Wayne Rooney

Gazza

Anyone remember when Cantona went through a lean spell in the season before he retired? He was still good (because he's Eric Cantona) but he lacked the same spark he had in previous years. He also seemed a little bit slower and rounder than the season before. The hunger had gone. I wonder if Rooney is going through a similar period, after he has done so much already in his career. This summer, when he has no football to play, will be important for him, I feel.

I remember at that time in 1997, and at times since when United have been struggling to score, Fergie would focus on the strikers getting shots on goal in training sessions. It sounds simple, but just focus the strikers' game on finishing and getting the goalscoring feeling back. I think, and I said it earlier in the thread, Rooney really needs to concentrate on scoring. Once he gets out of the rut and gets the striker's instinct back, the rest of his game -- the touch and composure we know him for -- will fall into place.

Feed Me

Wayne was stunning against Liverpool. But my Lord, when will he score?

Van Piorsing

He's everywhere at the moment... but as he said, he's not worried because he knows it will come naturally.

He just needs more luck. That's all.

Raven_Blade

Everyone is willing him to score right now. There is absolutely nothing else missing from his game at the moment. When the goals start flying in again he will be putting in a complete performance.

Dippersripper

Don't understand why people think otherwise, but this season has been far far better for Rooney than the last one. He has been cracking at times.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

No. He needs to learn how to finish. Now that luck has abandoned him.

Mozza

He does not run with the ball as often as he used to, tends to play it safe to the support rather then something riskier, he's cut his game down to play the target man.

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

I beg to differ mate for one reason. VS Liverpool his whole game had "fallen into place. But he still couldn't score! He just needs to learn how to finish. Like Henry did. After all he gets himself into places most natural finisher only dream about. For me that's the one door he has left to open to usher in his greatness. Plus consistency of course

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

VS Liverpool Wayne did everything that he has always done at his best except score. I really don't believe he has cut down his game at all.

Eriku

Well true. I remember I was shocked to bits by him during his lean spell last autumn (autumn of 2006). Fair enough, you expect him to be off-form at times, but he wasn't even running around and harassing anybody. He was looking like he couldn't be arsed.

So long as Rooney keeps trying, I'm content to wait for the goals.

Also, loved the run that put Carra on his arse... lol... haven't seen Rooney just run straight at two defenders like that for ages.

KingEric7

Along with his finishing, I think that is the only issue i have at the moment with Wayne Rooney. He seems to be limiting himself that way as opposed to the FA Cup final last year for example where he took on the whole Chelsea time twice!

Apart from that though, i can't really fault him. Some of his play against Liverpool was unreal and his passing the other week was exceptional. Some people will only look at his goal scoring rate, but the way he's playing at the moment isn't actually do disimilar to what you'd expect from Scholesy with the added factor of greater athleticism.

marcus agrippa

this is spot on. Wazza was brilliant. his touch, his vision, his passing, his workrate were all brilliant. remember how he plucked that long ball from VdS from the air? velvet feet, that lad.

it seems a strange thing to say, especially given such an imperious performance, but imo he is simply lacking a bit of confidence in front of goal. he seems too anxious to score, sometimes pulling the trigger too quickly, at other times delaying it too long to make sure.

he'll be off and running soon, and then will relax, i'm sure of it. we have Roma in a week, and he loves scoring against them, so he'll be looking forward to that.

Instant Karma

IMO Rooney of last season was more influential than this season. He played in his best position for the first half of last season with Saha leading the line.

Even against Pool, most of the clear chances we created before the Mascherano red were long balls (Scholes quick freekick, VDS goal kick, Giggs freekick for Ronnie to hit the post). The only other great chance was from a fantastic run by Anderson and a brilliant ball putting Rooney through for the penalty incident. Once Tevez and Nani came on, Rooney who had gotten bored chasing long balls in the first half dropped deep into the midfield and started to pull the strings influencing the game. Yes, he made several great runs in the first half behind a slow defence and his touch was fantastic but his most influential play was later on in the match from a deeper position.

Jacob

Rooney is nothing to worry about. Quality player, he's explosive and techniqal, hard-working and ambitious. He's obviously lacking the poacher's finishing. Once he's got that, I think he could be the best in the world along with Ronaldo.

Raven_Blade

Its just a mental thing now. When he is on top form he scores with ease. Right now he just needs to keep working on it and good things will start happening again.

marcus agrippa

that was after the sending off, not before.

GE

Rooney hasn't scored at Old Trafford since October 2007

Red Indian Chief Torn Rubber

But last season Rooney was largely terrible by his standards. Just his end product in terms of assist and goals hid this fact. The way Ronaldo's current end product is hiding the fact he is not quite as good as he was last year.

Psmith

Except Ronaldo has been better this year.

Raven_Blade

Now that is mindboggling. There is no possible explanation for it. I hope he scores against Villa to get that statistic out of the way for good.

RedPony

i always thought so and i still think this way until today. rooney is better than ronaldo. just going though weird times right now.

Chris H

Fictitious.

Arsenal last month in the FA Cup. Has been since October in the league though.

Mr. Wood

I'm not so sure. Rooney hasn't been the same since he broke his foot before the last World Cup. I remember thinking before the tournament that he was going to take the world by storm, as he was absolutely on fire.

The reason I say I'm not convinced by your argument is that Rooney has gone on a couple of scoring runs since 2006, but he's still not really hit the heights that we saw in his first couple of seasons at United.

You might be right that it's a mental thing, but I don't think the solution is as him scoring a goal or two.

dmode

Rooney's play is pure pleasure, needs nothing to start scoring... let him express himself... what are you expecting? Us winning all our matches with him banging a lot of goals?!? This is absurd...

Feed Me

Absurd to expect the main centre forward to score goals?

Pogue Mahone

It's certainly fecking absurd to criticise our main centre forward when we've scored the most goals in the league and are currently top of the table.

It may have escaped your notice but we've played a system, for large parts of this season, which involves us playing without a traditional centre forward. This is a system which brings out the best in total footballers like Rooney, Tevez and Ronaldo.

Rooney's role within this system has, so far, been mainly that of a provider, which is why he has created more goals than almost any other player in the league, despite missing almost 2 months out of the season, with a couple of serious injuries.

Your continued criticism of the lad is bizarre, especially when combined with your sniping at Tevez and your ongoing Torres wankfest in another thread. It seems to me that your determination to be objective is making you lose the plot when it comes to assessing our own players.

Denis' cuff

not remotely concerned - it'll come back

I'm just enjoying his general form atm

I suppose the only worry is, if we desperately need a goal and he's the one with the ball at his feet

Feed Me

My criticism of Rooney is perfectly constructive Pogue. I think the bloke is an absolute genius in the making. But his continual missing chances is a massive problem. It could be terminal in the tightest fixtures. I am not saying the fella has to score 30 goals, but his output of 13 thus far is poor by the standards he has set himself over the previous two seasons.

There is no real Tevez sniping on my part. I love his commitment and work rate. He has surpassed my expectations in scoring 15 goals so far. But I don't think he is the real deal. I suspect SAF thinks the same - we only have to look at his continual ommission from the side in the big league and Champions League fixtures.

"Torres wankfest?" - The bloke is a class player with 27 goals - yet you and many others call him overrated. I am just addressing that.