I didn't think he was bad in the second half. First half I thought quite a few were shite, including Rooney. I can guarantee that if he isn't playing, and we are losing, the caf match day thread will be screaming for him to come on.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 41
- Goals
- 15
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 5
- Status
He only looked slightly better in the second and that was only because we were winning and in control so he could drop into the centre backs and pass it out to the right without any pressure. But in terms contributing to the game he was a huge negative.
How long will this last? LVG was visibly upset with him today, surely we can't sustain these shite performances every week.
Shite.
Didn't fumble the ball as many times in the second half, but he is so slow and tumescent in his decision-making when he's given space and time in the ball that Southampton didn't really need to force errors from him. Easier to just relax and conserve energy when he's on the ball. He doesn't do anything either way.
Stunk out the place yet again, just like he as in all the other Premier League games he's played this season.
Stunk out the place yet again, just like he as in all the other Premier League games he's played this season.
Absolutely coasted through that and it annoys me because I know he's capable of more. Where's the drive to get on the ball and make things happen? He was content to hang around in the midfield area passing the ball negatively. He also said he would accept the responsibility of scoring goals for us this season. Well i'm not seeing that hunger to get up there and score.
No shots, no key passes, no threat to speak of.
No shots, no key passes, no threat to speak of.
A little bit better in the second half but still our worst player today. I don't even think it matters where you play him either- start him as a 9 and he drops deep anyway and shirks responsibility, play him as a 10 and he's just... anonymous. Now that Martial is obviously going to be starting in the CF role for the foreseeable future, him playing 10 means someone like Herrera has to be benched which is unfair. I didn't see it but apparently van Gaal gave him a telling off so we'll see how long he's allowed to keep playing at this standard before LVG loses patience and he's finally dropped.
That's part of the problem really. I expect more than "did little wrong". Particularly from our captain and senior most player.
I'd love to see a gif of that. Everyone here was saying how LVG was shouting at him.
The most worrying thing is how physically shot he looks. He not only looks like he's running through treacle, but he also gets out-muscled and out-fought on a regular basis.
I think he's lost his fire. He probably thinks he has nothing left to prove and no critics left to answer. If I were manager I'd drop him for 3-4 weeks and hope it gives him a kick up the backside.
I think he's lost his fire. He probably thinks he has nothing left to prove and no critics left to answer. If I were manager I'd drop him for 3-4 weeks and hope it gives him a kick up the backside.
I thought this was the case when Van Persie was here and we bought Mata.
I think I have low expectations of him, but I thought he was okay today in the 2nd half. He's better when he does the simpler things.
He looks awful physically which is the worrying part. There was a point in the 2nd half when the ball was close to going out and Rooney just took it out of play trying to "accelerate".
Now starting to actually get worried. His performances are consistently bad and its obvious that he is physically not up to it.
You could see Blind lay into him once when he once again just refused to turn and look up with the ball and passed it back. Does little wrong say his believers, does very little that warrants a start I'd say.
Played much deeper than a traditional 10. And in the second half, I thought he did okay. Basically performed a similar role to Schweinsteiger in receiving and recycling the ball, and helping us to control the game (only one's getting slaughtered for it, and one's getting praised to the heavens).
But yes, the urgency does seem to be lacking in his play at the moment. There were a number of times he received the ball on the edge of the box. The Rooney of old would've been looking to get a shot off or surge forward. This Rooney just laid it off.
Has seemed strangely subdued for a while now, and you do expect a bit more from him.
But yes, the urgency does seem to be lacking in his play at the moment. There were a number of times he received the ball on the edge of the box. The Rooney of old would've been looking to get a shot off or surge forward. This Rooney just laid it off.
Has seemed strangely subdued for a while now, and you do expect a bit more from him.
Rooney's stats today:
Shots: 0 Goals: 0 Assists: 0 Passes: 50/56 - 36 back/square Chances created: 0 Crosses: 0 Take-ons: 1
Shots: 0 Goals: 0 Assists: 0 Passes: 50/56 - 36 back/square Chances created: 0 Crosses: 0 Take-ons: 1
First half he was off the pace, as were the whole team, but much more involved in the game in the second half.
Think Van Gaal will want him to play a lot closer to Martial, with Mata taking up the 10 position when drifting inside, but because we weren't getting the ball to him in the first half, he obviously felt the need to search for the ball.
Think Van Gaal will want him to play a lot closer to Martial, with Mata taking up the 10 position when drifting inside, but because we weren't getting the ball to him in the first half, he obviously felt the need to search for the ball.
Today was the biggest indicator of a situation whereby Rooney is completely undroppable.
He's just come back from injury and was clearly not fit. His statistics may be fine looking back at this but his actual use of the ball was awful. He was the catalyst for a lot of Southampton's attacks early on and the more we ignored him the better we were. In fact, the game span on it's head when Mata drifted infield and did Rooney's job for him.
On that note, you can forgive him for today. But it's not been about today. We've been witnessing this and have been the victim of it for the past 18-24 months truth be told. Fergie was right and it's time to wake up to it.
At half time I wrote this and it's still the same. It's always been the case in 2015 and has been the case more often than not since Fergie dropped him for Welbeck vs Real.
We're carrying him and playing with 10 men. If we ignore him toward the end of an attacking phase, our probability of scoring is greatly increased. If we include him, our probability of scoring is greatly reduced. It's that simple.
He should be starting in the cups and coming from the bench for the forseeable future. He won't. This discussion will be had every week till the long process of finally clearing him off our books is done.
Roll on that day.
He's just come back from injury and was clearly not fit. His statistics may be fine looking back at this but his actual use of the ball was awful. He was the catalyst for a lot of Southampton's attacks early on and the more we ignored him the better we were. In fact, the game span on it's head when Mata drifted infield and did Rooney's job for him.
On that note, you can forgive him for today. But it's not been about today. We've been witnessing this and have been the victim of it for the past 18-24 months truth be told. Fergie was right and it's time to wake up to it.
At half time I wrote this and it's still the same. It's always been the case in 2015 and has been the case more often than not since Fergie dropped him for Welbeck vs Real.
We're carrying him and playing with 10 men. If we ignore him toward the end of an attacking phase, our probability of scoring is greatly increased. If we include him, our probability of scoring is greatly reduced. It's that simple.
He should be starting in the cups and coming from the bench for the forseeable future. He won't. This discussion will be had every week till the long process of finally clearing him off our books is done.
Roll on that day.
The only reason he didn't do anything wrong is because he just didn't do anything at all.
Didn't think he was good at all today. I think he needs dropping for a few games. We would be much better with Herrera in behind the striker.
Didn't notice him much. I'm not sure what role he should be in, he didn't offer a great deal.
Bit of a nothing game from him today. He very rarely looks like a goal threat these days.
Absolute pointless today.
Hardly in the game and when he was, it was frustrating. LVG furious with him.... wonder how long he's going to be an automatic starter...? Just not there physically or mentally.
Thanks for that mate. Hadn't seen them. Assumed the percentage completed would be fairly high but the use of it was often negative to an attacking phase.
He'll continue to be selected as LVG is dependent on playing him back into form. We can't just rely on Martial even if he has been excellent so far.
This is exactly why I was so frustrated that the attack wasn't our focus for the window gone.
This is exactly why I was so frustrated that the attack wasn't our focus for the window gone.
I'm finding myself willing the ball to reach anyone bit him at times lately.
Haha!
Don't know how he didn't get subbed. He's very disappointing now
I'm actually starting to doubt that he'll get Charlton's record. Bar the match against Brugge, he's looked nothing at all like scoring this season, and it's a trend that goes further back than that as well. Looking more and more like a Torres for every match that goes by.
LVG will shift him when the season ends, I can see it happening.
He looks like RvP last season, physically his edge is blunted, no acceleration, no strength on the ball and he offers nothing in a role that is supposed to be the creative hub as he can't turn with it and drive and he doesn't see the little slide passes needed in that position. Not a #9 or #10 at this point, just a wage thief.
Silent domination?
Only scored in one game so far and that was by far the weakest side we've played. He won't have a better chance than Sunderland at OT next week though, I think he'll get a goal then and hopefully it will change things for him.
No problem with a player that's coming back from injury. Fits in the style of play for LVG.....
I've lost count of of times he messed up our attack going forward this season. Seems like he really is finished.
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