I didn't say it wasn't a foul btw, it is, but he dived. The problem is that if he didn't go to ground he wouldn't have got the penalty (I don't agree with that) but I would have preferred for him to try and play on and not dive.
Rooney the striker
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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.
I didn't say it wasn't a foul btw, it is, but he dived. The problem is that if he didn't go to ground he wouldn't have got the penalty (I don't agree with that) but I would have preferred for him to try and play on and not dive.
A bit hit and miss with his contributions today but was lively and showed good movement. I was impressed with his pace also and I think this games shows that Wilson isn't the only one of our strikers who can stretch defences with speed.
I think with more games under his belt this season as striker he would have made more of his opportunities today. He could have brought down that ball over the top in the first half (that's something Van Persie has over him)
I'd like to see him and Mata given a go as a strike-pairing. Mata times his runs into the box well and brings the best out of Herrera too.
Good penalty again.
I think with more games under his belt this season as striker he would have made more of his opportunities today. He could have brought down that ball over the top in the first half (that's something Van Persie has over him)
I'd like to see him and Mata given a go as a strike-pairing. Mata times his runs into the box well and brings the best out of Herrera too.
Good penalty again.
I didn't think he played well. Slowed things down too often when on the ball.
Call me crazy but Rooney isn't a top level striker anymore. Apart from the penalty, did he even test the keeper? For all the people who'll complain about service to him, a striker like Costa, Aguero or Sturridge would of made things happen.
Call me crazy but Rooney isn't a top level striker anymore. Apart from the penalty, did he even test the keeper? For all the people who'll complain about service to him, a striker like Costa, Aguero or Sturridge would of made things happen.
Still our best striker, personally I would play him up front every time when fit.
It's funny how people downplay herreras contribution because of the opponent yet Rooney now needs to start up top every game because he made a few runs, against Preston...
He's only scored one less goal than RvP, despite playing less minutes, and 75% of his games in midfield. Van Gaal has now also conceded that Rooney is probably his best striker, and would be playing there if he wasn't needed in midfield.
P.S. Most of the 'downplaying' is coming from you, as always when Rooney's getting a bit of praise.
He should start exactly cause he makes runs unlike Falcao and RVP. So what if its Preston, he makes runs, its a good thing. Especially given how we've been playing recently up front.
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The willingness to make runs isn't determined by the strength of your opponents though is it? Unless your suggesting that Rooney wouldn't try and make runs against stronger opposition, which is a really strange claim. Regardless of the opposition, having a striker who has the inclination to run in behind will give defenders something to think about - that's what we've been missing in the last few games.
We got what we wanted. Rooney up front. And Hererra as playmaker as well. How did that go?
The Herrera part went pretty well I would say.
He bossed the midfield alright, creating chances left right and centre. Must be the strikers' fault then that we lost.
Yeah, he scored a goal, that was awful from him.
No he played well, not brilliant, but an improvement to what we had there previously (Rooney) & he also got us a goal too.
Sarcasm aside, I think Rooney isn't the striker he used to be and what we think he is still. But anyone is better than Falcao and RVP on current form.
I agree, thats why I said the Herrera part went well, as Rooney is also no midfielder.
Thing is, so many wanted Rooney to be moved back up front so that magically our woes will go away.
As for Herrera (probably wrong thread here), he did fine as our number 10. Scored a good goal and was flashy at times. But he didn't solve our problem in midfield. Not enough clear chances that he created. We didnt have enough penetration from midfield. Our rhythm still missing. Same old problem.
Rooney can fire us to victories in our remaining games if we play him up front. When Rooney's not on form his touch goes, his passing goes, his close control goes, but his ability to get goals never goes. With Van Persie and Falcao looking like shadows of their former selves, its time to play Rooney as a striker and keep him there. His in the box movement, acceleration, anticipation and finishing are among the best in the Premier League. Provided we can get the ball into dangerous areas we can rely on Rooney to save our season.
We all know Rooney can go on a goal scoring run so he is our hope of top four, he doesn't need to play well to pop up with a goal out of nowhere, captain fantastic time.
I still think instead of Mata off Rooney the manager will go with Rooney off Falcao. I don't have too much of a problem with it simply because we have this insane run of games coming and Rooney dropping a bit deeper to help the midfield at times will be of value, he will still be a striker so he'll have opportunities to score.
I still think instead of Mata off Rooney the manager will go with Rooney off Falcao. I don't have too much of a problem with it simply because we have this insane run of games coming and Rooney dropping a bit deeper to help the midfield at times will be of value, he will still be a striker so he'll have opportunities to score.
He deserves a run up top but after this season he has to go. Once he is in the starting 11 its hard not to see him as the main man and quite frankly he is not good enough to return us to champion status. Sentiments run high when it comes to Rooney but that is merely what they are, sentiments. It is time to face facts today's top strikers are far more skillful and technically superior to Rooney. Top teams have a fluidity between midfield and strikers and once Rooney is involved with the build-up of plays we will not have that fluidity.
I couldn't agree more. The truth is sometimes as a player you have to jump over a challenge or risk a serious injury. The only thing I don't like is if the player still acts like he has been hit with a bone breaking tackle but I can even understand this to some extend as some refs ignore everything where no contact has been made no matter how reckless and/or dangerous the challenge was. Only on rare occasions can I remember a ref reacting to a player jumping over a challenge but losing his footing afterwards, due to the challenge, and calling the foul. Usually they just let it play on.
Of course you could argue that if a player can avoid a challenge through jumping over it he is obliged to do so and it's just game on but honestly I think this attitude will encourage players to rather go down than trying to play on. If they know they will get a free kick if their attempt of playing on fails, due to the challenge, they might instead be inclined to keep playing on and not roll around on the floor like they have been shot to make the ref aware of the reckless/dangerous challenge.
Naturally this would probably add another layer of complexity to the refereeing of games and refs seem to already overwhelmed with making the right calls as with the rules that are already in place and of course people will debate to no end if a player would have been hit and if a challenge was reckless or not but as of now we are more or less debating the same only with the topic on if it was self-preservation or a dive.
I don't understand why Rooney wasn't used in the same way LVG used Litmanen from the start, he played there for a long time and performed very well.
Yeah Litmanen, and he used Muller as the "#10" too at Bayern. But our problem is we have record signing Mata who is best used there, he got a lot of playing time over the season. And then Rooney's defensive contributions even led to him being a CM option.
I think #10 is Rooney's best position though, of course he was one of the better strikers in the world when in form. But when he hit his form playing behind the striker, he truly was something else. There was literally no player out there playing that role like he did, insane amount of goals, assist, workrate. Truly unique.
Mata can still play the right inside forward role, he is very good at scoring goals and I don't think that someone like Gotze is faster, so speed shouldn't be a problem, even less if we use Valencia (with Valencia playing fullback) speed of the right with Herrera support and Di Maria on the left.
I think that this suits Rooney very well, he is good when he is surrounded by attacking players who want the ball in the run, I like Rooney upfront but he tends to be all other the place and he is sometimes missed in the box, he is better with an out and out striker around him.
I might be wrong but I think that LVG was overwhelmed by all the potential weapons available.
Agree he is probably our best option between now and the end of the season. In the summer though, this whole strikeforce needs to be revisited and revamped.
Tonights performance should now end any debate. He's clearly, by a mile, our best striker.
Apart from that one miss (which was very poor admittedly) he put in a better performance then anything RVP/Falcao have offered up all season.
Apart from that one miss (which was very poor admittedly) he put in a better performance then anything RVP/Falcao have offered up all season.
Absolute quality for the goal. That's the Rooney of years gone by.
The bias is strong in this one.
The effort leading to the goal was brilliant. Vintage Rooney, not something you'd get from another striker.
Brilliant all game, not a bad touch from him. Looked very sharp.
No, just right. Falcao and RVP couldn't dream of putting in a shift like Rooney's tonight.
Plus, its well known on here my feelings towards Rooney. And they don't tend to be positive
Bloody marvellous player.
A shift. That's all that's required. No skill or anything. Some of the worst defending of the year sure changed peoples opinions on his game tonight. Missed a total sitter earlier on, would love to have seen your reaction had it been someone else.
Thats all that is required yet neither Falcao or RVP can even do that. Its sad really.
Better a striker putting in a shift and not scoring, than a striker not putting in a shift and not scoring.
Peeps also overlooking the fact he had a perfectly good goal wrongly ruled out.
General consensus is he played well, but you're always going to get the odd one who simply won't have it when it comes to Rooney.
Great How can anyone say he played great? That's unbelievable really.
How can anyone say he played great? That's unbelievable really.Newcastles defence were trying their best to give us a goal. Offside goal which was probably on side to be fair, but he missed a sitter. Worked hard though and excellent pressure for the goal.
Expecting people to come in here and act like he was unplayable, when to be honest, he just put out an average performance.
Expecting people to come in here and act like he was unplayable, when to be honest, he just put out an average performance.
Hilarious coming from you. Can you imagine RvP/Falcao bothering to chase down the ball for the goal?
Great
Keep sucking on those lemons fella.
Considering you made up your mind from day 1 on them this season like I say I'm not surprised. You are not long in giving Rooney all the praise when Falcao pretty much won us the game on saturday (yes, he offered nothing before it) with his touch and control that gave us the penalty. Was it Burnley earlier on when RVP scored a pen yet you couldn't wait to remind us how he done nothing before it. Just your usual double standard Sam post.
It's pretty much always Orton to be honest.