How good was Wayne Rooney? [Peak]

Mr.Ridiculous__

The name says it all
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Sep 15, 2014
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I'll be honest here. Rooney was my hero. Loved him to bits. As a teenager, I would play in the fields pretending to be Rooney, in the same positions and adopt a similar approach. Then the contract saga came about and everything just went downhill from there. And being a long time lurker on this forum, I saw a huge shift in the general perception of the player on here. His weight and general loss of form didn't help.

Well this thread is to discuss peak White Pele. I think his peak would be 2004 to 2011. How good was he? How does he stack up against forwards in the current generation? How would he do alongside Rashford and Martial now?

Apologies, if you find this thread silly. But Rooney was the reason I became a United supporter in the first place, allow me to dive into some nostalgia.



 
Better than fecking Lukaku, which I amazingly seen someone refute yesterday.
 
One of those players where his last few years at the club tarnished the greatness he'd shown before.

Always thought he was a bit of a bellend though.
 
I think he was as good as peak Aguero. Of course they are different players and Aguero has better close control of the ball but Rooney was brilliant at linking midfield to attack.
 
I'd argue he was a top 10 if not top 5 player in the world at certain points. Never for a long while tough. 2011 was probably his best year, he was just ridiculous. Pretty much a complete forward/number 10. We struggled a lost less in midfield than we should've because of him.
 
He had a couple of peak seasons where he was definitely one of the three best players in the world. I don't think (or hope) anyone would argue that he'd be way, way ahead of Martial/Rashford. His peak was too short but judged on his peak years he's one of our 10 best ever players.
 
Snafu17 said:
I'd argue he was a top 10 if not top 5 player in the world at certain points. Never for a long while tough. 2011 was probably his best year, he was just ridiculous. Pretty much a complete forward/number 10. We struggled a lost less in midfield than we should've because of him.
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Yes exactly. Top 5 player in the world. Not just top 5 forward. Right up there with the Xavis and the Iniestas of the world, which is bonkers when you think about it now.
 
I think his 09/10 season is the best representation of his career. He almost convinced us that we won't be missing Ronaldo, but wasn't able to take the final step. One of the best strikers/forwards of his generation that could've been the best (Messi and Ronaldo aside).

As of that time, Ibra probably stands out, then it's the group of Agüero, Rooney, Drogba, van Persie, Falcao, Eto'O, Torres, Villa... with Rooney being one of the best of that lot.

edit: forgot about Suarez
 
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adexkola said:
Only to ignorant people. Those who know, know.
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Agreed, but recency bias is quite strong, especially for younger people who don't really know how good he really was.

I remember a Champions league game where in near the end of the match he dribbled for about 60 yards and blasted it in to decide the tie. Don't really remember what match it was, but the speed and resilience, especially at that late stage in the match, was crazy.

Surely there are some United fans on here, that can help me out as to what match that was?
 
He was world class, and would have been the best player in the league during the league's strongest years, if it weren't for a certain teammate.

His goalscoring went up a notch after Ronaldo left but i think he was actually at his best before that, alongside Ronaldo and Tevez.
 
RedCurry said:
I think he was as good as peak Aguero. Of course they are different players and Aguero has better close control of the ball but Rooney was brilliant at linking midfield to attack.
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Slightly better I’d say. Peak Rooney (around 2010) was among the 3-4 best players in the world imo.
 
harms said:
I think his 09/10 season is the best representation of his career. He almost convinced us that we won't be missing Ronaldo, but wasn't able to take the final step. One of the best strikers/forwards of his generation that could've been the best (Messi and Ronaldo aside).

As of that time, Ibra probably stands out, then it's the group of Agüero, Rooney, Drogba, van Persie, Falcao, Eto'O, Torres, Villa... with Rooney being one of the best of that lot.
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If he didn't get injured, we would've won the PL and got to another Champions League final. He was incredible that season.
 
He was absolutely immense. Some will have a tainted view of him due to the City / contract debacle, LvG refusing to drop him, getting the bumper new deal when Moyes was appointed and his loss of form in his final years with us. Make no mistake, at his peak he really was all that.
 
From 2009/10 to the first half of 2011/12 (Discounting the period in 2010 where he played like shite during his contract fiasco) he was absolutely brilliant. World class in every sense of the word. At his best in this period, he was arguably the 3rd best player in the world or no lower than 7th IMO.

What made Rooney at his peak so good is that he could literally do everything. It's said about a lot of players that they can do it all but none more so than Rooney. He could finish, headers, movement, hold up play, assists, free kicks, cross field balls, dribbles, play multiple positions and still be excellent off the ball in defensive phases of play.

My only criticism is that it was way too short lived. He really should have kicked on to become an even greater legend but he never maintained the level after 2012. RVP and Ibrahimovic came into the team and immediately displaced him as the talisman of the team. An argument for another thread perhaps but I believe Rooney at his peak was better than Zlatan or RVP.
 
harms said:
I think his 09/10 season is the best representation of his career. He almost convinced us that we won't be missing Ronaldo, but wasn't able to take the final step. One of the best strikers/forwards of his generation that could've been the best (Messi and Ronaldo aside).

As of that time, Ibra probably stands out, then it's the group of Agüero, Rooney, Drogba, van Persie, Falcao, Eto'O, Torres, Villa... with Rooney being one of the best of that lot.
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While Ibra is obviously great, I find it strange that it's never held against him that he's never done it in the further stages of the CL. It's not like he played for poor sides either.
 
He was great. A proper forward. Brilliant movement (something I used to take for granted in Fergie's sides, as it was just a given, but Rooney excelled at it), accurate in quick play, powerful, and a quality finisher, although not as good as some of our out and out strikers in that regard. His unpredictability made up for that though. A good header of the ball too.
His goals per season weren't anything special, but his consistency in offering more than just that was. Our team didn't need him to be scoring buckets every season, but the times when he was relied on for it he delivered massively.

I remember scousers saying we were a one man team with Ronaldo. Then when he left apparently we were a one man team again with Rooney.

His main downside seemed to be working in tight spaces, which is why I could never understand the obsession with making him an AM or CM, especially towards the end of his time with us when it got worse. During his peak it didn't matter because his movement was so good.
 
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Mercurial talent of the highest order seen at an age which made a lot of us maybe too unrealistic in thinking/hoping what can be achieved - we set the bar too high at first.

In truth he reached his peak very early and then pretty much went downward - which again was bar set too low considering a not-prime Rooney can easily outscore and outperform most tier 2 stars. A world class player who unfortunately could have reached greater heights (ala Xavi, Messi, Ronaldo fame)
 
Fantastic player who did a great job for us with the records and trophy haul to match. Yet his behaviour the Summer Fergie went left a bad taste and ultimately, no matter what he achieved, there is always that nagging feeling that he could have applied himself just a little bit more and been even better
 
Would instantly take our attack to a new level at his peak. World class at points, very good at others, then total crap.
 
He peaked very young that was his issue really. Probably had his absolute peak at ages 18-24 or something like that?

If he had aged in the normal way and peaked around 28 but still been going now he would have been remembered more fondly. Great player though, even as a 16 year old defenses were terrified. I remember him scoring that first goal against Arsenal when he was at Everton "Remember the name, Wayne Rooney" We were all on the School field for the next month trying to curl one in off the bar whilst screaming his name.
 
Stop thinking about how better he could have been and appreciate what he was, which was a world class striker who won many trophies.

Jesus, some of you don't half do the "glass 1/10th empty" shtick
 
Good player. Never thought he was world class.

thread will likely be filled with a lot of “ifs”, “could haves” and “would haves”.
 
TsuWave said:
Good player. Never thought he was world class.

thread will likely be filled with a lot of “ifs”, “could haves” and “would haves”.
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Darren Bent was a good player, Wayne Rooney was comfortably world class, first touch or not.
I’ve not been his biggest fan after that debacle in 2010, but he was something else at his best, physically he could’ve played PL football when he was 14 years old.
He’s literally the all time scorer for England and the biggest club in England.
He’s made world class defenders like Thiago Silva look ordinary.
It’s mind-boggling to me that people who saw him at his best don’t consider him world class, could’ve achieved even more if he had a better supporting cast when he had hit his peak post Ronaldo.
 
TsuWave said:
Good player. Never thought he was world class.

thread will likely be filled with a lot of “ifs”, “could haves” and “would haves”.
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He was definitely world class for a period, no doubt about it.
 
The season after Ronaldo left, 09/10 he was immense, 34 goals all comps iirc. Arguably his best season, the media were going bonkers over him, destroyed Milan at home and away gave Thiago Silva nightmares that he still thinks about to this day :lol:.
 
Anyone who doesn't consider him genuinely world class has just forgotten imo. He would have walked into any team in world football at his peak.

He was the ultimate combination of skill and will. His sheer aggression was a weapon in of itself, much less his actual ability at football.
 
09/10 was his top peak, and he was ridiculously good. Definitely one of the best attacking players in the world... He'd pretty much win us games on his own in that season.
 
Rate his 2006 - 2009 seasons more than that famous 2009/10 and obviously later ones. He was just a force of nature and brilliant all around. An immense work-rate, technique, strong on the ball, could dribble, pass, score, had it all really.

World class for 5 seasons at least. Borderline in 2,3 more.
 
He was a beast. I loved watching him and he was my favorite player. Always gave his all, ran all game, constant danger for the opposition, he represented all United stand for those days imo.
 
I'm not sure he was ever the best player for any one season at the club. Early in his career surely Giggs and Scholes were more valuable. Then Ronaldo was clearly the best player at the club till 2009. The 2009/10 season was probably his best season but Vidic was at his peak then and more important. His slide, I believe started the next season as he was the third leading goal scorer for the club.
 
He was absolutely brilliant. I especially loved him when he performed that link up role in the years of Ronaldo. Those amazing counter attack goals! Skill, drive, creativity, character, pace, goals (often spectacular ones) and a bit of an edge. I think a young Rooney would be our best outfield player now.

Love these goals:
 
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TRUERED89 said:
The season after Ronaldo left, 09/10 he was immense, 34 goals all comps iirc. Arguably his best season, the media were going bonkers over him, destroyed Milan at home and away gave Thiago Silva nightmares that he still thinks about to this day :lol:.
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Yep he was unstoppable that year. I remember thinking he was going to score every game he played, and if he didn't he was at a high level that scared them into others having more room. What a shame that injury hit when it did. Whether he could have carried that form on for much longer is hard to know, but he was still very fit back then.
 
World class in 09/10. Really thought he was fulfilling his potential, but he sort of declined the following season, and steadily declined every season after that.

He was deadly for that one season though, and tearing Milan a new one was a highlight. He was a finishing machine, just brutal with his left, right, his head, you knew he’d put it away.
 
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