Replacing Rooney

Bebe

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I think things have reached a stage where selling Rooney is at the very least a real possibility this summer. While I have no problem with this, we will certainly need to bring in another attacker to fill the void.

Criteria I think we should be looking at
Rooney is rather unique in that his versatility sees him regularly line up as a lone striker, wide forward and most prevalently in the #10 role. I think we're more than ok at striker even if RVP were to miss time with Hernandez, Welbeck and Henriquez.

Out wide we currently have Valencia, Nani, Zaha and Young, which on paper sounds adequate to me. I am of the opinion that our wingers can't possibly be worse than last season, and Valencia/Nani in particular are much better than they showed last year. If we were to lose Nani as well that would change things, but at the moment I think we're set here as well.

In the behind the striker/CAM/#10 etc role, things get a little more interesting. Losing Rooney would leave Kagawa as our only dedicated player in this role. We do also have Powell and Januzaj as youth players who may be ready to fill in. Anderson and Cleverley are also competent in this role, but I don't think its a stretch to say we would lack depth here if Rooney left, as he has filled this role for the past few seasons with very good results.

Based on this I think we're looking at a player who can play across an attacking 3 but prefers the centre.

Off the top of my head, here's a couple players who might work.

Christian Eriksen
Luka Modric
Marek Hamsik
Eric Lamela
Nicolas Gaitan
Alan Dzagoev

Who do you think we should go for?

Possible candidates (I'll keep this list updated):

Gareth Bale
Luka Modric
Cesc Fabregas
El Sharaawy
Marco Reus
Cristiano Ronaldo
Juan Mata

Edit: Doesn't necessarily have to be a "like for like" replacement, if such even exists.
 
Modric should've been an option regardless of Rooney.

RVP can also play number ten.

I agree with the other poster, Bale. By far the best option unless Ronnies coming home.
 
If Rooney goes, I hope we don't sign anyone to play in his position and use Kagawa instead. I think he'd thrive if given a #10 role, he'd probably deliver double digits in both goals and assists.
 
Luka Modric.

Premiership experience, more dynamic and creative approach but also great long distance shooter... or just give Kagawa a full role of number 10 to do some Borussia's magic.
 
RvP
Winger - Kagawa - Winger
Carrick - New CM

Bring in someone who can function as a winger and play behind the striker, give a contract to Nani and sign a top class midfielder.
 
syrian_scholes said:
I think we have enough in RVP, Chicha, Kagawa and Welbz.
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True. With Januzaj for the future it could work.

Moyes would probably add someone to that line up, anyway but it would be definitely working as Kagawa is already someone, I think we can trust.
 
What Rooney gives u is a presence and goals. I hope he stays and we put all this down to media moguls playing up fabricating stories to sell papers.

If we do sell we must get mega money from Madrid and not sell to rent boys. Use cash to buy bale.
Fellaini will be a great addition too and give us something different, still think we'll pay over the odds for baines and maybe a young mid like McCarthy from Wigan. Bale has to be the target if we sell rooney
 
Sarni said:
If Rooney goes, I hope we don't sign anyone to play in his position and use Kagawa instead. I think he'd thrive if given a #10 role, he'd probably deliver double digits in both goals and assists.
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I agree and the best part of selling Rooney is unleashing Kagawa. However I do think we need more competition and cover for that role than Powell and Januzaj.
 
Play Kagawa behind RVP. But yes, buy Bale too and put him back on the left. He would be completely sensational in our side.
 
Kagawa's better than the likes of Eriksen, Hamsik and co. mentioned in the OP and Van Persie's already shown he's still quality in that deeper role so we really don't need a direct replacement. If we're getting rid of Nani then a superstar on the wings would go quite nicely but ultimately we all know centre mid's where it's at. If Rooney goes then we've lost someone who is essential to our build-up play, so you'd think that would make signing a midfielder even more important and we'd push the boat out and pay that bit extra for the main target. Kagawa's definitely capable of becoming one of our most important players but I think it'd be a big risk to rely on him to step into Rooney's shoes. You'd want another player to cushion the blow.
 
Rooney is a better striker than anyone bar RVP, and was more productive than Kagawa last season despite being injured, unmotivated and out of shape.

People are deluding themselves if they think he doesn't need replacing. RVP won't play everygame, which means up front we'll either have:

1. Hernandez: Love him but NOT a lone striker option.
2. Welbeck: A striker than can't score goals

And that's it. And no, Angelo doesn't count.

If Rooney goes we should sign Lewandowski for cheap, and hope Dortmund would sell to us just to piss off Bayern.
 
Bale by a country fecking mile.

We are well stocked centrally. What we need is a wide attacking player with firepower, especially if we were to lose Rooney's productivity.

Bale is just so obviously the perfect candidate. I think that Bale, Kagawa, RVP + Nani/Young/Welbeck/Valencia would be a better and better balanced front four than what we have at the moment.
 
No need of a direct replacement.

Keep Nani. Along with Valencia, that's the right wing sorted.

Play Kagawa as the No 10.

Buy a top CM

Buy a top Left winger.
 
Brwned said:
Kagawa's better than the likes of Eriksen, Hamsik and co. mentioned in the OP and Van Persie's already shown he's still quality in that deeper role so we really don't need a direct replacement. If we're getting rid of Nani then a superstar on the wings would go quite nicely but ultimately we all know centre mid's where it's at. If Rooney goes then we've lost someone who is essential to our build-up play, so you'd think that would make signing a midfielder even more important and we'd push the boat out and pay that bit extra for the main target. Kagawa's definitely capable of becoming one of our most important players but I think it'd be a big risk to rely on him to step into Rooney's shoes. You'd want another player to cushion the blow.
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Basically this. Rooney out and Fabregas in with Kagawa behind RvP would be fantastic and not weaken our team in any way. I do think we need a winger if Nani goes but that's even if we keep Rooney.
 
Bale or Ronaldo only. Bale to play on the wing and Kagawa then to start regularly behind RVP, or Ronaldo to play with RVP. Anything else is a downgrade.
 
We signed his direct replacement last Summer.
 
We have replaced him last edition. We have RVP as main striker and Kagawa as No.10. Hernandez is very promising and can play as striker in case of injuries while Welbeck is versatile enough to be cover for anyone in the attacking part of the game.

So no, no need to replace him. Better to spend the money to get a great winger (Bale or Ronaldo) though the priority with or without Rooney should be the central midfield.
 
You can all forget about Bale. It would take silly money to get him this Summer.
 
Carl said:
You can all forget about Bale. It would take silly money to get him this Summer.
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Yep, pretty much. With Levy, even silly money would take a whole new meaning. If Real couldnt get him, we cant either.
 
You get the feeling that bringing Kagawa and van Persie in last year was a message to Rooney that we're preparing for life without him. Particularly given the special treatment van Persie received.
 
A player who is guaranteed to bang in 10-15 goals and lay on 10-15 assists.

When Rooney plays well, he's central to most things good. We can't underestimate his departure and not replace him, it's suicide.

Everyone would want a Bale, Ronaldo, Fabregas who can do it from midfield, but replacing someone like Rooney who seems to reinvent himself annually in some shape or form is going to be quite interesting should it happen.
 
Brwned said:
You get the feeling that bringing Kagawa and van Persie in last year was a message to Rooney that we're preparing for life without him. Particularly given the special treatment van Persie received.
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Absolutely. Fergie never forgets and things were never the same between them after 2010. The way things went for Rooney last year was so similar to Ruud in his last year it was frightening.
 
ISSYNAZAR said:
A player who is guaranteed to bang in 10-15 goals and lay on 10-15 assists.
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Shinji-Kagawa.jpeg
 
The ideal player given our sitation is one of those technical types that operate from out wide but can play through the centre. Goetze basically, but that ship has sailed. Whoever it is, between a player like him and Kagawa I don't think we'd need to do any direct replacing.
 
ISSYNAZAR said:
A player who is guaranteed to bang in 10-15 goals and lay on 10-15 assists.

When Rooney plays well, he's central to most things good. We can't underestimate his departure and not replace him, it's suicide.

Everyone would want a Bale, Ronaldo, Fabregas who can do it from midfield, but replacing someone like Rooney who seems to reinvent himself annually in some shape or form is going to be quite interesting should it happen.
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All the great players who left United were hardly replaced with a like for like player, the team always adjusted but more than anything it was thanks to SAF. I'm not sure about anything with Moyes. There are no players who could bring what Rooney can available on the market IMHO, we will have to sign someone else and adjust the team's tactics.
 
I'd personally go for another winger, if Rooney goes Kagawa should go to the number 10 role, and hopefully have Nani back in full force, in which case he, Valencia and another attacking winger could compete for the wide roles, hernandez and welbeck pushing up top. Personally wouldn't mind Young being moved on with Zaha about. I think loosing Rooney would be a blow. One of the things we all really felt was a plus about getting RVP is that it meant that all the pressure wasn't on Rooney, there were two genuine stars which meant we could rotate a bit more comfortable and not have to rush anyone back. If Rooney goes without the right replacement we'll be back to one genuine star player.
 
Brwned said:
Kagawa's better than the likes of Eriksen, Hamsik and co. You'd want another player to cushion the blow.
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I agree and I certainly don't imagine someone like Dzagoev would force Kagawa out of the team. I'm thinking we need someone to play across the 3 (Isco would be my ideal choice) and compete for those roles. Someone young, hungry and with talent. Sort of the way Chelsea used Victor Moses last year, or perhaps the way Barcelona should have used Thiago.
 
We really don't need to replace him if he goes.United will go on as always.
 
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