Rooney is, in my eyes, a really top class player. He might not be in the best 5 strikers in the world but I don't think anyone would doubt he's world class. You only have to listen to managers and other players to see how highly he's thought of. A good list of top players at his level Cest, but I think he's above Gomez, Milito and Gameiro for sure, and Benzema and Zlatan wouldn't necessarily get in ahead of him. Just my opinion like
Stu, football has more opinions than you can shake a stick at. I bet if we were all to pick the team for Saturday there would be more variations, formations and team selections between just us lot. Rooney isnt a bad player kidda by any stretch but I'd take any of the above over him personally, especially Gomez who I think is a cracking striker.
Rooney had a great first tournament at the Euros, would have won it on his own had he not broke his foot in the quarters v Portugal. Since then he has played for united and been burnt out for every tournament since IMO. After a lay off Ronney seems to need a few games to find his touch. Wether he is good for England and would Enfland play better without him....they could well do. He should not have walked back into a winning team but Hosgson had no choice but to pick him due to our awful media.
Over the years since he left EFC he has had to take some rotten stick at Goodison from fans whose only goal is to niggle him out of his game. A couple of seasons ago SAF had to take him off with still some time to go as he was beginning to lose it because he was so wound up. Admittedly his performances at the higher level are not so good but he has too much talent to be written off just yet.
Sorry but what the hell are you blabbing on about? The international game hasn't been an indicator of the best players in the world for a long time, ever since the champions league came into being thats now the stage where the wheat is seperated from the chaff. Unless you think Messi is also not international class because he hasn't performed well for his country? Thats a poor reason to discredit Rooney's ability, lets be honest.
35 goals in 44 games last season!!!!!!!!!!!! Has a bad first game and because of thatm the best English player at this time, is to be wrote off? The guy would walk into any team in the world.
Good, very good, extremely good, not great. Would never have started for a consensus world XI lineup at any time in his career. Definitely a sub on occasions though.
Cestria - not here for a fight pal, so keep your claws away but there's a few points you've made I'd like to address 1. He's been poor in every major tournament at International level... Euro 2004 He was included in team of the tournament and scored 4 goals. He hasn't performed as well for his country but minus Ashley Cole in the last 6/7 years nobody else has either. Sometimes when you have the nation's expectations on your shoulders it's a burden, look at the quality in the Argentina side which is blessed with top players and they've done zip. 2. Villa didn't score for Barca for what 16 games? Rooney is head and shoulders above him, and he's not a greedy striker like Villa is either so would compliment Messi far better than Villa can. As for the rest...Benzema, Zlatan Overratedbitch, GAMEIRO!!!!, Gomez...seriously? Inter don't play with just one striker, if they did and he played for Inter it would be him, City - I'll give you that because they work so well together, doesn't mean he's not as good though. 3. You didn't mention SKP - I did. What's your point? Nobody mentioned "World Class", Cest, you said "not great", I argued he was great by using a player you think is great, despite being given 8 chances to score at international level and coming out with 0. 4. Technically, Rooney is one of the best. He has one of the best strikes of the ball in England, he's not technically as advanced as RVP but then again, who is? Van Persie can't spray 60 yard passes, isn't as strong on the ball and certainly doesn't have the vision of Rooney. 5. He's not a Van Nistelrooy type striker, but since you brought him up - Rooney scored 35 last season, that's a better tally than 17 of Van Nistelrooy's 19 seasons as a striker. You couldn't have given a worse example of a player than Cantona either, no player on this planet will ever measure up to him for a United fan but statistically, Rooney has obliterated everything Cantona achieved at United. For the record I don't agree that Rooney would walk into any team, if Ronaldo and Higuain could get along better they'd be the most prolific strike partnership out there.
Rooney's ****e, in fact i'm glad Sunderland isn't awash with players of such mediocre talent...Just imagine having such rubbish players in the side, scoring ****e over head kicks like he did last year...Only managing a mediocre 20 to 30 odd goals per season, na thanks we don't don't need players that have off days
Okay. For the record. I think, and have said 3 times on this thread, Rooney is a top class player and regularly is a top striker in the EPL. That is not in question. My point is, Ian Wright blows him out of the water in the domestic game but equally was poor in an England shirt. Both were/are top class English strikers in England. On the world stage however, imo, they are not world-class. Just my opinion. I think we, the English press and fans, build him up to be something he isn't which is a game changing player. There are players that come into this category over the years but Rooney will never be that player. That's why his frustrations usually bubble over at major tournaments, as the top sides can easily handle him. He was very poor in Europe last year for Utd as well.
He is a good player man I've said this over and over and remember, sarcasm is the last refuge of the morally defeated. Lol
Oh touchy today mate, what gives you the impression that my post was aimed at you? It was in reply to the thread,
Ian Wright blows Rooney OUT OF THE WATER! Are you just trying to wind everyone up? Let's just ignore that and put it down to a lack of research (go study Ian Wrights first 10 season's vs Rooney's 10 seasons as a pro). So to put this to bed, no player is great unless they perform for both club and country equally? Here are a list of greats 1. Zidane 2. Rivaldo 3. Romario 4. Oliver Beirhoff 5. David Villa 6. Ronaldinho 7. Xavi 8. The rest of the Spain Squad 9. Anybody else who has ever played for a team who has won consecutive domestic trophies as well as a world cup and/or European Championship. This list Categorically cannot contain Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi as they have never achieved anything at international level. It can include however, Giorgios Seitaridis who played for Euro 2004 winners Greece and won stuff with FC Porto - such a 'great' player.
There should only ever be 10-20 names in the all time pantheon of football. Rooney ain't one of those names. Messi and c Ronaldo aren't there either (yet?). He's in the next rung or two down. That's a petty damn good player.
Never got 90 minutes, his team mates didn't seem to want to pass to him. The only chances he got were made by himself.
