@筷子
There were hopes that Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney would rediscover some form against Aston Villa on Friday night, considering he had scored 15 goals against them in his career. Remarkably, though, he was even worse than he was against Tottenham last week.
His lack of mobility, touch and pace prevent him from leading the line successfully. When you compare him to strikers at rival clubs, like Sergio Aguero, the gap in quality between them is embarrassing.
Rooney was anonymous in United's 1-0 win over Spurs, having just one shot from open play, which was off-target.
He should have been able to save Kyle Walker's blushes by putting Ashley Young's cross into the back of the net, but he dithered and gave the Spurs defender time to get back and poke it away from him. Fortunately, Walker's dispossession of Rooney allowed the ball to trickle past Michel Vorm and gave United the three points.
Rooney didn't even have a single shot in 90 minutes against Villa, and you wouldn't have noticed he was on the pitch if not for his poor passing or first touch.
It's not just his failure to score goals that is worthy of criticism but also his inability to create them for others. His hesitation in front of goal against Spurs reared its ugly head on too many occasions against Villa.
At one point on Friday, with Morgan Schneiderlin and Memphis Depay waiting in the penalty area, Rooney was presented with a great opportunity to put the ball into the box. Instead he stopped, turned back on himself and gave another defender the time to get back and take the ball off him.
We have to go back to Nov. 2014, when he scored against Arsenal at the Emirates, to find Rooney's last away goal for United. It was a fine goal on the break, as he took the ball past Nacho Monreal with his first touch before lifting the ball over Wojciech Szczesny.
Such a move is a rarity, and his touch has been on the wane for a while, yet this seems to have been ignored. As the captain of both his club and country, the English international benefits from the protection of pundits, journalists and fans.
Last season, when Rooney was played in midfield to accommodate Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie up front (while also keeping Ander Herrera out of the team), fans were crying out for a change in position. Rooney was dreadful in midfield, but in his defence, he hadn't asked to play there. In fact, Rooney had made it quite clear in the latter stages of Sir Alex Ferguson's tenure that he had no desire to play in midfield.
Van Gaal has responded to those calls -- largely because there is no one else he can play up front -- and Rooney's response to being used in the position he craves has been poor.
Some fans have lost patience with Rooney for his dreadful performances, while others have never forgiven him for trying to leave United twice. He tried to leave in Oct. 2010, only for him to change his mind and sign a new deal.
After claiming this lack of loyalty was the biggest mistake of his career, he then tried to leave again three years later. Manchester City and Chelsea were both heavily linked each time it appeared his future lay away from Old Trafford.
Some fans wrongly argue that those who criticise Rooney are doing so only because they don't like him after the attempts to leave. The point is, he hasn't been good enough for several seasons.
Under David Moyes, Rooney was given an untouchable status within the squad. Regardless of how poorly he played, he would not be dropped.
This status has only been enhanced under Van Gaal, with Rooney receiving the captaincy now too. Much to the disappointment of many United fans, the manager revealed that it was unlikely he would ever leave his captain out of a starting lineup. He was happy to admit that whoever wears the armband receives preferential treatment when the team is being decided.
Now, with Javier Hernandez and James Wilson being Rooney's only rivals for the position, you have to wonder just how badly Rooney would have to play to be replaced. Hernandez is bereft of confidence and has barely played over the past two seasons, while Wilson isn't ready to start week in, week out. While the pace of both of these players would add something different to the mix, they are not serious contenders to keep Rooney out of the team.
United have four games to play before the transfer window closes, which should give the manager plenty of time to reflect on just how necessary it is to bring in a new striker.
However, if Van Gaal's comments post-Villa are anything to go by, with him confirming that having so few shots is not a concern as long as his team scores more than the opposition, the season ahead could be a frustrating one for United fans.
发表于 15-8-2015 05:38 PM
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