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10
Season Average Rating
- Appearances
- 37
- Goals
- 14
- Assists
- 6
- Yellow cards
- 4
- Red cards
- 1
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Van Gaal is revitalising Rooney. If you don't give Rooney a clearly defined role he tends to make one up for himself, which can be disruptive to a team's tactical shape. Van Gaal has a clear role for every player in the squad and Rooney is really benefiting from that. Rooney knows where he should be and when, he knows where he should be using his energy and when he shouldn't, he knows when to drop in when Mata goes forward and when to stay up when Mata is deep. There's a clarity to Rooney's game that you don't get when managers simply indulge him and let him go walkies. 2014/15 could end up being the first time we've seen the real Wayne Rooney pretty much since the Arsenal 8-2 in 2011/2012.
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Fantastic performance from him in the first half. Whole team was lagging behind untill his goal basically, it really helped us unlock Roma. Easily MOTM for yesterday.
That's hard to pull off in FIFA much less reality!
Thought he was poor in the first game, but did really good yesterday. His goal and assist were excellent.
He's gonna have a great season.
He's gonna have a great season.
This was typical Rooney, starts the game poorly but changes everything after he scores that first goal and ends up with a brace by the end of the game. 
I think as a striker we'll see a lot of consistency from him, much more than playing his number 10 role.
I think as a striker we'll see a lot of consistency from him, much more than playing his number 10 role.Anybody thinks that Rooney-Welbeck pairing has more fluidity than any other striker combination we have? I would not want RvP on bench because just like Rooney, he too can create something out of nothing but probably the setup will be different with Rooney-RvP pairing than we are seeing with Rooney-Welbeck. Welbeck tracks back more. RvP might stay further forward and draw defenders with him with his movements and allow Rooney and Mata more space behind him.
That first goal was a stupendous hit. How does he get that much power into the shot when he's almost hitting it behind him??
That's what everyone was saying at the beginning of 2011-12, and now I regret not giving Berbatov and Hernandez more minutes that season. Aside from that strike vs Galaxy, I still don't think Danny is clinical enough in general right. Although you are right about fluidity, and if Robin and Wayne start together, I think Wayne would have to do a lot of running to free up space for Robin and Mata to run into.
I saiid all along Rooney under lvg would either go spectacularly wrong or spectacularly right, no middle ground, and the early signs are very promising. The link ups with mata look exciting. Given how he was one of few players to show any drive passion and fight last year, and this years promising start I'm warming to the little git. Exciting season ahead and he could very well be a massive part of it
Good post.
Ya, Welbeck's finishing really holds him back. Funnily, he seems to score difficult goals and miss the simple ones.
He's the ultimate Roy of the Rovers most games. He does things that can infuriate at times, and then he just bangs One in the top corner. Exquisite goal last night.
This his going to be one of his best ever seasons, finally he will be able to play a whole year as a striker and not a lone one. Really looking forward to it.
Not much wrong with this. But some people have issues with Rooney the player, and similarly don't care about the man either.
I think it's because his brain is the problem. When he finishes instinctively, he can do wonderful things. Rockets and curlers from range, dinks over the keeper, back-heel flicks... the list goes on. But when he has time to actually think about what he's going to do, which is often the case with 'easier' chances, the result is often indecisive or unconvincing.
I love how Rooney can be having a bad game and then explode into life, such a valuable player to have in any team.
If i was the manager i'd see Rooney as United's Plan B or a plan-within-the-main-plan. Players like Shinji/Mata are great for the team and the manager can work on tactics and game plans all day with those guys. But when it isn't working you need something different and Rooney has always had that game changing ability.
Just my random thought on Rooney.
If i was the manager i'd see Rooney as United's Plan B or a plan-within-the-main-plan. Players like Shinji/Mata are great for the team and the manager can work on tactics and game plans all day with those guys. But when it isn't working you need something different and Rooney has always had that game changing ability.
Just my random thought on Rooney.
It's this sort of impartiality that I wish more football fans have towards football players. What Rooney does in his personal life has no relevance to us, and as a footballer, he's better than what many make him out to be.
Play him every game in a two man strike force with Mata and Herrera supplying the ammo and he'll score thirty and assist 20 next season. As I suspected LVG loves him and will challenge him to be the best he can be.
Yup. Him up front with RVP with Herrera and Mata supplying the balls he will have a great season. It puts him into a perfect position to succeed.
Anyone got a gif of the pass Rooney made to Mata? Those are the type of balls he should be getting. Super finish by Mata, by the way.
If he will play as out and out striker, he will not deliver these great passes like the one for Mata's goal. In a LVG scheme he is playing in exactly the number 10 role, with license to attack and be in the box but also with a license to drop back allowing Mata and Welbeck occupy the CF spot and involving himself in attacking built-up.
Falcao is out and out striker. Or Chicarito. Wayne with a huge number of assists is wasted as a clear CF. He needs to be forward, sure. But a creative forward. The one that also involved in creating chances for other.
I'm not saying that all those who have issues with Rooney the player are being influenced by their hatred of Rooney the man, but almost exclusively, those that have issues with Rooney the player, are being influenced by their hatred of Rooney the man.
He may not be the player that some people thought (assumed) he was going to be, and he definitely has had moments of poor form (there isn't hardly a player alive who doesn't), but he's about a season and a half from becoming the all-time leading scorer here. Considering some of the legends and greats that have laced up their boots for us, and also considering that Rooney has predominantly not played as an out-and-out striker for us, I'd call that a pretty significant argument for thinking he's been a top player for us. That, and the fact that his class is painfully obvious.
Even if you can't stand the thought of him being here, you should also be able to recognize that he's a special kind of player, capable of moments of complete brilliance that not many players would even attempt, let alone pull off.
Thanks, @Mrs Smoker.
I like Rooney. I think he has been poorly advised under Paul Stretford. Stretford may have got him to 300k a week but his legacy at the club in which he will become a hall of famer is tarnished. You've got to take into account what goes on behind the scenes. We all know he's not the most intelligent chap and his agent and people around him are very manipulative when it comes to money.
It's a shame that it has turned out this way because Rooney will become the clubs highest goalscorer and inevitably, one way or another will be a club legend. No one apart from Rooney himself can determine how much 'love' he has for the club. All we know is that he plays his heart out and can be unplayable at times. He is very very valuable to United. I've nothing but admiration for the club who did all they could to keep him with us.
It's a shame that it has turned out this way because Rooney will become the clubs highest goalscorer and inevitably, one way or another will be a club legend. No one apart from Rooney himself can determine how much 'love' he has for the club. All we know is that he plays his heart out and can be unplayable at times. He is very very valuable to United. I've nothing but admiration for the club who did all they could to keep him with us.
Meh. I place very little significance to those kinds of records because they are affected by many different things. That said, I think Rooney has issues, as a player. Don't necessarily want the guy sold, but I wouldn't exactly be too bothered if it happened either.
My only issues with him are the fact that he can have a period where his first touch is horrible. Infact, even yesterday for about 20 mins his touch was very hit and miss.
As I always say , if we didn't have him you would want him.
What does he have to do next season for public opinion to swing back to his favour?
Apart from his contract issues which have been discussed to death, and the fact he never became the worlds best player, what do people have against him? he's allways given absolutely everything on the pitch and for me his is a genuinely world class player who is rated far higher in foreign countries than he is in england.
Apart from his contract issues which have been discussed to death, and the fact he never became the worlds best player, what do people have against him? he's allways given absolutely everything on the pitch and for me his is a genuinely world class player who is rated far higher in foreign countries than he is in england.
It's not going to happen. The majority of United fans on this forum have made their mind up - Rooney is shite and is a hindrance more than a help. He could score 40 goals and get 40 assists and there will be people here complaining about his poor first touch in the 10th minute Sunderland or a misplaced pass in the 20th minute. The negatives will be magnified and positive aspects buried beneath it. Pretty much how it's been for 2 seasons now.
Can't agree with this. If you've played any professional sport you'll know: 90% of what goes into winning, happens way before kickoff. Rooney is a terrible professional: he's usually unfit, overweight and doesn't really put in effort in the gym. This is why he ends up needing weeks/months to get to fitness, then has a spurt of goals which either dies down or he gets injured and comes back in bad condition again, repeating the cycle.
So for me it would be really simple: come in fit, motivated and raring to go.
I don't remember him looking as fit in preseason as he is this season. He usually seems to need preseason games to get into shape. Looks to me like he has been a bit more dedicated this time (and of course the World Cup helped in that regard).
That is the Jekyll and Hyde of the man, the he produces a fantastic pass and finish to change the game. He will never be that textbook player who gives you a perfect 90 minutes but he has the ability to change a game in a second that is invaluable at the highest level. He's looking trimmer to me and under I new manager who he can respect and will demand the most of him I expect him to have a good season.
You've seen first hand, have you?
Since last summer, I haven't seen him look unfit. In fact he was doing extra training before the world cup.
He doesn't even look overweight at the start of preseason these days either.
He definitely isn't unfit, but he is not as dynamic as he once was. The only thing that frustrates me with him now is his inconsistent first touch, but he has started the pre season well.
I love that Van Gaal seem to want to play Rooney up-top, as a 9 next to Welbeck (and probably RVP when he returns).
No fecking about with Rooney, play him as a striker and he'll score goals. We have Mata etc to do the no.10 work.
No fecking about with Rooney, play him as a striker and he'll score goals. We have Mata etc to do the no.10 work.
And my sword!
Yeah I agree with that. He'll be lethal as a #9 for a whole season, hope he plays there.
Rooney upfront is like the Return of The King too.
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