well we're going in circles but like I said, it's more like MOTM + almost everyone on here thinks he performed well + statistics will prove it.
Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.
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Is this wishful thinking?
Same fella who's convinced he can make it as a midfielder, wants to move to that area of the pitch and has publicly stated so?
Then again I don't think Rooneys the brightest lamp in the street so he may have forgotten even saying that by the time the season starts.
Rooney, like any other player, hasn't got a say on where he plays.
Rashford was doing super up top, Rooney was doing a good job in midfield so Van Gaal decided to stick with it.
Hodgson obviously felt those performances were good enough to play him there for England, and to be fair, whether people like to admit it or not, he was decent there for the first couple of games.
If Mourinho wants him to play higher up; however, (9, 9.5, 10) then I see no reason Rooney will be upset about it. Like I said before, he wants to score goals.
Just sell him, there's no more that needs to be said. I'd have no qualms or regrets about him leaving given how he's treated the club.
Wish one of the options would be to start him as first choice and see how he does before making a decision
As a 9, yes. Rashford was doing the business.
We didn't play with a number 10, though. Well, when Rashford come into the team, we went with more of a 433, with two 8's, as opposed to a 10.
Reading Mourinho's comments, and knowing he favours a 4231, suggest he will play with a number 10.
He played as a 10/support striker for majority under Sir Alex, Moyes and most of Van Gaal's first season.
That's another plausible take on the situation.
when was this. I remember he did some nice finishes when he went on that 8 game run but he wasn't playing all too well. I can't remember what he showed bar the newcastle game.....
That still doesn't mean that he met the standards of everyone on here and it doesn't mean they have an agenda for stating that. You're talking about an arbitrary award usually decided by the experts who won't say anything bad about him and who praise him for things he actually can't do. A difference of opinion on an online forum and statistics which may or may not mean anything. He's not actually produced a performance that's been able to shut up his doubters, yet you're going on like he's produced several and that it's ludicrous for people to think otherwise.
The show Friends had millions of people watching it, many people loved it, it got great reviews. Yet I still thought it was absolute shite. Agenda or opinion? Would you feel the need as a Friends fan to say I had an agenda if I didn't like episodes that you liked? People have different opinions of what it takes to play up front for Manchester United(or pretend to be a midfielder for them when you've failed up front) just because a player isn't meeting the standards set in those opinions doesn't mean they have an agenda. His wages and stature do factor into it because someone on £300k a week should have more expected of them than players paid half that. For some people the "experts" version of good for their mate is quite simply still shit for Manchester United or any team looking to challenge for honours. It's not agenda, it's opinion.
that made me crack upgonna be interesting hearing Rooney back up recent comments now Jose has poured cold water on it.
So will he be a midfielder for someone else then?
"Wayne, you've claimed that you wanted to move into midfield, but now Jose has said that you're not a midfielder, what's your explanation of the situation...?"
"We were on a (International) break!!!"
Is it really natural for a striker to move back to centre midfield as they age though? Sometimes, certain things are repeated so much you start taking them as fact. Batistuta, Shearer, Shevchenko, Hughes, Ronaldo, Van Nistelrooy....can't say I've ever seen them play centre midfield. Ok, maybe Rooney is less of a 9 than those names. Riquelme, Rui Costa, Bergkamp, Totti....I might be wrong here but those guys didn't play centre midfield at the tail ends of their careers either.
Don't make me laugh at a Friends reference you evil git."Wayne, you've claimed that you wanted to move into midfield, but now Jose has said that you're not a midfielder, what's your explanation of the situation...?"
"We were on a (International) break!!!"
All players can tell their managers where they would like to play and then it's up to the manager. The more indulgent the manager is towards the player then the more chance they will play the player where he wants, and both Van Gaal and Hodgson were incredibly indulgent towards Rooney.
That's hypothetical though. All I'm trying to do is determine why you are so sure this is good news for Rooney. You keep saying he wants to play upfront even though everyone is quoting Rooney saying he is happy in midfield and sees his future there. You also denied that Rooney has been talking himself up as a midfielder when Rooney has said his midfield game is a mixture of his own abilities plus what he has learned from Gerrard and Scholes... And you are ignoring the point that Mourinho has said he wants to play him in the positions that two of his new signings can also play.
It comes across as you simply being determined to see everything as a positive for a player you like. Consider this; if Mourinho has said the exact opposite of what he said today, something along the lines of "Rooney will play in midfield for me. His attributes, especially his passing under pressure, are well suited for that role," then I would have posted that the press conference was great for Rooney. It would have shown that his new manager was impressed with his performances at the end of last season and over the summer and agreed with Rooney's own recent statements. Are you honestly telling me if Mourinho had said that today you would have posted that it was bad news for Rooney? If no then how can the reverse be a positive for him?
And SAF, at times - remember how he used to say that "Wayne is always in my ear, wanting to play"? A minor element of the 'selfless Rooney' legend is his willingness to be the world's best-paid utility man so long as he gets a game; now though, with the fading of his abilities, he's not as useful a utility player as before.
I think some people are forgetting that naturally, Rooney is a striker/support striker. Therefore, if given the chance to play, which he wasn't always been the case in the last couple of years, then of course he's going to like it. Why wouldn't he?
As for Rooney supposedly talking himself up, well, when the media continue to ask him if he sees himself as a midfielder, especially when he's doing well in that position, then he's going to say yes, especially if the manager who's there at the time is playing him there.
One thing about Rooney is, he's always been very unselfish, and this is a big reason he gets moved about. Wing, up top, 10, 8, etc. He's a versatile player, who always will, and always has, 'done a job' for the team, but that's not to say he doesn't want to play in his preferred role. (9 or 10)
As for the two signings, Mourinho clearly pointed out that he 'made a nucleus of four signings'. It doesn't take a genius to know what positions needed strengthening. Most people were suggesting we should sign a striker, a right winger, a centre back and a centre midfielder before Jose was even announced.
If Mourinho always had it in his head that he would play Rooney as a 10 - the position that most put him in for predicted XI, then technically, Mourinho hasn't signed two players who play the same position. Yes, Mkhitaryan can play attacking midfielder, and Rooney can play 9 like Ibra, but Mourinho specifically stated that he wants specialists, and most of the time, I can imagine these three players will play together. Therefore, the only way Jose will fit them in is by playing a front four of:
Ibrahimovic
Martial Rooney Mkhitaryan
And the last bit is nonsense, in my opinion. You are looking at the last say 2-3 months, in comparison to the duration of Rooney's career, where he has played as a 9 or 10.
I think people are getting confused with Mourinho's comments. It's not a fact of Mourinho doesn't like Rooney in midfield, but more that he feels he can do a much better job, and is more of a threat in closer to goal. He said "the natural appetite to put the ball in the net never changes." Mourinho know's that, and has taken that into account. The guys nearly our top goalscorer, for God sake.
It's an anomaly. Sheringham, Del Piero, Zola, Robbie Baggio, Di Canio, Djorkaeff, Ariel Ortega, Litmanen the list goes on and on. The idea forwards drop into midfield is just not true.
Mourinho said he's not a midfielder, and even pointed out that anyone can make a flashy pass without pressure, he clearly doesn't rate him there at all. I know you are a massive Rooney fanboy but he is past it, I don't know how that can even be argued, and Ibra needs someone dynamic behind him, not a legless waddler with a shit first touch. 4-2-3-1 Is also a shite system for Carrick, Herrera and Pogba if he comes, all are much better suited to a 4-3-3.
he said he would never play 6 or 8 for him, and for good measure made a sarcastic comment on the one point people were claiming what makes him a good midfielder. He's only been doing it for a few months against bang average opposition, and thankfully day one at the club Jose has publicly ended it
Thank you Jose, that's all I wanted hear.
Mourinho wanted to buy Rooney a couple of seasons back as a striker. So I imagine he'll still regard him highly. I think we're reading too much into the demise of Rooney. There's plenty of games over the course of the season to share amongst Zlatan, Rooney, Martial and Rashford.
The comments were not derogatory to Rooney as a midfielder at all. He basically said he wants Rooney doing the 'harder' job of putting the ball in the back of the net rather than wasting those proven qualities further away from the goal at 6 or 8.
Mourinho quotes on Hazard as a number 10 last November:
“We have different concepts of number 10, me and him.
“For me a number 10 does a lot of things, with the ball and without the ball. So for me a number 10 is a very special player in my team.
“With a system of two midfield players and one number 10, I demand a lot from a number 10.
“I like a number 10 to score goals. I like a number 10 to get in the box. I like a number 10 to score goals like Oscar's against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“A number 10 for me is an eight-and-a-half when the team loses the ball, and the number 10 is a nine-and-a-half when the team has the ball.
“Who is my perfect number 10? Wesley Sneijder and Deco. Because they could defend, get in the box and finish goals? Yes.
Has Rooney as a 10 for Mourinho written all over it.
Mourinho quotes on Hazard as a number 10 last November:
“We have different concepts of number 10, me and him.
“For me a number 10 does a lot of things, with the ball and without the ball. So for me a number 10 is a very special player in my team.
“With a system of two midfield players and one number 10, I demand a lot from a number 10.
“I like a number 10 to score goals. I like a number 10 to get in the box. I like a number 10 to score goals like Oscar's against Maccabi Tel Aviv.
“A number 10 for me is an eight-and-a-half when the team loses the ball, and the number 10 is a nine-and-a-half when the team has the ball.
“Who is my perfect number 10? Wesley Sneijder and Deco. Because they could defend, get in the box and finish goals? Yes.
Has Rooney as a 10 for Mourinho written all over it.
I can't see Rooney doing well in a more attacking role. He's simply not got the pace anymore,can't lead the line at all. It wasn't a case of bad form for the first half of the season last year. He was shown up by Rashford big time, even Martial. One big run in the FA cup final from midfield doesn't hide his decline and gash performances last year. He's not a starter for me. He's a bench player and should prove himself, if he wants to stay. No more players playing because of reputation anymore.Sick of the privileges he gets in the side, always starts regardless of form. He should prove that he deserves to start with good performances or get out.
This time around, when he's being shit up top, any of his media friends or our ex players who come up with the usual 'he can do a job in midfield' nonsense will be rightly laughed off thanks to his Euro performances. The whole world finally got to see what we've been seeing for years.
In my opinion the #10 is the only position where Rooney has a chance of making an acceptable contribution next season. He's clearly finished as a striker, and isn't good enough technically or positionally and doesn't have the awareness or the legs to be one of two central midfielders (stating the obvious here, but what the hell). Far from thrilled by the proposition of Rooney continuing to be a mainstay in the starting eleven though obviously, but I retain some hope that he may end up doing better than terrible.
Here we go with the insults. You'd think you'd get bored.
Anyway, interpret as you will, Mourinho stated he sees him as a 9, 9.5 or 10, as he still feels he is a threat further up the pitch. Simple as!
I have to agree with you. It seems that Rooney wil play behind Zlatan. Also, he would rotate in the striker position with Ibra and Rashford. I would like to see a 433 formation, but it looks that he will play with his favorite system (4231).
What insults? He quite clearly took a shot at the notion of him playing in midfield and said where he sees him playing, not that he'd just piss our season away by actually playing him there every week with a 34 year old striker as well.
That was 2-3 years back. Rooney has declined sharply and is now terrible.
Jose wants to win and unlike LVG he won't be willing to lose games or get fired, just so Rooney gets to play.
Assuming Rooney continues to play badly, he'll be benched or sold - I am 99% sure of this.
LVG was a fool, who put all his eggs in Rooney's basket and as a result, we failed to score goals and ended up in 5th.
Had LVG bought a striker last Summer (and told Rooney that he is not an automatic starter), he'd still have a job today.
Think about it this way: Rooney's injury (and then Martial getting injured) brought about Rashford who had the highest scoring rate of all our players. Rashford, thanks to Rooney's injury, almost saved LVG! How crazy is that?
Hoping Wayne is our 12th man.
It would've been both simple and diplomatic for José to fob the reporters off with something generic like his remarks about Wayne's testimonial, while JM considered his options and settled in. The fact that José didn't repeat a version of those remarks tells me that Wayne will be selected (or benched) according to merit...which is actually the best thing not only for United but also for Rooney...if he's still got the appetite to prove - and improve - himself.
He bid up to £30m 3 summers ago and then left it at that before Moyes gave Rooney a new deal. What do you think he values him at now?
Guess I look for positives, rather than negatives. Moving him further up the pitch because in the words of Mourinho "the natural appetite to put the ball in the net never changes."
If Mourinho had in mind that he was going to play Rooney 10, then more fool him for buying a immobile player like Ibrahimovic. That said, it can be successful if we focus on wing play, rather than trying to penetrate through the middle.
He should be benched like that season when we had Tevez.
He might have the appetite, but not the legs. I really don't see him reacting well to being asked to prove himself worthy of a place in the team for the first time in years. I've a bad feeling this might get ugly.
Oh don't worry, mate - apparently it's a mutual decision[/sarcasm]:
Guardian said:
If Rooney is benched, who would you prefer as No.10? Mata? Herrera? Fellaini? Pereira? Januzaj? Mkhitaryan with Lingard as RW?
I can't help but feel that Mourinho has put the first nail in Rooney's international football coffin. He's not going to at up front for us and drop into midfield for England. His midfield role this year was the start of his transition there and I'm certain the England set up did that with the thought that he would be doing so at club level and it was a natural transition for him.
If he's going to be back as a striker and no longer learning that role, there's no point in playing him there for England. If he's playing up front he's going to have to pull some trees up to match Kane, Sturridge, Vardy and co.
If he's going to be back as a striker and no longer learning that role, there's no point in playing him there for England. If he's playing up front he's going to have to pull some trees up to match Kane, Sturridge, Vardy and co.