Paul Parker: 'Wayne Rooney is overweight and slow.'

[The Brown Bull]

I'm not sure if Rooney is overweight but he has certainly slowed up and his touch is not good enough either.
He loses possession far too often and basically just dosnt do enough to be in the United team never mind be United captain.
It bugs me when he get possession and sweeps a 30/40?yard ball out to the wing and fans applaud .Thats an easy ball to play the easiest ball in fact.The difficult ball is the ball through the middle to a striker or runner from midfield, the ball Wayne just dosn't or can't play.
Jose is no fool though, I 'm sure he will sort this issue.
Always liked Paul Parker by the way, heard him interviewed once and the hack asked him if he still had a soft spot for West Ham where he started Paul replied the he certainly did not quite the opposite in fact.When asked why he said it was their fans were so racial which clearly wasn't the answer expected.

 

[Bwuk]

Your opinion?

Body fat measurement based on ... opinion?

Google what 15% body fat looks like and then come back to me. Rooney is build like that.

Pro footballers should be about 10%

 

[Munkehboi]

I wouldnt say he's overweight. He's always been stockey in build but he has certainly lost the pace but thats to be expected as he's getting on.

I'm way more concerned about his first touch. It's been dreadful for years.

 

[The Man Himself]

Oh dear, I'd give it credence if it was anyone else saying it. But Paul Parker...

If Paul Parker tells me earth is spherical or water is wet, I will question it...

 

[Treble]

He is not fat, just slow in his reactions. This is why he looks lost when we play against teams that can press well.

 

[Dir Wangem]

Where does Rooney go when he's feeling lost and confused?

Right to Valencia.

 

[Godfather]

Stocky in build is the newest excuse? Shaw is as well. Doesn't hinder him from being ripped as feck. Can't imagine Rooney hitting the gym often or looking after his body as much as many other athletes. It shows.

 

[KM]

Not surprised to see Indian posters dismissing Paul Parker's opinions(we see him a lot doing punditry on Indian TV).

He's one of the most negative pundits when it comes to United. Sometimes it looks like he downright hates the club. Speaks a lot of bollocks.

 

[Carlsen19]

Where does Rooney go when he's feeling lost and confused?

Right to Valencia.

 

[grahamo]

It's all those hair transplants. The weight of all the new follicles has raised his centre of gravity.plus he's a bit chubby

 

[RedChip]

Peak Rooney used to charge around with purpose; now he just ambles about looking for the easy.

It is depressing, really. Fecking Moyes.

 

[ManRant]

Not surprised to see Indian posters dismissing Paul Parker's opinions(we see him a lot doing punditry on Indian TV).

He's one of the most negative pundits when it comes to United. Sometimes it looks like he downright hates the club. Speaks a lot of bollocks.

It's the same here in Malaysia. Every time he speaks about United he will focus on the negative sides. Maybe he does post here. Or at least read the forum.

 

[ManRant]

These haters!

Paul Parker also says that Mikel is better than Pogba!


Ex-Manchester United defender Paul Parker has questioned where Paul Pogba will fit in at Old Trafford, arguing John Obi Mikel is a better holding midfielder than the France star.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1862/pr...as-good-as-john-obi-mikel-parker?ICID=SP_HN_1

Parker also questioned Ibrahimovic signings and he seems not too fond of Mourinho as well.

 

[fellaini's barber]

Don't think he's that fat, or that he's weight is the reason he can't control a ball or has such nightmarish games, the likes of Micah Richards and Hulk all look fatter to me but carry themselves well enough

 

[Sammyjunn]

He's so slow, and despite his weight he's quite weak as well. He's pretty much useless, bar penalties and one touch finishing, I dont think that he has any assets for this team. Everyone can pass sideways and backways like the heat map showed last match, then you'll get his fanboys back with the percentages about how excellent his passing is.

When was the last time Rooney dribbled with defenders before him, played one of them out, got a nice angle and just scored the goal. I must think his beautiful goal in the FA Cup back in January/February, he's so static in attacking play when he has the ball.

 

[Sparky10Legend]

The thing is with GNev is he is a United man through and through, but he's sold his soul for Sky's dollars.

The City game where Nev said he was a "silent assasin". The mind boggles, because he's nowhere near United class these days. Either Nev has been on the pills or he's idiot.

What's more, a shill.

 

[Lennon]

Imho it isn't all on his fitness. It seems to me he's lost a good portion of his passion, aggressiviness and hunger from the past. Compare a Rooney from 04-10 and from 11-16! The first one is a passionate, tough, sometimes rough, instinctive footballer. But after all his off-pitch incidents like his affair, swearing 2010 and of course with Fergie, he is step by step going backwards with his football-abilities. I ask myself, has he peaked at that time or was he forced to be a player or a role model which he isn't.

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Lost a yard of pace - normal for players who get old and have done so much running throughout their careers.

Overweight; however, not a chance. Not only is he wrong, but it's very disrespectful. That said, I guess that's normal towards Rooney, who is one of England's most decorated players in history.

 

[Wooly Red]

Wise words. Might I go further and suggest he doesn't return to Manchester duty, you could have him for the next 3-4 years.

Sure, we just completed our Main Stand, we could do with a garden gnome for one of the new landscaped areas.

Rooney

I used to think the same thing but as a PT, I can categorically tell you that he is overweight imo. An athlete can be overweight in the sense that he is not at his optimal physical condition. A player can carry extra 5% body fat and still meet the minimum requirement to pass a fitness test.

Being stocky is really a poor excuse that is surprisingly ONLY used for Rooney. A player can have a big and bulky build but still lean enough to cut down his overall weight. Rooney may not be blessed with a natural athletic physique but genetics is inexcusable now with modern sports science. It means that such a person has to do more work that the next Joe, and that extra work albeit difficult and irritating can be the difference between world class and and ok player. At 300k/w, I will be hiring a world class PT to follow everywhere.

The excuse that he's body is beat up is another excuse that has been over exaggerated. He is not the only player in world football that has clocked up many miles whist playing high intensity football but seems a viable excuse only applicable to Rooney. IMO, Rooney hasn't looked after himself to cater for his high intensity exertions over the years. The dude has not bothered to take that extra step that we see the likes of Giggs, Bellamy, Messi, Ronaldo, Aguero etc, players that have openly mentioned their weight and fitness issues and doing something drastic about it.

Rooney is not fat imo but definitely overweight. I'd hazard a guess and say that he weighs as much as Rojo and Fellaini yet both look much leaner.

I'm just curious - how can you tell without access to his physical data?

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Imho it isn't all on his fitness. It seems to me he's lost a good portion of his passion, aggressiviness and hunger from the past. Compare a Rooney from 04-10 and from 11-16! The first one is a passionate, tough, sometimes rough, instinctive footballer. But after all his off-pitch incidents like his affair, swearing 2010 and of course with Fergie, he is step by step going backwards with his football-abilities. I ask myself, has he peaked at that time or was he forced to be a player or a role model which he isn't.

Not really. You only have to watch the F.A cup against Everton where he ran God knws how many yards to make a clearance off the line, or that run against Palace.

To me, he's looked just as passionate, if not, more passionate than any of our other players.

 

[Sparky10Legend]

Lost a yard of pace - normal for players who get old and have done so much running throughout their careers.

Overweight; however, not a chance. Not only is he wrong, but it's very disrespectful. That said, I guess that's normal towards Rooney, who is one of England's most decorated players in history.

Disrespectful?

Sport is played today, as in you are judged now......not yesterday.

If I say Sir Bobby is carrying some timber does that make me disrespectful? Or in your world would Radamel Falcao still be a top top player?

 

[Walters_19_MuFc]

Disrespectful?

Sport is played today, as in you are judged now......not yesterday.

If I say Sir Bobby is carrying some timber does that make me disrespectful? Or in your world would Radamel Falcao still be a top top player?

When its not true, then yes, it is.

 

[SER19]

I'm not here to get on Rooneys back, my hope is that he has one last season in him. However the talk about his body, in my opinion, shouldn't even be a discussion. As a younger player Rooney got away with a lot more he had fantastic pace and strength. However he's over 30 now, has been playing for 14 years at the top level and while I'm not trying to simplify things so much to say that if he was ripped he'd be a better footballer but you simply can't compare him athletically to the likes of ronaldo and ibrahimovich. The conditioning these guys must do is incredible, no muscle is overlooked and they are reaping the rewards. I don't for a second, and never have even at his peak, buy the notion that he has A "different body type". He's a professional athlete and he needs to do what he can to get the maximum from his body. His current physique I feel, while not overweight or anything like that, could easily be improved on to huge benefit.

 

[Lennon]

Not really. You only have to watch the F.A cup against Everton where he ran God knws how many yards to make a clearance off the line, or that run against Palace.

To me, he's looked just as passionate, if not, more passionate than any of our other players.

Yeah, I know that and you're right! I'm not saying he has lost all his passion but to me he is not acting instinctively but he has to because of the captaincy of England and United! He isn't a natural leader and must show some passion. He knows the pressure, knows his critics and expectations. But isn't capable. Don't forget, he is playing at the highest level since he was 16 and has a pretty good injury-record unlike f. ex. Michael Owen. Who was starting his career at the same age. So, it seems more a mental thing than a physical.

 

[rocks13]

Another anti-Rooney thread!!!

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Hilarious to see the Rooney detractors revelling in support from Paul Parker and Jamie Redknapp, two of the very worst pundits in football.

As for the tin foil hat brigade with their Rooney media silence conspiracy theories, Redknapp and Souness both said that his place in the team is under significant threat this year while G Neville offered no real defence to that opinion.

 

[Dobbs]

I wouldn't say overweight. If anything he looks smaller than he did in his pomp. I think he lost weight the summer Moyes arrived and with it some muscle mass. He just doesn't look as powerful as he once did.

 

[KikiDaKats]

Rooney being overweight might not be the issue here.. For years he has been allowed to charge around the pitch like a lunatic with no tactical discipline.. So, SAF's latter years when we started moving towards a more tactical approach he looked lost(remember SAF's reason for dropping him against Real).. With Moyes we saw a bit of his old self, then came the old task master we saw what followed.
His decline is simply down to him not mastering the basics (street baller excuse) early in his career and now with age and responsibilities, these shortcomings are becoming more visible. Obviously, he'll continue to score goals but I doubt he will ever dominate games the way most fans remember him.

Who's fault is it? Don't know.. Maybe, him being the darling boy of the nation at an early age handicapped coaches..or being too comfortable..or ignorant of his own shortcomings.. Either way most fans/managers still appreciate him as a player, let's hope he repays the faith by posting good numbers under Mourinho.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

I'm not here to get on Rooneys back, my hope is that he has one last season in him. However the talk about his body, in my opinion, shouldn't even be a discussion. As a younger player Rooney got away with a lot more he had fantastic pace and strength. However he's over 30 now, has been playing for 14 years at the top level and while I'm not trying to simplify things so much to say that if he was ripped he'd be a better footballer but you simply can't compare him athletically to the likes of ronaldo and ibrahimovich. The conditioning these guys must do is incredible, no muscle is overlooked and they are reaping the rewards. I don't for a second, and never have even at his peak, buy the notion that he has A "different body type". He's a professional athlete and he needs to do what he can to get the maximum from his body. His current physique I feel, while not overweight or anything like that, could easily be improved on to huge benefit.

I think Rooney really really loves football and don't doubt that he works just as hard as everyone else on the pitch. By all accounts he breaks his balls on the training pitch too. I think his aerobic fitness would be right up there with the best in our team as a result. What his physique does show to me, though, is someone who doesn't bring that dedication to life away from the pitch/training ground. Ask any PT and they'll tell you the only way to get down towards the kind of single digit body fat you see in really elite athletes is with scrupulous attention to your diet. Without that, no matter how hard you work you'll never look ripped. I think Rooney is a bit of a throwback, who is too fond of beer and chips to reach that next level in terms of peak physical condition. And those extra few pounds he has always carried around with him will have implications in terms of the stress he's put his body through and how long he can remain at his best.

Every season, I keep hoping that Rooney will realise he hasn't much time left as a top flight footballer, he'll make the sacrifices needed to play deep into his 30s and we'll see him turn up at pre-season a lean, mean, fighting machine. Yet every summer he comes back looking heavy. This isn't sustainable and it's a real pity. It's going to take years off his career.

 

[Champagne Football]

Indeed. Only people who are/were better footballers than Rooney should be allowed to comment on him. Unless it's positive stuff of course in which case even posters on an internet forum are allowed.
Also, regarding the bolded bit, SAF also once had some well thought out praise for Jones.

Rooney will come in for huge critisism all season but it will never be anything we don't know already. Jose kept Drogba and Terry well passed their sell by not because they were the best but because they could still make a difference even if the game mostly passed them by. Fergie did the same with Scholes, Giggs etc and every week fans groaned and muppets like Robbie Savage and Garth Crooks etc questioned whether Fergie had lost the plot.....but you can't put a price on a player who can be a hame changer even if most of the game passes them by

 

[Adisa]

Another anti-Rooney thread!!!

I blame Paul Parker

 

[Classical Mechanic]

Rooney will come in for huge critisism all season but it will never be anything we don't know already. Jose kept Drogba and Terry well passed their sell by not because they were the best but because they could still make a difference even if the game mostly passed them by. Fergie did the same with Scholes, Giggs etc and every week fans groaned and muppets like Robbie Savage and Garth Crooks etc questioned whether Fergie had lost the plot.....but you can't put a price on a player who can be a hame changer even if most of the game passes them by

Souness spoke at the weekend about the positive effects a personality like Ibra has on the dressing room. A lot of fans judge on what is seen on the pitch only but a big reason why declining legends are keep around is because of the positive psychological effect they are thought to have on the team.

 

[VeevaVee]

Rooney's weight was always excused because he was decent. Now it's another reason to knock him, and rightly so really. If he wants to play for one of the biggest clubs in the world past his peak then he should be trying ultra hard to at least be in the best condition possible. Big build or not, the guy could and should be in better condition now and not being illustrates his lackluster attitude of the past few seasons. Even if he manages to 'put a shift in' and run around the entire pitch for 90 mins like he used to, one could still question his commitment over the rest of the week in between games.

Despite Rooney's terrible performances I've always said he's a good head to have around as he's well respected and I'm sure younger players can still learn a lot from his experience, but he does himself no favours.

 

[Perrick Dubois]

So I just got around to reading the article... How is this even journalism?... This is the actual quote.

This is a defining season for Rooney. It’s no longer about him breaking records but finishing his career at Manchester United. He needs to show his worth and that he deserves to be in the team and not just because of marketing. As much as people appreciate what he’s done over the years and how many goals he’s scored football is about now and being judged on now. If someone had only heard of Wayne Rooney but seen him now they’d think 'Who is this fella? He’s overweight and slow. That shot was terrible, and it looks like he can’t move or shift his body quick enough. With Paul Pogba you do wonder when you look at his style of play for Juventus can he play that way for Manchester United? If he plays behind Ibrahimovic that puts Wayne Rooney in doubt and Rooney has to play – not that he deserves a place, but they have to play him. So it’s a difficult situation.

It reads like a redcafe nonsense post. Journalism really is in the toilet these days. Then there are now caf armchair PT, BMI, Sports Nutrition and Fitness experts in here giving it a trumpet as well. Just desperate and bizarre stuff.

Paul Parker is not on our coaching staff, nor our fitness team. I doubt he even has any credentials as a fitness trainer to begin with. Why on earth would anyone even read something like this and take it seriously?

 

[Acole9]

He's lost a lot of pace yes but he's not overweight.

 

[Pogue Mahone]

He's lost a lot of pace yes but he's not overweight.

I think he's lost the pace at a younger age than most because he's always carried a bit of extra weight. Obviously, being "overweight" as an elite athlete is not the same thing as for a man in the street.

 

[Crackers]

He's always had a big build, but I think he's pretty lean at the moment. His touch and short passing was never great, and he usually made up for it with pure speed and hunger.
He definitely doesn't have the speed anymore, and I'd question if he has the same hunger.

Regardless of what people think of his weight, he completely slows down play, loses the ball too much, and isn't incisive or creative enough to operate as a 10.
He should be played less and less nowadays, and I'd think the team would click a lot more if we dropped him completely.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

So I just got around to reading the article... How is this even journalism?... This is the actual quote.



It reads like a redcafe nonsense post. Journalism really is in the toilet these days. Then there are now caf armchair PT, BMI, Sports Nutrition and Fitness experts in here giving it a trumpet as well. Just desperate and bizarre stuff.

Paul Parker is not on our coaching staff, nor our fitness team. I doubt he even has any credentials as a fitness trainer to begin with. Why on earth would anyone even read something like this and take it seriously?

Do you have any credentials to discuss football in the first place? Because this is what you are basing your arguments on. Also, he base his argumentation on what he sees when watching Rooney, not using scientific facts or BMI factors.

 

[BarstoolProphet]

Paul Parker slating Rooney would be akin to Rojo slating Pogba in 10 years time on TV as a pundit in desperation to make a name for himself as a pundit......

Yes we all are very aware that a 30 year old Rooney is no better than a 35 year old Giggs or Scholes in that most games pass him by but he still has that rare gift of being able to decide games if given 1 chance........The reason Rooney gets so much stick is that he forced the club to give him a Messi/Ronaldo level salary when on current form he offers no more than an Osman/Wes Hoolihan/Harry Arter/Balotelli but he still offers more than Mata and anyone else we have for the No.10 position so we'll get one more half decent season from him where he will break the club scoring record and then next summer we can ship him off to the Seattle Sounders for £500,000 but Rooney has already written his place in the history books at this club and most certainly carried us for at least 3 of the seasons he has been here and at his peak Fergie once said he is on a par with Pele despite holding the club to ransom on a few occasions and Rojo level players like Parker should refrain from cheap shots

Give Rooney 5 or 6 games in that No.10 role and you can be sure he will start banging them in again even if you are unaware that he was actually on the pitch for most of the 90 mins

Are you for real? It's like our very own version of the Scouse Boom Bust Cycle.

- You have to be atleast on par with Rooney now or in the past to have any credentials to criticize him. Rendering discussion boards around the world pretty much pointless
- Rooney gets stick mainly for the contract situation, despite the majority of his critics, including me, has stated time and time again that it got nothing to with that saga. How can his defenders miss that?
- Does he offers more than Mata? That's VERY debatable. Also, as stated a million times, Mata gets relegated to the bench after poor performances. Rooney not. So why is the other under-performers still being dragged into this?

And last but not least, my absolute favourite (and the main reason behind my initial response to your post):

"Give Rooney 5 or 6 games in that No.10 role and you can be sure he will start banging them in again even if you are unaware that he was actually on the pitch for most of the 90 mins"

Like I wrote last year:

1. Plays as a striker for five matches without contributing anything. "I think his best position is no.10".
2. Plays five matches as a no.10 without contributing. "Would like to see him get a run of games as a striker".
3. Plays another four matches as a striker before he finally scores. "Proves his critics wrong. Shows he's still a class player".
4. Next two matches he's back to his usual "retirement-worthy" level. "He lost a bit of pace, but he can still deliver those fantastic passes in a midfield role".
5. Ends of being our worst player after a few games in midfield. "He s constantly being played out of position".
6. "No matter where you play him, he will still work his socks off". That's true – at a pace of -0,65mph without pressing the opponent. But he still works his socks off!
7. Back in a striker role, but he still underperforms. "He gets no service. On top of that, we need more Englishmen around him as he can't understand those Spanish guys."

Rinse repeat.

 

[JJ12]

I don't think he is fat but I don't think he's always looked after his body probably swigging and eat shite. He just doesn't look athletic any more. His touch is poor and he hasn't got the motor he once had. He still has his positioning for scoring like Sunday but I don't think he will be in the starting 11 come the end of the season. The sooner he is benched the better.

When he is then benched I expect to see a fired up Rooney to try and win his place back - if the fire has gone then unfortunately so has his United career.