Originally Posted by GusHiddink

Thats a first i assure you!! well whilst there are a couple of long term points i like to always raise (and get shot down) by in large this sort of thread is very knee jerk. The first post is pretty accurate but some of the subsequent posts are the usual murder.

Ive said before and ill say again that wayne rooney will never hit the heights that were set out for him playing any other role than second striker..the guy was born for that position. He's far too good to "fail" in other positions but it opens up this sort of thread.

some highlights from the 1st post:





You seem to forget that pre injury rooney was flying and on course for his highest goal tally. Dont get me wrong, i totally agree with this but the point im keen to make is even if his goal tally is higher, which it undoutbedly will be if he is played as a striker, the team will still lose out overall.





Hmmm a touch over stating the matter in my opinion when you talk about his touch etc, thats just him blowing hot and cold. some days he walks on a pitch and he's unplayable. Thats just his natural talent. And when he does he'll make that sort of comment look silly.

There's no doubt for me he should be playing as a second striker and as such becoming a master of the postion. Our use of him since signing from everton has been very strange in many respects but you have to bow to fergie's superior knowledge. What his thought process was in playing him as a wide man on the left of all places ill never know. But hey i thought maybe this is all part of his development. He's without doubt a different animal to the one we signed...and i miss his rampaging runs which seem to have decreased considerably. And what of his shooting from distance...that seems to have diminished. 2 of his strongest assets when we signed him. Another thing every one used to talk about, fergie included, was his ability to find space between the lines of opposition defence and mid..another classic sign he's a second striker. That has obviously been missed with him playing anywhere but.

Finally the key point that many miss when arguing against the "rooney can only play one position brigade" is that by playing second striker you are offering him the freedom of the city. He can pick and choose when to run in behind or drop off...go wide or go left, dribble or pass. This decision making process is vastly limited in other positions...left wing is pretty obvious but even as the focal point of the attack he'll find himself forced to stay up when he's inclined to drop off just to keep the shape of the side.