How would you feel if Rooney smashed it at Everton?

[SaradM]

Rooney is such a character who divides opinion right at the middle. For each Utd fan who does not like him there is another one who worships him. Utd record goal scorer, a legend and all that but people still doubt his commitment to this club. Bit unfair but hey, everyone is entitled to his/her opinion.

As far as I am concerned, watching him in the stadium as a part of Tevez, Rooney and Ronaldo trio from 07-09 was simply unforgettable. Still living that dream.

Wish him all the very best and yeah I wish he smashes Pep + Kompany and co tonight.

 

[Adam-Utd]

Will be intersting to see what Koeman does with Rooney tonight.

Might play him in the AMC role for 70 odd then sub on Sigurdsson?

Play him upfront in a 2 with Sigurdsson behind?

1 thing for sure he's going to have to graft.

 

[Kapardin]

Never questioned Rooney giving 100% on the pitch with us, but his relationship with the club has an employee-employer vibe more than a proper connection. He is not endearing for that reason.

Seriously hope he scores a hattrick tonight.

 

[Danny Roberts]

Wouldn't mind if he smashes it against City tonight. Though I doubt Everton stand a chance. I was going to bet on a City win but the odds are so low that it's hardly worth it (1.30).

20/1 at Betfair if you don't yet have an account with them.

 

[Rado_N]

20/1 at Betfair if you don't yet have an account with them.

Wtf. Where's this?

 

[serxyo]

I hope he does it today Everton has really strong team, the strongest in years, they have to smash City today!

 

[Danny Roberts]

Don't get too carried away, it's new customers only, £1 max bet. Even so, decent enough offer if you really, really want to back City! Just google it.

 

[shamans]

Weren't you the firm advocate of "rooney took a while to get going" brigade?

Based on the last 3 years he's not pl level anymore.

You based your opinion on 1 match he plays with everton.

And yet you're claiming you're right and everyone wrong with the basis of 1 game.

If he maintain this standard in 1 season I'll give it to him and you that we might be wrong. He's not finished at united, he just can't be arsed or motivated enough if it's everton.

Is that it?

If you still think he's not a Pl level striker then that's just being in denial. This was a good move for all parties. Rooney still has a lot of top level football left in him but not at our level.

 

[Random Task]

Let's hope he puts the massives to the sword tonight and does his old club a favour in the process.

For old times sake, Wazza

 

[RU Devil]

If you still think he's not a Pl level striker then that's just being in denial. This was a good move for all parties. Rooney still has a lot of top level football left in him but not at our level.

Tend to agree. He just needs to be the main man, or at least a focal point. Bringing in Zlatan & Pogba basically sidelined him, as he wasn't going to be he main striker and there were better options for a CAM/#10. On a non-top 6 team, he'd boss it in most games, or at least be effective. His drop in effectiveness is glaring for a top team, but not so for a team like Everton. I'm also sure he's psychologically in a better frame of mind, knowing his place on the team is relatively assured vs looking over his back at players like Rashford, Martial, Mata, and Mhki (his competition). He's now the big fish in a small pond.

Hope he discomforts City today.

 

[Sky1981]

If you still think he's not a Pl level striker then that's just being in denial. This was a good move for all parties. Rooney still has a lot of top level football left in him but not at our level.

Oh that i agree.

But we weren't wrong when we said he's finished with us. 3 years of sub par performances. Good for him if he turns out well dor everton, but i doubt that.

If it was 3 mths then perhaps it's a blip, but 3 years can't be erased with 1 good performance.

 

[itso 7]

Tend to agree. He just needs to be the main man, or at least a focal point. Bringing in Zlatan & Pogba basically sidelined him, as he wasn't going to be he main striker and there were better options for a CAM/#10. On a non-top 6 team, he'd boss it in most games, or at least be effective. His drop in effectiveness is glaring for a top team, but not so for a team like Everton. I'm also sure he's psychologically in a better frame of mind, knowing his place on the team is relatively assured vs looking over his back at players like Rashford, Martial, Mata, and Mhki (his competition). He's now the big fish in a small pond.

Hope he discomforts City today.

In 15/16 Rooney was our main man but still failed so I don't see where this 'he needs an assured place to play well' is coming from. Lets not mistake Mourinho being brave enough to sideline him with the start of his decline which began the moment he got his new deal under Moyes.

 

[BlueMoonOutcast]

He is definitely scoring the winner tonight isn't he?

 

[horsechoker]

He is definitely scoring the winner tonight isn't he?

We hope and pray

 

[KGBhoy]

He is definitely scoring the winner tonight isn't he?

This would be fantastic. From Schneiderlin assist

 

[Buchan]

He has a good record v City. It's surprising how often players can recapture form against teams they've done well against before. Rooney is a very 'streaky' footballer also, and got off to a flyer last weekend. I would not be surprised to see him play well and/or score tonight.

 

[No Idea For Nickname]

He is definitely scoring the winner tonight isn't he?

If he does, hope so, it will be:
"Oh, why did we sold him?"
"The old Rooney is back"
"Feck Mourinho, sign Wazza back"
"Lukaku could't score that"

 

[RU Devil]

In 15/16 Rooney was our main man but still failed so I don't see where this 'he needs an assured place to play well' is coming from. Lets not mistake Mourinho being brave enough to sideline him with the start of his decline which began the moment he got his new deal under Moyes.

I agreed with the other poster that he was still a PL level striker, but not good enough to stay at OT. In 15/16, we were playing LVG ball (i.e. all about keeping the ball, no penetration, no shots, etc). He still managed to get only 2 less goals than Martial, despite being out injured. He definitely was less confident last year, knowing he was going to get less and less time and seemed to press when on the field. Going to Everton gave him a fillup, and although that won't mean he will regain that half yard of pace, it also means he'll play with a bit more confidence that was lacking. Will it mean 20+ goals? Don't know, but I do think he'll not regret going to Everton, and neither will Everton.

 

[itso 7]

I agreed with the other poster that he was still a PL level striker, but not good enough to stay at OT. In 15/16, we were playing LVG ball (i.e. all about keeping the ball, no penetration, no shots, etc). He still managed to get only 2 less goals than Martial, despite being out injured. He definitely was less confident last year, knowing he was going to get less and less time and seemed to press when on the field. Going to Everton gave him a fillup, and although that won't mean he will regain that half yard of pace, it also means he'll play with a bit more confidence that was lacking. Will it mean 20+ goals? Don't know, but I do think he'll not regret going to Everton, and neither will Everton.

That still doesn't explain his form in the second half of 13/14 and 14/15. We can't keep on blaming his decline on the manager's style because he wasn't pulling up trees for England either. Also last season Rooney didn't just lose his place when Pogba and Zlatan arrived he was given a chance and it was only when Mourinho saw what we had seen at least twelve months before that he lost his place.

 

[Rooney in Paris]

If you still think he's not a Pl level striker then that's just being in denial. This was a good move for all parties. Rooney still has a lot of top level football left in him but not at our level.

I can't seem to reconcile the two bolded parts.

 

[K2K]

I would love it!

If he did it tonight.

Expect those imbeciles to boo him all game. Would be good to shut them up.

 

[Danny Roberts]

I can't seem to reconcile the two bolded parts.

Not sure which bit you don't understand. Poster is saying if you don't think he#s a PL player you're in denial. Which is to say, poster is saying he is a PL player. Then clarifies he can do a job at Everton but not in a United side hoping to win the title and more.

 

[Dante]

I can't seem to reconcile the two bolded parts.

It's cognitive dissonance.

 

[shamans]

Oh that i agree.

But we weren't wrong when we said he's finished with us. 3 years of sub par performances. Good for him if he turns out well dor everton, but i doubt that.

If it was 3 mths then perhaps it's a blip, but 3 years can't be erased with 1 good performance.

I don't think he was finished in 2014. Last year, his Man United career was done though. Doesn't matter when he was done but we had to sell him because there's no way he could be a starter for us anymore and even if it was a long blip, it would be a very rare thing to see a player get back to that level. Long story short, I feel people discredit Rooney a lot by saying he's not a PL level striker and will stink up Everton. He has it in him to do well for them but not for United, Madrid, Chelsea etc (not as a starter anywhere. I wouldn't have minded him here as a backup with lower wages)

I can't seem to reconcile the two bolded parts.

All I said was that he has top level football left in him (playing in the PL)

 

[Sky1981]

I don't think he was finished in 2014. Last year, his Man United career was done though. Doesn't matter when he was done but we had to sell him because there's no way he could be a starter for us anymore and even if it was a long blip, it would be a very rare thing to see a player get back to that level. Long story short, I feel people discredit Rooney a lot by saying he's not a PL level striker and will stink up Everton. He has it in him to do well for them but not for United, Madrid, Chelsea etc (not as a starter anywhere. I wouldn't have minded him here as a backup with lower wages)




All I said was that he has top level football left in him (playing in the PL)

That's the thing. Sentimentality aside and dislike aside, if rooney plays as he had been playing the last 2 years then he will stink up everton.

Now he could suddenly rejuvenate and become the old rooney, but what are the chances of that? Realistically speaking

 

[haram]

He's well past it. NO chance he scores today against City. Terrible player. Worst signing of the season. Everton are terrible as well. City will probably get 5 today. Easy game.

 

[Dobbs]

One of the obvious signs he was struggling over the last few years was his difficluty with Kompany. Rooney was out powered and outpaced. He didn't have anything in his locker to trouble Kompany. So it'll be interesting to see what happens now both players aren't what they were.

 

[Amar__]

One of the obvious signs he was struggling over the last few years was his difficluty with Kompany. Rooney was out powered and outpaced. He didn't have anything in his locker to trouble Kompany. So it'll be interesting to see what happens now both players aren't what they were.

He was ourpowered and outpaced by almost every CB in the league, not just Kompany.

 

[shamans]

That's the thing. Sentimentality aside and dislike aside, if rooney plays as he had been playing the last 2 years then he will stink up everton.

Now he could suddenly rejuvenate and become the old rooney, but what are the chances of that? Realistically speaking

He doesn't need a sudden rejuvenation even though he will get that from a fresh challenge. First of all, expectations are much lower. He can have one proper Rooney game out of like four and will be fine for Everton. Second, he will be starting for them regularly which will keep his confidence up. If you really analyze Rooney's 2016 year I wouldn't consider it all that bad for a team that finished in the top 8 or so.

 

[peridigm]

I wonder if Wayne is truly enjoying himself.

 

[Andersons Dietician]

One of the obvious signs he was struggling over the last few years was his difficluty with Kompany. Rooney was out powered and outpaced. He didn't have anything in his locker to trouble Kompany. So it'll be interesting to see what happens now both players aren't what they were.

It's not like he is the only striker to be out paced and out powered by Kompany. Fit Kompany and you're talking about arguably the best CB in the world.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

He's well past it. NO chance he scores today against City. Terrible player. Worst signing of the season. Everton are terrible as well. City will probably get 5 today. Easy game.

This. There's zero chance of Everton getting anything at all from this game, and if they do, it proves I know nothing about footy...

 

[Pexbo]

I've put my finger on what his biggest issue is - mobility. He just can't get around like he used to so he has to decide between A. Pressing his opponent and getting stuck in or B. finding space to operate in, because he isn't much good under pressure. He just doesn't have it in him to do both any more.

What that means in games like this is that he basically just strolls around in space and when they get the ball he "presses" them from about 12 yards away. He literally spends the whole game trying not to be involved.

 

[pascell]

Everton had a good chance to counter with Gueye picking up the ball, the striker and Davies were the only men ahead with Rooney lumbering behind. Then he massively overhits a free kick, not a great start from Wayne.

 

[IrishRedDevil]

Scored v City Get in.

 

[Pexbo]

Gwan Wazza

 

[NinjaZombie]

ROONEHHH

 

[tomaldinho1]

he's on fire

delighted

 

[Minimalist]

Cheeky bastard! Had to make their new keeper look shite in the process.

 

[Baxter]

Very happy