Wayne Rooney - how good or bad, bias aside?

[peacefrog]

That's the real question. I don't think anybody seriously thinks he isn't a good player. But is he overrated? And when you listen to the comments, like "the new Pele" and "one of the worlds top 3" or "on a par with Messi", then I do think that is over rating his abilities.

 

[pee dubya]

Rooney - very, very good. Not fit at the WC, in a bad run of form, happens to everyone, but is England's best striker by a mile.

He is probably hyped up too much, i wouldn't say he was on the same level as the likes of Messi and Iniesta. He has flaws, i think he gives the ball away too much, and he gets frustrated too easily, so a canny, well-organised defence can shut him down.

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

no he broke from midfield mate.

He played the same position he's played under Capello in every game, bar one, no?

Absolutely no. Were you not watching tonight? He played as an attacking mid tonight. He was very rarely in the box. Normally Stevie G would be there and in the World Cup Lampard which was a major mistake. Just because they said it was 442 on the idiot box doesn't mean thats what it was. People just see Rooney and Defoe and think aha, 2 strikers so 442 then. Not tonight and it worked much better.

 

[Brwned]

He played the same position he's played under Capello in every game, bar one, no?

Absolutely no. Were you not watching tonight? He played as an attacking mid tonight. He was very rarely in the box. Normally Stevie G would be there and in the World Cup Lampard which was a major mistake. Just because they said it was 442 on the idiot box doesn't mean thats what it was. People just see Rooney and Defoe and think aha, 2 strikers so 442 then. Not tonight and it worked much better.

Capello's never played 442 though. It's always been 4231.

Only difference was the Gerrard-Rooney rotation, which before was Gerrard pulling in off the left and Rooney taking the space on the wing whereas now it's Gerrard running on ahead of him and Rooney dropping into the space created by Gerrard.

He might occupy different areas but he's got the same basic role - drift into space in the attacking areas created by the striker or Gerrard.

I think the qualifiers have been completely forgotten by some people due to how poor England were in the WC, but he was doing everything he did last night I thought.

 

[peacefrog]

I'm not falling for this "he played in midfield bollocks". Just because he kept coming deep for the ball. He does this for united too. And I'd bet if emgland hadn't won so handsomely tonight he'd have been bollocked in the changing room after the game for not staying in his position.

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

Absolutely no. Were you not watching tonight? He played as an attacking mid tonight. He was very rarely in the box. Normally Stevie G would be there and in the World Cup Lampard which was a major mistake. Just because they said it was 442 on the idiot box doesn't mean thats what it was. People just see Rooney and Defoe and think aha, 2 strikers so 442 then. Not tonight and it worked much better.

Capello's never played 442 though. It's always been 4231.

Only difference was the Gerrard-Rooney rotation, which before was Gerrard pulling in off the left and Rooney taking the space on the wing whereas now it's Gerrard running on ahead of him and Rooney dropping into the space created by Gerrard.

He might occupy different areas but he's got the same basic role - drift into space in the attacking areas created by the striker or Gerrard.

I think the qualifiers have been completely forgotten by some people due to how poor England were in the WC, but he was doing everything he did last night I thought.

Hardly every game bar one then is it? He never played 4231 in the world cup because Lampard never sat back with Barry. Gerrard was on the left (bonkers) and Rooney played just off Defoe or Heskey (double bonkers). Today he was dropping back to help out with Gerrard and Barry in a midfield central 3 but he was the furthest forward of the three with Gerrard joining the attack when possible. This never happened at the WC but did happen in the qualifiers last year and before.

 

[Ch0pper Reid]

Man of the match tonight!

 

[Fuzzmaster101]

I'm not falling for this "he played in midfield bollocks". Just because he kept coming deep for the ball. He does this for united too. And I'd bet if emgland hadn't won so handsomely tonight he'd have been bollocked in the changing room after the game for not staying in his position.

What? He did play in the midfield! Just because he also plays as a striker doesn't mean he's incapable of playing in the middle. He was very rarely in the box today which really points to that fact. If Gerrard had played there and done what Rooney did today with Carrick taking Gerrard's position and Rooney on the bench would you have said that Gerrard was playing as a striker?

 

[Brwned]

Capello's never played 442 though. It's always been 4231.

Only difference was the Gerrard-Rooney rotation, which before was Gerrard pulling in off the left and Rooney taking the space on the wing whereas now it's Gerrard running on ahead of him and Rooney dropping into the space created by Gerrard.

He might occupy different areas but he's got the same basic role - drift into space in the attacking areas created by the striker or Gerrard.

I think the qualifiers have been completely forgotten by some people due to how poor England were in the WC, but he was doing everything he did last night I thought.

Hardly every game bar one then is it? He never played 4231 in the world cup because Lampard never sat back with Barry. Gerrard was on the left (bonkers) and Rooney played just off Defoe or Heskey (double bonkers). Today he was dropping back to help out with Gerrard and Barry in a midfield central 3 but he was the furthest forward of the three with Gerrard joining the attack when possible. This never happened at the WC but did happen in the qualifiers last year and before.

Is it not? Rooney's played up top in a 433 once, every other game he's played behind the striker be it with Defoe/Heskey/Zamora and be it in a 4411/4231/4321.

I think it's bizarre to call the role Rooney plays in a 4231 'midfield' but there you go, that's besides the point. Point is we both agree he's played the vast majority of his England career under Capello in that position, and to good effect too.

-- Fri Sep 03, 2010 10:56 pm --

I'm not falling for this "he played in midfield bollocks". Just because he kept coming deep for the ball. He does this for united too. And I'd bet if emgland hadn't won so handsomely tonight he'd have been bollocked in the changing room after the game for not staying in his position.

What? He did play in the midfield! Just because he also plays as a striker doesn't mean he's incapable of playing in the middle. He was very rarely in the box today which really points to that fact. If Gerrard had played there and done what Rooney did today with Carrick taking Gerrard's position and Rooney on the bench would you have said that Gerrard was playing as a striker?

Is Berbatov a midfielder for us?

 

[peacefrog]

I'm not falling for this "he played in midfield bollocks". Just because he kept coming deep for the ball. He does this for united too. And I'd bet if emgland hadn't won so handsomely tonight he'd have been bollocked in the changing room after the game for not staying in his position.

What? He did play in the midfield! Just because he also plays as a striker doesn't mean he's incapable of playing in the middle. He was very rarely in the box today which really points to that fact. If Gerrard had played there and done what Rooney did today with Carrick taking Gerrard's position and Rooney on the bench would you have said that Gerrard was playing as a striker?

No. Defoe played furthest forward so there's no point in Rooney staying that far forward they'd be chasing the same balls. He played as the second striker. Which gives him license to come deep.