knows he'll be caught unless the touches are perfect. His instincts, always a big strength, are put out of the equation.
And we all know that for all his obvious quality throughout his career, his first touch has never been a strength. Then the resulting performances has slammed his confidence and we're basically seeing a horrible player as a result.
He was fine yesterday, not going to criticise that performance, but there was precious little to suggest to me that was the start of a great run of form, as explained by the above.
And we all know that for all his obvious quality throughout his career, his first touch has never been a strength. Then the resulting performances has slammed his confidence and we're basically seeing a horrible player as a result.
He was fine yesterday, not going to criticise that performance, but there was precious little to suggest to me that was the start of a great run of form, as explained by the above.
Didn't see first half, so can comment only second. IMO he did good, not great, not brilliant, certainly not 3/10 performance, but good. Apart from scoring the winner, he did setup Lingard with the chance and had a several moments in which he held ball well or gave teammates good pass. But he did miss sitter provided by Mata, lost ball few times so overall I think he did about 6,5 or pushed 7 for the winner he scored. Hope he builds on that and stops with horror shows he's been serving us this season!
One of his better performances of the season. 6/10.
Love that celebration.
Thought he was pretty good in the first half to be fair, no, not creating God knows what but definitely energetic and involved, something that lacked recently and he didn't do any blunders which was a big plus. Second half he's turned into old Rooney for me though, looked bad most of the time, that miss when Mata squared it to him was embarrassing but he redeemed himself with that goal so credit where it's due.
Some highs and lows yesterday but Overall decent Performance.
The Goal showed he still has got the power. Hope he can Keep on improving.
The Goal showed he still has got the power. Hope he can Keep on improving.
- Status