Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.

[Dans]

I agree with this, people are too quick to jump on Rooney, he might not be a world beater but he was the biggest constant and experience in the team, I think Roy was right in taking him and playing him, however....
It was recognised early on that teams were sitting deep against you, you didn't need anybody running channels or in behind, (Vardy, Sturridge) it wasn't there to do and Kane had a shocking tournament imo, I really think he should have put Rooney up top and picked an actual midfield to play behind him, then played some football. You couldn't score goals and the main reason for that was lack of creating chances, not missing chances. Roy got lucky with Vardy scoring one against Wales (offside as feck but lucky, anonymous for the rest of the game) and Sturridge 'shoot from anywhere' scoring at the death then just thought it was great to throw as many strikers on as possible when in trouble, most playing out of position.
I agree Rooney has declined but he gets a lot too much hate and nowhere near enough respect in my opinion, from both united and England fans.

I agree with this, except that Vardy's goal was not offside at all given that Williams provided the header.

But now Rooney has moved into midfield, can you really see him being moved back up front? England needs to move on. Thanks for the goals, goodbye (about 35% of those goals against utter dross by the way, plus countless penalties)

 

[Zlatan 7]

Yeh I meant stood offside as feck but lucky, as in lucky it came off a Welsh head and back to him. My bad

Edit: I Agree, he shouldn't be kept on now and put back up top for England. But during this tournament it seemed a better fit as striker than Vardy, Kane or Sturridge.

 

[TrustInJanuzaj]

It's was a 1/10 performance from him last night especially in the second half.

 

[Adisa]

Wish people could see that the team dynamics wont allow Rooney to sit on the bench. He is very very popular with his team mates and they stick for each other, something LvG complained about saying players protect each other too much. If they feel one of their own is being mis-treated its upsets the whole group and team spirit. Even worse if its their beloved captain.

Rooney is simply not going anywhere and will be a starter in Jose's team

Then we can look foward to having an under par season.

 

[parisite]

I think Jose will start Rooney initially as a courtesy type thing, But he will slowly reduce his role as the season goes on. I mean he has to, We cannot afford to carry a passenger in midfield, and that is one position in which Jose likes hard workers and players who bring things to the table, Rooney is a mere luxury at this point.

Hopefully José doesn't do courtesy, never been one of his traits before.

 

[Bobcat]

They would probably slaughter him for it despite every man and his dog knowing that it would be the right decision. He shouldn't even be at the Euros in the first place. It seems Rooney got friends at every media outlet. Must be the only reason behind him getting spared for years now.

Compare this to the Messi situation. The greatest player ever now retires from the NT at the age because of the pressure from fans and media back home since he can't replicate his historic perfomances from club level to the NT. Yet in England there's been total radio silence on the Rooney subject for years, until now.

It's what i suspect as well. The irony here is that your own damn press is your worst enemy in these cups. They build up all these expectations before a championship and the pressure on the players must be immense. Then, when it finally starts the media are ready to rip them apart.

That and the fact that you only hire clueless managers with no backbone.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

Hopefully José doesn't do courtesy, never been one of his traits before.

I think unfortunately Rooney holds too much power at the club so he will start initially regardless. Jose will have to filter him out slowly to ween away his importance and powerful standing within the team.

 

[JPRouve]

I think unfortunately Rooney holds too much power at the club so he will start initially regardless. Jose will have to filter him out slowly to ween away his importance and powerful standing within the team.

What is that power that he holds?

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

BS who played a handful of games and his fitness and shape is shocking? Or Zlatan who has not signed yet? Mmmm against a guy that's been a mainstay of our club the last 10 years and is still one of our best players? Hard choice!

Baffling that anyone can still hold this opinion.

LVG sold RVP and Hernandez because he put faith in Rooney to score 20 goals, by the end of the season Rooney had thankfully realised himself that he's no longer good enough as a striker or number 10 so decided to revert back to the idea SAF had for him 6 years ago that he threw his toys out of the pram about.

So if you're telling me he's one of our best central midfielders I'm almost even more baffled.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

What is that power that he holds?

He is the 'leader' in the dressing room according to most players you hear have interviews. Plus he is the clubs biggest marketable asset, He won't be going anywhere soon without a fight. Unfortunately for us.

 

[CM]

I wouldn't even have him as the general of my eggy soldiers

 

[ZAGREB RED]

He was poor against Iceland, yes, same as the entire England team, but people calling for him to go back up front after some of the horrific performances for United at No9 over the last year or two ? When Kane clearly was having a nightmare tournament surely Sturridge, Vardy or even Rashford going in as the No9 was the right move over Rooney. Said it at the time, surely Rashford had to come on for Kane around 65 minutes or so, he got worse as the game went on.
Again, I wasn't surely the only one who said when the squad was announced why was Wilshere in ? Drinkwater or Noble deserved a place over him after he played about a game and a half last season for Arsenal.

 

[BennyBlanco]

God he was terrible, still, i'm not 100% going to write him off being somewhat useful for us next season, based on the fact so many others last night also looked utterly useless such as Kane and i'd have him at United tomorrow.
Saying that if Mourinho buys a replacment i'm not exactly going to be losing any sleep over it.

 

[JPRouve]

He is the 'leader' in the dressing room according to most players you hear have interviews. Plus he is the clubs biggest marketable asset, He won't be going anywhere soon without a fight. Unfortunately for us.

He isn't the club biggest marketable asset, Rooney has actually a problem regarding his marketability.

 

[Red_Aaron]

I'd be very surprised if Mou played him in midfield. He may well have the passing ability to but every man and his dog can see he hasn't got the basic stamina never mind the positional sense to play such a role against top opposition. If he really wants to prolong his career by adopting this role it'll be at another club long term

If Zlatan is coming Rooney will play just behind him, but for how long depends entirely upon how well he plays there. would be very surprised to see him start every game if his form is akin to the last 2 seasons. He's got a big challenge this season that's for sure

 

[red4ever 79]

He is the 'leader' in the dressing room according to most players you hear have interviews. Plus he is the clubs biggest marketable asset, He won't be going anywhere soon without a fight. Unfortunately for us.

I expect Ibra to replace Rooney as the clubs biggest marketable asset

 

[Sparky_Hughes]

This constant about his teammates being upset if he is dropped/sold etc has to stop. We simply cant afford to let the tail wag the dog any more. Its down to the manager who is in the squad and the team, not the players, especially when said players should be concerned for their own futures when they have been sub par for more than a while.

Also any player who thinks Capt Wayne would have their back if they were dropped or sold is deluded, look how he sold his teammates out for a new contract.....

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

He isn't the club biggest marketable asset, Rooney has actually a problem regarding his marketability.

I'd argue that point. Just look at the recent horrible movie trailers United have been marketing, who is the star of all of them?

Rooney has also been in the Top 10 shirt sellers for the last decade. Don't get me wrong here, He certainly isn't in a Ronaldo category for marketing, But as we have so few stars in the team right now, He is still regarded as one around the world (although we obviously know better).

 

[Regulus Arcturus Black]

His scoring record for England leading up to the Euros was something like 8 in 10 for. He outperforms Kane, Sturridge etc etc as a forward for England but like at the last Euros he is shifted out of position to accommodate someone else.

Hmm......

Before the tournament Rooney himself asked the England management to be played as a holding midfielder and not as a striker.

Rooney is the only player I've ever heard of that can be shit for years and still decide himself where and when he plays. Amazing.

 

[Zlatan 7]

He was poor against Iceland, yes, same as the entire England team, but people calling for him to go back up front after some of the horrific performances for United at No9 over the last year or two ? When Kane clearly was having a nightmare tournament surely Sturridge, Vardy or even Rashford going in as the No9 was the right move over Rooney. Said it at the time, surely Rashford had to come on for Kane around 65 minutes or so, he got worse as the game went on.

Not sure if that was aimed at me because I suggested him playing upfront?
I said 'this tournament' because teams were sitting so deep against England, there was no need for Rooney running behind and channels has he had to do for United. Vardys not fit to lace rooneys boots, where was he against Wales? That one goal, where I've already stated was stood miles offside, With no space to use his whippet speed he's useless. (Most said this with regards to arsenal transfer too) To suggest he played as striker against rows of back fives and sixes is as absurd as Roy playing him on the wing.
Sturridge could have played 9 but so greedy and not a team player, Rashford should have played on the left imo. Llama on the right and Rooney up top.
As we seen, Kane just didn't take his boots with him

 

[Adisa]

I refuse to believe we can't get rid of him cause of marketability. Half of our fan base even more, want him gone.

 

[LeftyBlaster]

Against a team which constantly has 7-8 players defending that's extremely difficult. You are forced to make quick passes to get an opening and to get the opposition to move their position. Many teams came to OT last season with the same kind of system that ICE had tonight. Rooney being so far away simply forced him to make those passes. With Carrick to ease up the building, it would had been much effective but that's the management issue.

I'm sure he saw that it wasn't working but with Wilshere and Alli there, he couldn't move up or it would had opened Gylfi more space to counter..

Sorry that's a bunch of bullshit excuses to me. Alli and Sturridge were providing a lot of good movement ahead of him. Rooney wasnt' "too far away". He was always there, but as we point out, he makes no effort and probably has no fecking idea how movement and passing go together. Whenever Rooney receives the ball, he automatically looks wide for a pass, and if there isn't one, he chooses the obvious short and safe option all the while not moving more than 10 feet from where he received the ball. You wonder why England are bereft of creativity in the middle? It's because Rooney is probably the least dynamic midfield option there. His cross field floater is wankworthy for his fanboys and England pundits, but it's such a go-to ball for him that it funnels whatever team he plays for into attacking a certain way, it ignores any movement made in the central attacking midfield area, ignores runs made by strikers into the box (ie. when Wilshere picked out Kane), and it gives the defence time to reset.

P.S I suppose it's a management issue too that he went back to his usual self of giving away possession by misplacing the easy pass or miscontrolling the ball?

 

[Pexbo]

He is the 'leader' in the dressing room according to most players you hear have interviews. Plus he is the clubs biggest marketable asset, He won't be going anywhere soon without a fight. Unfortunately for us.

How's that "leading" going for him so him so far? Three managers sacked under his watch while all his teams have been abject failures.

The "marketable asset" myth is nonsense too. Both Martial and Schweinsteiger sold more shirts than him. I'll bet my house on Martial, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan and Pogba ()selling more than him next season.


He's finished. We just need to convince him to take the Chinese coin.

 

[JPRouve]

I'd argue that point. Just look at the recent horrible movie trailers United have been marketing, who is the star of all of them?

Rooney has also been in the Top 10 shirt sellers for the last decade.

You can argue it, but Rooney will be easily replaced in both of the examples you gave. Rooney depends on the club to have exposure while the opposite isn't true, also the second Rooney leaves the club, an other player name will be printed on the shirts and the club will sell the same amount of shirts.

Forbes talked about it, Rooney is too linked to the field, that's why he is a full kit wanker in that awful trailer, he needs the United shirt to be someone.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

How's that "leading" going for him so him so far? Three managers sacked under his watch while all his teams have been abject failures.

The "marketable asset" myth is nonsense too. Both Martial and Schweinsteiger sold more shirts than him. I'll bet my house on Martial, Zlatan, Mkhitaryan and Pogba ()selling more than him next season.


He's finished. We just need to convince him to take the Chinese coin.

You're making it sound like I actually want him in the team. He can feck off for my liking, I'm basically stating facts here that is all.

I hope the likes of Zlatan signing does put his position in jeopardy.

 

[JoaquinJoaquin]

You can argue it, but Rooney will be easily replaced in both of the examples you gave. Rooney depends on the club to have exposure while the opposite isn't true, also the second Rooney leaves the club, an other player name will be printed on the shirts and the club will sell the same amount of shirts.

Forbes talked about it, Rooney is too linked to the field, that's why he is a full kit wanker in that awful trailer, he needs the United shirt to be someone.

Yes, Rooney CAN be replaced i'm not doubting that, But at the current time he IS the main man the club choose to represent them and he is the captain of the team. So as long as that happens he is always going to have a stronger position in the club than other players.

 

[Sky1981]

Good god. 3 years of shit performance like this and there's still people defending his worth?

He's worthless to the team now. Do you think kids in africa will be gutted not seeing rolneu in united shirt? In asia? You lot are deluded if you think there's any kids would want "rooney" on their shirt.

 

[spwd]

Can't wait to see the frustration on Zlatans face when instead of playing a through ball to him he does one of his signature passes out wide

 

[Red_toad]

Good god. 3 years of shit performance like this and there's still people defending his worth?

He's worthless to the team now. Do you think kids in africa will be gutted not seeing rolneu in united shirt? In asia? You lot are deluded if you think there's any kids would want "rooney" on their shirt.

You're very much deluded if you think that.

 

[FlawlessThaw]

The way Mourinho dropped Terry gives me hope that he won't put up with Rooney's bullshit.

 

[settembrini]

I really hate all the talk about marketing and dressing room influence.

The fact is we've had three years of club and country building their team around Rooney. Three years with him as the captain and darling of every manager he played under. The results have been calamitous. United have gone from the best team in the league to being lucky to finish top four and England have embarrassed themselves in two major tournaments.

This has to change.

 

[JPRouve]

I really hate all the talk about marketing and dressing room influence.

The fact is we've had three years of club and country building their team around Rooney. Three years with him as the captain and darling of every manager he played under. The results have been calamitous. United have gone from the best team in the league to being lucky to finish top four and England have embarrassed themselves in two major tournaments.

This has to change.

To be fair Rooney isn't responsible for that, he plays with 10 other players and the manager is the one selecting them.

 

[Varun]

Surprising that he is being bashed for the loss. It was a collective failure and capitulation. Also, the manager is clueless, I am not sure how he remained in the job for 4 years despite only winning 3 games in international competition during his tenure.

Add to that the fact that he is the highest paid manager in the group.

I don't care about England tbh, I just shudder at the thought of him playing CM for us and hope these games go some way towards shoeing he isn't good enough for the role.

 

[settembrini]

To be fair Rooney isn't responsible for that, he plays with 10 other players and the manager is the one selecting them.

Which is why all those managers lost their jobs!

What blows my mind is how they don't know learn from each other. I, like many, thought that Rooney would not be a major part of Van Gaal's team, partly because of RvP being his captain for the Netherlands but also partly because a team led by Rooney had just given United their worst season in decades. Instead he loved Rooney even more than Moyes did. Rooney was a shambles last season and did more than any other player to cost Van Gaal his job, yet Hodgson absolutely refused to even consider not having him be his captain at the Euros, and now he's gone as well.

I don't think I'll be able to cope if Mourinho does the exact same thing as well.

 

[dichinero]

To be fair Rooney isn't responsible for that, he plays with 10 other players and the manager is the one selecting them.

True
But when you come out saying that you want to play upfront today because it's best for you and you say that you're a CM tomorrow because you have been watching Scholes and Gerrard, it is bound to fall on him. I think he knows the "value" the managers hold him and he takes advantage of that. If as a captain, you can't own up to your own individual failures then just leave it.

 

[parisite]

I think unfortunately Rooney holds too much power at the club so he will start initially regardless. Jose will have to filter him out slowly to ween away his importance and powerful standing within the team.

you don't "filter" Rooney out, he always creeps (or even flters) back in, you kick his arse into next week somewhere else or not at all.

 

[Adisa]

If he's still stinking up the place and starting, I will quickly lose interest in our upcoming season.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Rooney shouldn't have even been a starter for England. He was poor for us for the majority of last season, but low and behold the season ends and he's back to being the countries finest player and pivotal component of the team. It really is ridiculous. For years there has been excuse after excuse rolled out for him. Remember every time he got injured and people would say he needed a dozen games or so to get back in to form? It pissed me off then and the excuses still piss me off now. How has one player been able to gain so much power and influence? How has he managed to con so many people in to believing he's a decent midfielder now that it's become apparent he's a poor forward? Beggars belief!

 

[parisite]

Rooney shouldn't have even been a starter for England. He was poor for us for the majority of last season, but low and behold the season ends and he's back to being the countries finest player and pivotal component of the team. It really is ridiculous. For years there has been excuse after excuse rolled out for him. Remember every time he got injured and people would say he needed a dozen games or so to get back in to form? It pissed me off then and the excuses still piss me off now. How has one player been able to gain so much power and influence? How has he managed to con so many people in to believing he's a decent midfielder now that it's become apparent he's a poor forward? Beggars belief!

English success story innit; Thick bindipper makes good and shedloads of money sort of stuff.

 

[don't sign old players]

I'm starting to think Lingard is loads better than some of the rubbish in England's midfield/forward line. At least he shows some passion and fighting spirit.