Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.

[2mufc0]

The issue I have is that Jose is a stubborn arse and he might persist with this combination rather than dropping one of them. It took him a good third of the season before he started to drop some of the Chelsea first teamers when they were in terrible form. Will he have learnt his lesson from last season? I think he'll persist with Rooney personally even if he's in awful form (which we all know is a common trend nowadays).

We won't be selling Rooney though, you don't go and visit a player during an International Tournament to tell him his future is safe and then sell him a few weeks later. That would cause bad blood in the dressing room, so I think Rooney will be here for at least another Season.

The stupid thing is Ibra would be a better 9 than Rooney, especially if he can feed Martial and Rashford making runs ahead of him. This feels like RVP/Rooney all over again.

And i agree i have a feeling Mourinho will persist with him. On the other hand i have a glimmer of hope that Mourinho will eventually drop him and Rooney ends up angry and confused then moves on next year.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Pundits had spent months snaking on Rooney's passing. Mourinho basically shat on it.

Seeing Danny Higginbotham had him and Rooney in the midfield for United on Sky, that blew that suggestion away. Jose knows better than you Danny.

 

[The red panther]

you have no idea what people are willing to claim on here. Not long ago I had about 5 posters telling me that Valencia was the best right back in the league when I was saying he is not even a decent one in the PL let alone Europe.

Problem is people saying Valencia is a crap RB, actually say we should play Darmian. Whilst Darmian is just so much worse on any level.

 

[Amethyst]

In an ideal world we'd have Zlatan, Tony M and Mkhi as starters with a midfield trio behind them. Rashford, Memphis etc. as backup and Rooney on a flight to Guangzhou for whatever ridiculous sum of money they want to pay. Doubt it'll happen though.

 

[SteveJ]

Trying to imagine Rooney speaking mandarin in a scouse accent

"Erm...I like mandarins but I prefer tangerines."

 

[Insanity]

Funny how people are so excited by this.

Probably don't realise this means with 99% certainty that it will be Rooney on the 10 behind Zlatan. Only 1% chance he is off to China.

People are excited because they were worried that he'll be shoe-horned into a central midfield role just because he can ping a ball to the right wing Stevie G style. Jose's statement makes it clear that won't happen.

 

[Art Vandelay]

That's one problem solved straight away.

 

[horsechoker]

Funny how people are so excited by this.

Probably don't realise this means with 99% certainty that it will be Rooney on the 10 behind Zlatan. Only 1% chance he is off to China.

I hope Rooney gets dropped but for the life of me I can't see it happen under Jose. He wanted to buy Rooney 3 years ago to have him at Chelsea. Wouldn't be surprised if we had actually sold him Rooney then, he would buy him back now to play him here again. I hope I'am wrong but I just can't see any other way that Rooney will be a keyplayer under Mourinho, if he doesn't think it is as a central midfielder then for sure it means he will play him more on top as a striker or as a 10.

He didn't say anything about Zlatan, if you look at how he used Drogba two seasons ago it was sparingly and as a back up. I don't think Zlatan will be a starter every week and I think Rooney will have to prove himself at 9 or 10 or he'll be dropped.

 

[DomesticTadpole]

Funny how people are so excited by this.

Probably don't realise this means with 99% certainty that it will be Rooney on the 10 behind Zlatan. Only 1% chance he is off to China.

I hope Rooney gets dropped but for the life of me I can't see it happen under Jose. He wanted to buy Rooney 3 years ago to have him at Chelsea. Wouldn't be surprised if we had actually sold him Rooney then, he would buy him back now to play him here again. I hope I'am wrong but I just can't see any other way that Rooney will be a keyplayer under Mourinho, if he doesn't think it is as a central midfielder then for sure it means he will play him more on top as a striker or as a 10.

I think it is more that as United fans we have witnessed Wayne and his nine games to get going. Will Jose wait that long? He might just let him have two to three games and if the team are not scoring enough, then Wayne will be dropped. It could be the kick up the arse Wayne needs. The last three seasons he has been a protected species, now he has to up his game and we will see if he is still capable of that. He is no longer undroppable.

 

[FC Ronaldo]

He's blatantly staying but I'd love it more than Keegan if Mourinho sold him this summer.

 

[Red Stone]

He didn't say anything about Zlatan, if you look at how he used Drogba two seasons ago it was sparingly and as a back up. I don't think Zlatan will be a starter every week and I think Rooney will have to prove himself at 9 or 10 or he'll be dropped.

There's no way in hell Zlatan has come here to be a back up after the season he just had. Drogba had already spent time in Turkey and China and was intended as a bit-part player all along.

 

[Djemba-Djemba]

I think this is definitely the beginning of the end for Rooney.

Mourinho said it himself, it's all about putting the ball in the net and with Rooney having to play up front now he has to produce goals and as last season proved he can't do that anymore.

He can't hide in midfield anymore hitting that one pass he can do to Valencia on the right wing.

 

[EyeInTheSky]

"Erm...I like mandarins but I prefer tangerines."

wahahah!

Can't believe I wasted one of my 5 posts a day in the mains for that... but worth it

 

[horsechoker]

There's no way in hell Zlatan has come here to be a back up after the season he just had. Drogba had already spent time in Turkey and China and was intended as a bit-part player all along.

He's 34, I think he will have to accept he can't play every match even if he is Zlatan. I actually think he would better at 10 then Rooney though

 

[MDFC Manager]

Funny how people are so excited by this.

Probably don't realise this means with 99% certainty that it will be Rooney on the 10 behind Zlatan. Only 1% chance he is off to China.

I hope Rooney gets dropped but for the life of me I can't see it happen under Jose. He wanted to buy Rooney 3 years ago to have him at Chelsea. Wouldn't be surprised if we had actually sold him Rooney then, he would buy him back now to play him here again. I hope I'am wrong but I just can't see any other way that Rooney will be a keyplayer under Mourinho, if he doesn't think it is as a central midfielder then for sure it means he will play him more on top as a striker or as a 10.

Its definitely very exciting news. Even as unproductive as Rooney the striker has been, its a million times better than him plodding about in midfield. I'm glad that at long last, it looks like actual midfielders will play in midfield.

 

[Android1974]

This is how i see it. He will play Rooney in the Lampard role i think.

There's no 4-3-3 here for the Lampard advanced-midfielder role. Nothing indicates Mourinho will favor that system, on the contrary, there are signs United could play 4-4-2 sometimes.

In the basic 4-2-3-1, Rooney will play 10 (and perhaps 9, in specific games). Or 9,5, i.e. second-striker, in a kind of very attacking 4-4-2.

 

[Vashu]

Champagne, whiskey or vodka. Which shall we open?

RIP thread

 

[Dyslexic Untied]

Are we back in 2013?

No

 

[OohAahMartial]

There's no 4-3-3 here for the Lampard advanced-midfielder role. Nothing indicates Mourinho will favor that system, on the contrary, there are signs United could play 4-4-2 sometimes.

In the basic 4-2-3-1, Rooney will play 10 (and perhaps 9, in specific games). Or 9,5, i.e. second-striker, in a kind of very attacking 4-4-2.

Maybe Leicester have resurrected the 4-4-2, or in this case a 4-4-1-1 with Rooney playing a Sheringham role.

 

[davidmichael]

Most important thing I get from this is Mourinho really wants a genuine midfield general so all this talk of Pogba becomes even more real and possible with Rooney not being considered as a midfielder.

Interestingly I also noticed Mourinho say he's got three of his four transfer targets and he'll breath once he gets the fourth, I love the fact that Mourinho has immediately done what his predecessors in Moyes and LVG didn't do in taking Rooney to task and not bowing down even though Rooney himself now believes he's a deep lying playmaker.

Where Rooney plays now though is a mystery as Mourinho has always flipped between 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 but primarily 4-3-3 so it would likely three from Rashford, Ibrahamovic, Mkhitaryan and Martial up top so we may now Rooney have to genuinely fight for his place which hasn't happened since Sir Alex was in charge.

 

[kafta]

Thank you Jose, Catastrophe averted.

 

[BennyBlanco]

I think Rooneys given better performances of late as a no.8 than a no.10 so it's disappointing, considering Rooney WILL start every game at 10, it also means we're looking to play 4231 rather than a 433 surely.

 

[Raees]

There's a lot of people getting ahead of themselves a bit but its a good start of course. Can't see him play anywhere but #10, but at the same time he will be first choice there. Mkhitaryan will be right wing, leaving competition for the 10 being..... mata (obvious no for Mourinho), herrera who will be more squad player and fellaini (yeah right). Or young players like memphis and januzaj. So basically its easy for rooney unless he shits the bed and herrera puts in great performances and scores consistently.

If you sign Pogba, you're basically being forced to play a 4-3-3 and Pogba is a #8 in that role. He can't play as a DM and he isn't a controlling midfielder either.

So basically the Pogba signing means Rooney either plays as a 9 or he is on the bench. Against weaker teams we can go 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 and Rooney can play as a 10 perhaps but Pogba is a huge stride forward in pushing Rooney out of the side against big teams if we pull it off.

Jose is not stupid enough to play Pogba as one of his two pivot midfielders against a good side, Pogba simply doesn't have the work rate or the nous to play there. He is better as a Lampard style mid.

 

[Vashu]

Jose said today that Wayne won't play as a 9. So either he performs well as a nr 10 or bust. Don't see it ending well for Rooney.

 

[kps88]

As per @meffy in the newbies -

 

[Dobbs]

I think Rooneys given better performances of late as a no.8 than a no.10 so it's disappointing, considering Rooney WILL start every game at 10, it also means we're looking to play 4231 rather than a 433 surely.

He won't start every game though. Clearly Mourinho is saying that Rooney can only play one of the forward positions. If he's not good enough then he'll be dropped. There'll be no more accommodating him in a different position.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Last chance saloon for Wayne. No more shoehorning him in to the team when he fails to impress in his natural position.

 

[Nuts]

I think Wayne's a bit fecked. We all know he needs to play every week to be in rhythm, and that won't change.

Problem is, I don't see him getting picked by Jose every week in any position for United next season.

He really ought to move, for his own sake.

 

[amolbhatia50k]

He'll probably be our first choice 10/SS next season. It's great that Jose has busted the myth about Rooney the great playmaker. It was said by so many with such conviction.

 

[horsechoker]

I really do hope Wayne is not playing every game, if he is only to be played in two positions I hope he is dropped if he is not good enough in either of them. Too many pundits and even managers have entertained playing Rooney in various positions. This might sound hyperbolic but I wouldn't be surprised if someone like Hodgson advocated playing him at CB because he can do long passes, works hard and sometimes makes a good tackle.

 

[PlayerOne]

Happy he won't in midfield, but him and Zlatan upfront doesn't look good to me, no pace in there. Rooney is such a big issue, I just hope Jose will drop him he plays like shit

 

[coolredwine]

Tbf, his finishing is still there.

So is his passing.

 

[Escobar]

Good that he's not accomodating players. They either perform in their position or dont play. I like that alot. Does this mean Rooney will be off or sitting on the bench? I doubt it, at least not initially

 

[Escobar]

So is his passing.

Which Jose said is not a valid point. He doesnt care about passing in Rooney, there are many good passers around (himself included)

 

[buchansleftleg]

Gong Hey fat Choi Wayne!

 

[ManUchosenbosslvg]

I wouldn't be surprised if it's in that bloody contract that he starts when he's fit and wants to start. Can't believe we didn't listen to Ferguson after all he'd done for us and saddled ourselves with this huge contract that we're still paying the price for

 

[Shark]

So is his passing.

He was never a brilliant passer of the ball. However, even now I'd want Rooney at the end of chances, as he's still one of the best finishers in the squad when he gets one.

 

[Cassidy]

He was never a brilliant passer of the ball. However, even now I'd want Rooney at the end of chances, as he's still one of the best finishers in the squad when he gets one.

Last season seemed to prove that was not the case, he fluffed so many chances.

 

[itso 7]

Good he's drawn the line on this nonsense now it remains to be seen if he has the steel to refuse substandard performances and act on them. If he judges Rooney by a different standard, like his now jobless mentor did, then he doesn't have to look further than his predecessors to know whats coming his way in twelve to twenty four months.

 

[bosnian_red]

If you sign Pogba, you're basically being forced to play a 4-3-3 and Pogba is a #8 in that role. He can't play as a DM and he isn't a controlling midfielder either.

So basically the Pogba signing means Rooney either plays as a 9 or he is on the bench. Against weaker teams we can go 4-2-3-1 or 4-4-2 and Rooney can play as a 10 perhaps but Pogba is a huge stride forward in pushing Rooney out of the side against big teams if we pull it off.

Jose is not stupid enough to play Pogba as one of his two pivot midfielders against a good side, Pogba simply doesn't have the work rate or the nous to play there. He is better as a Lampard style mid.

Lampard played as one of the midfield 2 in a 4231 under Mou pretty often. Played fabregas there for chelsea 2 years ago. Think thats the role he has lined up for him (also what Pogba played for france the other day next to Matuidi).

 

[GloryHunter07]

He didn't say anything about Zlatan, if you look at how he used Drogba two seasons ago it was sparingly and as a back up. I don't think Zlatan will be a starter every week and I think Rooney will have to prove himself at 9 or 10 or he'll be dropped.

I hope you're right.