These 10 assists include goals like Martial's goal vs Stoke, Zlatan's goal vs Zorya, Zlatan's 1st goal vs Swansea and I didn't even dig much into the other 7 assists to see what they hold.
10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 39
- Goals
- 8
- Assists
- 10
- Yellow cards
- 8
- Status
These 10 assists include goals like Martial's goal vs Stoke, Zlatan's goal vs Zorya, Zlatan's 1st goal vs Swansea and I didn't even dig much into the other 7 assists to see what they hold.
Don't forget the two yard pass to Lingard before he morphed into Messi against Leicester.
One scruffy goal has restarted the debate it seems.
So if he has a modest goal tally he's doing OK? Conveniently ignoring that he breaks up our play countless times and really struggles with almost every aspect of the game at the top level?
Just curious, are these the same posters who think Zlatan held us back?
Just curious, are these the same posters who think Zlatan held us back?
We have in our hands very difficult Top 4 and Europa League run in and Rooney's experience and leadership are very important especially we have lost Zlatan now.
In moments like these, sometimes experience and cool head makes all the difference. Remember that Rashford, Lingard and Martial are still very young, Mhki is new to this league intensity, Mata is injured. Basically we have no one else and we need to hope Rooney hit form at the critical time to help us in the league and EL.
The signs are encouraging for Rooney as he scored even when playing badly. He should also be given a penalty. The chance that he took and scored was exactly what have been missing from our strikers all season. No one attacking and anticipating the crosses and second balls in the box. Hope he will improve and be very useful to us in the difficult end of the season.
In moments like these, sometimes experience and cool head makes all the difference. Remember that Rashford, Lingard and Martial are still very young, Mhki is new to this league intensity, Mata is injured. Basically we have no one else and we need to hope Rooney hit form at the critical time to help us in the league and EL.
The signs are encouraging for Rooney as he scored even when playing badly. He should also be given a penalty. The chance that he took and scored was exactly what have been missing from our strikers all season. No one attacking and anticipating the crosses and second balls in the box. Hope he will improve and be very useful to us in the difficult end of the season.
He wasn't brilliant for sure. But he was better than 'alright', he had a serviceable season as a swiss-army-knife player who literally played in every position he possibly could. It really was a tactical mess of a season to be honest, fitting in five (YES FIVE) strikers that LVG came to pretty obviously not fancy (so much so that he got rid of one, sent another out on loan) to fulfill the role that he wanted the strikers to play. So you've immediately gone from "why was he even in the team in LVG'II" to, "yeah he was alright I guess". 4-3-3's, 3-5-2's and 4-2-3-1's. I would argue that no player was really able to get to grips with the systems we tried and nail down anything close to a 'brilliant' season.
Martial made 20 starts up front at various times last season and also only managed to score 4 goals when started up front. It was obvious that playing him on the left side was where he was most comfortable and effective. I completely disagree that he "looked the better player there" and that Rooney pushed him out wide. That is a complete misrepresentation of the scenario entirely. I am not buying that he heavily regressed either, a regression was probably evident but it was heavily masked by the system LVG wanted the players to play. To go back to what LVG wanted in a striker. He criticized every single striker he had at various times at the club for not standing still enough, Rashford and Wilson, even RVP in the first season got a "he plays on the shoulder to much" type of treatment.
You have to join the dots here, LVG kept saying Rooney was doing exactly what he wanted him to do, be cause he was. He wasn't going to change it, because he was playing exactly how LVG wanted him to. I understand people see the situation differently and how the perceive the scenario, I've gone back to the older threads and there were a lot of people yelling "why doesn't he move, why doesn't he make runs, why doesn't he attack the lines off the shoulder" because that was not the tactical instruction. It was made clear to us that in LVG's mind he kept saying he was playing well because in his mind he was.
LVG was a complete mess. So the entire scenario is on him, people have to wake up to that. This season is a completley clean slate for everyone, so far Jose has managed the situation perfectly - he has to get credit for that.
Last edited:
all i recall him saying is his captain always plays, and is a fantastic captain. never justifying why he was actually playing well
Go back to my previous post.
Rooney's comments in an interview with Gary Neville on Sky said:
He was talking about Mario Gomez
but, yeah. That is why, the guy was a total and complete nut job. Why do you think Chicharito/Welbeck hit the ejector seat. Imagine telling a striker like Chicharito that, mental.Fair enough mate, if that is how you feel, that is how you feel. I don't think his passing-touch were all that much different, or his shooting either. He quite clearly was being instructed to play like the tip of an unchalked pool cue and somehow turn that into a miracle amount of goals as a 5'8" brutally undersized striker in one of the most physically imposing leagues in the world.
From an interview with Sky:
Good for him and i hope he's motivated.
My opinion is that he's done at the highest level.
My opinion is that he's done at the highest level.
If he can keep himself high, come off the bench and score a brace against City tonight, no one is complaining
If he can keep himself high, come off the bench and score a brace against City tonight, no one is complaining
I don't think Coleen would be happy if he came home high.
The only real negative to Rooney staying is his enormous wages, which I'm not sure will stop us from signing his replacement anyway. From what all his team mates, both past and present, have said about him, he comes across as a great character to have within a squad.
He seems to be a good leader on the pitch, which is something I think we are short of. His commitment on the pitch is never in doubt, I just wish he would be more disciplined in his diet.
I think he will get even less game time next season and mainly be a positive presence around the squad. It's really incredible how quickly his ability and pace has declined; a Fernando Torresque demise.
A lot of our fans, including myself, were beginning to resent Rooney due to his shitness and ongoing weight issues. But for me I have actually began to grow a fondness for him again, I think mainly down to how quiet he has kept in the media about his situation and his attitude when given an opportunity to play.
He seems to be a good leader on the pitch, which is something I think we are short of. His commitment on the pitch is never in doubt, I just wish he would be more disciplined in his diet.
I think he will get even less game time next season and mainly be a positive presence around the squad. It's really incredible how quickly his ability and pace has declined; a Fernando Torresque demise.
A lot of our fans, including myself, were beginning to resent Rooney due to his shitness and ongoing weight issues. But for me I have actually began to grow a fondness for him again, I think mainly down to how quiet he has kept in the media about his situation and his attitude when given an opportunity to play.
Last edited:
I think this has helped in a big way and has surprised me somewhat considering I think it's fairly obvious in the past his 'team' managed to regularly whinge to the press. He seems to have kept his head down, got on with it and not openly bleated or complained. And.....the fans still chant his name...as we saw at Burnley!
I'm hypnotised by that weirdly high def video...
Bless him, but he's not really 31, is he? Not physically. 31 is a fine age for a footballer whose physically 31, or a young 31, but Rooney was a man at 16. His body has always been running ahead of his years. Add in the amount of games he's played and the injuries he's had (and the fact he's never been the most dedicated fitness freak) and his comparatively young age in years doesn't really mean anything. In practicall terms he's at least 36. Probably older.
Last edited:
It's sad how in denial he is but I guess when you've lived in a bubble of people kissing your ass since you were 16 it's hard to have reality smack you in the chops.
Whether he's done at the highest level isn't opinion anymore, it's a fact that he is. But I wouldn't expect him to admit it because he's never been able to be critical of himself.
Fake interview.
There's no "erm" every other word or answering questions with "obviously".
There's no "erm" every other word or answering questions with "obviously".
I want players to give up easily. Rooney is too much of a fighter and won't ever stop trying. That's not the United way, post-Fergie.
Bless him
I don't think he's in denial. He just can't come out and admit the obvious truth as it'll make any future contract talks harder and give Southgate an easy excuse.
Did you expect him to say
"Well obviously, i'm massively past my best, I have the mobility of a guy 20 years older, can barely control it, and i'm literally hanging around as mere squad fill as we're down to the absolute bare bones. I'm merely filling in time before I ideally scoot off to Everton, if they'll pay 100k a week, and United will put in £10m to make up the massive shortfall, or ruck off to USA/China if they won't"
The denial bit is the nonsense about "lasting longer" than the 2-3 years someone mentioned, which sounds exceptionally unlikely as it Is!
What's he gonna be contributing at the top level at 34/35?!
Too many streams mate.
Meaning when you see an actually clear picture, it makes you wonder what on earth you were settling for!
I forgot about the England side of things, he told them when he'd stop playing for England and that's not until after the next World Cup.
It would be refreshing
but no, just a little less silly talk about having years left at the top, something a bit more measured.I forgot about the England side of things, he told them when he'd stop playing for England and that's not until after the next World Cup.
It would be refreshing
Yep, most of it seems standard patter, but to even for a second think he can go on at this level for longer than 2-3 years is incredible.
Well, "go on", or "exist", maybe, but it'd be for a lower midtable team, plodding, and just ticking over, not influencing things.
When you've been one of the best, that'd be very hard to deal with i'd have thought.
Although perhaps it's like my main sport running, where I remember Ron Hill bein asked how he felt about coming lower midpack at races he used to win. He merely said you can either take your ball away and not play anymore, or carry on enjoying it. Fair play.
Watching the interview - think he's well aware his time at United is over.
I imagine in Rooney's case there will be a lot of people still making money off him and telling him what he wants to hear, unlike the runner you mention who was probably more independent as there wasn't the money involved there is in football these days.
I think if Rooney wants to play regularly he maybe could if he took the Fletcher route or maybe went down a division, but even for Everton I don't think he'd offer much these days, not if they intend to try and push on and get in the top 4 battle in the near future.
Don't see much wrong with this? That's exactly what I want to hear from him.
cant believe it, but I wouldn't have minded him to come on we were that bad going forward
He'll start against Swansea, wouldn't be surprised if he starts in midfield actually since we are limited for numbers.
Jose will want to rest Carrick for Celta Vigo, Pogba is out, Fellaini suspended, Mensah injured.
Jose will want to rest Carrick for Celta Vigo, Pogba is out, Fellaini suspended, Mensah injured.
He's the last person I'd want in that situation. His touch is heave in normal situations, would have put us in trouble if he came on. It's not as if he can run with the ball either.
I think the only time he would have come on is if we had conceded. And even then I would not be convinced it would have helped us.
Are you the steward?My life is complete.
My face has made it on the Cafe.
- Status