You're right that Lingard doesn't belong in our first team, but neither does Rooney. Arguing whether Rooney is better than Lingard is as pointless as arguing whether Ashley Young is better than Depay. Bottom line is there's vast room for improvement on both and we should be looking to replace them in the summer.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 10
- Yellow cards
- 8
- Status
I think I'd take just about any number 10 in our squad over him right now.
Mata, Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Herrera, Lingard, Fellaini, Depay and Martial would almost certaintly do a better job behind the striker.
Rooney has lost everything that made him great. The explosiveness, the fire in his belly and especially his shooting. What's happened him? It's gone beyond "poor form" for me. He has been shite since Fergie's last season. Even though he raked up the numbers in the Moyes season, the majority of his goals were free kicks back then. It's just frustrating watching him these days. It's a miracle that he even does the basics right sometimes.
I don't even think I'm being harsh on the guy either. He's obviously a legend at this club. Nobody can take his legacy away from him. He's won it all. But like all the greats, he needs to bow out or take a paycut and make the odd sub appearances like Scholes/Giggs did.
Mata, Mkhitaryan, Pogba, Herrera, Lingard, Fellaini, Depay and Martial would almost certaintly do a better job behind the striker.
Rooney has lost everything that made him great. The explosiveness, the fire in his belly and especially his shooting. What's happened him? It's gone beyond "poor form" for me. He has been shite since Fergie's last season. Even though he raked up the numbers in the Moyes season, the majority of his goals were free kicks back then. It's just frustrating watching him these days. It's a miracle that he even does the basics right sometimes.
I don't even think I'm being harsh on the guy either. He's obviously a legend at this club. Nobody can take his legacy away from him. He's won it all. But like all the greats, he needs to bow out or take a paycut and make the odd sub appearances like Scholes/Giggs did.
When you start defending Rooney's touch and bring in Pogba's, its time to give up my friend.
Also your headless chicken has better output to show than your footballer this season. So time to revise tags.
Anyone reckon the Napoli rumours are true? That we'd offered him to them before the window closed?
No, arn't most Italian clubs really stingy with their money, i suppose we could of offered to pay like half his fee
One of Rooney's problems is that, throughout his career, he's needed runs in the team to hit top form. Even at his peak, when he'd come back from injury he'd look really rusty for a few games. That makes me think that the way we used Giggs towards the end of his career (basically having lots of cameos) isn't going to work for Rooney. I personally don't buy that he cant play good football again. However Im doubtful he can play at United's level again, and I'm fairly sure we can't stick him in the first team for an extended period to find out. I think it'd suit him and and us for him to move on at the end of the season.
That said, just because he's on the way down doesn't mean he'll never have any good form again. He has showed a few signs in the last couple of game that's he's shaking off the responsibilities of the LVG era and being a bit more selfish (in the way you want your strikers to be). I hope we can get a few good performances out of him before he goes. It'd be a shame for him to leave on a low.
That said, just because he's on the way down doesn't mean he'll never have any good form again. He has showed a few signs in the last couple of game that's he's shaking off the responsibilities of the LVG era and being a bit more selfish (in the way you want your strikers to be). I hope we can get a few good performances out of him before he goes. It'd be a shame for him to leave on a low.
it doesn't really change anything, I was simply saying when Rooney makes a mistake he is absolutely ripped to pieces.
This is the biggest problem here, "my footballer" I can't stand this divide fans on this forum have, can I not defend a player without him being "my footballer"?
What sort of bullshit is that?
He is a Man Utd player, he will be for the rest of season, at the end of which he may be rightly moved on and a replacement will hopefully be brought in.
But until then he is rightly ahead of lingard and rashford as he is simply a better player than they currently are.
He hasn't been great but he is far from the worst, that is not to say that's acceptable but it also doesn't justify the garbage knee jerk reactions you get after a game he actually plays ok in
Maybe I haven't myself well on this thread but this is my opinion in a nutshell as well.
He's not our best player I'm not over the moon he is starting, but he isn't "stinking the place up" as I've read.
Fellaini depay scheiderlin darmien young are all bigger problems
Lingard wouldn't have the intelligence to match zlatans link up play and fellaini come on man, fellaini?
The pass Rooney made to mhiki in the west ham game do you really think fellaini would see that?
So far I'd say pog has been more of a no 10 with Rooney playing a little wider which I think is correct unless martial is fit then he should start
The Napoli rumour that the agent is spouting is such a random choice for a rumour.
It was a joke on here a while back that someone would use those assists in an argument for him at some point
1 Feyenoord: Great assist, good cutback.
2 Swansea: 3 yards pass to Ibra who struck it in from 20 yards and another 3 yard pass to Ibra who did all the work to finish it again.
1 Fenerbahce: Another 5 yard pass on the edge of the area for matter to strike it in from 20 yards.
1 Zorya: A completely scuffed shot off his shin that Zlatan headed in at the near post
1 Hull: a good cross from the left hand side.
1 Leicester: A pass to Lingard on the half way line who Messi'd his way to goal.
1 Southampton: A floated cross for Ibra.
That's 5 assists out of his 8 where he was either extremely lucky with a scuffed shot or just a simple 5 yard pass under no pressure outside the area that was followed by a wonder strike or dribble from the receiver.
Im so glad somebodies on the same page as me with these "assists" - NEVER has a player been luckier in accumulating on the face of it,decent, stats.
Rooney is garbage - for crying out loud THREE times on Wednesday he tried to control it and it ended up more of a shot than anything else.
Terrible football player and most saying otherwise are likely saying it out of emotional attachment. The guy has been flabby for years now, so much so his 5/10 performances are regarded as a "resurgence". The minutes given to him would be better employed if given to other players. Hopefully, if there's anything good in this universe, he'll be gone this summer.
Thanks for the years of service though.
Thanks for the years of service though.
This is one thing I don't like about Rooney apologists. The best way to justify Rooney is too slate an unrelated player. How can you say that Memphis, Young, Schneiderlin have been the bigger problem when that have barely kicked a ball this season. Would you also say that TFM has stunk up the place too. If a manager puts as much faith and confidence in these players as Rooney has been afforded, I believe they too would have have had some brilliant moments at least, which what I expect if Memphis and Schneiderlin move on. Calling out players who aren't even featuring just proves how desperate the Rooney brigade is. So in the even that these players are no longer in the picture, who stinks up the place now?
West Brom 0:2 Man Utd
Well darmien has been playing fellaini cost us 2 points just the other week so it's fully justified, once again stop making camps with in the united fan base, we all support the same team
You were saying?
I kinda felt sorry for him as he lumbered around trying to help Darmian and looking a yard out of sync with Pogba, Herrera, Ibra and Lingard in the attack.
Shit half from him. Looks off again.
Apart from the great shot, he hasn't really been in the game that much. Has tracked back really well, though.
He's so bad.
He really should stop dropping deep, we've got Ibra for that, just make runs in behind defence like Lingard does, that's probably one of the few things left that he's good at
His movement is good, his ... everything else sorta lets him down. Its like his mind knows what he wants to do, and you can see it, but the body doesnt follow like it did 10 years ago.
I like the guy but it hurts watching him put in performances like that first half (the good shot aside).
He's fecking garbage and shouldn't be anywhere near the team.
Another great assist for his great performance @SirScholes @Sparky10Legend 
That 5 yard pass before Zlatans wonderstrike will chalk up his assists beautifully and add to another great performance
That 5 yard pass before Zlatans wonderstrike will chalk up his assists beautifully and add to another great performance
Woeful and shouldnt be starting for us
Wayne Rooney has now registered 5 Premier League assists this season, as many as Mesut Ozil, David Silva and Eden Hazard combined.
Retweeted by Squawka
Retweeted by Squawka
Think he's looked much brighter recently but nothing has seemed to work for him today. Woeful.
Did very well helping Darmian out defending, but did very little going forward apart from that "assist" for Ibrahimovic.
that's exactly what he can't do now unfortunately.
He's now a defensive winger.
He wasn't awful, he just offers very little in terms of quality and dynamism.
He was decent offensively, superb defensively and I'd imagine Mourinho is more than content with his performance.
Been playing very well according to BT Sport. He's maybe had an ok game but everything he does well gets so much praise.
When he fecks up they don't mention it.
He has to do so little to be praised.
When he fecks up they don't mention it.
He has to do so little to be praised.
I watched only the 2nd and he was decent.
Is kinda funny how he will get an assist today lol
Thought he did his best going the other way and helping out Darmian as a second left back.
Thought he did his best going the other way and helping out Darmian as a second left back.
It would have been fantastic had he scored with that shot in first half, as it would have been record equaling goal. His main contribution today was defensively though. Without his protection, Darmian would have been in trouble.
I have been a big critic of him but he worked his socks off today. I would still like to see him sold though.
He wasn't bad, at all. Not great but he's part of a team thats played very well for 2 months.
Rooney can't contribute enough going forward but have to admire his work ethic, I can clearly see why Jose would pick him over Martial & Rashford for a game like this.
He wasn't brilliant, but he wasn't bad either. Done ok, and made another important contribution with his assist today.
People will say it was a 5 yard pass, but the run that lead up to it was good and opened up a lot of room.
People will say it was a 5 yard pass, but the run that lead up to it was good and opened up a lot of room.
- Status