Why Rooney Should Play in a Deeper Role for United

There has been little to cheer about for United fans this season.  One positive can be found in the rebirth of Wayne Rooney. Recently, Van Gaal has utilized the England captain in a central midfield role. This is a position that Rooney has looked accomplished in, and one he can thrive in for years to come.

The reasoning behind the shift has been Rooney’s poor record in front of goal this season. With a return of 11 goals in 37 appearances, he has been far from his prolific best. Indeed, his scoring record has been in a state of decline for the last few season.

This begs the question, has Rooney ever been a natural striker? It is true that he fulfilled the number 10 role well in his younger years, in part thanks to his decent pace. However, the great forwards possess attributes that we would not readily associate with Rooney: discipline, patience, and the ability to be selfish in the pursuit of goals. 

Rooney’s natural skill sets are different. He is a player that loves to be in the midst of the action, chasing the ball and having a constant influence on proceedings. 

This was most evident in his early years, before he learned to adapt to his more limited forward man role under Sir Alex Ferguson. He became a sensation in Euro 2004, displaying bustling enthusiasm, seemingly being everywhere on the pitch. At times, he seemed to be single-handedly willing England to victory. 

Many will say Rooney hasn’t fulfilled the potential of these early days and has become a much more restrained figure on the pitch. The fault for this does not lie in a lack of application. Rather, we should blame the number 10 straightjacket Rooney has been placed in. For it is in the central midfield role where Rooney’s energy and impact could be best put to use.

This has been demonstrated by Rooney’s performances this season. His stand-out display came in the FA Cup semi-final against Everton, where he was an authoritative presence in the middle of the park, notably making a crucial last-ditch tackle to deny Everton an equaliser. Furthermore, he was one of the few positives in Manchester United’s loss against West Ham. His passing was crisp, clinical and incisive.

The stats also support the case for Rooney excelling in midfield. His average rating in this position this season has been 6.95. Furthermore, Rooney’s passing abilities are enhanced in a midfield position. In the game against Crystal Palace last month, he peaked at a passing accuracy of 91%, compared to his 83% average. 

Roooney facing serious competition from Martial and Rashford

So we know Rooney can and does prosper in the central midfield role. Another factor is that Manchester United now has better striking options available to them. The forward line has largely been led by Martial and Rashford this season. Both have been excellent, providing pace, skill and clinical finishing. They are also young and have all the attributes to flourish upfront for years to come. It would be grossly unfair to displace either of them. Therefore, it would make sense to stick with the youngsters, whilst retaining Rooney’s talents in a deeper role.

Interestingly, Rooney faces a very similar situation with England. Kane and Vardy have been electric, and it would be a brave man who drops either in favour of Rooney. At the same time, central midfield has been one of the Achilles heels of this England side. Drinkwater and Henderson have both been unconvincing, whilst Wilshere is not entirely match fit after his long spell out from injury. Therefore, it makes complete sense to put the England captain in that vacant role.

Rooney's long passes have been a joy to behold

It remains to be seen whether Hodgson and Van Gaal (or indeed his successor) will heed this advice. For what it is worth, Rooney himself is increasingly warming to his new position in midfield. Recently he expressed his desire to imitate Paul Scholes’ role from the United glory days:

"I have played and watched Paul Scholes play that role for years and I always knew that one day that is where I would play, so I have tried to learn and watch what he did.”  

This is a guest post by Sathesh Alagappan.

You can continue the discussion here by commenting below. 

Or via his Twitter handle @sathesh1992

This is a guest post by Sathesh Alagappan.

You can continue the discussion here by commenting below.

Or via his Twitter handle @sathesh1992

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