[Rhyme Animal]

Seriously though - is Rooney on some sort of medication or something? I mean he just looks to have lost all his co-ordination? I don't know how to explain it. I understand he's not as fit as he could be - but it just looks like something more. Like he's suffering from the side effects of diazepam or something. I find it a bit weird to be honest.

I've read people saying that if you have a hair transplant you have to take hormones or something for the hair transplant to work, and that this genuinely effects your physical state.

I have no idea if that's valid, but I remember someone on here was convinced that's what happened to Rooney, as his decline gradually begins right after the hair transplant.

 

[izec]

He is on Finasteride to grow his hair back. That explains it.

 

[peridigm]

You guys should be delighted he played the full 90 mins today. I don't see him starting at the weekend now and Jose has a valid excuse.

I could swear I heard Tyler state it was already decided he wouldn't play against Leicester. Delighted if true but how the feck would he know that?

In regards to what Wayne is good at. List all things he is good at. Now list all positions he is good at playing. I bet we have someone in the squad that can better him at both.

 

[JackXX]

fecking hell .

 

[Big Ben Foster]

I've read people saying that if you have a hair transplant you have to take hormones or something for the hair transplant to work, and that this genuinely effects your physical state.

I have no idea if that's valid, but I remember someone on here was convinced that's what happened to Rooney, as his decline gradually begins right after the hair transplant.

I don't buy it. The season after his hair transplant was arguably his best season for us.

 

[Gazza]

You guys should be delighted he played the full 90 mins today. I don't see him starting at the weekend now and Jose has a valid excuse.

"You guys"

You mean United fans? Or only the ones with an anti-Rooney agenda?

 

[Bastian]

Poses such a conundrum that there's a hair transplant side effects theory going round

 

[NinjaZombie]

That was it, that was his chance. Jose giving him a go as the No 9 against a League 1 outfit, no excuses, ''score goals lad or you're out'' was the message. He was garbage, he won't play next game.
I would be fecking astonished if Jose picks him, fecking staggered.

I think the playing time contract talk is crazy but I'd find it hard to completely count it out if he starts against Leicester.

 

[bubbles_]

If there was some bizarre kind of playing time clause in the contract how would it be enforced?

If Rooney was suddenly dropped what could he plausibly do? Sue the club? I'm working on the assumption that such a clause exists because there is simply no other excuse for his inclusion nearly every game for the past 4 years.

 

[izec]

I don't buy it. The season after his hair transplant was arguably his best season for us.

It is not impossible. He made a hair transplant and didnt take the pills, maybe he thought he could keep his hair longer. Once his hair status got worse, he took them. Side effects are real, just type in finasteride side effects on google. A professional footballer could never keep a top level taking these pills.

 

[lem8sh]

There's 2 passes from Blind to Rooney at 40:10 and 40:29 both received well

2 passes rolled into his feet than any pub player would control, this is what it has become.

 

[shamans]

Alright guys, as you all know I've been a big fan of Rooney. Even though I've been accused of blindly defending him I never though that was the case and I still think that some of criticism past 3 years has been too much.

However, I am starting to see he simply has to be dropped now. I personally don't understand how a player who was one (imo) worldclass can lost their touch and finishing ability like that. It's honestly depressing. I always think of Rooney as a club legend. I hope he does break the record somehow but for now he does not deserve a starting place.

In my mind I knew he had declined but did not believe even his finishing had declined so much. I still wish people would stop being so degrading regarding him and be a bit more respectful. Over the years he has worked his socks off for us and one thing I still believe is he always gives his absolute best on the pitch. Unfortunately it's not enough anymore.

I still have hope. Maybe drop him for a month or two, see him rejuvenate and come back with a better impact for the second half of the season? Idk. Likely something that has to be figured out later. First step is no more Rooney in the team

 

[Gazza]

Got to say, it's pretty remarkable/ridiculous how quickly some of you lot have changed your tune about Rooney shamans, having been so forthright in how people on here were on some kind of agenda against Rooney. Fair play for fronting up though.

 

[Seij]

Either that or you have Phil 'breaks bones' Jones man mark him for an hour in training.

What's that going to do other than taking Jones out for another 3 months?

 

[WPMUFC]

The saboteur in fine form.

He ran around the pitch last night doing feck all. Carrick steps into the side and is automatically a better midfielder than rooney, Herrera steps into the side, is automatically a better attacking threat than him (even if he's just ok/good overall), rashford subs on and actually provides goals rooney can't.

There is no place for rooney in this side. You expect ok/good players to play well against lesser opposition, rooney proves he can't even turn up a passable performance against northampton.

 

[Baxter]

He's absolutely fecking shite.

 

[shamans]

Got to say, it's pretty remarkable/ridiculous how quickly some of you lot have changed your tune about Rooney shamans, having been so forthright in how people on here were on some kind of agenda against Rooney. Fair play for fronting up though.

Agendas do exist. Yeah he needs to be dropped now but I maintain there were times when he had good/decent games and people thought he was terrible. Also stuff like that gif in which he passed the ball to zlatan instead of pogba and people slaughtered him for it.

 

[bosnian_red]

He looks like hes a year away from retiring really. Needs to lose 10-15lbs at least if he wants to prolong his career, as he just looks so heavy on the pitch always and he can't adjust to get his touch right, or anything. So slow on the turn, heavy footed, slow to adjust to a ball slightly out of reach, slow to react. Its his fitness which I think is dragging every part of his game back, and making him look hardly championship standard. Should be nowhere near the team as it is. Its a shame, as he will go down as a club legend, but he is just a terrible footballer these days.

Actually looking at the individual highlights of a standard game of his in 2009/10 when he was at his prime for me, its staggering to think its the same player. Just look at how lean he looks first of all, has to be like twice the size these days. Then his touch being sharp, quick movement, agile, powerful, hungry, and just a huge threat every time he got the ball. Also not afraid to use either foot unlike these days

 

[Bobcat]

There's 2 passes from Blind to Rooney at 40:10 and 40:29 both received well

Still even...that moment at 40:10, where he gets a nice pass from Blind in a good position. A good player would have driven forward, looking to create something dangerous, not balloon it across the pitch

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Poses such a conundrum that there's a hair transplant side effects theory going round

Seen it all on here now, a player has lost football ability because of a hair transplant. Modern footballers

 

[Bobcat]

Alright guys, as you all know I've been a big fan of Rooney. Even though I've been accused of blindly defending him I never though that was the case and I still think that some of criticism past 3 years has been too much.

However, I am starting to see he simply has to be dropped now. I personally don't understand how a player who was one (imo) worldclass can lost their touch and finishing ability like that. It's honestly depressing. I always think of Rooney as a club legend. I hope he does break the record somehow but for now he does not deserve a starting place.

In my mind I knew he had declined but did not believe even his finishing had declined so much. I still wish people would stop being so degrading regarding him and be a bit more respectful. Over the years he has worked his socks off for us and one thing I still believe is he always gives his absolute best on the pitch. Unfortunately it's not enough anymore.

I still have hope. Maybe drop him for a month or two, see him rejuvenate and come back with a better impact for the second half of the season? Idk. Likely something that has to be figured out later. First step is no more Rooney in the team

Fair play to you. Football is all about feelings, and it often leads to irrational thoughts. He is a club legend and one of the best player to ever play for us, which is why it's so hard to accept that it's over. When Jose arrived i hoped he could breathe some new life into him and maybe we could get the old Rooney back, but it would seem that's not possible

On why hes declined so badly it's hard to say. He has played a tremendous amount of football for a player his age, and it has without a doubt taken a toll on him. On why people has been degrading? Well as i said football is feelings and i have to admit, he has pissed me off to no end the last couple of years with his performances.

 

[montpelier]

He did make a big contribution to winning the Cup Final out of sheer bloody mindedness.

But the pace is gone & the rebound he controlled out of play last night is telling me his touch/reflexes have deserted the scene, too. Just because time was, he'd have been reacting quick enough to take that ball in without even thinking about it. He might flick the occasional clever little pass away but is mainly trying to get away from the tight areas where he's closely marked as much as possible. And the shooting is awry too. Like they said about Gerrard stopping thrashing in the long range goals.

We are stuck with him for the season barring a shock January move to somewhere lucrative.

 

[iKeano]

He did make a big contribution to winning the Cup Final out of sheer bloody mindedness.

But the pace is gone & the rebound he controlled out of play last night is telling me his touch/reflexes have deserted the scene, too. Just because time was, he'd have been reacting quick enough to take that ball in without even thinking about it. He might flick the occasional clever little pass away but is mainly trying to get away from the tight areas where he's closely marked as much as possible. And the shooting is awry too. Like they said about Gerrard stopping thrashing in the long range goals.

We are stuck with him for the season barring a shock January move to somewhere lucrative.

Anderson scored a penalty in Moscow...

Rooney is beyond past it.

Come in China.... Do you read me...?

 

[Adam-Utd]

He did make a big contribution to winning the Cup Final out of sheer bloody mindedness.

But the pace is gone & the rebound he controlled out of play last night is telling me his touch/reflexes have deserted the scene, too. Just because time was, he'd have been reacting quick enough to take that ball in without even thinking about it. He might flick the occasional clever little pass away but is mainly trying to get away from the tight areas where he's closely marked as much as possible. And the shooting is awry too. Like they said about Gerrard stopping thrashing in the long range goals.

We are stuck with him for the season barring a shock January move to somewhere lucrative.

The most annoying point for me was in the first half, he made a decent run to the byline and had ages to control the ball and drive into the box or pick out a pass. Somehow he just miscontrolled it and it went out for a goal kick!?!! things like that just happen far too frequently these days.

 

[montpelier]

The most annoying point for me was in the first half, he made a decent run to the byline and had ages to control the ball and drive into the box or pick out a pass. Somehow he just miscontrolled it and it went out for a goal kick!?!! things like that just happen far too frequently these days.

Aye, I think that's the one I mean, we lost it & then some rebound goes back to him & he shins it out of play, & looks particularly frustrated.

 

[coolredwine]

The most annoying point for me was in the first half, he made a decent run to the byline and had ages to control the ball and drive into the box or pick out a pass. Somehow he just miscontrolled it and it went out for a goal kick!?!! things like that just happen far too frequently these days.

The same thing happened against Watford as well. I am not surprised anymore. He is a sunday league footballer these days, earning 300k pw.

 

[redflash]

I had a thought today that it can't just be politics keeping him in the team. Surely even the corporate guys at the club can see how poor he's playing currently.

But could it be that he's brilliant in training every day??? Could it be that he is just styling to translate that to good match performances.

Highly unlikely I suspect but I'm genuinely baffled as to how (at one of the biggest clubs in the world) he's not been hooked even just for a period to take him out of the firing line. I mean the current situation can't be good for anyone?

Could all the faith that is seemingly being put in him be managers setting him still brilliant in training and going he will play his way into form?

The whole thing just confuses me

 

[Gatti33]

If there was some bizarre kind of playing time clause in the contract how would it be enforced?

If Rooney was suddenly dropped what could he plausibly do? Sue the club? I'm working on the assumption that such a clause exists because there is simply no other excuse for his inclusion nearly every game for the past 4 years.

My theory is if he's fit and eligible to play but is dropped United have to pay him a fee, probably something extortionate, each time that happens. Similar to an appearance fee but in reverse.

 

[coolredwine]

My theory is if he's fit and eligible to play but is dropped United have to pay him a fee, probably something extortionate, each time that happens. Similar to an appearance fee but in reverse.

We'd be very, very stupid to do that. And if this were true, it means the club has decided to bend down in front of him and suck his cock. Also, feck Moyes.

 

[Pexbo]

When we signed a deal with Rooney, Stratford came out and said that it's a revolutionary, dynamic contract whereby United not only own a large percentage of Rooney's image rights but also manage them with our PR division. This means that the any time we improve the performance of his image rights we make a healthy profit from it - and so does he.


Does any one else see the issue there? United as a holding company is contractually obliged to look after the performance of Rooney's image rights. Does that not mean that by dropping and marginalising him we are actively detrimenting the performance of those image rights? A possible breach of contract? Negligence?

 

[montpelier]

Top theories I'm reading here.

1) - He's so brilliant in training, he just has to start.
2) - Benching the £300,000 a week man would would cost us more than we can afford

Keep 'em coming, these are great. Unlikely I would think, but very good.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Got to say, it's pretty remarkable/ridiculous how quickly some of you lot have changed your tune about Rooney shamans, having been so forthright in how people on here were on some kind of agenda against Rooney. Fair play for fronting up though.

Yeah I'd agree with this.

It was only a few days ago that the same posters were still calling anyone critical of Rooney a "hater" or biased or whatever.

I suppose he's been so terrible the last two games even they can't defend him anymore.

 

[montpelier]

Yeah, that's fair. Watford was some sort of tipping point for me, certainly. His game isn't coming back now. Doesn't really do the looking fitter/refreshed after a rest either does he?

 

[Dobbs]

Got to say, it's pretty remarkable/ridiculous how quickly some of you lot have changed your tune about Rooney shamans, having been so forthright in how people on here were on some kind of agenda against Rooney. Fair play for fronting up though.

Yeah I'd agree with this.

It was only a few days ago that the same posters were still calling anyone critical of Rooney a "hater" or biased or whatever.

I suppose he's been so terrible the last two games even they can't defend him anymore.

Yeah I've said the same.

Our opinion of Rooney is at least based upon months and years of watching poor form. Up until two weeks these guys were pretty happy with him. Now they want him bombed out of the team. That's all it took, two weeks.

They've turned out to be the biggest haters of them all. Irony at its best.

 

[montpelier]

Showing faith & trying really hard to put off the inevitable just a little bit is to be admired, imo. Also got something of the 'TopRed' involved in it too, .

Premature naysaying & then giving it the full gun 'we told you so' are not attractive characteristics. But yeah, you were right if it makes you feel better.

We're all on the same page now though, which is great stuff, obviously.

Anyone got any contacts in China?

 

[The Man Himself]

Anyone got any contacts in China?

Donald Trump should be your go to guy for this.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

Actually looking at the individual highlights of a standard game of his in 2009/10 when he was at his prime for me, its staggering to think its the same player. Just look at how lean he looks first of all, has to be like twice the size these days. Then his touch being sharp, quick movement, agile, powerful, hungry, and just a huge threat every time he got the ball. Also not afraid to use either foot unlike these days

You can see in that clip though, that even during his peak years his touch was often very heavy and he would make up for it by outrunning the opponent to retrieve the ball.

Likewise, his method of beating an opponent was basically 'kick and rush', you see this numerous times in that clip.

Add 6 years to the player in that clip, and those technical limitations become more and more obvious, and that's where we are now.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

Showing faith & trying really hard to put off the inevitable just a little bit is to be admired, imo. Also got something of the 'TopRed' involved in it too, .

Premature naysaying & then giving it the full gun 'we told you so' are not attractive characteristics. But yeah, you were right if it makes you feel better.

We're all on the same page now though, which is great stuff, obviously.

Anyone got any contacts in China?

It's hard not to be a bit " SEE I TOLD YOU HE WAS SHIT" about it just because it seemed so obvious to me and yet so many people refused to believe it.

That said you're right, it doesn't matter now. Everyone is in agreement that he needs to be dropped.

 

[berbatrick]

He looks like hes a year away from retiring really. Needs to lose 10-15lbs at least if he wants to prolong his career, as he just looks so heavy on the pitch always and he can't adjust to get his touch right, or anything. So slow on the turn, heavy footed, slow to adjust to a ball slightly out of reach, slow to react. Its his fitness which I think is dragging every part of his game back, and making him look hardly championship standard. Should be nowhere near the team as it is. Its a shame, as he will go down as a club legend, but he is just a terrible footballer these days.

Actually looking at the individual highlights of a standard game of his in 2009/10 when he was at his prime for me, its staggering to think its the same player. Just look at how lean he looks first of all, has to be like twice the size these days. Then his touch being sharp, quick movement, agile, powerful, hungry, and just a huge threat every time he got the ball. Also not afraid to use either foot unlike these days

I remember that game, he went into beast-mode after the red card.

 

[Stactix]

Rooneys been pretty poor for around 3 years.
I recall the first half of last season.. him being a complete liability & hinderance to the team.
Then he was very good for half a dozen games in Jan.

Being the captain, one of the highest paid players in the world.
He shouldn't get away with 'poor performances' deemed as good performances.
if he makes very few mistakes but has no shots / no chances created.
He has not had a good performance ffs.


His performance should be based on what he's achieved. Has he ran the show, caused the opponents constant problems, created chances galore?
When could you last say he had a match where he completely dominated.