What is the benefit of this? So we can buy another striker...
Is this the start of Rooney's transition into midfield?
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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?
It's nothing like that at all. Raul and Del Piero never had the aggression or drive of Wayne Rooney for a start.
I've always been against Rooney as a CM, but I do actually think he could develop into a very good one if we/he wanted him to.
The benefit of what? Playing Rooney in CM?
Well, that's obvious isn't it. Personally I'm still against it but the benefits are blindingly obvious.
His post certainly suggested that he had to learn it in his mid-40's. I just told him otherwise, whether he meant it or not. Either way he was far from making himself clear.
Are you serious?
That's because it was suggested that Rooney would have to "learn" an entire new role, I replied to that post saying that Giggs had to "learn" it too then, aged 35.
Some people like cider are intelligent enough to understad the meaning of that, some aren't....
Rooney's a footballer who has played a tonne at AM, it really wouldn't be that difficult for him, it certainly wouldn't be learning something entirely new to him, just as you say it wasn't for Ryan Giggs.
But he doesn't use that aggression when playing in midfield. He has a good engine however i wouldn't call it aggressive play. He changes his style, that is obvious to see.. The bigger picture is what does he offer? Goals? probably not.. Vision? besides the cross field balls to Valencia i haven't seen him open up anything through the middle. So maybe he can be a defensive minded sitting midfield.. which could work if we drop the Valencia's and Young's out of our team.
We would only end up moaning though when we fail to Recognise the Rooney we once new.
Why wouldn't I be.
So you don't think he'd offer a goal-threat at all, either through scoring or providing? Think you're massively under-rating him.
No, the post you replied to was asking the question if he would learn some positional sense and discipline. Plenty of midfielders are plenty good but they aren't good enough to warrant a start for Man Utd in midfield without that skill. You're direct reply to that suggested that Giggs learned it at a very late age, not mentioning that he might have had that ability or at least some big ground work in that area.That's because it was suggested that Rooney would have to "learn" an entire new role, I replied to that post saying that Giggs had to "learn" it too then.
Some people like cider are intelligent enough to understad the meaning of that, some aren't....
Rooney has always been a striker. He has played out wide (very rarely in a traditional winger role that Giggs was used to play) and in middle but only as a cover. Basically because he could be afforded to be chucked out there instead of some other players. Doesn't mean he's very good at it, it means he's good enough for the occasion.
Not only would Rooney be wasted in CM, he wouldn't be good enough. Not unless he completely changes his game. And he won't do that. He isn't the calm and composed fellow that can just stroll around in midfield in a possession based team. He isn't Pirlo or Scholes, players that used to play higher but converted to a deeper role. He could do a Del Piero or a Raúl, playing behind the striker. He's not as clever as them though.
He needs to show more to warrant a place in midfield. I don't think he's good enough. Good enough to play there from time to time just like Cleverley and Jones and Anderson and Giggs but not good enough to start every time like Carrick. Rooney's much better further up the pitch and there's no need to change that.
I don't think he'd compensate enough for the areas he's not great in (for that position). I'd rather play Cleverley or Anderson any day of the week.
No i've just took time to watch him play. He makes no runs into the box, there is no delivery from the wings anyway for him to get onto and he doesn't focus on attacking through the middle.
How do you assume he get these goals or assists. For the moment he models playing centre midfield on that of Carrick, keep it ticking over whilst providing a outlet ball when available.
It's all well and good playing midfield against a Stoke team that are shit on the ball. Rooney would struggle against better opposition. He's not a midfielder. Playing him there is a waste of a fantastic player who can do much more further upfield.
Yesterday alone he created a couple of moments from CM. He wanted the ball and looked to make things happen, with his passing and also getting into some space and running at the opposition.
The more he played there the more you'd see him getting into the opposition box himself. It'd be a hell of a weapon to have from midfield.
Rooney rarely runs at the opposition like someone like Toure would so I'm not sure why that's to be expected. He's far more likely to knock it to one of the wingers.
Giggs became a central midfielder when he no longer had the skillset to be a top quality winger. And I wouldn't say he was ever an outstanding central midfielder either. It was just a way for him to continue contributing which he did. Rooney is right now at the age he should be entering the prime of his career. Even if he makes the transition Giggs did, and that's a big If, I don't see why we need to turn a top class attacker into a good (at best if things work out) or average ( if they don't work out perfectly) central midfielder.
No No No.. Just stop it.. He's no Lamapard. He will not get goals from midfield. It is a art that few master, you need timing, luck and to be a great reader of play. He doesn't show that upfront why would he show that in CM. Yes he did look to make things happen however we still didn't look threating. Go watch a real creative centre midfielder you will see the difference.
Frankly, that's a bizarre interpretation of Rooney as a midfielder.
Obvious WUM.
He had a great shot saved whilst running at the opposition yesterday and again ran at the opposition before opening them up leading to the penalty.
Well you seem to think he will work in the middle. So I would expect my interpretation to be bizarre to you.
Didn't he have a great bit of play between he and Carrick yesterday that ended up with Rooney in space, driving with the ball and hitting a beauty of a strike towards the top corner that was saved?
Or did I imagine that?
As I say, I'm not really for it, but I'm amazed that so few could see Rooney developing into a brilliant midfielder.
Or did I imagine that?
As I say, I'm not really for it, but I'm amazed that so few could see Rooney developing into a brilliant midfielder.
There's a difference between driving runs and committing defenders the way Toure does through his pace and change of direction at pace and Rooney working up a bit of pace and striking a long range effort. Even Carrick does the latter. Anderson is the only midfielder we have who actually makes those driving runs unsettling defences. He tends to mess it up after that though.
And the penalty? Ran through the middle, committed defenders, played an excellent ball, won a penalty.
If only Anderson can do it then why did Rooney do it?
Maybe some just see the bigger picture and not a 5 minute cameo which is what Rooney's transition into a centre midfielder would be. He offers too much as a striker to be shifted there.
We're debating a radical change of position of one of the best strikers in the world at what should be his prime years, and a position he has excelled in for the last 10 years?
Interesting.....
Interesting.....
Is that not something you would expect any midfielder we had to do.. He was unchallenged and it wasn't a hard pass he had to make to RVP. If anything the penalty was made out of abit of imagination from RVP.
with all the talk of new strikers in the summer, it sort of makes sense that he could be moved to midfield...but I still think his best use would be as a striker.
Actually Van Persie won the penalty.
I'm not saying the guy can't run or play a decent pass. You'll get Cleverley doing that once in awhile too. But I doubt he'll do what Toure does for City. I'd obviously expect him to provide something going forward because he's not going to do so defensively. But defenders can't deal with Toure's pace and control on the run. I don't see Rooney doing the same. In that clip you see him running, but I don't see him beating a defender or leaving a few stranded in the way that Toure does. He basically finds space and plays a good pass there.
I'm not saying the guy can't run or play a decent pass. You'll get Cleverley doing that once in awhile too. But I doubt he'll do what Toure does for City. I'd obviously expect him to provide something going forward because he's not going to do so defensively. But defenders can't deal with Toure's pace and control on the run. I don't see Rooney doing the same. In that clip you see him running, but I don't see him beating a defender or leaving a few stranded in the way that Toure does. He basically finds space and plays a good pass there.
Into a position which SAF has obvious trouble recruiting for and one which Rooney has demonstrated he has the potential to make his own, yes.
No doubt he's such a talented lad he would likely excel at the role. However, we'd lose a potent striker up front. I'd imagine the only reason SAF would go down that route is he has another striker lined up, or he genuinely feels he can contribute more in the middle. A massive call.
Well I agree. Doesn't mean I couldn't see him developing into a brilliant midfielder if SAF should chose to do so, which I don't think he will fwiw.
Exactly. It's just a bit of over excitement over nothing. Rooney's a quality attacker who plays in midfield a few times a season when fergie sees a reason to do so. All this talk about him turning into Bryan Robson suddenly is silly.
I'm not sure what Yaya Toure has to do with this. If you're point I that Rooney isn't Toure then you've made it well.
If you're trying to completely miss a simple point you've done it extremely well.
Not really. Rooney and SAF have both in the past talked about him being used primarily as a midfielder; this isn't just caftards making things up.
What point? There are many different styles of CM of which Toure is one. Your point seems to be nothing more than that Rooney isn't Yaya Toure. If I've missed something then state it.
Yup. It's not like he drove past a few midfielders or tormented their defenders or anything. Anderson still looks like he's the best suited we have at making those driving runs, apart from the bit where he has to make it count of course.
I think Rooney could do a job there like Giggs often has but not such a good job that we should change his game when it isn't regressing.
So I was right, you did miss a simple point.
I was responding to a post about midfielders who make driving runs. Given Toure is the one best known for that its pretty logical to bring him up as an example.
Also you're obviously a wum because everyone knows Rooney and Toure are th same person. Look at them ffs!