I think it may well be.
Is this the start of Rooney's transition into midfield?
- Thread starter Carl
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik @Rood and Imran @Annihilate Now! start with the good news by celebrating Manchester United Women's emphatic FA Cup win over Spurs at Wembley and the future of manager Marc Skinner.
Then it's the bad news and the ever worsening form of our Men with losses to Arsenal and Palace.
Finally the main debate - ETH Out now or keep him until the end of the season - if not longer. Are you Team Nik or Team Imran?
No
Nope.
Nah.
Never
Get off the fence you lot.
Yes, a very forward one mind
I think it is.
In the big games i think it will start to get more and more common. The better the team the deeper he'll play. In the majority of the remainder he'll still partner RVP up top
I still think he's best as a forward but Fergie is clearly quite keen to give games to all the forwards and with our obvious vulnerability in midfield I think it's something that may well happen.
Even today he was in midfield more than he was upfront.
Even today he was in midfield more than he was upfront.
Nah, he's only there because we don't have a strong enough duo to keep him up front with RVP.
That's kind of my point.
My point is that when SAF does take the thumb out and sort out the midfield, we will no longer require Rooney there and he will be back in his #10 role where he is his best.
I dunno lol ¯\(°_o)/¯
We have seen Rooney play the role he did today on many occasions. Basically playing behind Van Persie but with a lot of defensive responsibility
Hopefully his transition ends up at the tip of the diamond behind a combination of RVP and Welbeck/Chico.
I don't see him playing as a proper out and out central midfielder for quite a while yet. I could see it happening when he loses a lot of his physical attributes into his 30s, but while he's in his prime he'll spend more time in an attacking role. I expect to see him as a second striker for a number of years, especially when RVP is playing up top.
I don't think he's at his best there tbh.
He seems to be relishing this ability he has now to drift around, in and out of attack into midfield back into attack (well he didn't have that freedom today, but he has had it). His assists last season for a number 10 were fairly awful, and whilst I don't think he played badly there I don't think he played well BECAUSE he was playing there, rather he played well there because he's a very good player.
We will never make the permanent shift to the diamond.
The way I see it is we're playing Rooney in midfield for two reasons:
1. To add steel and strengthen the midfield
2. Too many strikers, so this way we can accommodate more strikers into the starting team
Which leads to the inevitable question of why the hell did we not strengthen our midfield in summer? Rooney's best position is a forward, for now anyway. Whether that's leading the line or in the hole, he should be played up front. If we had invested in a CM this summer, Rooney won't need to help out in midfield as much and instead be played further up the pitch. I do see Wayne eventually playing in midfield in the future, but he has too many goals in him now that it's a shame if we don't play him further up the field.
1. To add steel and strengthen the midfield
2. Too many strikers, so this way we can accommodate more strikers into the starting team
Which leads to the inevitable question of why the hell did we not strengthen our midfield in summer? Rooney's best position is a forward, for now anyway. Whether that's leading the line or in the hole, he should be played up front. If we had invested in a CM this summer, Rooney won't need to help out in midfield as much and instead be played further up the pitch. I do see Wayne eventually playing in midfield in the future, but he has too many goals in him now that it's a shame if we don't play him further up the field.
I hope not
No, it's a lack of other options.
You can also add lack of trust with Anderson in midfield. It was nonsense to have Rooney play beside Carrick with Chelsea running at us like track runners on steroids. Rooney helps out defensively but it's a huge ask to have proper positioning and discipline like a CM.
Cleverley didn't play so well today but Carrick was just as invisible and I wonder if he's carrying an injury.
Let's just say we'll have to get used to him playing there more often , and i think he loves it.
If Rooney ever does transition into midfield, then this was hardly the start of it.
It's strange how Anderson is being overlooked so much. If SAF had given up on him by the end of last season, surely he would had shipped him off and bought a replacement instead. I really think SAF missed a trick with Dembele to be honest.
I doubt Ando will feature against Arsenal either.
Rooney will move further back as his career will go on.
When he is 30+ he will be a stronger Paul Scholes pinging cross field passes.
When he is 30+ he will be a stronger Paul Scholes pinging cross field passes.
Fergie wanted a 4-3-3 with Young and Valencia tracking back, and two midfielders surrounding Carrick who'd put the leg work in and help us keep the ball well.
He decided, quite wisely, that Cleverley was one of them, and Rooney was the other(as opposed to say Ando/Scholes/Giggs), which I felt was the right decision and vindicated in the end.
He decided, quite wisely, that Cleverley was one of them, and Rooney was the other(as opposed to say Ando/Scholes/Giggs), which I felt was the right decision and vindicated in the end.
Yeh obviously he's played there before. However I think the circumstances this season may mean this is the start of a permanent move there for him.
Arsenal at home next weekend will be the first big indicator I guess.
Weird OP.Asking people for their opinion and then telling to get off their fences when they say no
That was sarcasm Kouroux.Unless this is some kind of double sarcasm trick you're pulling on me right now...
Did he actually have a shot off yesterday?
If players like VDV are midfielders and playing the furthest forward in a diamond is a midfielder, then yes hes turning into a midfielder. We get a lot more out of his reportoire in this position. Hes a great striker too, no doubt about that, but its a lot easier to replace the goal scorer than the creator. At the moment we are in more need of creators than goal scorers because we have RVP and Hernandez who can score the goals - therefore Rooney's best position for the sake of the team is an advanced midfielder.
I'll let you figure it out
Unless this is some kind of double sarcasm trick you're pulling on me right now...
Generally he's given a free role in midfield which every player would love. It's just against the better teams that he stays quite deep.
With RVP in our team now and with the lack of genuine top class quality in our CM to let us play with 2 out and out strikers, Rooney has to play a deeper role. If we get a top quality CM in, he'd play further forward but as long as RVP is here, i dont see him playing right up top against good teams. It''l always be in a slightly deeper role which incidentally is where he's at his best.
I do agree with those that he'l end up as a CM by the tail end of his career though.
I do agree with those that he'l end up as a CM by the tail end of his career though.
Has any top player played more positions? He's played in a front 2, as a lone striker, he's played in the hole in a 4231, he's played at the tip of a diamond midfield, he's played on the left wing, he's played in a midfield 3.
Has he ever played in a 2 man midfield? I don't think so, but maybe my memory is failing me.
Has he ever played in a 2 man midfield? I don't think so, but maybe my memory is failing me.
He did last season. I don't remember the exact games but he did in one or two games before December.
he played at Everton IIRC - just after the City game - 1-0 win when Cleverley went off injured