Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.
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Every criticism is an agenda with you guys but immortalising a player for every diagonal pass down the right isn't an agenda? Agenda this, agenda that. The word needs to be banned on all Rooney and Fellaini thread.
It becomes an agenda when personal feelings begin to sway the actual reality of what takes place on the pitch. Its an agenda because when you read the caf you see Rooney painted as a league 2 quality player and any snide comment (e.g only plays long diagonal balls) is met with 10 replies about how correct that person is even if that's just bullshit, that's just blatently people jumping on this Rooney bashing bandwagon. The reality is that Rooney is still a high quality player, is he the player he once was? No. But he's still one of the best players in the England squad, he's still the biggest leader, arguably the best passer, one of the best finishers and still plays with energy and heart that puts many of the modern day football players to shame.
Should he be absolved from criticism? Absolutely not! And I'll be the first person to stand up and say his performances up till Christmas for Utd were shocking but then by the same tocken I am able to objectively see that his performances after Christmas have been largely very good and he has been much more like the player his career has shown him to be. The funniest thing is I'm not even the biggest fan of Rooney as a person, think he comes over abit thick and just doesn't appear intelligent but I don't let that sway my opinion of his performances yet I'm apparently a 'Rooney fanboy' on this forum just because I'm willing to defend what shouldn't need to be defended.
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Believe it or not you don't lose your ability overnight (unless your Torres)
I doubt it. I don't think they are any better than Slovakia. They have Lewa and that's pretty much it. Also a DM from Sevilla, who is just above average. England played them a while ago, check the line-up, it's the same team minus Milik and England walked all over them with ease.
But why do you feel you have to defend him? Why does people not praising him bother you? Sometimes it looks as if his defenders are a bit insecure. If he's truly as good as you say then surely his alleged top class performances would be all that's needed to answer his detractors.
He said years, that's not overnight and even his biggest defenders can't deny he's regressed on at the very least some levels. There's no suggestion he lost it overnight, only a suggestion he's gotten steadily worse and that his hair is shit.
Tbf, his hair used to be world class but has gone downhill since it started losing its Rooney.
SAF tried to get rid of him 3 years ago, Rooney hasn't lost his abilities overnight but a good thousand nights ago. He is still a decent forward though.
When all is said and done, it really comes down to one amiable fact; you all hate Wayne Rooney. Confront your hatred, only then may you rid yourself of it.
Wayne "Iniesta aint got shizzle on me" Rooney will play a major part in our campaign next season.
Wayne "Iniesta aint got shizzle on me" Rooney will play a major part in our campaign next season.
I agree he has been steadily declining over the last 3 seasons. Doesn't leave me with much confidence regarding next season.
It's not about accommodating Rooney, it's about making sure we get the best out of him. Rooney is perfectly capable of being the legs in a midfield with a more creative player alongside him. If Kante and Drinkwater can be a part of a title winning midfield, then i'm certain Rooney can be.
For example; a hypothetic midfield three consisting of let's say Morgan as the holding mid providing he can step up, Rooney as the legs, getting up and down the pitch and then a real, great creative man alongside them and our midfield will be arguably the best in the league. It's by no means perfect and next season if all goes to plan we should be looking to improve on Rooney, but for now there are other areas of the squad that have to be a higher priority.
I sincerely hope us agenda-driven Rooney "haters" aren't able to say we told you so this time next year.
Cant believe that people really think that Rooney is good enough to play in midfield for us, I guess we accept mediocrity nowadays. Just because he gets the ball to the wingers as well.
Wayne Rooney, the Midlife Crisis?
No, i've said, De Rossi plays so far back, he is almost a defender in many cases, so a more appropriate comparison is with Parolo and Giachi. De Rossi is a Dier in England's team.
But as a DM De Rossi is obviously superior than Rooney, Rooney never plays a DM, he can play even further back, but not as a DM, but as a CM no way De Rossi is better, he seriously regressed in attacking sense, he can't even play a proper CM anymore.
The problem with people sayin stuff like flow of the game and between the lines and other nonsense is that they don't have anything remotely tangible or concrete as examples which is why they resort to such a questionable achievements.
That's just it tho because its Wayne Rooney, he's not judged fairly like all other players, that's exactly the meaning of an agenda, I shouldn't have to defend him because people don't need to be as critical as they are. Im not even slighly insecure about bloody Rooney but the petty hate is just ridiculous particularly when it's aimed at a club legend that deserves far better.
Except that's just not been true at all but of course it fits a good narrative. Rooney was by far the best player under Moyes in a shocking season for the whole team. Under Van Gaal he hasn't been great that's for sure but neither has much of our team so is it really fair to single out Rooney, his poor performances could just as easily be turned on the team and system rather than the individual but unlike other players Rooney doesn't ever receive that support.
So what if he's a club legend? So is Sir Bobby but we aren't going to play him every minute of every game regardless of form or let him choose a position to play just so he can get a place in the team. Being a club legend means nothing if you're consistently not delivering the goods now and Rooney hasn't been. He asked to be judged harsher when he decided that he wanted paid like one of the best players in the world and then failed to perform like one of the best players in the world. When he openly questioned the players around him he opened himself up to be judged more than other players. When he declared himself "angry and confused" at RVP(the top scorer from the season before) being called our best striker he opened himself up to harsher judgement. When he failed to deliver over a consistent amount of time he opened himself up to harsher criticism.
You want him judged the same as everyone else, yet he isn't treated the same as everyone else. But all of that is irrelevant and defending him is pointless as you won't suddenly convince people that they haven't seen what they've seen from him and if he's as good as you say then some people on the internet not praising him, or his hair, really shouldn't bother you. He doesn't deserve far better because he's not consistently delivering on the pitch, we're Manchester United, not a charity for our Wayne that used to be a bit good.
The whole thing makes less and less sense to me.
He has done well against poor sides, but he will get found out as a midfielder against sterner opposition. You don't actually want to play with him in midfield against Spain and France. As far as United goes, he's on a decent level but one who will only get worse from now on -- there's no potential upside to keeping him around unless you're looking to lighten your wallet with these huge wages.
No successful venture can succeed when making decisions based on nostalgia or emotion. Barely good enough and on a downwards slope, get rid.
No successful venture can succeed when making decisions based on nostalgia or emotion. Barely good enough and on a downwards slope, get rid.
So now you have an agenda against me personally? I digress.
I simply cannot keep track of all these agendas, I think I need a lie down.
Curious what players get a free ride that Rooney takes all the heat for? He is a guaranteed starter, is given 'special priviledges' so surely he will eventually be judged different, no? Other players are dropped if and when need be, Rooney isn't. He days as a striker are over, which was his natural game. He has physically declined, and his natural body shape for an elite athlete competing at the highest level is...questionable.
This is a fair point actually. Somewhere in this thread it seems to have been decided that playing the ball wide is a completely pointless thing to do. Since when is changing the point of attack and getting the ball quickly to a player in space pointless???? Any time you can get a winger one on one against the full back with a bit of space it's a very good option to take. Sometimes it seems people want to re-understand the basics of how football works just to have a go at Rooney.
I think there was in issue of him over relying on that type of pass when he first started playing deeper but he seems to be mixing up his game better now.
This human gets it.
You are seriously ignorant mate. But never let the facts burst the bubble you are living in.
Oh christ you're a stat man. Football isn't tangible, you can't play a game on stats and figures alone mate, however hard you try. Just because there isn't a stat for intelligent passing, it doesn't mean it doesn't exist. That's why scouts are employed and teams don't rely on YouTube and WhoScored when buying players (Bebe says hello). Otherwise Joe Allen would be worth £40mil.No, i've said, De Rossi plays so far back, he is almost a defender in many cases, so a more appropriate comparison is with Parolo and Giachi. De Rossi is a Dier in England's team.
But as a DM De Rossi is obviously superior than Rooney, Rooney never plays a DM, he can play even further back, but not as a DM, but as a CM no way De Rossi is better, he seriously regressed in attacking sense, he can't even play a proper CM anymore.
The problem with people sayin stuff like flow of the game and between the lines and other nonsense is that they don't have anything remotely tangible or concrete as examples which is why they resort to such a questionable achievements.
This is their respective pass map. It's literally the same apart from the fact that Kroos has more passes, but his touch map is also more focused on the left, while Rooney "wider". Anyway a lot of Kroos passes are the same, to the left, it's clearly visible on the pass map.
Passing maps tell us feck all other than Rooney only passed it into the box once and had a distinct lack of passes in the final 3rd. Who was the pass to? Did it put us in an advantageous position? How quickly did he move the ball on? Was the player offside he played to? Did the pass create a chance? It tells us none of this.
Like any other player? No other player at the club has held us to ransom over contract and pay and are paid as highly as he is, nor do they enjoy undroppable status or hold the role of captain. He is going to be held to extremely high standards if we're going to pay him as highly or even higher than the top players in the world.
As for being a club legend, being a legend doesn't excuse shit on the pitch in the present.
Yeah, he has gotten better at mixing it up. I think people here criticise it too much so as to not even give 'Rooney an inch. The expectation here seems to be of a player who wil pass and move all the time, get into the box late and also make crucial interceptions and tackles. Our midfield has been crying out loud for such a signing for ages and Rooney seems to be getting a large portion of the blame for the clubs inability to strengthen in that area.
Not to mention that Scholesy played that very same pass on a weekly basis and was lauded for it being a glorious crossfield ball. When Rooney produces the same pass it is mocked as a hollywood pass.
You can see how some people would confuse this "inconsistency" with agendarism (I don't care if that's not a word, it bloody well should be!)
I think people are wary that Rooney now saying he is a midfielder blocks a potential signing
I really don't understanding this argument. Rooney did not put a gun to Woodward's heard and got him to offer that contract. The truth is that at that moment, due to gross mismanagement, the club was in no position to let go of an iconic player like Rooney who represents a substantial amount of our global appeal as a potential commercial partner.
He merely used it to get a better deal from himself. All of us would do something similar in that kind of a situation.
After offering him that ridiculous contract, even after observing his form and performances, we have no right to feel aggrevied because he is not magically getting converted into a world beater just because we were foolish enough to offer him those wages.
Seriously, stop insulting Scholes, at some point you really need to show some respect.
If you offer a player that much money. You expect world class performances week in week out. We didnt even get half decent for much of last season.
Again, is Roney to be blamed for that or the club? Is he going to be a saint and give up saying there are better players than him out there?
England has already played 3 games in this Euro.
Who is the best player? Rooney of course!
If you disagree, just state which player has been the best English player so far (in your opinion).
And no, Rashford isn't it! He hasn't played a single minute yet! "What if" doesn't count.
Who is the best player? Rooney of course!
If you disagree, just state which player has been the best English player so far (in your opinion).
And no, Rashford isn't it! He hasn't played a single minute yet! "What if" doesn't count.
I don't buy this. SAF wanted to sell him and every man and his dog knew what we were buying at that moment for that money. And it was definitely not world class, so is Rooney supposed to magically become a world beater after signing the contract?
Does Rooney justify his wages? Definitely no. Is he to be blamed? I don't think so. It's the stupid people who offered him the contract in the first place.
No one deserves a free pass but there is critacism when it's just and when it's just blind critacism as it was after the other night.
Well then it's a good thing that he's been one of Utds and England's best players since Christmas then because otherwise he would get so much shit... Oh wait that doesn't stop anyone.
Wait wait wait. Slow down. Slow your roll fella. Are you now claiming that I have an agenda against the one man I would happily lose my anal virginity to, Paul Scholes?
Now I'm just plain confused.
Of feck off. Seriously stop pretending you're a United supporter if you think that's a fair comparison. Scholes did that when it was warranted and 9/10 times it hit the mark perfectly (which isn't the case with Rooney). Scholes had much, much, much superior awareness of the field and was a lot more famous for his short passing and give'n'gos (aside from scoring) than anything else.
Rooney looks for the same pass far too often. It's his go-to. I'm sick of hearing of commentators praising his intelligence on the ball - he demonstrates very little of it.
Erm...England has already played 3 games in this Euro.
Who is the best player? Rooney of course!
If you disagree, just state which player has been the best English player so far (in your opinion).
And no, Rashford isn't it! He hasn't played a single minute yet! "What if" doesn't count.