I wrote the article below on the 24th of November, 2013 after Manchester United played out a pulsating 2-2 draw with Cardiff City in the Premier League.
Sadly prophetic.
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There were a plethora of options available, the
basic execution of which would have brought exultant raptures last seen at the
Michael Owen Manchester Derby. Our Number 10, who had the good fortune to still
be on the pitch, could have done any of the following:
1. Passed
the ball into the net from the right side of the keeper.
2.
Done the above from the keeper’s left.
3.
Rounded the keeper and scored.
4.
Chipped the keeper (only if he had the presence
of mind to do so...I’ll get to that in a minute)
5.
Made a PROPER pass to Danny Welbeck thereby
earning himself hero-status and further cementing the legend of the ‘Selfless
Wayne of Man United’.
Rooney ended up not doing any of the above and what
I instead witnessed was as soul-crushing as when Nani played a last minute free-kick
in a certain game into the 1st man in the opposition’s wall. ALL the
United players were in the box. The free kick was just a couple of meters from
the centre circle. The referee (also probably disgusted) blew the whistle
immediately after.
This was just as bad.
Like the Manchester derby where after Rio went on
frolic of his own against a speedy Bellamy no less, there was room for
redemption.
It wasn’t squandered as much as it was debilitated.
Let’s be clear, I’m not making Wayne the sole scapegoat
for the result. Evra’s lead-footedness, Cleverly’s busy stupidity and Evans’
general feebleness would be good contenders. Again, this isn’t about a
spontaneous reaction to what in the context of the weekend was a bad result. It
is the over-time considered view I have developed of our priced scouser.
Starting with the major positive, I have no doubt
that Rooney is the most ‘important’ player to this Man United team. Not the ‘best’ or the deadliest in front of
goal but the most important. He is the adhesive who makes all the units of the
team ‘stick’ (not ‘gel’. Which says more about the current composition of the
team rather than Rooney). He is prepared to sacrifice himself for the team and
can play a variety of positions to get a result. His work ethic, when fit, is
unrivalled in the squad. He has scored a truck-load of goals for United over
the years and has (mostly) been a good servant to the club.
Unfortunately, and paradoxically, it is that major
element of the positive that also forms the nucleus of what are now Rooney’s
biggest failings. I believe that has he has sacrificed himself a bit too much
for the benefit of the team and has lost the focused precision and mastery that
he should have developed at this time in his career.
Rooney simply hasn’t progressed from the tour de
force player in which he started his career. Worst still, it is arguable that
he has regressed. He is admittedly much calmer when frustrated, even including
the imbecilic lash-out yesterday but that unerring accuracy and explosiveness
he initially had have since deserted him. His 1st touch these days
weigh a tonne. No matter how often he plays as an advanced midfielder, he is no
Xavi as he lacks the aforementioned touch/control, the vision to unlock
defences in high pressure games and the composure to pull it all off.
His finishing is not as good as either Van Persie’s
or Chicarito’s. There’s a certain primal focus, nay selfishness, the best
strikers have in certain situations in certain moments of the game. Does anyone
believe Cristiano Ronaldo would have even attempted to pass the ball in that
situation? And he’s not even a ‘striker’ properly so called. Van Persie?
Falcao? Cavani? Ibrahamovic? (Maybe, but the pass would have definitely gotten
to the recipient). It was clear Wazza was caught in two minds when in that
situation yesterday. That, I believe is the current problem he has. He has
become a jack-of-all-trades, master of none.
Is SAF at fault for his stunted development?
Perhaps. Perhaps not. There’s again that determination the very best have that
forces their coaches into playing them in their preferred position thereby
making it absolutely necessary for the team to be built around them. Rooney, it
seems to me, is happiest being a side-kick even if it may never be readily admitted.
Either to Ronaldo or Persie, it seems he is content being the Robin to
whoever’s Batman. In the National team where he is somewhat the focal point, he
is yet to do it for the 3 Lions due various reasons since his magnificent
tournament debut. “But he has scored a lot of goals for England”. I say ‘lies,
damned lies and statistics’.
While I get over the pain of 2 dropped points
yesterday, I will want to reiterate that Rooney is a very good player. I just
do not believe he is in the top echelon of world-class players. It is either
the coaching team readdresses the balance of the team and let midfielders be
midfielders and strikers be strikers. Rooney is at the peak of his career and
should have become a ‘specialist’ at this point. Headless rampages round the
field will not cut it at this level no matter how much we appreciate industry
in United. A controlled direct execution is what is needed from him at this
point. In my opinion, Moyes has a lot of work to do in getting the very best
out of him. At this point, he is ‘Boxer’ in the Orwell classic ‘Animal Farm’;
As soon as his legs go, he will be easily dispensable. That’s certainly not
want I want for our Wayne Rooney.
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