Wayne Rooney, The Midfield General? Mourinho Says No.

[C'est Moi Cantona]

He has been Englands best player this tourni

Questionable, plus it's very early days, we have played two pretty average teams so far, and he's hardly been fantastic anyway.

Rooney may prove me wrong if he is indeed given a place in our midfield next season, and fair play if he does, but for me he is a former world class striker that has been on a steady decline for a while now, and just because he is not up to it as a top striker anymore doesn't mean he automatically becomes a great midfielder, yes he can still produce some silky skills and 'Hollywood' passes, but there is not a chance in hell that he will make a top class midfielder.

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

Even though he's playing well?

It's not the point I'm making.

 

[SteveJ]

More like the Wealdstone Raider.

 

[UnofficialDevil]

He was great today. If he can keep his performance like that, I think he will be great midfielder for us next season..

Agree.

 

[Vilev]

Just watched Poland-Germany, have to say, someone cited Kroos as an example against Ukraine, compared to Rooney against Russia, but today Kroos hardly look any better than Rooney against Wales. And yes, he was also on the corner duty.

 

[BigTimeCharlie]

Better than Schweinsteiger? Biggest Joke I've heard today. Thanks for the laugh.

As average as schweinsteiger was he kept our team very composed.

Yeah I remember schweinsteiger getting embarrassed at the Emirates, running around like a dog after the ball allowing our midfield to be totally absent. World Cup winner, goes to show the standards that some can fall from.

 

[lem8sh]

He was average today, this thread is fecking bonkers.

 

[SteveJ]

World Cup winner, goes to show the standards that some can fall from.

At least he had somewhere to fall from.

 

[Van Piorsing]

What a massive cop out would be if Jose stop pursuing legit midfield maestros and just stick to Rooney as a creative force. He could come even more gullible than Moyes and LvG who had religious trust in Wayne.

I guess Blind as a defender didn't show enough how much we need specialists instead of experimental stunt men.

 

[Sparky Rhiwabon]

What a massive cop out would be if Jose stop pursuing legit midfield maestros and just stick to Rooney as a creative force. He could come even more gullible than Moyes and LvG who had religious trust in Wayne.

I guess Blind as a defender didn't show enough how much we need specialists instead of experimental stunt men.

I've got a feeling that all these managers think that they would be "crucified by the fans" for not finding a regular role for Wayne, probably based on the media / pundit love for him.

 

[ti vu]

Yeah I remember schweinsteiger getting embarrassed at the Emirates, running around like a dog after the ball allowing our midfield to be totally absent. World Cup winner, goes to show the standards that some can fall from.

If you use that game to bash Bastian, then you should also remind yourself who stunk up the #10 position that game and got shift to left wing later on.

I don't say Bastian did well and deserves some excuse. What I tried to say, that's one of the games where everything go from: stupid tactic, stupid line up with Mata, Memphis, Carrick, Bastian making the team prone to quick counter and pressing. Rooney and Darmian rubbish form, with Young as left back didn't help either.

 

[Van Piorsing]

I've got a feeling that all these managers think that they would be "crucified by the fans" for not finding a regular role for Wayne, probably based on the media / pundit love for him.

I just hope Jose had time to figure everything out and won't take that route. He of all our managers will need a solid start to establish himself as a serious one.

 

[SteveJ]

I've got a feeling that all these managers think that they would be "crucified by the fans" for not finding a regular role for Wayne, probably based on the media / pundit love for him.

It's not surprising if they believe that, given the press culture - a failed pass by Wayne against Russia was seriously described by a Sun reporter as "the ball of the century". Madness.

 

[clarkydaz]

Yeah I remember schweinsteiger getting embarrassed at the Emirates, running around like a dog after the ball allowing our midfield to be totally absent. World Cup winner, goes to show the standards that some can fall from.

this is going off topic but recall that was LVGs maverick tactics to press Arsenal at home. Basti was the only one doing it

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

I've got a feeling that all these managers think that they would be "crucified by the fans" for not finding a regular role for Wayne, probably based on the media / pundit love for him.

Even if it was true you would like to think Mourinho is above that, you are right though in that there is pressure on playing him for the manager, his wage, sponsors, reputation etc all play a part no doubt, I just hope Jose is the one to finally sort it out one way or another.

 

[SteveW]

It's not the point I'm making.

I've no idea what point you're trying to make. You want us to stop talking about Rooney playing CM even though he's playing well so he can make sponsorship money by being a 3rd choice striker and not make you sigh?? Is there a point in there?

 

[Percy17]

Wow someone wants to nosh off Rooney.

When did I say I know the man? That I made assumptions or outlandish statements to suggest I've got the inside track? Please quote me on it, I'm eager to know where you got this from, just a little quote will do.

He plays because he's Wayne Rooney, he most certainly doesn't play because he's always been this shit hot midfielder. Why else would Hodgson decide to play Rooney in midfield in the first game of the tournament, inspite of playing him as a striker or #10 throughout all the qualifiers and friendlies? You've heard it from the horses mouth, Rooney WILL play every game he's available. It's irrelevant if he scores 10 own goals in a match Roy would pick him the next game regardless. Why? Because he's Wayne Rooney.

It's not about being physic, it's about having at least a limited capacity to make predictions based on what you've seen, it's how the world works mate. Like I wouldn't need a crystal ball to beleive Messi would struggle in the air against Smalling, try using your brain yeah?

"how long before he decides he's a defensive midfielder again? Or a striker? Or an attacking midfielder? Maybe he fancies having a go in goal." sarcastically having a go at Rooney suggests that he's merely desperate to play

The thing is in football you can't predict how things will go and use that as an arguement to a topic. Its not A + B = C here. Could you have predicted Leicester to win the league? Could you have predicted that Chelsea would fall so dramatically? And the example you gave about messi struggling against Smalling in the air - Messi destroyed Vidic in the air in the champs league to score the winner in the final. Even if we've taken what we've seen to make a prediction...then doesn't that destroy your arguement? Rooney has been solid as Central Midfield so far. Sure there are hiccups but all players have them...even the favoured Pogba and recently even Kroos showed that. Until Rooney plays against a big side then we can make a strong evaluation of whether he'll be consistent but until then don't say "he will fail when pressed"

There are better midfielders in the world true. But they are not in the English squad or at Man Utd and its arguable that they will be in the immidiate future. Therefore, Rooney has to act as the midfield general for both teams, theres no one else who can do it like he has shown he can.

he asked Hodgson to play him in midfield on the eve of the tournament because he knows his striker days are over, and Rooney himself tells reporters he is a midfielder now, because he 'studied' Scholes and has 'football intelligence' etc. Rooney has pitched this, not the managers

infact wasn't it reported he was in a huff having to player striker at Carrow rd when Martial got injured?

In the end it is all down to the manager really. You could never bully a manager into playing you so I don't understand your point. Players are allowed to have their own point of view and if Rooney feels he can do a midfield job then he'll need to show the manager he can - he's obviously proved himself on the training ground and on the pitch - which is why he's starting there and will continue till his playing days are over.

 

[SteveW]

He was average today, this thread is fecking bonkers.

Didn't watch the game but BBC, Sky, Guardian and Express all gave him 8/10. Didn't check any others. Maybe it's you that's bonkers

 

[C'est Moi Cantona]

I've no idea what point you're trying to make. You want us to stop talking about Rooney playing CM even though he's playing well so he can make sponsorship money by being a 3rd choice striker and not make you sigh?? Is there a point in there?

Well clearly I don't want him as our first choice midfielder, nor do I want him as our third choice striker but it is the lesser of the evils, anyway I just can't be bothered, let's just see how he does, as I have no doubt he'll be the first name on the team sheet once again next year.

 

[ti vu]

"how long before he decides he's a defensive midfielder again? Or a striker? Or an attacking midfielder? Maybe he fancies having a go in goal." sarcastically having a go at Rooney suggests that he's merely desperate to play

The thing is in football you can't predict how things will go and use that as an arguement to a topic. Its not A + B = C here. Could you have predicted Leicester to win the league? Could you have predicted that Chelsea would fall so dramatically? And the example you gave about messi struggling against Smalling in the air - Messi destroyed Vidic in the air in the champs league to score the winner in the final. Even if we've taken what we've seen to make a prediction...then doesn't that destroy your arguement? Rooney has been solid as Central Midfield so far. Sure there are hiccups but all players have them...even the favoured Pogba and recently even Kroos showed that. Until Rooney plays against a big side then we can make a strong evaluation of whether he'll be consistent but until then don't say "he will fail when pressed"

There are better midfielders in the world true. But they are not in the English squad or at Man Utd and its arguable that they will be in the immidiate future. Therefore, Rooney has to act as the midfield general for both teams, theres no one else who can do it like he has shown he can.



In the end it is all down to the manager really. You could never bully a manager into playing you so I don't understand your point. Players are allowed to have their own point of view and if Rooney feels he can do a midfield job then he'll need to show the manager he can - he's obviously proved himself on the training ground and on the pitch - which is why he's starting there and will continue till his playing days are over.

Not want another circle of Rooney debate, just correct " Messi destroyed Vidic" part. No,Messi didn't. It was Rio and O'shea marking error. Messi was exceptional with his movement and position for the goal from Xavi's cross. Messi didn't destroy Rio, O'Shea physically in the air. If there were no marking error, Rio or O'Shea could have won every 50/50 heading competition vs Messi. The cross and marking error gave Rio and O'Shea 0% chance to defend the header. Messi did exceptional well to guide the ball to beat VDS.

 

[Minimalist]

I'm convinced it won't happen. He's far too slow and doesn't have the intelligence on the ball to make up for it. But sure what the hell do we know.

 

[SNes]

I think Rooney is having a good tournament but it's easy to run a midfield when no one is pressing you, let's see how he does against a real midfield.

 

[AndyJ1985]

Didn't watch the game but BBC, Sky, Guardian and Express all gave him 8/10. Didn't check any others. Maybe it's you that's bonkers

Being given a good rating by the biased British press should be taken with a pinch of salt. Despite being hopeless for large parts of last season, pundits and commentators alike would still wax lyrical about Rooney; constantly talking about what a great player he is and how he's capable of changing a match. Clearly they don't pay much attention to what he actually does (or what he doesn't do.)

 

[El Jefe]

You're right, he shouldn't force anything through the middle, he also shouldn't force the ball out to the right religiously either.

He should be looking to play the best pass, not the pass he thinks he's best at. Watch when he receives the ball to feet, his first thought is 'can I get it out wide?' there could be a striker standing on his own on the left and Rooney would have no clue. He just doesn't have the awareness and intelligence to play that role. Lampard was a great example of how to play the role. His head would constantly be on the move, he'd check 4 or 5 times where players were around him before he'd even receive the ball, before he had it at his feet he already had 2 or 3 options worked out in his head. Rooney can't do this, what made Rooney a great player was his instictiveness and aggression, he plays with neither now, he's watched how Giggs and Scholes reinvented themselves and thought 'i can do that'. Instead he's become a parody of Scholes.

Great post and the bit in bold is 100% true in the case of Rooney.

He consistently ignores some of the most obvious passes that would lead to progression of play especially those passes within the lines that Kroos, Modric and Iniesta excel at.

 

[talking robot]

He's been decent but not amazing in this role for England. He did well in a similar position for us towards the end of the season. He's pretty consistently a 7/10 from midfield, though we haven't seen much of him against top opposition in this role. My feeling is that he's an intelligent footballer, and may be able to improve slightly if given an entire season in this position. The key for me would be seeing him add goals to his game when arriving into the box from midfield. We know he has this in his locker, and if he can start scoring consistently (1/3 or 1/4 games as a midfielder), I think we'd have a good player. For United, as it stands, I don't think he should be an automatic starter though I think he should be competing for one of the midfield spots.

 

[RedDevilCanuck]

Just finished watching. He was the best player on the pitch.

 

[LawCharltonBest]

Must admit i am a bit surprised by the praise of him.

I don't think he played badly, but didn't really notice him do anything. Then again, I didn't particularly look out for him

 

[SteveW]

Being given a good rating by the biased British press should be taken with a pinch of salt. Despite being hopeless for large parts of last season, pundits and commentators alike would still wax lyrical about Rooney; constantly talking about what a great player he is and how he's capable of changing a match. Clearly they don't pay much attention to what he actually does (or what he doesn't do.)

Is that any different to those who wont admit when he plays well because they decided long ago that he's crap?

 

[nick2004]

Must admit i am a bit surprised by the praise of him.

I don't think he played badly, but didn't really notice him do anything. Then again, I didn't particularly look out for him

That's how it was with Scholes, too.

 

[MyOnlySolskjaer]

His corners were the most creative aspect of his performance.

 

[littlepeasoup]

For all the talk by Wales before the match of not letting him get too much time on the ball and dictate play, they didn't fare too well.

Either they didn't execute their gameplan well enough, or Wayne's finding pockets of space in spite of the opposition trying to limiting his influence.

 

[lem8sh]

Didn't watch the game but BBC, Sky, Guardian and Express all gave him 8/10. Didn't check any others. Maybe it's you that's bonkers

Precisely

 

[LawCharltonBest]

That's how it was with Scholes, too.

Scholes was majestic. I've never ever seen a player do what he could do. I was at Old Trafford years ago sitting at the front on the half way line, where Scholes was in line with me most of the time, and every time he got the ball it was one touch, pass, one touch, pass. Never gave it away. Beautiful player. Was worth the ticket price to watch him alone.

Sorry went a bit off track there! Yeah I see your point about not needing to "stand out" to have had a great game.

 

[PepsiCola]

He had a decent game, yes.

But the way some people bang on about him you'd have thought he put on an Iniesta-esque masterclass.

He was quiet in the first half, more lively in the second when Wales sat back. Was at loss as to why they'd allow the English midfield so much space in the first place.

I just ask myself, would any other top team in the world pay Wayne Rooney 300k a week to start in midfield week in week out? Can he play well consistently over a season? Is he better in the role than attainable targets?

 

[harms]

Are the famed midfields of Palace, Wales and Russia really the bar we're setting as Manchester United quality?

Not only Russian - he literally faced two debutants there because both main midfielders got injured just before the tournament - so in central midfield there were a 20-years old attacking midfielder and a central defender who only got his citizenship days ago.

And at the same time we can witness Iniesta, Kroos and Modric showing us what a modern midfielder should be about

 

[harms]

Yeah I remember schweinsteiger getting embarrassed at the Emirates, running around like a dog after the ball allowing our midfield to be totally absent. World Cup winner, goes to show the standards that some can fall from.

To be fair I'm pretty sure that the high pressing and him man-marking Cazorla in that game was Van Gaal's idea. Those tactics with our personnel in that game were suicidal

 

[love mufc]

Its not really his fault that his managers tell him to play in midfield now is it? You cry that he keeps players who are far better out of the team, but then at the same time, who are these 'better players' you talk about? Fellaini? Herrera? Schweni? Really, these players have been inconsistent all season...and you complain that Rooney is keeping them out of the squad. Don't talk about why Rooney is playing in midfield as if you personally know the man. Wogson and LVG thought he was the best option for midfield and the played him there. Simple. And when he did, he's looked good so far, so exactly whats the problem?

Tsk. And those who say 'he will struggle when a team presses him' need to lend me their psychic eyes which help them see into the future. You telling me that when Rooney plays not a single player presses him to win back the ball...they just stand back and let him pass it forward. All right then.

Rooney is not a better midfielder than Bastien, Morgan ad Herrera.... Morgan was playing very well in the cdm role in the first half of the season, where Rooney only played once against Chelsea, looking out of place. Both Herrera and Bastien are better passing the ball in tight spaces, they are better at finding gaps to pass to in between the lines, they can play any sort of ball Rooney is capable of and Herrera in form is very good when it comes to playing quick football.
Also, you mention those midfielders played poorly but Rooney played just as bad.

Five decent/good games in midfield doesn't make him a general, world class or Manchester United's best midfielder. But if he can continue to have good games, then he certainly can hold that midfield role but he's not played enough games in midfield yet and he's always been decent at international level against the smaller teams.

 

[Artimities]

I think this past year is not a good judge for him. Our ability to score goals sucked all year and our strikers had very little to work with. That is not entirely Rooneys fault now is it? There are 10 other guys on the pitch that performed not much better.

 

[love mufc]

I think this past year is not a good judge for him. Our ability to score goals sucked all year and our strikers had very little to work with. That is not entirely Rooneys fault now is it? There are 10 other guys on the pitch that performed not much better.

No one said Rooney is entirely at fault but his individual performances on the ball last season where so frustrating many times, the same goes for Mata and Depay. Rashford had little to work with but he still performed the best he could, so why could rooney even put in a decent performance. Also, Rooney had the ball many times and lost it easily under pressure that has noting to do with little to work with, espcially since he also likes to drop back often as well.

 

[.Rossi]

Wish this shit would stop

It's quickly becoming, "How can Manchester United shoe horn Rooney into their teams" instead of if he can play in midfield.

He wasn't great against Russia and he wasn't good against Wales. He was blowing out of his arse in the first half. In fact, when England were chasing the game, he was strolling over to take corners, trying to catch a breather.

Couldn't give a shit what England do. But I fear for United if he's our "midfielder" next year

I also wish he'd stop getting his eyebrows done. But that's for another topic