Funny thing is, the issue is not about me defending Rooney's performance(s). The debate me and Dobbs had was about people thinking problems in our team would suddenly vanish had Rooney been left out.
Now, although this has not been said word for word (it might have been. Haven't looked through whole of thread) I personally feel that people thought, especially prior to the Feyenoord game, that Rooney out of the team would mean us playing great football.
Comments blaming Rooney for Pogba and Ibra's performance, or saying that if he's in the team, so and so can't do this or can't play there led me to believe that all the blame was on Rooney.
In the Feyenoord game, for example, Pogba wasn't great, and all of a sudden no one was to blame. He played in a 433, on the left, with 2 more defence minded players than himself and he didn't really shine. Had Rooney played, I bet your bottom dollar that Rooney's name would have come up.