da realsbet： When – as a fresh-faced youngster operating in the Premier League at the meagre age of 16-years-old – Wayne Rooney first burst onto the scene with Everton back in 2002, many fans of the English game expected the rapidly emerging striker to simply become one of the best footballing exploits this country has ever produced.
da bwin： Yet whilst the now 29-year-old still remains one of the standout names currently doing the business in the English top-flight, fate ultimately never handed Wayne Rooney such a positive hand in the cold light of day.
Both domestically with Manchester United, and on the international scene with England, the once un-stoppable front-man’s career has seemingly trailed off in recent years, somewhat decreasing in reputation with every passing season.
So then, although such a dramatic course of action won’t likely be taking place at Old Trafford any time soon this campaign, here a five significant reasons highlighting why Wayne Rooney should potentially be dropped by Louis van Gaal throughout 2015/16…
No longer a goal-scorer
Yes, despite going down as Manchester United’s top goal-scorer throughout the 2014/15 campaign, it can still arguably be suggested that Wayne Rooney is no longer an out-in-out goal-scorer in the modern era. 12 league finishes across the entire course of last season isn’t all that brilliant for a player of his supposed quality, is it?
When compared to his amazing form in front of goal in seasons past, the current front-man operating up-top at Old Trafford simply looks a shadow of his former self these days. Even though the 29-year-old has proven effective in his link-up play and shown a keen ability to assist his teammates recently, Rooney simply no longer commands that powerful presence in the final third that once came all so easily for the striker.
Louis van Gaal therefore has every right to drop the former Everton man this term, purely based on his lack of goal-scoring form alone.
New centre-forward coming in?
Considering Wayne Rooney’s recent lack of form in the final third, Manchester United clearly need to bring in another centre-forward this summer if they are to improve on their fortunes throughout the up-coming campaign. No team has ever got close to winning the Premier League title without a distinctly effective striker in place after all.
As it stands, both Rooney and Javier Hernandez remain the only recognised centre-forward options for Louis van Gaal in 2015/16 – and as the enigmatic Dutchman very rarely starts two out-in-out front-men in the same starting XI – perhaps the arrival of a new face in the striking department could see Wayne Rooney benched this season.
The likes of Karim Benzema, Thomas Muller and Harry Kane have each been linked with a high profile move to Old Trafford this summer with varying degrees of probability, so whether or not the current England international remains in his manager’s plans remains truly up for debate…
Not captain material
Despite currently going down as the first choice skipper not only for Manchester United, but also for England as well, could it potentially be argued that Wayne Rooney shouldn’t even be considered captain material in the first place? The answer could well be, yes.
It’s honestly quite simple really. Proper captains don’t get sent off for kicking their opponents recklessly on the counter-attack. They need to maintain the highest standard possible throughout the entire season, and of course, they simply don’t get caught being recklessly knocked-out at home in a ‘friendly’ boxing match…
No, whilst many may disagree with this particular point in question, Wayne Rooney has never really been captain material for as long as he’s operated in the Premier League. Louis van Gaal could therefore approach this scenario as a way to possibly reinvent the outlook of his squad ahead of the up-coming season.
What is his best position anyway?
Even if Louis van Gaal nevertheless continues to rely upon Wayne Rooney as the captain of Manchester United, finding out his best position in the modern era will certainly remain a tough ask for the determined Red Devils boss. Nowadays Rooney simply resembles more of a centre-midfielder than an out-in-out attacker.
He’s dropped so deep in recent years, the current England skipper often finds himself playing alongside the likes of Michael Carrick and Ander Herrera at Old Trafford, as opposed to his recognised striking colleagues. It’s been a notion that has somewhat coincided with his all-round drop of form in the Premier League in general.
Perhaps its Sir Alex Ferguson’s fault for dropping Rooney from his preferred strikers role in favour of Cristiano Ronaldo all those years ago. Maybe the player himself doesn’t know how best to approach his respective matches anymore. Either way, Wayne Rooney’s changeable position play has only served to damage his effectivity out on the pitch when it’s really mattered recently.
He’s costing the club too much money
Obviously a player like Wayne Rooney is always going to produce a certain amount revenue for his employers on the back of shirt sales alone. A club like Manchester United also don’t have to watch the pennies a great deal these days, considering their recent activity in the transfer market.
However, as Rooney is reportedly on up to £300,000 a week at Old Trafford, maybe it’s time something was done about such ridiculous expenditure at the club. The now 29-year-old simply doesn’t represent that kind of value in the cold light of day, no matter how well certain United fans out there wish to dress up the situation.
The Red Devils could ultimately spend that amount of cash much more sensibly to aid their cause in the Premier League this season, for Wayne Rooney just isn’t one of the greatest players in the world anymore – even if his wages seemingly suggest otherwise…