Who cares if the team wins? United win more when he is in the team than when he is not. That's the ultimate test. The same will apply to any player.
See, thats true of any Unites player who has played a decent number of games for the club this past 20 years or so. People complain about us being toothless. Players like Young make us toothless. They lack the cutting edge and ability/skill to take a risk. Mata too prefers the easy choice a little too often. With Mata we all know hes quality and capable of it (misses Herrera imo) but Young, no. As for Rooney. Someone tell him where the box is and as a striker, tell him to bloody stay there. Players like Young, if they are to be useful, need strikers to be in the box. No point making late runs or trying to be clever, just stand in the box and wait for the cross. Rooney needs to up him positional discipline and sharpish.
Thats probably because he has been pushed back in to midfield so much over the years. When he was younger he never had this issue. But maybe drifting back is second nature to him because he hasn't been used as a striker.
He did it to extreme lengths in his younger days. He always liked to be involved. In past years hes had another striker who will stay forward but whem hes up front alone, he really needs to be available when we attack.
Well you watch United more than me. In 2010, when he was used almost exclusively upfront and finished second top goalscorer behind Drogba, did he have that issue then?
Never understood why he tries to be a fancy 'number 10'. It's not really what he's best at. Up front, by himself, with the proper attacking midfielders in support and he's nailed on for 20 goals a season.
An exception to the rule unfortunately. That was a rare example of Rooney playing purely as a striker. Hes capable but he always wants to be involved. Its no bad thing as it shows his commitment but with our relatively thin attacking line up, he really needs to be a striker. For the opening game I would drop Mata for Januzaj (provides the uncertainty you needto be a fluid and unpredictable attack), play Depay left forward and Rooney central with Herrera as attacking mid. Two holding mids (one licenced to venture forward) for protection.
Hes a very good number 10. Its just pointless if hes being the 10 and we have no striker because, well, Rooney (who was instructed to play as a 9) is 40 yards from goal picking out a killer pass.... To who? Theres no striker and nobody to finish the move. Its not a question of if hes good enough. More, can he control his urge to drop deep for the good of the team.
Aye. Rooney probably the most reliable striker/goalscorer we've got. 2 wide players and one just behind in support.
Still not sure why mata doesnt play No 10, he was ****ing awesome for us in that role, with Drogba up front. Surely he could replicate that with Rooney upfront for United?
The reality is that we ( we'll certainly me and by the look of the above, UIR) consider Herrera to be a better bet. As an attacking mid rather than a support forward (No.10). We play two wide players either side of Rooney, Herrera in behind him and Schneiderlin and Schweinsteiger/Carrick behind them. Someone misses out, I personally would go with Mata on the right but as I've often been told this is against some law or other then I'd go with Young or Di Maria (if he stays) and if that fails as Young isn't used to playing on the right Januzaj or even Valencia, seeing as he is a flat out right winger. All this assuming Depay is on the left of course.
Yeah, I just don't see why, when they have one of the best No. 10's in the league in Mata and one of the best strikers in Europe in Rooney, do United insist on making Mata a winger and Rooney a No.10. Its rather bizarre.
It's not easy getting all their best players on the pitch at the same time in a formation that suits. Utd love a 4-4-2 and you could use Depay left, Juanuwanwaz on the right but they lack 2 strikers, so maybe Mata in the 10 and Rooney up top but then how do you get Herrera, Shweinsteiger and Shneiderlin in the team? 4-3-3 Means Mata moves out wide a little and everyone fits, dropping Juanuwanuwajz. Shweinsteiger -- Sheiderlin --------------Herrera------------ -----Mata-------------Depay-- --------------Rooney------------
Rooney will be striker. If Mata is to play, and I'd like him to personally, then it's as a right sided attacker. Why not, it doesn't have to be a flat out winger? Truth is that I consider Herrera to be a better bet behind Rooney. Whether van Gaal sees it like that is another thing.
Hmmmm....personally I think our best CM partnership last season was Carrick and Herrera. I'd have any combination of two from Schwein/Carrick/Schneid + Herrera. And have Mata as the number 10. I've said it before and I'll say it again, with a DM next to him, Herrera knits our play from defence through midfield to our forwards. Hence why I think a free CM role is more suited to his game. That also allows us to have a proper RW and LW. It also gives us far more options from the bench to change our game. Btw whatever the formation, whatever the selection, Herrera and Mata have to play. Even IF that means Mata on the right.
You know it won't be too easy for Rooney when there's another striker (Memphis) running in his place. Memphis was supposed to be the no 10 but he is actually playing as a striker, both he and Rooney runs unto each other and the chemistry ain't just working. One of them needs to drop a little deeper and that is why we need a real no 10, or let Rooney play no 10 while we get a REAL striker. Our best games last season came when Rooney played as a lone striker. We have good midfielder now, lvg should play with a loan striker with 2 good widemen. When I say widemen I don't mean old fashioned wingers that just cross the ball into the box. We need wideman that can score and create goals. Memphis is one of them, Mata... Well he can drift into the middle from the side and be a ghost no 10 so I won't rule him out.
