The end of Rooney

Plan to keep this short but here's my 2 pence on rooney. The top level is already highly competitive. Therefore, there are certain things needed to standout compared to the rest and to realise your potential. If you compare the trajectories of Ronaldo and Rooney when it comes to looking after yourself and consistency of application regarding to improvement of one's game I think it's clear who's had the better trajectory.

Rooney does really epitomize the street footballer type because whether or not he's worked on his game, when he decides to play with intensity he can showcase an immense level of quality. The issue is his overall game is quite inconsistent. He's known as a streaky player but what's interesting is despite his streakiness he maintains a good level of productivity (goals/assists) and has done so for many seasons now.

He's not my favorite player but I can appreciate what he's done for the club and he's had quite the career compared to how most footballers' careers pan out.

In terms of realising his potential, I don't think he has but such is life. In fact, I'd say it's incredibly difficult to do so because depending on the player, how do you actually know when you've realised your potential? At what moment does it come? Does it hit you in one moment? While that's another discussion for another day, when it comes to discussion of Rooney's realised potential, I do think those questions are relevant.

For me, I'd say he's not made the most of his potential as he could have but i also do not know what it would look like if he truly maximised his potential. All I know is he would look alot better than he does now. Hopefully he can bow out with an FA Cup since we haven't won it in a while. In future i'll try to be more concise. Apologies
 
Art Vandelay said:
Why do people keep ignoring that? It's starting to get like WWE wrestling where he can disappear from TV for a while then come back and reinvent himself as if what happened months ago never occurred.

He's had three games in midfield recently against one of the worst teams of the PL era, a completely changed Palace team that didn't give a feck and against an Everton midfield consisting of Cleverly and Gibson. He's only produced one 45 minute performance that suggests he might eventually be good enough to be a midfielder for us and even then he disappeared in the second half when the pressure got turned up. Yet people are talking about him being reinvented as if he did enough to prove he can do it while ignoring his failed stint there last season which got his media buddies demanding he be moved back where he belongs.
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Yeah I said this as well. He had a good half in central midfield against weaker teams but let's see how it works out if the opposition manager puts a player on his feet or we play a team that presses us like crazy. With loads of space even Carrick's long passing is excellent, against the top teams with quality midfielders you don't get that though. Imagine if Kanté is all over him on Sunday. It will be a totally different situation for him once teams are used to him being in midfield, pulling the strings.
 
The most frustrating part is we all know fine well what's going to happen. Summer acquisitions will be pursued with the idea in mind that he is our first choice midfielder. Any deficiencies in his game will be wilfully ignored. He might even do ok in there for a spell. However his form will go to absolute shit like it does every season and instead of him being benched for this the narrative will change to "he's a world class no.9 and is being wasted in midfield." We all know how his PR machine works.
 
Art Vandelay said:
The most frustrating part is we all know fine well what's going to happen. Summer acquisitions will be pursued with the idea in mind that he is our first choice midfielder. Any deficiencies in his game will be wilfully ignored. He might even do ok in there for a spell. However his form will go to absolute shit like it does every season and instead of him being benched for this the narrative will change to "he's a world class no.9 and is being wasted in midfield." We all know how his PR machine works.
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:lol:

Circle of life.

And everytime he changes position commentators and fans go about how we missed someone like him in that new position.
 
Amar__ said:
:lol:

Circle of life.

And everytime he changes position commentators and fans go about how we missed someone like him in that new position.
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:lol:

It's going to end up like the Scousers boom bust cycle.

There will be maybe an hour of a match where he gets dropped too and no one can believe this shocking turn of events. Any talk of the match is forgotten as the only thing they will talk about is getting the main man on the pitch to lead us and how dropping him is akin to sticking your balls in an alligators mouth. Then he will come off the bench and they will pretend it's a massive improvement and he's exactly what we need.
 
Art Vandelay said:
:lol:

It's going to end up like the Scousers boom bust cycle.

There will be maybe an hour of a match where he gets dropped too and no one can believe this shocking turn of events. Any talk of the match is forgotten as the only thing they will talk about is getting the main man on the pitch to lead us and how dropping him is akin to sticking your balls in an alligators mouth. Then he will come off the bench and they will pretend it's a massive improvement and he's exactly what we need.
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What's sad is that people actually buy that crap every single time.
 
Art Vandelay said:
Why do people keep ignoring that? It's starting to get like WWE wrestling where he can disappear from TV for a while then come back and reinvent himself as if what happened months ago never occurred.

He's had three games in midfield recently against one of the worst teams of the PL era, a completely changed Palace team that didn't give a feck and against an Everton midfield consisting of Cleverly and Gibson. He's only produced one 45 minute performance that suggests he might eventually be good enough to be a midfielder for us and even then he disappeared in the second half when the pressure got turned up. Yet people are talking about him being reinvented as if he did enough to prove he can do it while ignoring his failed stint there last season which got his media buddies demanding he be moved back where he belongs.
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This

How many players have actually "reinvented" themselves as they got older and actually been really good in their new position? Not having a dig at Rooney here, but his foremost qualities in his prime was his amazing physique and hunger, technique and tactical understanding has never been his fortê. In other words: I think its unreasonable to expect a player of Rooneys mold to suddenly become a great midfielder
 
This is Manchester United Football Club we're talking about here, a club that should be aspiring to compete at the highest level against the best teams around. Every player, in every position needs to right up there with the best in Europe to be able to compete. Does anybody seriously think Rooney will suddenly transform into one of the best midfielders in Europe? Of course he wont!

So do we accept mediocrity until he finally retires, or do we ship him out and replace him with a proven midfielder?
 
Art Vandelay said:
Why do people keep ignoring that? It's starting to get like WWE wrestling where he can disappear from TV for a while then come back and reinvent himself as if what happened months ago never occurred.

He's had three games in midfield recently against one of the worst teams of the PL era, a completely changed Palace team that didn't give a feck and against an Everton midfield consisting of Cleverly and Gibson. He's only produced one 45 minute performance that suggests he might eventually be good enough to be a midfielder for us and even then he disappeared in the second half when the pressure got turned up. Yet people are talking about him being reinvented as if he did enough to prove he can do it while ignoring his failed stint there last season which got his media buddies demanding he be moved back where he belongs.
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spot on
 
Big Jim Holton said:
This is Manchester United Football Club we're talking about here, a club that should be aspiring to compete at the highest level against the best teams around. Every player, in every position needs to right up there with the best in Europe to be able to compete. Does anybody seriously think Rooney will suddenly transform into one of the best midfielders in Europe? Of course he wont!

So do we accept mediocrity until he finally retires, or do we ship him out and replace him with a proven midfielder?
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Issue here is Wayne Rooney is the most marketable player at our club. If you ask me, one of the main reasons why he's still here. On the football side, i think we should ship him out but way club is run, we may stick with him until finding another marketable player.
 
Rooney is marketable because he plays for Mnachester United not the other way round.
One of the reasons why fans buy this nonsense of he can reinvent himself is that fans know we are stuck with him. So they look for any positive.
 
Never was classic Rooney basher,granted it irks me when i see him doing his Xfield passes,most of time for no good reason but would people have different view if he was on 100k per week?
 
R'hllor said:
Never was classic Rooney basher,granted it irks me when i see him doing his Xfield passes,most of time for no good reason but would people have different view if he was on 100k per week?
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It's not just the wages, it's the special treatment in that no matter how bad he plays he is staying on for the full 90 minutes and starting the next match. Although the wages are a factor since we are paying him to be one of the top players in the world and he's producing nothing of the sort. The real issue remains his undroppable status.
 
Gladiator said:
Issue here is Wayne Rooney is the most marketable player at our club. If you ask me, one of the main reasons why he's still here. On the football side, i think we should ship him out but way club is run, we may stick with him until finding another marketable player.
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You're spot on with that. United own all his marketing rights, and pay him for the privilege every single week.

Those in the know will tell you he could be on as much as £400.000 a week, with the club re-claiming some of that by merchandising his image. Dropping Rooney would reduce his market value to sponsors and cost the club a fortune in net value. The contract brokered by Paul Stretford is said to be one of the best ever dealt for himself and his client.
 
Big Jim Holton said:
You're spot on with that. United own all his marketing rights, and pay him for the privilege every single week.

Those in the know will tell you he could be on as much as £400.000 a week, with the club re-claiming some of that by merchandising his image. Dropping Rooney would reduce his market value to sponsors and cost the club a fortune in net value. The contract brokered by Paul Stretford is said to be one of the best ever dealt for himself and his client.
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Thanks for the info there Jim!
 
Adisa said:
Rooney is marketable because he plays for Mnachester United not the other way round.
One of the reasons why fans buy this nonsense of he can reinvent himself is that fans know we are stuck with him. So they look for any positive.
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This.
IIRC, there was an article with ED claiming that Memphis sells the shirts behind CR7 and Messi with Basti in the top 10. The United brand makes you!
 
He's been good since January then got hurt. He has returned to play midfield and has done pretty well actually. More importantly we have been winning. Yes these teams have been poor or out of form, but under LVG we actually play well against the big teams and fall flat on our asses against the poor teams.

He hasn't set the world on fire as a midfielder but you can see he is trying to not lose the ball and play smart passes. Let him grow into this role. He will get better. Looks like he will play there for England as well.
 
Cockney-Red said:
Can someone please tell me what he offers us now apart from 'passing the ball out wide'?
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He's in the team to swear at the ref mainly, that's your job as captain clearly.
 
The case for Rooney being a midfielder took a hit today. Yet, Lee Dixon swears he can help England in that role.
 
He hasn't been good for years, it's just that the level of acceptable performance from him has dropped so far. If it was just some random youth player putting in these kinds of performances we'd be saying he had no future at the club. He offers nothing and is completely finished at this level.
 
Cockney-Red said:
Can someone please tell me what he offers us now apart from 'passing the ball out wide'?
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His own version of the Cupid Shuffle. "to the right, to the right, to the right, to the right...to the left, to the left, to the left, to the left*,.......... now kick, now kick, now kick, now kick, now walk it by yourself, now walk it by yourself"

*not so much to the left
 
I'm no huge fan of Rooney, but I didn't think he was awful today. Of course, him not being awful as an excuse really should be the final nail in the coffin concerning his future at United. At least his legs moved today.
 
We can do better in every position that he plays. I don't think it would even be difficult to sign a much better midfielder than he is this summer.
 
Ibi Dreams said:
We can do better in every position that he plays. I don't think it would even be difficult to sign a much better midfielder than he is this summer.
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We can't which is the problem. Regardless of who comes in, Rooney is guaranteed to start. Irreplaceable
 
He is not disciplined enough to play in midfield in my eyes. He is erratic and his tactical understanding of the game is lacking.

He has some qualities to become a midfielder but i do not think it is worth it to keep a player on the decline with his wages and hope for the best. The amount of time and games he will need to adapt as well as actually taking a spot that should be given to another player is an issue.

Naturally he will play as long as we keep him and place him in the starting 11 so this is a managerial issue as well. We need a proper classy midfielder. Even if Rooney becomes a decent midfield player his age is still an issue and we will basically have another aging player that needs replacing.
 
I wish LVG had the balls to drop him instead of shoehorning him into our first XI
 
reminds me of the overweight bloke at 5 a side. You can tell he was a really good player in his youth and has some skills but just does enough and shows flashes of what he used to be...... doesn't work hard and seems to trudge around waiting for the ball to come to him

Rooney has had a fantastic career at United but he needs to move on....
 
It really is difficult to justify keeping him unless we have to. He just looks too slow and lethargic to be taken seriously as a key player in a team that will want to contend for trophies. Some ability may still be there, but not enough to justify his deficiencies. I also think it's been going on for too long for it to be passed off as poor form, or a difficult spell. He just looks physically done.
 
I wonder what Mourinho would do with Rooney. He seems to be a fan but I wonder if he'd be willing to overlook his decline and indulge in Rooney like our two previous managers have done.
 
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