It's been said many times, he is rapid but he rarely sprint in last few years...
How does LVG solve the Rooney problem?
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In the latest episode of the United Hour Podcast, Nik (@Rood) is joined by CEO Duncan Drasdo and Financial Director Andy Green from the Manchester United Supporters Trust for a special episode on all things behind the scenes at Old Trafford including a brief history of MUST and their aims today, views on INEOS and Sir Jim Ratcliffe so far, and the Old Trafford regeneration.
Those stats were from last year though?
Yes and what is your point?
When I look at him I do not see a 29 year old man. He looks to be at least a decade older, if not more. We all age differently, but Rooney seems to be an extreme case of early physical maturity and early middle age. The baldness, the graying hair, the aged look, the fitness struggles, it all makes you wonder about his body being much older than his chronological age. So how does LvG solve the Rooney problem? Testosterone replacement therapy might be a good place to start.
@Americano compare him to Schweinsteiger who is just a good year older then him and looks like he could be Rooney's father
If dropping Rooney is not an option, and dropping Mata is the solution to Rooney's poor form, then we're kind of fecked, aren't we?
Regardless, dropping an in form player to facilitate an out of form player seems like madness to me. Just seems to me like Van Gaal chose the wrong player (someone who'd struggle in his playing style) as his undroppable captain.
We do have some pace in the front four, Mata aside. We're not as wide as we used to be though, with Memphis also constantly cutting in.
Other than dropping him, I can see no other way to solve the Rooney problem, short of him pulling his finger out and actually performing.
It really is a fecked up situation. To think that he has 3 more years left on his mega contract at the end of this season is a scary thought.
Keeping my fingers crossed that he comes good in what is his favorite position on the field. If he doesn't, then you simply have to drop him and go back to the 433 we played last season.
Keeping my fingers crossed that he comes good in what is his favorite position on the field. If he doesn't, then you simply have to drop him and go back to the 433 we played last season.
I think it is time to get the armband off him and relegate him to the bench. Might just give him the kick up the backside to finally improve on what have been dreadful performances so far (bar maybe the Cluj second leg).
The bold part is, without a doubt, the craziest idea I have seen so far to get Rooney in some form. We drop our most productive outfield player in the hope of getting a terribly out of form player playing like a footballer again?!
I am glad you do not have the chance to whisper any of this in LVG's ears.
Looking forward into the future, I can't see him lasting long at United beyond his thirties unless he drops back into midfield ala Giggs and Scholes. But then those two were freaks.
For the longest while I felt he could become a Scholes-like player in midfield but I think besides his occasional pinged out long ball, there's not much similarity between the two. The few times Rooney's played midfield has only cemented this.
Giggs was almost a top-class playmaker let down only by his inconsistency at times. His creativity on the ball was almost unmatched by any other player we had. And you could rely on him to be an impact player and also to provide us something extra in the big games. Things I don't think Rooney has in his locker.
In short I really don't see what he can give us in the next few years at United. Its patronising to say this, but there's loads of reasonably big clubs where he'd be able to do contribute if he wants to keep playing. I'm sure he himself probably recognizes that so it shouldn't be too difficult to shift him this summer or the next. I imagine there's a fair few top European clubs that would take a punt on him despite his shoddy form.
For the longest while I felt he could become a Scholes-like player in midfield but I think besides his occasional pinged out long ball, there's not much similarity between the two. The few times Rooney's played midfield has only cemented this.
Giggs was almost a top-class playmaker let down only by his inconsistency at times. His creativity on the ball was almost unmatched by any other player we had. And you could rely on him to be an impact player and also to provide us something extra in the big games. Things I don't think Rooney has in his locker.
In short I really don't see what he can give us in the next few years at United. Its patronising to say this, but there's loads of reasonably big clubs where he'd be able to do contribute if he wants to keep playing. I'm sure he himself probably recognizes that so it shouldn't be too difficult to shift him this summer or the next. I imagine there's a fair few top European clubs that would take a punt on him despite his shoddy form.
The best way forward imo is buying an established WC player so he can be dropped, preferably sold with minimum fuss. However, LVG isn't made that way. This guy will tell him to feck off whenever he likes.
4. Contract is till 2019
He proBaby has a high top speed but his pace over the first 10 yards is slow and getting slower and slower.
The bold part is, without a doubt, the craziest idea I have seen so far to get Rooney in some form. We drop our most productive outfield player in the hope of getting a terribly out of form player playing like a footballer again?!
I am glad you do not have the chance to whisper any of this in LVG's ears.
Without having the option of dropping him, what would you suggest?
If dropping Rooney is not an option, and dropping Mata is the solution to Rooney's poor form, then we're kind of fecked, aren't we?
Regardless, dropping an in form player to facilitate an out of form player seems like madness to me. Just seems to me like Van Gaal chose the wrong player (someone who'd struggle in his playing style) as his undroppable captain.
We do have some pace in the front four, Mata aside. We're not as wide as we used to be though, with Memphis also constantly cutting in.
Other than dropping him, I can see no other way to solve the Rooney problem, short of him pulling his finger out and actually performing.
So your can't actually answer the OP's question, yet you want to critique my answer? Fair enough.
van gaal needs to earmark a replacement SS/no.10 for next season.
It's a discussion, not a race to see who answers the question.
A discussion on how to solve 'the Rooney problem' without dropping him.
I do agree with nearly everything you have said mate but let's face reality, LvG isn't a stupid man by a long chalk, I'm sure he knows that Rooney is a major problem but what can he do whilst the transfer window is shut?
It will be a major story if he starts leaving Rooney, the biggest name at Manchester Utd and in England (plus the clubs captain) out of the side. I very much doubt he would to put up with the media storm that followed unless he was CERTAIN that whoever he bought in would do a better job. At the moment whilst I'm 99% sure pretty much anybody would do a better job than Rooney we don't have somebody like a Bale or a Greizmann ready to slot in there who would absolutely 100% guarantee a definite improvement
It needs to be a clean break - put up with Rooney until we can pull off a big signing and then cut the ties as quickly as possible
A discussion on how to solve 'the Rooney problem' without dropping him.
Touché.
I've got no ideas. Before Martial was signed, I'd have said, buy a pacy striker and move Rooney to 10. Now that's come to pass, and we're still not seeing improvements to Rooney's form.
I'll say this though, I don't think he was THAT bad vs Wolfsburg, other than the miss. And I've been one of Rooney's biggest detractors for this past months.
Touché.
I've got no ideas. Before Martial was signed, I'd have said, buy a pacy striker and move Rooney to 10. Now that's come to pass, and we're still not seeing improvements to Rooney's form.
I'll say this though, I don't think he was THAT bad vs Wolfsburg, other than the miss. And I've been one of Rooney's biggest detractors for this past months.
Fair enough. He does need to step it up, though, and I really hope he does, because it's horrible seeing him in such bad form.
I hear you mate and I do get it but my frustration comes mainly from how he held us ransom for his last two contracts and I really want us to throw his, nor under the bus, but under a bullet train. That much I wil confess. However to do that we need someone that can come in and put in the sort of performances that will leave the media involuntarily saying 'Rooney who?'. For me Griezman is that guy.
Rooney's pretty damn fast when he gets going. Haven't got stats for this year, but Rooney racked up the quickest speed in our team last season, which consisted of Di Maria, who you would probably assume is quicker than Rooney. Not sure of the yardage, but statistically, he was the quickest.
while it looks good on paper, how often do players get to stretch their legs enough to get to that speed? Especially in our system its all slow build up
There was a stat the other say that showed Mata being as fast/faster then Valencia.
In summary, speed stats are rubbish. Rooney is clearly not our fastest player, you only need eyes to see that.
In summary, speed stats are rubbish. Rooney is clearly not our fastest player, you only need eyes to see that.
It's not just a physical decline is it, I really don't understand quite how Rooney has managed to get so bad so quick! He was always a strong, fast player, but you would also say he was very good technically. I don't understand how losing a bit of pace has also caused him to completely lose his first touch and passing ability but that has gone as well!
LVG doesn't have many options regarding Rooney decline. We will have to spend 66m pounds for his salary in the next few years, so the management will put a lot of pressure on LVG to somehow make Rooney become more useful to this club. If things go well for the management, Rooney will somehow pick up his form in the 2nd half of this season then he will be sellable in the next transfer summer to a club that needs more international branding instead of actual world class performance (a Chinese, US or Middle-East club?). Make no mistake, none of the top European clubs would be interested in buying him with such massive salary that I can tell for sure.
In addition, I think Woodward is a very practical person and he wants to transform this team back to be on top of Europe with Real, Barca and Munich. He will definitely sell Rooney when opportunity come, I don't think he will wait until the contract expire in 2019
In addition, I think Woodward is a very practical person and he wants to transform this team back to be on top of Europe with Real, Barca and Munich. He will definitely sell Rooney when opportunity come, I don't think he will wait until the contract expire in 2019
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Watching Rooney this year. It seems like he has lost his striker instinct. Maybe playing him in midfield so much has got him confused at an instinctual level. If you watch him last weekend I think it was, there were a couple occasions where he was playing triangles or one twos and instead of breaking to space TOWARDS the goal, and in one instance the ball was actually played into space towards goal, Rooney has been breaking to space AWAY from goal to be an outlet.
It's like he is thinking to be the play maker first now, his instincts are all mixed up. It's like his first thought now is pass, and or be an outlet to flex the point of attack. If I had to guess, that is a result of being played as a midfielder. All those habits, seem to have replaced his goal scoring instincts.
Frankly it's odd.
It's like he is thinking to be the play maker first now, his instincts are all mixed up. It's like his first thought now is pass, and or be an outlet to flex the point of attack. If I had to guess, that is a result of being played as a midfielder. All those habits, seem to have replaced his goal scoring instincts.
Frankly it's odd.
RVP was our first pen taker since the second half of 12-13. He lost his right last year after he lost a pen (Rooney having lost one too against Liverpool while RVP wasn't in the pitch) and then LVG decided to make a list of pen shooters, with Mata leading it.
I think that he left it to Hernandez because Mata wasn't in the pitch and/or the result was already 4-0, but Mata is our first pen taker. No idea if Herrera or Rooney is the second one.
I think the only place that would be willing to take on Rooney's wages is a club in the MLS. IIRC, the LA Galaxy were able to sign Beckham to his pricy contract through a revenue-sharing agreement that is in place across the league. Rooney would be another major signing for them and the clubs would pool their funds together to pay him because they know it would bring the league more exposure.
That is not to say that I don't think Rooney can turn things around. I don't know what his problem is, forget about him being slower, it looks like he's completely forgotten how to play football. His touch and passing look completely gone and he also passes up clear chances to shoot or run into openings. I'm still beside myself after that chance at Swansea, I couldn't believe that he didn't even get a shot off from that.
His short passing and first touch have been regressing further and further for the past several years, it's always been excused due to the fact he was still very productive despite... Now that he's not getting his customary goals/assists to cover it, we're left to witness his lax/casual game in all it's horror.
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Take the godamn captain armband off him it has him trying to be involved in everything, and with him being crap right now it is not helping at all.
FFS.4. Contract is till 2019
Easy fix just throw some Mané at the problem
Exactly, drop Rooney, put Mata in the middle and Mane can work the right side
Pretty sure he was left out of the squad completely vs Southampton, only came back in the team after injury to RVP and Rooney
That is the thing with Rooney, if someone else hits a spell of bad form they will get some leeway. However I am in the same boat as you that his past behaviour over contracts has left a bad taste in my mouth.
I'm different. I was on his side in 2010 when the first contract stand off happened. I thought our transfer window after losing two world class attackers was a joke. The second in 2013, I though we should let him go as he wasn't worth the hassle. In that time he's gotten considerably worse. Rooney of 2013 is light years ahead of the present one and Rooney of 2013 wasn't even that good. There has been a steady decline. My frustration comes from the fact that I think we are stuck with him and decisions are being made not on football reasons.
It will be the merchandising side they are taking into account. Imagine if Ronaldo were still here, it would be no contest.
Van Gaal's desire to shoehorn a completely out of form Rooney into the side will probably end up costing him his job.
If Giggs becomes manager it might cost him his job as well.