Livewire1974
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Yes. Considering he sacrificed himself many times for the team and his achievements, it will be a very long time till we see the likes of him again.
It's very hard to see anyone beating the record now.Yes. Considering he sacrificed himself many times for the team and his achievements, it will be a very long time till we see the likes of him again.
Maybe but well everyone doesn't live up to their early potential but imo Rooney has. Messi even in his younger days just looked on a different level to anyone else.Yes, but playing at the same time as them when at one time he was regarded as and tipped to have a better career will be held as a slight against him
I think if Rooney had played purely as a striker for his entire time here, he'd probably have around 50 goals more to his name. He was good enough to have been our first choice striker for a long time.You see some people say stuff like he only got the goalscoring record for staying so long.
That's an amazingly harsh thing to say, bearing in mind he was never an out and out goalscorer.
To put things in context, Martial was praised to the hilt for scoring 17 last season.
To match Rooney's 249, you'd need 19 a season...for 13 years!
I agree. Can't see the record going anytime soon. Can't even see any player coming here that can match that.You see some people say stuff like he only got the goalscoring record for staying so long.
That's an amazingly harsh thing to say, bearing in mind he was never an out and out goalscorer.
To put things in context, Martial was praised to the hilt for scoring 17 last season.
To match Rooney's 249, you'd need 19 a season...for 13 years!
But your basing you answer to the question against a freak player. No one might ever be as good as Messi again. They might, but also they might not. Same with Ronaldo. Two players of a generation who have pushed records what we knew to the absolute limit.Nobody is debating that. That's not what this thread is about. It's a simple question and a matter of opinion. "Do you think Rooney has fulfilled his potential?" Your answer depends on how highly you regarded him as a talent when he was young.
Personally, I thought he was nailed on to be one of the greatest players of his generation, a player that would regularly compete for the title of BITW. He has quite clearly fallen short of that. That is why my answer to the OP is NO.
It doesn't mean, I don't hold his achievements in high regard.
If my viewpoint has a problem, you can argue that, my expectations were to great. And even that, I can't agree. Apart from Messi, I cannot remember seeing a mare accomplished teenage footballer than Wayne Rooney.
Absolutely this. I see so many people calling him fat, unfit , not focussed on the football and always drinking and smoking but you don't have a career spanning 600 games, 13 years and 300 goals if you're not a thorough professional.Most players don't fully establish themselves until they are in their early 20s, including many great ones. People forget that Rooney was a key player for club and country at 17. If you look at his prime years from 17-27 then his career is phenomenal, and you'd say his performances over that span were consistently top 5-10 in the world. Then look at his trophy haul, and the variety of positions he's played. People forget how much of a catalyst and facilitator he was in the Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov years. Often moving out to the left wing in big matches to compensate for Ronnie's lack of work-rate.
I know he fell out with Fergie and flirted with leaving, but so did a lot of great players in our time. His form since he was 28 hasn't been great, but he has so many miles on the clock. When i watch him play, even badly, I still see a player who runs non-stop and gives it all for the shirt. His frustrating touches and dribbles have annoyed me greatly in recent years, but how much am i going to blame him for successive manager's not having the balls to drop him? What's he supposed to do? Drop himself? Mourinho is the first manager to come in and treat him like another other player, and consequently he's produced a few performances this season that hark back to days of yore.
Legend. You don't accomplish all he has unless you are absolutely focused and driven in your field.
If a player came in and stayed for around 10 years and he was a quality player he could but in this age, who really stays at one club for 10 years? Ronaldo was someone who would have broken the record but he only saw United as his route to Spain.I agree. Can't see the record going anytime soon. Can't even see any player coming here that can match that.
To my mind the problem is less that he failed to match Messi/Ronaldo and more that he failed to match several other players from his generation too. That for me is a sign that he fell short of his potential, regardless of what Messi and Ronaldo have done.Yes, but playing at the same time as them when at one time he was regarded as and tipped to have a better career will be held as a slight against him
He's had a great career for us here.I think if Rooney had played purely as a striker for his entire time here, he'd probably have around 50 goals more to his name. He was good enough to have been our first choice striker for a long time.
I don't agree with that last bit. I doubt he came here TO GET to Spain. I think that move opened up later as his stock increased.If a player came in and stayed for around 10 years and he was a quality player he could but in this age, who really stays at one club for 10 years? Ronaldo was someone who would have broken the record but he only saw United as his route to Spain.
Biggest reason Rooney's record will stand for ages. Hid g/pg record is not really special but hes sustained it pretty much for 13 years. Hats of to him tbh and it's 249 not out. Who knows the number it's going to be by the time he leaves.If a player came in and stayed for around 10 years and he was a quality player he could but in this age, who really stays at one club for 10 years? Ronaldo was someone who would have broken the record but he only saw United as his route to Spain.
Yes he's started to go downhill but I also think our poor football hasn't helped. He's always looked better playing with pace around him and the last 3 years have been awful. Even over the last 2 months he's put in a lot of good performances and he linked up well even today with the youngsters and Mata. If managed well, he can have an impact for us in our cup games and maybe the odd league game as well.He's had a great career for us here.
Yes the last few seasons haven't been as exciting as the first few, but no one carries that same excitement throughout. Even Messi in a couple of years will ease down, and won't excite as much. It happens.
It's so easy to forget the early day Rooney, the 18 year old ripping it up for England, how you'd panic if he wasn't playing for club or country.
The good thing now, is that he's not in the most important 4 or 5 players in the team, so we can utilise him in a more effective way, both for him and ourselves
Honestly, what a quality post. I would try and write my own about how I feel about Rooney but why bother. Summed up my feelings perfectly.Most players don't fully establish themselves until they are in their early 20s, including many great ones. People forget that Rooney was a key player for club and country at 17. If you look at his prime years from 17-27 then his career is phenomenal, and you'd say his performances over that span were consistently top 5-10 in the world. Then look at his trophy haul, and the variety of positions he's played. People forget how much of a catalyst and facilitator he was in the Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov years. Often moving out to the left wing in big matches to compensate for Ronnie's lack of work-rate.
I know he fell out with Fergie and flirted with leaving, but so did a lot of great players in our time. His form since he was 28 hasn't been great, but he has so many miles on the clock. When i watch him play, even badly, I still see a player who runs non-stop and gives it all for the shirt. His frustrating touches and dribbles have annoyed me greatly in recent years, but how much am i going to blame him for successive manager's not having the balls to drop him? What's he supposed to do? Drop himself? Mourinho is the first manager to come in and treat him like another other player, and consequently he's produced a few performances this season that hark back to days of yore.
Legend. You don't accomplish all he has unless you are absolutely focused and driven in your field. He earned his records through hard work and dedication and, as a player, deserves our respect - however grudgingly.
The great thing this season is that there are plenty of extra games to go, without it looking like he's been completely marginalised.Yes he's started to go downhill but I also think our poor football hasn't helped. He's always looked better playing with pace around him and the last 3 years have been awful. Even over the last 2 months he's put in a lot of good performances and he linked up well even today with the youngsters and Mata. If managed well, he can have an impact for us in our cup games and maybe the odd league game as well.
Playing in Spain was always his "dream". Maybe we weren't exactly a stepping stone but you just always knew he'd head there the minute he got a chance.I don't agree with that last bit. I doubt he came here TO GET to Spain. I think that move opened up later as his stock increased.
Otherwise, as a Potuguese player, surely he'd have had ample chances to go to Spain and build there anyway?
Never depict us as some sort of stepping stone. He's probably the only player we've ever sold at their peak who we didn't really want to.
I think a goal every 2 games is pretty decent for someone who has not played as the main striker for the entirety of his career. Ofcourse in the days of Ronaldo and Messi it can look average but I think it's pretty good.Biggest reason Rooney's record will stand for ages. Hid g/pg record is not really special but hes sustained it pretty much for 13 years. Hats of to him tbh and it's 249 not out. Who knows the number it's going to be by the time he leaves.
He's also one Zlatan suspension/injury away from having to play as our striker in all probability. He will get games for sure.The great thing this season is that there are plenty of extra games to go, without it looking like he's been completely marginalised.
He could potentially have another 3-4 FA Cup games, 3 league cup games, and another...9 Europa games to get involved in!
Good post but not really what the thread is about. You can think everything you've said is true while also feeling that he had the potential to be even better.Most players don't fully establish themselves until they are in their early 20s, including many great ones. People forget that Rooney was a key player for club and country at 17. If you look at his prime years from 17-27 then his career is phenomenal, and you'd say his performances over that span were consistently top 5-10 in the world. Then look at his trophy haul, and the variety of positions he's played. People forget how much of a catalyst and facilitator he was in the Ronaldo, Tevez and Berbatov years. Often moving out to the left wing in big matches to compensate for Ronnie's lack of work-rate.
I know he fell out with Fergie and flirted with leaving, but so did a lot of great players in our time. His form since he was 28 hasn't been great, but he has so many miles on the clock. When i watch him play, even badly, I still see a player who runs non-stop and gives it all for the shirt. His frustrating touches and dribbles have annoyed me greatly in recent years, but how much am i going to blame him for successive manager's not having the balls to drop him? What's he supposed to do? Drop himself? Mourinho is the first manager to come in and treat him like another other player, and consequently he's produced a few performances this season that hark back to days of yore.
Legend. You don't accomplish all he has unless you are absolutely focused and driven in your field. He earned his records through hard work and dedication and, as a player, deserves our respect - however grudgingly.
I think most of his appearances will be shoehorned out wide, or off the main man like today.He's also one Zlatan suspension/injury away from having to play as our striker in all probability. He will get games for sure.
That will be a significant disappointment, not an afterthought. He's been very, very disappointing for England.The only disappointment will be with England.
Potential is such an amorphous concept by definition, that unless you attribute specific metrics of success, how are you able to judge whether a player has fulfilled theirs or not? In Rooney's case, where did he fall short? One more league title? Two more Champions Leagues? Ten more goals? More rabonas? Or are we back to open ended interpretations of potential, such as 'he could've entertained me more' or 'he should've stayed brilliant for longer', without having any appreciable way of determining if those things were even possible. In that case all I believe we can do is look back at Rooney's career, his achievements, honours, and contributions and say is this a befitting denouement of a once promising 17 year old football star, for whom we all had high hopes? I am of the opinion that yes it is. In fact if you took me back in time to when he first signed and said "Look at this player, look at all his talent, if he goes on to win 5 league titles, a Champions League with your club, become its all time record goalscorer, as well as England's all time record goalscorer; would you say his performances have met early expectations of his promise?".... I'd have given you a resounding "YES!".Good post but not really what the thread is about. You can think everything you've said is true while also feeling that he had the potential to be even better.
I think it's very harsh rating a player based on international form. His sheer numbers for England are very good. Although most of his goals come against nothing sides, you can say the same about Ronaldo.He's had a great career but it could have been even better.
That will be a significant disappointment, not an afterthought. He's been very, very disappointing for England.
He was good in qualifying but didn't turn up in tournaments. Look, many English players will be disappointed they didn't win anything but some will feel they gave a good account of themselves. I don't think Rooney will.I think it's very harsh rating a player based on international form. His sheer numbers for England are very good. Although most of his goals come against nothing sides, you can say the same about Ronaldo.
Nail on the head.Potential is such an amorphous concept by definition, that unless you attribute specific metrics of success, how are you able to judge whether a player has fulfilled theirs or not? In Rooney's case, where did he fall short? One more league title? Two more Champions Leagues? Ten more goals? More rabonas? Or are we back to open ended interpretations of potential, such as 'he could've entertained me more' or 'he should've stayed brilliant for longer', without having any appreciable way of determining if those things were even possible. In that case all I believe we can do is look back at Rooney's career, his achievements, honours, and contributions and say is this a befitting denouement of a once promising 17 year old football star, for whom we all had high hopes? I am of the opinion that yes it is. In fact if you took me back in time to when he first signed and said "Look at this player, look at all his talent, if he goes on to win 5 league titles, a Champions League with your club, become its all time record goalscorer, as well as England's all time record goalscorer; would you say his performances have met early expectations of his promise?".... I'd have given you a resounding "YES!".
I have no idea what your post is about.
What more do you want from him? To stay 20 years old forever? That's not possible. Every footballer changes throughout their career even the very bests to have played the game.
Rooney has been a better player, performance and influential wise for the last 25 years than any other player to play for our club. I would argue he was more influential than Cantana, Keane et al. I honestly would. If not as influential, just as influential whether fans like it or not.
Most people thought Rooney was more talented than Ronaldo. I know people will deny it in hindsight but it was certainly the case.No, clearly not. Back in 2003/2004 he was considered to have the potential of being the best player in the world. Compare him to Ronaldo and Messi who at the time, were probably seen as having the same potential. Some might say that Messi has met his potential, and Ronaldo probably exceeded his. Rooney, unfortunately has fallen short. This is not to say that he hasn't had an amazing career and will go down as a great player.
Everything this bloke said.Potential is such an amorphous concept by definition, that unless you attribute specific metrics of success, how are you able to judge whether a player has fulfilled theirs or not? In Rooney's case, where did he fall short? One more league title? Two more Champions Leagues? Ten more goals? More rabonas? Or are we back to open ended interpretations of potential, such as 'he could've entertained me more' or 'he should've stayed brilliant for longer', without having any appreciable way of determining if those things were even possible. In that case all I believe we can do is look back at Rooney's career, his achievements, honours, and contributions and say is this a befitting denouement of a once promising 17 year old football star, for whom we all had high hopes? I am of the opinion that yes it is. In fact if you took me back in time to when he first signed and said "Look at this player, look at all his talent, if he goes on to win 5 league titles, a Champions League with your club, become its all time record goalscorer, as well as England's all time record goalscorer; would you say his performances have met early expectations of his promise?".... I'd have given you a resounding "YES!".
I think it's very close between those 2.This is far off for me. Rooney has been hugely involved sure but he has never been our outstanding player in any of our successful seasons and I think that is a huge indigent that even berbatov managed to be more influential in a title winning season than rooney has.
What he's achieved still doesn't determine whether he fulfilled his potential. The question wasn't, 'Did Rooney achieve enough?' Or 'Did Rooney try hard enough?' it was about him fulfilling his potential.I don't mean to present it as a fact, being influential in football and the dressing room is not an exact science, and certainly something me and you can tangiably measure.
What I'd argue is that Rooney has been a hugely positive factor in our history. And also someone who I couldnt expect more from career wise. He's given his all, and also achieved all there is to achieve - what else does anyone want from him?