Well for me; Scores goals- both feet and head Creates goals Sees a pass/makes the pass Tackles Tackles back (often to his own detriment) Leads Carries on with a knock what more can you ask for in a player? His occasional spitting of the dummy clouds peoples attitude to his ability and record and desire on the field. Regardless of whether he might have once or twice fell out with Fergie he never once didn't try.
Exactly. How anyone can say hes not world class is beyond me. yes hes not in messi or ronaldos class but nobody is. Rooney could make the list twice. As a number 10 and as a striker. Its about time he wasnt compared to ronaldo. Hes always going to lose out and it gives another excuse for people to play his contributiom down.
If Ronaldo and Messi are the bench mark for 'world class' there are only two world class players in existence. No one else is.
Depends how you define World Class. Would he get in any side in the world. Probably no. Would he get in a world 11, definitely no. If Rooney is world class then there are probably dozens of world class players out there. If that's the measure then fair enough. Crudely speaking I think world class is you are in the top 3-5 players in the world in your position. As a striker he'd be behind Zlatan, Costa, Aguero, Suarez, a fit and in form Falcao/RVP off the top of my head and then it depends where you'd play Ronaldo. As an attacking midfielder (this is what UIR says he is) then you could have Ronaldo, Bale, Di Maria, Neymar, Messi, Robben. Kroos, Silva, Inniesta, Hazard etc Some of these play in wider positions as well of course. I think Rooney's on the borderline.
I think they are a step above what most would deem world class to be honest. They will go down as 2 of the all time greats - and that's despite neither likely to be winning a world cup.
Costa and Suarez are debatable out of those - Suarez needs to perform for Barca and in the CL before he can truly be seen as world class imo. Remember Jose was in for Rooney before he settled for Costa, and he knows a lot more about football than either of us Regardless, teams play with two strikers, and Rooney would be in the top five supporting strikers alongside Suarez and Neymar and behind Messi and Ronaldo. Not in the top five number 9s, as that would be Ronaldo, Messi, Aguero, Zlatan and probably RVP / Falcao when fit. But as you say, it all depends on how specific / anal you want to talk about being world class.
To be fair, that was before Costa's real break out season. Costa is world class at the moment. His last 18 months and Ballon D'or nod pretty much confirm he is above Wooney at the moment. I agree Suarez has a bit to prove in the C.L but proven at the highest level in international tournaments.
Never really seen the Ballon nomination list as a true indicator of quality. It's more a list of who played for the top / highest profile teams the previous year. Do you really think Mascherano is better than Fabregas, Matic, Vidal, Suarez, Aguero, Kompany, Thiago Silva and Hummels? I agree Costa is in better form than Rooney at the moment, but as they say class is permanent. And it takes a lot more than 18 months and one nomination to make a world class player imo - let's see how Costa does for Chelsea when his form is poor.
He would get in any side on earth without exception. So if thats how we define world class, hes world class. He would also improve any side on earth. Would he get in a world 11? Well thats all down to opinion and how much you really know about the game. Its the worst way of defining world class because 11 players might not work in reality.
OK genius, give me your world 11 that I presume includes Rooney. Then we can all have a good laugh..... Who would he dislodge at Real? A side that is flying at the moment by the way. Or Barca? It's debateable whether he'd even get in every premier league side, let alone the likes of Bayern and the Spanish giants. And...I know for a fact he'd only ever get in one international side
Mascherano to be fair was probably one if not the best player at the world cup. Certainly better and more important than Messi in many people's eyes who actually won the award. You find more average players not getting nominated for the ballon dor than you do getting nominated for it. And re form, Rooney has had his fair share of poor form over the years and he's barely worth having in the team when he's stropping around.
That's my point about the Ballon. He was in great form last year, but I doubt he would make anyone's list of the best 25 players in world football. Neither would Rooney or Costa either imo - the Ballon is about form rather than actual quality, except for the obvious like Messi and Ronaldo. Disagree with you there. An in form Rooney might not be as devastating as Aguero or Suarez, but when he's out of form, stroppy, half fit, distracted, or just plain playing ****e, Rooney still delivers goals and assists, whereas Aguero, Suarez and others go missing. Over the past decade, he is only behind Ronaldo, Messi and Zlatan for the most combined goals and assists in Europe. That's despite a couple of patches of bad form over that time, and just shows the quality of the company he is in as a player.
But I think it's right you recognise form as a fair judge of who are currently the best players. How else do you judge it? One man's dip in form could be another man's downward spiral (Torres). If the award looks at the last year then only the last year's form should really count. Otherwise just give it to Messi every year. I'll give you that Rooney has had longevity. Just don't think he's ever quite fulfilled that massive potential he had.
Can't see the image but im meaning us as fans would likely pick tye 11 best players where a football man would pick a side that works. As fans we may think we know all about tge game but im realty, we dont.
So hes only behind world class players yet above other world class players but hes not world class? Bloody confusing this.
There isnt one so its pointless doing it. Its unprovable either way. Tye best players dont always make the best side. Who is doing the donkey work? Whos willing to work extra hard so the flair players dont have too? As for madrid, hamez, isco and benzema would be players hes got every chance of displacing. Would require a reshuffle. Reckon ronaldo would enjoy rooney at madrid too. At barcelona... Suarez probably. Not exactly lighting itbup os he and well, hes a ****. Which premier league sides wouldnt he get in. Please, under no circumstances, say chelsea. I will never be able to stop laughing.
The term world class means different things to different people. Ranging from the best in their position to any player for the RS For me it is a player who is amongst the best in the world and would be comfortable and not out of place in the elite top teams - clubs and international. Using that definition I would say rooney is world class.
He's not world class because he plays for United, just look at Di Maria he was world class until he signed for us. The day Ronaldo signed for Madrid he became world class, yet we were made to believe he was just a one trick pony lol
