Wayne Rooney has suggested that as he gets older and loses some of his pace, he plans to play in central midfield. Having played there a few times last season when United were hit by injuries, Rooney grew to enjoy the role, although would still prefer to play up front for the time being.
“I did my bit by dropping into a central midfield role when the team got hit by injuries last season,” Rooney said in My Decade in the Premier League, which is being serialised by the Daily Mirror. “The manager thinks I can do a job there and, with the likes of Tom Cleverley, Anderson, Michael Carrick and Darren Fletcher all missing games, he asked me to help out. When I get stuck into the action as a central playmaker, I love it. I get more of the ball, I’m involved loads and I even think about playing there permanently, but only later in my career. In midfield I don’t have to be as sharp as a forward. Once I feel that I haven’t got the sharpness needed to get away from defenders, I’ll probably drop back into midfield for a couple of seasons so I can still influence the game. In my heart I’d prefer it if I was playing up front, because I can still do a lot of damage, but the sacrifices don’t bother me.”
Man Utd News 24/7
i dont know if i will ever truly forgive wayne…
Make it happen now, Danny and Van Persie or Danny an Chicharito are what you want in a front 2.
Doesn’t surprise me. He will have to make some adjustments though. Work a bit on his passing range as well as his tracking back.
His book sounds like a dull read.
I think he should start now and learn what he can of Scholes , Rooney has everything he needs to play in midfield , don’t forget Scholes started as a forward.
If he’s still with the club by that time.
Just what I was saying yesterday.
He’s got everything it takes, and it would help him keep the weight off!!!
Could never envisage him playing deep as Scholes. Doesn’t have the calmness and vision to run a game with his passing. Attacking midfield maybe, but a good attacking midfielder will probably expend as much energy as a forward anyway…
Rooney of late doesn’t seem to have the first touch or the close control. Let alone scholesy, I think he has a way to go before he can legitimately claim that role as a substitute. Its one thing getting away from defenders, another entirely to read and redirect the game. His time in midfield just convinced me of how not ready he is, especially when imagining him as an eventual replacement for the Ginger Prince.
Wayne boys desperation to be involved and always be on the ball leads to images of him all over the pitch. Not sure if his discipline for team orders is up to it.
Wow people being way too critical of Rooney. Just because we’ve got VPersie doesn’t mean we start piling it on Rooney now
STR nice you have been busy.
I see him going from the 9, to 10, and lw to cam to a 2 in the 4-2-3-1 as the more attacking one of the 2. For me that just might be his best position. Will he take the pay cut?
Hey this RVP guy looks good!
Zibbie
RVP 4 goals in 6 shots. Now that’s a STAT for yaa!
Zibbie – you lovable whatever, you got me all wrong, and my bad too – I shoulda left some smilies that day! I was kidding you, and whoever said anything w.r.t banning? Of course you haven’t seen my follow-up messages, but pls accept my apologies for the confusion. Ihave been chasing you for days to set it right – Moriarty never stopped loving you, my friend!!
Seems Wayne has already lost a bit of pace.
Has to choose, food and brews v the game.
But I have been saying for awhile that Wayne was destined for the MF.
Think he could do the job and only get better if he applied himself to a study of it.
No less than Scholesy followed the same path and people were skeptical of his move as well. Same w Giggs.
UNITED midfielder need Vision and patience.
Rooney has vision, needs to work on the mental aspect.
@Unted FC Spot on son!
United 6 goals RvP 4 goals. What a contribution
It even could work now? We are looking good in the striker department. And our midfield could do with more creativity. Let’s give it a go in the league cup maybe or a shit team like Liverpool.
Such transition to another position won’t happen anytime soon. Rooney will have to learn the midfield role which involves tactical knowledge, discipline, reading the game. He does have the power and technical skills to play there, he can ping passes about and can open teams up from central midfield but right now, he remains a striker.
I’ve heard all these talk about ‘we have VanPersie, get rid of wayne’. Some forget Rooney has made more impact on the premier league and europe than the dutch man, he’s done it for a longer period too, he doesn’t get the credit because he’s that scouse bloke. Shouldn’t get carried away, Rooney is a world class proven talent, neither welbeck and Hernandez are there yet and still need to keep working.
Utd fc, is stating a fact the same as criticizing. I love his energy ( when he’s fit ) but sometimes he does go awandering.
Markynorbs – i think the last thing united need in the team is creativity. The likes of kagawa, nani, valenci and to a lesser extent young are creative. I don’t see Rooney moving position yet until he feels he can’t make much impact up front.
I still think Roo’s domain remains in the final third and its environs..
Fletch – was wayne ever blistering fast though? he has that burst of acceleration and can move sharply past players but he’s not really that fast within 5yards. He can play the middle role but it’s not a position you can just throw yourself into instantly, you have to learn it and understand it, hence why phil jones struggles in that role. Some think all you need is running power, well you’ll be mistaken.
At a very philosophical level (feel free to think of this as new age bullshit
), the first thing that Wayne needs to do to succeed in the midfield role is to sacrifice his ego. Don’t get me wrong, you need the ego to succeed at the top (Exhibit number one – CR vs, say, Berba), but if you are thinking of pairing him with say, Carrick and behind Kagawa, in the middle 2 of a 4-2-3-1, he needs to understand that it’s not about the hollywood passes. Scholesy does that, but thats a relatively small part of his game.
The REAL game is to be always available for the ball, be in a good position to intercept and stand shoulder to shoulder when the tackles come flying in, play the smart wallpass, keep the engine ticking over. He won’t get noticed by the fans or the critics (see how late in his career Scholesy is getting his plaudits, particularly in England, and then again some still claim that Roy of the Rovers Stevieme is better) and that may worry him psychologically speaking. But that’s exactly what he needs to be mentally prepared for.
It’s not just about being more involved, it also involves a lot of discipline and “sacrifice” for the team to be transformed from the fan’s darling to a players’ player.
Shrek can’t take swags place, kags is way too good…
Off topic: What’s up with Angelo Henriquez’s hight?
A lot of sites list him as 1.80, which should be in the 5’11″ range.
But in the squad photo he looks a midget next to Danny Welbeck (6’1″)
And about even with Kagawa (5’7.5″)
Has anyone seen him in the flesh?
Jeet saw your response on the old thread,maybe it was a coincedence mate I don’t know but leading up to the creation of ND58 there was a lot of how Rom was not the same, as the good old days etc etc.Posters like NRD saying shit about if a fan doesn’t go to games his/her opinion means nothing,seems like elitism to me
Anyway like you don’t give a fuck just my perception,the only reason it came up was Robbo’s contribution to the whole thread was to post is my name Wayne Kerr,didn’t even put it together just an attack for no reason then I checked and he’s one of the main posters on ND58
It will happen THIS season as oddly Fergie included him in midfielders when talking about their fitness levels a week ago.
For all the abuse Rooney is currently getting he could play midfield piss of piss. He could play at full back if asked. He is a “natural ” footballer.
@Wayne: I think you are confusing the chaff with the grain a bit, but anyway you and I respect each other (at least I do, lol, not to be presumptious). We have held vastly divergent opinions on a lot of stuff, but can still see eye to eye without calling each other names, and given a chance, I’d love to have a pint and a smoke with you. Having the ability to disagree civilly, yet be friends is a quality I respect a lot in a man, as I do your “don’t give a fuck” thing. So, Cheers, mate!
Rumours spreading on twitter
Any confirmations if one have heard about it?
Its about Kagawa.
Speaking MFers. Any word on Davide Petrucci?
Surprised not on EPL or CL lists.
Injured? Loaned? What’s up with the lad….
Just get fit enough period then worry about position.With Sir Alex signing RVP and Kagawa and not a midfield player maybe Sir Alex intends to convert Rooney sooner then later,I personally don’t think he has the attributes,time will tell
Hi KE hope you’re well mate
@Proverb
Kagawa thing is complete bullshit. Was subbed off at half-time. Tactical. That is all.
King Eric .., at last some one who can see Wazza is too good to be left out.., of course he is going to end up in midfield…
He has the steel to make it any where SAF wants … And is not adverse to getting stuck in hard when needs be
Thanks @kancheslkis
There are really some sad fucks on twitter. Arsenal fans spreading false rumours about kagawa suffering a broken leg. I hope to God that Kagawa STUFFS them when we play them this year. Sad fucks.
Kagawa must be one tough guy, because apparently he broke his leg but according to many people watching… he WALKED off after being subbed!
KE,Rooney maybe a natural mate but I’ve seen plently in the past were lifestyles has stunted careers.imo Rooney needs to deveolp a different mindset to truly achieve his potential
Jeet feelings mutual mate,we disagree a lot but always respected your point of view
Petrucci is either injured or one to be sent on loan. He’s at that age in which he needs game to kick on and step up into the standards expected at united so i’d imagine a loan deal is getting worked on.
Rooney will be gone in the summer. By 30 he’ll be an overweight midfielder playing for Bradford City.
He really needs to get his act together. He has a miserable attitude to being a professional footballer and top earner in one of the worlds top clubs.
On the rooney issue I still don’t think we should play Rooney in midfield. We would be vastly under-utilizing his potential. He is an attacker. He was born to attack and to score goals. He should be played as a forward at ALL TIMES. The man has proven to us that when played in the right position he can deliver at will. Two 30 plus goal seasons in the last three years is a testament to that. I still consider Rooney our most important player. He has that fire, that fight, that spirit in him that is synonymous with a true United player. He can thrive with RVP or whoever he is paired with upfront because he is willing to sacrifice goals for the betterment of the team. Can’t wait till he returns a lot fitter and leaner. Then we’ll see the real wayne rooney.
Kagawa Rumours appear false. Chilling on the bench. http://pic.twitter.com/XhgdtdCF
King Eric @ 13:20: “For all the abuse Rooney is currently getting he could play midfield piss of piss. He could play at full back if asked. He is a “natural ” footballer.”
EXACTLY.
@Proverb
Ooof look at that leg. Hanging on by skin and cartilege.
Gooner twats.
Ha, ha!! Class
Some wanker made it up @kanchelskis
Apparently Kagawa was just subbed off. Nothing amis according to several.
Some rumor that he was injured appears false and may have been started by one of these twitter2yearolds
@ King Eric
People need to get off the lad’s back. If Fergie thought the weight was too much he wouldnt have played him vs Everton.. He’s naturally a lump so always takes games to peak
He’ll play anywhere when asked as he just can! Not many other footballers can..
I’d be ecstatic if we had 10 outfield Rooneys!!
Most sideways passes in the PL this season: Yaya Toure 182, Arteta 179, Carrick 160, Diarra 148, Ashley Williams 140, Cleverley 139
Toure topping the list not carrick??
Yet some who criticise him are the same who sing the praise for yaya
Proverb,
I saw a stat that united has the most number of passes and the highest number of completed passes in the prem so far. Feel our problems are not in ball handling but are in where we handle the ball. We need to move the game up the pitch about 20 yards. Think things would start getting sorted.
@Proverb
But Yaya’s scored two goals. And was not guilty of a piece of shabby marking to ship a goal from a set-piece.
Dont’ get me wrong, I love Carrick. But I think any objective view would see Yaya as the more influential player.
Just stop “The Hollywood Passes”, Wayne…
If Rooney goes to midfield anytime soon and RVP is out for any reason, our strike force is gonna be so potent that teams would be too scared to think of the strikers we have and would probably think to press us higher up the field out of that fear. Rest assured, the day this happens, we are going to be scoring 10goals apiece from those our strikers that they fear and we would win even the FIFA World Cup.
Spot on there fletch
There are always areas to improve our game, we are stuck with the squad now whether people like it or not and constantly slating them isn’t going to help anyone
We need to be commanding in games, specially against “small teams” in midfield
We need to force hem passes through the middle, take the game by the neck and force the opposition to commit errors
“World-class players have got a presence,” said Carrick. “When the ball came to Robin for his first goal on Sunday, I was so confident it was going to be a goal. To have someone like that in your team is satisfying because you know if you supply him with the right ammunition, more often than not, he will put it away.”
“If Robin carries on like this I will enjoy it very much. To get off the mark with pretty much his first touch was special, then his hat-trick was much needed because we were in a tough position. It’s a better start than he could have hoped for. We have got some firepower at the club now and whoever the manager calls upon, we will look dangerous.”
“Very few of our young players go abroad on loan,” Sir Alex said. “We had Federico Macheda go to Sampdoria and he was only there a week and they sacked the coach. It ended up being a nightmare for him and he never got a game.”
“I think it’s better that the ones that go on loan go to the Barclays Premier League or the Championship. By doing that, we can have regular contact and see them every week. We get them watched all the time. That’s the process by which we work under.”
Petrucci and Bebe will be loaned out, in my opinion. Who else?
Haha kanchelskis sorry there! Said fletch referring to you
unusual mistake
Michael Carrick believes his best football is still to come at Manchester United – http://t.co/nH8Pi2k1 #MUFC
I think one should not conflate Rooney when he is on form in the attacking third and the Rooney that is not on form and out of position. Its the reason Sir Alex showed so much faith in Rooney when many of us would gladly have seen Berba leading the line or sitting in the hole. He needs game and games in a consistent position. Honestly an in form Rooney can be a beast and while he works hard all over the pitch and does have a good head for the game, his time in midfield last year just showed that perhaps he is not there yet in terms of his vision and technique. He does have a tendency for running out of position, chasing down balls unnecessarily, poor attempts at the long ball, picking out the wrong pass and at times a heavy first touch. Of course he is still a phenomenal player and would in time likely adapt to that role, but the bar that Scholes has set is so high that these lapses are particularly grating. He used to have the champagne pass down once upon a time so its probably just a case of needing to work on it. Dont get me wrong, overall I agree he could be immense in the engine room, but then that is what players like anderson are about, and rooney certainly would require changes to his current game. For now I am happy to see him as an attacker, centrally or on the wing fit and firing.
Let me take a breather then…..
Ben Amos starts for England! Also Tom Ince worth a mention for United family ties.
England U21 v Azerbaijan XI: Ben Amos Kelly Rose Lowe Caulker Dawson Zaha Henderson Sordell Shelvey, Tom Ince
Get in Ben!
http://www.thefa.com/England/mens-under-21s/News/match-centre/2012/azerbaijan-v-england/match-previews/starting-line-up-v-azerbaijan.aspx
This is a belting torrent.
Man Utd Membership 2012 2013 Season DVDRIP Xvid AC3-BHRG
Rooney is a complete footballer like King Eric pointed out. He is 26 so he still has great number of years ahead of him. I don’t think he will retire here but he still has 3-4 season here at united in which he will score loads of goals.
kanchelskis – The problem with english football in general is trying make players into something they are not. Michael carrick has always been the classy player which epitomises efficiency. He’s there to recycle possession and keep it ticking. He’s not a dynamic player or a yaya that can burst forward. Analyse his strengths and use him for what he’s best at, no point comparing him with other brand of players.
Bit off topic but what is this ND58 thing. Sorry I have not been following RoM regularly for past 2 weeks or so but I have heard this ND58 thing many times. Can anyone tell me what it is ?
If kagawa is supposedly injured then why is he preparing to play for japan?. Twitter is hardly the place to get reliable information, it’s full of muppets.
People talk about Rooney always running about and tryna get involved – which is a fair comment when he plays up front. But anyone who saw him in midfield last year would know that’s not the case when he played there.
He was unbelievably disciplined. The Everton game stands out in particular, as I recall he didn’t even touch the ball once inside the opposition box (we’d just lost 6-1 the previous week so were playing a more cautious game).
He wasn’t just playing Hollywood passes either, he was recycling the ball really well. I think he’d be brilliant in that position tbh, and if you ask me, he looks like he’s losing a bit of sharpness to get away from defenders already.
The one advantage of him playing in midfield is that when he receives the ball, he’ll be under less pressure than when he plays up front (where he gets the ball pinged to him at pace,he’s got his back to goal & has a defender/holding midfielder pressuring him, and his touch costs him). In midfield he’ll have that split second of breathing space, even against teams that press us.
The only problem I saw with him when he played there last year was his defending – his tackling technique was a bit poor at times. But so is Scholesy’s!
@samuel
I didn’t instigate the comparison between Carrick and Yaya. Well aware they’re completely different players.
@Ash it’s a new forum for Manchester United fans.
This book release couldn’t come at a worse time imo. His injury was potentially a blessing in disguise. A chance to stay out of the media, gather his shit, get it sorted and be ready to come back with fire in his belly. Now we’ll be seeing quotes on this, quotes on that, blah, blah, blah. Wayne son, write a fucking memoir when it’s all said and done. We just lost the title to the god damn bitters, there’s far more important matters than “My 10 years in the Premiership.” I can not possibly imagine Sir Alex Ferguson is happy Rooney and The Daily Mirror’s “masterpiece” will garner all the attention.
Was watching the highlights of our 07/08 season. Boy did Rooney looked lean, mean & fast. He’s lost that yard of pace and is really a different player already. So its safe to his transition will happen, just a matter of time.
That said, I can’t recall any lightning quick counterattack for a goal for quite a few years already. I thought our game now was suppose to be all about pace? Something missing these days. We used to be at our most dangerous when the opposition had a corner kick!
QUALITY!!!!
Mikey owen saying he rejected liverpool because he didnt want united fans hating him…to come from being a legend at liverpool to playing for there biggest rivals to then refuse to go back to were u were a legend because u dont want to upset there biggest rivals
ABSOLUTE QUALITY
I am pleased to see King Eric and GHTT posting (If thats the same Ghtt that used to post). I have always maintained one thing that our main focus on this blog should be on Manchester united rather than on our personal life . Let us enjoy here
Roll on 15th hate these international breaks.
Also listening to these twats say united are a 1 man team…they said that with reference to rooney and guess what hes STILL HERE
Why hasn’t petrucci been selected. The boy looked real class in pre season. I hope he is sent on loan to a decent club. He needs to play football regularly
marq
Have’nt seemed to have had that explosiveness since ronaldo’s depature
I think I fell out of love with Wayne a while ago, the contract talk and disrespecting the boss was the final nail in the coffin. The reason we had to love him was because it was a bit of a drab side which was pulled along by him. I know it’s not his fault but he loves Everton and united will always be second in his heart, that’s what hurts.
Destructive CM’s aside, when you look at CM’s who create chances and keep possession their passing is always short and sweet. For every 9 short, quick passes there’ll be 1 defence splitting through ball and thats how it should be. Don’t speculate and blindly punt, wait for a sure fire opportunity and take it.
Case in point Anderson and Cleverly. Can’t believe some on here haven’t been impressed with their performances so far this season? Those short, simple passes between them open gaps and create opportunities for others. They keep the ball moving and they keep moving into space, and that keeps us ticking over.
For all the hype, Dembele and Felanni couldn’t stop those two lads passing the ball, and while they kept it simple Kagawa and our Strikers made the runs that make those “hollywood” passes possible. Otherwise, if the risky pass isn’t on our lads keep it simple and keep possession. Thats why Carrick is such a class player for United, and its also why loads reckon he’s shit.
I don’t understand the criticism we get for keeping it simple. Should we be like England and rush headlong into brick walls instead? You don’t concede goals when you don’t concede possession, its not rocket science. Also, with the attacking players we have we can shift gears in a heart beat, so pedestrian passing is a smart tactic until an opportunity opens.
United til i die
Couldnt agree more i have always rated ando ok he has his injuries problems but when hes on his game he is outstanding..it pisses me off why fergie constantly selects michael carrick instead of him and in my defence hes been shit since he came ok a few good performances but like i said they are few…he for me shouldnt b a regular on the united midfield no chance take the southampton game for example, the amount of times he gave a simple pass away was a joke. I was at the fulham game and because ando is a fav of mine i payed close attention to him and he was outstanding yet got subd…hope fergie realises that carrick is the weak link and infact the ginja ninja should be on instead of him in our favoured 442 system again this was proved at southampton as thats when we took control and well u no the rest…be good to see ando and clev get the nod for the wigan game as i believe if they do with rvp and hopefully chico upfront we will destroy them
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2199312/Robin-Van-Persie-sings-Youll-Never-Walk-Alone.html?openGraphAuthor=%2Fhome%2Fsearch.html%3Fs%3D%26authornamef%3DAdam%2BShergold%2B
Rooney on facebook
Long day of interviews to promote my book Wayne Rooney my Decade in the Premier League which comes out 13th
Reports on espn: Zenit claim they are in negotiations over Nani. This looks to be gathering steam.
@kungfooCantona – you what? You’ve completely misread what I’ve said.
I rate Carrick, always have. Im saying that keeping it simple in midfield is better than overcomplicating things and losing possession. Carrick helps us keep possession, end of. As for Anderson he plays at his best when he keeps it simple. His talent does the rest when the gaps appear.
So yeah, we completely disagree on Carrick.
Theres no way I’d say he’s our weak link. He’s been influential in our attacks since the days of Ronaldo. When he’s in front of the back four distributing the ball from there he’s class. The only “problem” I see in CM is selecting the right players for occasion, and the manager describes that as a welcome problem to have.
I hope Nani stays. The lad really offers some trickery on either flank. Loved when we had wingers capable of switching flanks and cutting in and out. Plus he has the ability to beat his man. Frustrating or not he really had a brilliant half season where he showed us what he was capable of and I am certain he can reproduce that form, just needs a consistent run in the team.
@Pint Glass – I would be shocked if Nani was sold, especially if we only got 25 million. He’s worth that for his left foot alone. Can’t see it happening tbh.
Maybe this will change a few minds on our fantastic owners http://t.co/aVQLJgT2
GGMU
Piss off jeet tryna lick zibbies ass yet he aiint interested.u ruin the blog go nd 58.bye
@medumtum – exactly mate. We’re only 3 games in and we’ve got four Cups to play for. Nani has the type of talent you want in your Squad, you just have to look at his form for his country, the lad is class.
“That goal put city in their place”
Is it in his (rooney) book aswell??
The book isn’t out, but already causing all sorts of ABUs attention
This book is going to cause scandal
Ash
nd 58 is a revolt against rom started by capiche cedars.Im sure theyll b back as a republik has to have police n disciples conniving to bully folk.laters yous all.
Thanks lads.
Spot on Sparkz – That Everton game comes to my mind too.
United till I die – Great post mate.
Carrick a weak link? Ha yes of course. He is the main fucking man in our engine room. Our shield. Yes he was poor on Sunday but they all were.
@Jaaonpark I hate the Bleacher Report site and this article is just another example of why I do…badly researched and poorly written by someone who really doesn’t seem to have a clue about his subject matter.
Later pussy galore.
@King Eric
Hi mate. Didn’t take a long time for Carrick bashing to re emerge did it? The player that kept the midfield together last year and gave us a shot at challenging for the title. Memories aren’t even short nowdays. They are non existant.
After 8pm England time Talksport are going to discuss boozers in football and when are they going to realize they are pro atheltes and not regular blokes hmmm wonder which names will get mentioned
NANI to be sold ? I, too, hope not. I completely agree with UNited Till I Die @ 18:49 when he wrote: ” if we only got 25 million. He’s worth that for his left foot alone.”
Think about it this way – selling Nani effectively pays RVP’s purchase-price while Nani + Berbatov’s salaries cover RVP’s wages. That’s the economic aspect of such a deal but if this is something more than a rumour then it surely adds credence to suggestions that SAF is going to abandon a traditional 4-4-2 since neither AV7 nor Ashley Young is any good running down the left wing.
I’m just “reading-tea-leaves” but my sense is that the aborted “experiment” last season with Anderson/Cleverley and Carrick/Fletcherinho as the midfield pairings might be key to the WilyOldFootieKnight’s planning – except that TheWayneBoy would be Michael Carrick’s partner, playing higher up the pitch alongside/switching with KagawaBunga and behind RVP/Chicharito with maybe just one winger on the right side.
Hahaha, I see sara is after me, no typo which means her bra fits
Anyway, to King Eric: you know the thing about Carrick? He’s proved me wrong with his class, but every now and then he has this habit of proving his detractors right as well. And he has made some costly errors as well in recent times – munich away against olic comes to mind, and a couple of silly backpasses in the prem (someone needs to rejig my memory with the details). I know I’m spoilt silly by scholes-keane (aren’t we all!), but what I’d really like to see is carrick hold his form of the latter half of last season consistently. The BIG difference between him and scholes is that his ‘bottom level’ is abysmal. We know he comes into his own after Christmas, but Manchester United must demand more from a senior first XI engine man. You look at tonyv and his level of consistency. That’s what the club should demand from carrick, probably more because in his role consistency is even more critical. I find it a bit baffling that folk slate rafael and nani for inconsistency, but no one mentions carrick. He just needs to find his rhythm quickly and hold it steady.
Think denton does more then read tea leaves think he’s smoking the shit as well
Some people waynes first touch is good, hes calm under pressure hes got good vision and can ping a ball. We should play him in MF when hes not fit enough to play up to, especially now we have RvP.
I don’t see him getting past defenders a lot nowadays. He may as well drop into midfield asap.
Lads are bashing Carrick again
Carrick had his first game in MF after 3 as Rio Jr.
Still had more passes than anyone on the pitch (115/126) and more passes in the attacking third than anyone on the pitch (25/29) via BFTGTBlog
Repeating myself from memory from 3 days ago, he also won over 60% of the 50/50 headers
and 70% of the 50/50 ground. Look up my post from Sept 3 for exact numbers.
He gets slated because he had a couple of errant passes that let Saints break.
If it hadn’t been for a certain Hattrick hero, they might have been talking up Carrick as the man of the match.
The reason we are giving up balls is that the entire defense seems to be playing a very deep line this year. I have said it several times. We need to set a higher line and keep the pressure off of DeGea and Lindi.
Rooney – I Love being the play maker.
Rooney go fuck yourself, playmaker? You? sure and Charlie Ince was a center forward. One thing a playmaker has to be good at is passing in tight areas. A big fucking X in that categorie. Another thing a playmaker should have as a quality is good first touch and ALWAYS know who your pass is before you recieve the ball yourself as play makers are often closed down very quickly. Wayne give yourself an X. Another quality would be composure, not rushing forward, holding a possition, X again.
Wayne you are as much a Paul Scholes or an Xavi as I am Kofi A-fucking-nan.
@King Eric – cheers mate. Seeing Carrick in the middle of a 4-5-1 is always reassuring before a big match.
hahaha @ Wayne
@Denton – I’d be amazed if we limited our play to one flank mate. It works for certain clubs and for us on occasion, but that would be a huge shift in philosophy if we set out like that forever more. I’ve still got faith in our young midfielders and our 3 wingers.
Hi all.
jeet
thought we called a truce?why you mention me n my bra?Learn to keep your promise.Its late in Venezuela gonna catch up tomo.
Night all.
FletchTHEMAN
There are two types of football fan my friend.
1. The Carrick lover, the Berbatov appreciater!. Drinks ale or bitter. Likes a Brandy now and then. May have a beard. Has some knowledge of history and the arts. (Im here – full on neck beard)
2. Rooney Rooney Rooney, has 4+ siblings and atleast 2 of the following, x-box, playstation, Nintendo Wii, super powerful gaming computer. Drinks alcho pops, pretends to get into fights to his work mates, clean shaven bum fluff. Loves Ewan McGregor films and wants us to sign Dembele, Baines, Clint Dempsey and Pepe Reina. Basically a lobotomy job if ever there was one. Oh yeah I forgot got the entire Amy scanky Whinehouse collection.
I’m a category 1. My beard is down to my solar plexus, I love Carrick and appreciate Berba.
I drink beer, whiskey and brandy, and hate alco pops. I love art and history, no computer games.
I have no interest in Dumbelles.
For me Carrick remains the essential part of our midfield. And history has borne this out. We have tried and experimented but ultimately the one combination we ended up with when we needed to keep things tight and make sure of the win, was carrick at the heart and whoever else was fit alongside him. If anything its a credit to carrick that he has settled into a such a disciplined role. When he first came he was a more aggressive player. Its a real luxury to be able to use as capable a passmaster in what is essentially the midfield screening role. He was rusty and seeing as he was coming off games as a center half that is excusable. The one criticism I do have of the team as a whole is how slowly we were moving the ball back to front and the resulting slow overall tempo. Ironically the ball started moving forward effectively only when scholesy came back on. The other concern is whether carrick and cleverley can form a partnership, or whether we’ll have to alternate between two pairs of midfielders.
Carrick had a pathetic game against Southampton and rightfully is getting all the stick. he has been average for years, with some good form intervals. He is midfileder who almost never creates and makes costly mistakes (City semi FA cup, Bayers and etc). I have been calling him a coward for eternity now and he does lack courage. People bring in amazing stats every time and try to prove through stats that he is amazing. What i would ask of them is, if Carrik is so amazing how he isn’t able to creat anything of note in atatcking side and is completly overan every game in defensive side. Carrick is an average player, but lack of courage makes him much worse. He does the best when there is no presure on him, when people don’t expect anything from him. As soon as expectation are up he folds. I think someone smart says that “There are lies, lies and stats”, meaning that you can prove whatever you want with stats, but our eyes don’t lie when we see United overran and outpassed in the middle but promoted club, and many other “smaler” clubs last year. Now I am not saying that it’s all due to Carrick cause IMO all other CM-s (Cleverley and Andy) are also pathetic, it just that Carrick isn’t that much better then them a little better then Gibson though.
Hahaha, Bottoms up lads. Have another then? Cheers.
Goat at 20:03 is absolutely epic.
@goat
Can I be in category 1 even if I have no beard? My stubble grows kind of patchy and it is brown in spots, blonde in spots, grey in spots, and even red in spots, so I keep it trimmed.
I am torn. I like Carrick and Berba, but I am clean shaven.
Help Goat!
There ought to be an MU test.
a Did ya like stand in the cue for Wes Sniejder to get off the plane for the past 3 years.
b Were you ready to call out the national guard when chelsea stole Obi Wan Mikel.
c. Were you sick that we din’t spend 33M on this Lucas Who
d. Do ya appreciate Carrick? and think he has a role.
f. Did ya also rag on Fletcher from 06-10?
g. Did ya shed a tear when they sent O’Shea off to his reward.
Right then,
Me?
a, not bothered
b, ditto
c. honestly? No
c, ya, think he rates in any top footy side and saved our collective arse last year
d, Not a chance, Fletch would die for the shirt.
e, still a bit mystified actually.
Carrick at best is a decent CM player. Just becaus he plays for us doesn’t mean he is great. all teams with better CM be it in EP or CL dominated our midfield. it is funny when we win fans claim our CM is fine and when we lose those same fans admit we have shit CM but the fact is our midfield has been poor for years.
hmmm. Forget the letters, order is right though.
Right, I’m off. Nighties you Reds!
Solar Plexus… aint that the third Klingon moon
After Keano’s book I thought Fergie banned his players from writing books?
Was a while back so might be a load of tosh but I’m sure he did.
Hw much did Zenith pay 4 Hulk?more dan 25m i guess which means Nani shuld be worth more dan dat.wuld hate 2 c him sold.
Solar plexus is the strobing effect of the sun shining out my arse when I fart.
If I moon you, best you kling on tight!
Pint Glass of Vodka
You sir are wasting a Brian Blessed. Grow it out, attract the ladies like you’ll inevitably attract the flies. Be a man. lol.
http://celebslists.com/12415-brian-blessed.html
@Fletch
Saved our collective arse? I thought he’s crap.
Dear oh dear.
Night mate.
Costas
Clean shaven, did I need to know that? lol.
You may join the clan but you have to go out to your local, gravy stains on your shirt and drink 5 pints of Ale before taking your first piss. You fail then youre a hoocher!
Zenit St. Petersburg director Maxim Mitrofanov told R-Sport on Thursday:
“If Hulk had demanded €8 to €10 million a year, these conditions would have been unacceptable for Zenit. The transfer of Nani failed mostly due to this reason, as he asked for an enormous salary.”
UNITED4Life
Next time we play watch Carrick, forget Rooney or any other media fag, watch Carrick and you tell me how many passes from their midfield go straight down the center between our two at the back. Every time the opposing team has the ball he marks the passing lane and th eball is forced wide. The more passes they make the more chance they miss pass the ball. A cross is less dangerous than a through ball. Just because he doesnt tackle ala Keane doesnt mean he isnt class. He makes the job look easy, hes disciplined and always plays the team player first the individual second.
@Goat
Will do! But I thought we were talking about facial hair.
I hope TonyBee doesn’t read this. He won’t limit his dislosure to that part of the body. 
@goatinaunitedshirt says:
I saw him in Rome 2009 and pretty much since then even teams wz average midfield dominated us many times. If you are making a case for carrick why do u think we always outplayed in midfield?
FletchTHEMAN
a Did ya like stand in the cue for Wes Sniejder to get off the plane for the past 3 years.
b Were you ready to call out the national guard when chelsea stole Obi Wan Mikel.
c. Were you sick that we din’t spend 33M on this Lucas Who
d. Do ya appreciate Carrick? and think he has a role.
f. Did ya also rag on Fletcher from 06-10?
g. Did ya shed a tear when they sent O’Shea off to his reward.
a.The first year I was interested in us getting Schneider. And yes I spell his name wrong on purpose. As the premier league defenders are clueless and make any Real reject look half decent (Campo and Salgado lol) I thought he would be a decent squad member but it was obvious he believed he was at just as good a club. 2nd year No. You say No to United once, we wont ask again.
b.No, hes just a prospect or was, I could name 4 or 5 better defensive midfielders in the premier league and still dont care. Actually we got good money for a player who cost us fuck all.
c.A little bit pissed off. Again a prospect and he may work out may not. I want United to get the Batistuta, Ronaldhino, Romario, Ronaldo before the other powers in Europe does. For once.
d.Big fat Yes as previously explained.
e.Where did E go?
f.I have ragged on Fletcher but mainly because I hear ludicrous statements such as if we had Fletcher against Barca in the final (s) we would have stood a chance. Thats laughable. If we had two fletchers and 13 players on at the same time we may have struggled. And the name Fletcherino making him sound Brazillian is like saying Carlton Palmer is a carbon copy of Romario in every sense including goal scoring.
g.I was surprised and gutted. I loved Sheasy. He was a squad player and no doubt didnt want to be all his career. He wasnt exactly full of finess but he was honest and versatile. An under rated player at United.
UNITED4Life
I dont believe we are necessarily out played in midfield. I think we are wasteful in possession and the likes of Nani, Rooney and Young give the ball away to readily and that makes us look weak and their possession stats go up. As for Barca if it wasnt for Carrick making them make the extra passes, something they are very good at then they would have scored a few more.
Are you trying to tell me when Scholes and Carrick play together then we get dominated. Thats BS my friend. The problem is in regards possession football when Scholes or Fletcher is away then we have players who take greater risks and play a more direct approach.
King Eric – carrick was poor, but js still a key player in terms of the anchor role, much like makelele, carrick’s weakness, he tends to give the ball away from time to time, in stupid situations. The only player close to carrick’s style, and being the linch pin playing deep is alonzo. Not even xavi iniesta and scholes at their best can do the job carrick and alonzo do so damn effectively
Carrick alone can’t dominate any midfield. If anyone asks that of him, then he indeed has failed those expectations. Carrick has been brilliant in giving our team the necessary tempo it needs. And that’s why we lkook sensible and not all over the place when he plays in midfield. When our team loses the midfield battle (which doesn’t happen “always”), that’s usually a result of Carrick being partnered up with the wrong person. Case in point, the Anfield games. Carrick and Scholes always get overrun there. Imo his most suited partner was Fletcher.
I don’t know when Guardiola is taking over it could be as early as Jan,and there is one thing you can guarantee he will rapidly sort out our midfield.
parryheid
Isn’t Guardiola damaged goods. Once he decided to walk away from Barca to me it seemed like he couldnt handle prolonged pressure. He was at the club of most of his playing career, with the people he grew up around. The back room staff all knew him and still he felt uncomfortable. Im not sure, something fundamental is up with the man.
Goatinaunitedshirt.
I’m only saying what is being reported,I am not a yank or I would know if the photo of Sir Alex outside Smithfields in NY is genuine.But Mourinho said to reporter he is in new york and is supposed to be discussing with Pep about him managing United.
I dont doubt your sincerity in reporting what your read. Wasnt having a go. I havent heard any such story and as for what Mourinho says, it wouldnt be th elast time hes had a dig at Pep. Sir Alex could be there for any reason but if it is as reported then nice to know there is some sort of security in the day when Fergie retires or god forbid pegs it. Its not a day Im looking forward to.
Goat.
May be shite but quite a lot of comments Man utd .com fanzone and quite a lot of fans think it has some merit.
Relieved Nani does look like staying. Actually scholes and carrick does not work against teams early in the match, mostly because scholes does not have the legs for the sort of intense pressing teams often put us through. I think scholesy could work just fine as a sort of enforcer later on in the game when teams are tiring and he is allowed more room to work. Otherwise wonder who could be a suitable partner for him. Fletch is a question mark right now, and have not yet seen anderson play with him. Though if anderson is to play Clevs seems the way forward, just because they seem to bring out the best in each. Would still like to see Tom play with Carrick for atleast a couple more games just to see how they come along, sometimes it takes a few games to develop understanding. Just hope we can speed up the whole system though, looked like we lacked an edge through the center until Scholesy came on.
I too cant understand the critcism carrick gets, he brings alot more solidarity to the midfield when he’s in the side, is distribution of the ball is quality, he intercepts alot of the opposing sides play,all in all he’s an intelligent footballer hence why is game is more appricated to the spanish contigent, he’s not your typical robust english midfielder.
New Man United staff and player seats by Chevrolet.
http://photos-a.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash3/s720x720/546165_415572258506455_223170962_n.jpg?dl=1
Wayne @ 19:28: ” denton does more then read tea leaves think he’s smoking the shit as well”
True that !
The problem with carrick is his nerves. Every half ass player can put presure on another player and when carrick comes under presure he breaks. Bad passesm, no creativity, always retreats and passes to defenders which result on a long ball and lossing of the posession. Every team knows that if they presure him he is going to fold. Scholes doesn’t have that problem and Scholes is only overrun when the opposition is just way more athletic. The criticism that he gets isn’t going to improve this, but he is already a grown up and has been playing for us for years now. He should have man up long time ago and if he hasn’t yet, then when? I want him to succeed as much as anyone else, but he is just not good enough. His partners have been as bad or even worse than him, but it doesn’t free him from blame either. Last year I criticized him for a long time and at some point he hit a good patch of form and he got the plaudits from everyone for his work including myself, but his most recent game was absolutely unacceptable. Him and Cllev were the worst players on the pitch (Welbeck was really close), our two CM-s were the worst players when we played a promoted side with bunch of journeyman. Last year in EPL, CL and even Europe Cup we have been schooled by any team that bothered to show up, with almost every game being a copy of another. We were overrun, outpassed and outclassed in midfield and Carrick as one of the more signor and constant players of that midfield should get a lot of blame. I am really tired arguing this stuff, but it’s really annoying that every time people give Carrick shit, the only thing we hear back is some kind of messed up stat or “You don’t get football” line.
goatinauntedshirt @ 21:29: “if we had Fletcher against Barca in the final (s) we would have stood a chance. Thats laughable.”
I ain’t laughing. In 2009, when DarrenFletcherinho got suspended for that ludicrous red card in the semi-final against TheArse, he was in his “football genius” mode. HIs presence would have been HUGE; his absence was HUGE. Let’s not forget, either, that in 2009, not only was Fletcherinho absent but Hargreaves was crocked while Anderson/Carrick got injured, too. Most of the post-match analysis simply over-looked that point – just like most “analysts” looking at the 2011/2012 EPL season don’t pay much attention to the refereeing decisions which were responsible for UTD losing five points OR the massive difference in injuries between UTD and Shitty.
Maybe, Barcelona would have won both of those finals even if DarrenFletcherinho was playing in his full-tilt “football genius” mode. BUT, maybe not. Like I said, I ain’t laughing.
@JEET, my bad. Love your how well you express yourself. I have hang ups like all people, narc’s are on of mine. I read things between the lines that might not exist! Much love.
KE and GHTT!!!! and so much more!!! BBL
Wow I still have so much to read.
GOAT!!! When you posted a family trip to the Zoo. Then a few days went wiyhout a post. You were mentioned. Like 5 or more jumped in. We figured a Zookeeper, got you. Made a huge display. GOAT”S petting zoo. It was awesome. Good to see it was just are imagination. We had you talking and just being U!!!
Costass
(Carrick alone can’t dominate any midfield)
agree with you
for me carrick is one of the most under-rated player in the world
he is far better than any other player in his position
he lack help,scholes legs has gone
if paul was younger belive me no team in the world would beat us,remeber semi against barca at noucamp in 2008 carrick&scholse shit on barca midfielder
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2199452/Cristiano-Ronaldo-latest-Jose-Mourinho-tells-Manchester-City-buy-Real-Madrids-history.html?openGraphAuthor=%2Fhome%2Fsearch.html%3Fs%3D%26authornamef%3DChris%2BWheeler
“Hopefully I’m a better player now than I was a couple of years ago,
“I feel I have improved and I’m hoping to still improve. I’ve just turned 31 and the peak time in players’ careers seems to be a little bit later so hopefully that carries on and I’ve still got the best years ahead of me.carrick
I like Mike.
The Spanish guys love Mike. He stars slow and comes on every year, and come February when are big he will be there.
I like the Rooney MF talk.
I would like to point out, Wazza in 07 was 21, he now is 26 soon to be 27. A man now. As a cubby wubby guy of course he does not look the same. Just a player this lad. That is what I so love of him. SAF play lw, ok. SAF say’s play MF , ok. SAF says CR is gone here’s the #9 role, OK 30+ goals. SAF says play a deeper 2nd striker role, OK. Hey we need you at LFB, OK!!!!!!!!! A BALLER, A PLAYER!! A WINNER!!!! ok? imo
Rooney in a 2 of the 4-2-3-1 formation. He attacks at good opportunities. Body’s up on Yaya and Fellini 30 yards out. Floats up the middle and out wide. Creating a nasty ass 5th attacker, he can get 15 yellows a year add a spine in the mid of everything. RVP Lile Pea, Dan as forwards, Keane comes back in 2013. And Kagawa Rooney, Clevs behind them
Carrick is a deep lying midfielder, but he’s expected to create (which To be fair, he does do with key passes). Yet another case of not appreciating what a player offers and expecting him to be what he’ll never be.
That mentality has Clearly won england loads of competitions.
Samuel – The English fans and media prefer meat heads like Milner
I remember the game against liverpool last season at anfield (i think it was last season, could’ve been the season before) when rooney came on as a substitute. he actually did very well. he was calm and composed in a futile environment and kept possession. He’s also full of energy when fit and does defend tirelessly when needed so I’m sure he would do very well in the centre of midfield as a box-to-box type. He’s also has the ability to spray long passes but he hasn’t perfected it like the ginger ninja of course. But first I’d like to see him come back ASAP and be apart of a deadly partnership with RVP.
Rai – yeah, the run around like headless chicken mifielders. They can’t ever read the game, are not tactically knowledgeable on the pitch, are not discipline and lack severely in technique.. “Scotty” parker, where art thou?.
I remember xabi alonso praising Carrick. He knows a thing or two about quality. Those players that make your team tick and you barely notice them, those players are important and Carrick for me is a classy player in his role.
Carrick shouldn’t be expected to carry the entire central midfield, i would hope others alongside him step their game up and offer something different.
United do not possess the best central midfielders in the world, Barca do. The rest of us are scrambling behind. We still have quality in there, maybe not in numbers but players that are capable are there.
Anderson always gets lambasted and rightly so, he’s yet to fulfill his potential due to endless injuries that curtail his progress just when he’s starting to play well. He got handed a 5 year deal if i can recall? surely the manager must be witnessing a top player in there that’s yet to emerge due unavoidable reasons. He’s mobile, specializes in The pass and move style, he has it in his locker to thread that defence splitting pass, he does possess the mobility and drive but he’s yet to do that for the duration of a season, he’s never on the pitch due to injuries. This season may well define him, he’ll realise this is make or break and has to step up. We’re 3games into the season, i’m still holding out for him to play consistently, the partnership with cleverly can bare fruit if both can learn their defensive part of the game well. They both showed that they are an exciting combo in The beginning of last season until they both split due to injuries.
I don’t think Carrick should take all the blame for our CMs being overrun in nearly every game, the partners he has have to carry some of the blame too, Carrick does his job most of the time sure he has some bad games but he does what is needed of him most of the time, he is let down hugely by his CM partner but because Carrick is always one of the first names on the sheet he takes alot of the blame.
Zibbie please don’t go into one of your posting anything frenzy I’ve told you off in the past about this.
Somebody help me out.
Where in the FUCK is Cedars?
I know I’ve been out of it since the Everton game. And I have no idea WTF is going on. But c’mon. Throw me a friggin bone over here.
SAF is God.
And Fergie CHOOSES Carrick quite often. Probably around 70-80% of the time that Carrick is fit, Carrick starts the match. End of fucking story.
This is a Rooney thread, yet it’s descended into some half-assed Carrick debate. Is Carrick the new Berba? Fucking drop it. Michael Carrick is a servant of this club. And from 2007-present day, he’s the best we have at CM.
When, and if, Carrick is sold, the debate will start about Ashley Young.
Then, when Young is gone, many fuckwits will have a problem with Phil Jones.
When Jones is gone, Jonny Evans is the problem.
When Evans is gone, then maybe Chicharito isnt United quality.
and on
and on
and on…….
Lots of keyboard warriors slagging players.
Where’s Cedars again?
and btw…
……has Heskey signed?
Anyone got the youtube clip of scholes against aresnal in the fa cup quarter final a few years ago when he came on as sub for 10 or so minutes would love to see it again
Not sure if anyone posted i came across that RvN and RvP scored their first goals for the club against Fulham and first hat-tricks against Southampton.
Interesting one.
@Corea
Yea, someone pointed that out before, interesting fact
Speaking of interesting facts, anybody noticed that when sara was getting late it was approximately 2 pm in venezuela ?
By the way, just to clarify my stance on Carrick – don’t mean to bash him, but expect more from him. My thoughts towards Carrrick are similar to what many think of Nani. I rate him, but sometimes he makes me want to bang my head!
@zibbie: thanks, pal – that’s a great weight of me mind! Hate it when friends misunderstand each other! Go Rooney!
Carrick is not there to protect the backline, he is there to bring the ball out of defence. Yes he does his fair share of tackling & interceptions, but his main job is to get the ball rolling forward & controlling the pace of the game. Us getting overrun in midfield is a collective problem, not a single person’s fault. If there is a player out there who can single handedly stop all attacks, don’t you think everyone will be after his signature? If Barca or Real can get their hands on such a player, they’d be invincible!
Truth is, there is no such player, and looking for such a player is an excusing for the rest of the team to escape their defensive responsibilities
Wayne – stick to the fucking knitting and stick the ball in the back of the net.
Since when do players decide where they play? I thought that was the managers job.
I’m a bit tired or Rooney – his attitude thinks – full of sound bites but he doesn’t look after
himself and his lack of fitness is often very visible.
I’ve read a few extracts of his book which is shite. Why can’t players wait till they retire.
Wayne Rooney owns up to his biggest mistake. Wishes he hadn’t handed in that transfer request.
Hmmm… Road to recovery?
I forgave him with his hat trick, so that’s me bought and paid for innit.
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2199636/Wayne-Rooney-regrets-handing-transfer-request-Manchester-United.html
@jeet
lol, you beauty
ND58
Marq – i’m going to applaud you now for such an intelligent input. I’ve always maintained that the defensive duties has to be spread around the team, we need to put in more shift and make it extra difficult for opponents. We let teams play rather than give them no breathing space. There’s no such thing as one player protecting an entire team of other 10 positions from getting exposed, united have to work extra hard. Even if the team had a specialised water-carrier and i can see why people want that but if his team mates aren’t defending well, he’ll make no impact.
The longer this wayne Rooney’s autobiography keeps coming out, the more the A.B.U will sharpen their knives. It’s the same old crap “Is there more to come from wayne?” “Does he need to leave the premier league?” “Has he fulfilled his potential?” so on and so fucking forth.
He’s admitted his mistake, has tried to make up for it with goals and i guess, he’s more appreciative of the club now and it’s not my style to bear grudges but hey, i don’t trust him just like most mercenary players, it’s the way football is today. As long as he continues to reach the standards expected of him on the pitch then it’s all good.
35Goals last season, he’s just entering the peak of his powers. Wayne, as long as he keeps working hard (which i no doubt expect because he never fails in terms of grafting) will continue to shine, he has more knack of finding net now than he did earlier in his career. Wayne has reinvented himself from the creative chief to a more clinical finisher, he was a supporting cast to Ronaldo but he’s stepped up. More competitions are at the club and with that injury, he’ll return hungry and fighting.
And when i say “reinvented”, i mean he’s added potent finishing to his game. He scores in spurts but most strikers are like that, i still think he’s very creative as wel. Wayne has always been an all round player.
I think a player of his talent should have been born on the continent, some fans have never appreciated footballing technical masters, they’ve been immersed with the long punt and run plus “kick the cunt in” thugs. I feel that Rooney has a footballer has not been appreciated enough. He gets lambasted for england’s regular failures, he’s expected to be saviour, he’s never fully fit for tournaments due to injuries and rather than give him time to recover, he gets rushed back like king arthur saving the last fatty pie in england. He plays amongst a couple of terrible players and others like steven GBH who think they’re as good as zidane. Like scholes, wayne will retire one day and not appreciated for his talents, the england team would probably not have got the best out of him.
i really wish we didn’t offload berbatov and instead put him in central midfield it’s almost like having two scholes in one team.. T_T
Nick Powell’s classy goal in loosing effort v Germany U19′s
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=XjXjboH4qhY#!
@Samuel. Cheers mate. As to the Rooney book, well it is what it is. The media will bleed it for all its worth and we poor sobs will have to take it on the chin.
I am glad he apologized for the transfer request. But he probably needs to have a private confessional booked for the month to get everything sorted.
All in all, 180 goals in 320 appearances for united i think. out of that, he has banged in 129 in the league, that does make Rooney without doubt, a premier league legend. He’s the fourth highest goal scorer of all time at united and at 26 and as long as he stays in tip top shape, he could be well united top goal scorer of all time. Tell me he’s not fulfilled his potential. Those that feel betrayed by his stance might not want to accept it but Rooney has nailed his name into United’s history, it’s rubber stamped. His stats and performances point to him being a legend at the club.. I can’t find any stats on his assists but i bet he has truck loads of them as wel. a lot of his issues have been self inflicted but as a Player, wayne has made his mark in footballing history.
Fletch – i’ve said it before and will say it again, nick powell is the heir to scholesy throne. He’s just as classy and there are similarities between the two, i can only imagine he’s learning from the ginger maestro.
On wayne, I agree. He’s apologised and will knuckle down, I’m sure he can handle all the criticism coming his way in the coming weeks, hopefully the A.B.U will ignite the fire him and he’ll return as a better player.
@ samuel “as long as he stays in tip top shape”
Therein lies the problem. How often is he in tip-top shape?
He is slow to find his rhythm after injuries and slow coming back after pre-season.
He doesn’t look after himself enough for my liking. I don’t think he has been in physically tip-top
shape for 3 or 4 seasons. If he was I agree – he’s a formidable player but he needs to be right in the
head and physically ready. If he’s not like we’ve seen many times he is a useless lump labouring around with a poor touch and passing.
England and Manchester United striker Danny Welbeck has escaped a driving ban despite being caught speeding at 82mph in a 50mph zone. The 21-year-old, defended by lawyer Nick ‘Mr Loophole’ Freeman, was instead given three points on his driving licence. Manchester magistrates heard that Welbeck had admitted speeding after failing to produce his licence in November 2011, according to The Sun.
Welbeck, who is currently in Moldova as part of Roy Hodgson’s England squad and therefore did not appear in court, had initially denied the charge and did not take up an offer of paying a fine on the spot. Mr Freeman claimed that Welbeck did not pay the fine as he wrongly believed he had to take his licence – which was missing and could not be found until July – to a police station. Welbeck was fined £65 plus £350 in costs and a £15 surcharge.
Bobby – you and i know wayne isn’t a physical specimen like Ronaldo for example, he’s fighting hard against his genes. I agree that he does need to take his nutrition and fitness with more care, he hasn’t got the build to eat whatever he wants during off season and then instantly return to his best. He needs games and more games, i can only imagine he’ll work harder but i disagree about him not being in shape for 3-4 seasons though, the fitness coaches and technology would have worked him out and he would have got thrown out of the club. I think with more competitions now existing at the club, wayne will not rest on his laurels.
“The injury is going well,” said Rooney. “It could have been a lot worse than what it was. It is up to the doctor. When he declares me fit I will be ready. It feels good at the minute. The timescale put on it was four weeks. If that is the time they feel I need for the wound to heal properly then that is what I will do.”
“What I don’t want to happen is to come back too early when it is not quite healed and it opens up again first game. That would just set me back again another four weeks. Overall, I think at the most I will miss [is] four games.”
“It didn’t hurt me at all. I got up ready to play on. I was holding my leg up to the referee to say I needed a physio or doctor on. I just didn’t want to go off on the stretcher. I said to the doctor I can walk off. But he told me it was too dangerous, so he told me to get on it! My lad [his two-year-old son, Kai] was in the crowd and I didn’t really want him seeing me carried off on a stretcher.”
“I am looking forward to getting back into the team and trying to forge an understanding with him [Robin van Persie]“
According to M.E.N:
‘United centre-half Luke McCullough, 18, was arrested on suspicion of lewd behaviour, along with a 19-year-old woman. The Northern Irishman and the woman spent several hours in separate cells before being cautioned for committing a public order offence. CCTV officers raised the alarm when they saw them getting overly amorous at 5am on Monday in Liverpool city centre and called the police.’
Ryan Giggs has scored four Guinness World Records in the new edition of the book, including:
- the most appearances in the football Premier League (598)
- the most Premier League winner’s medals (12)
- the most consecutive seasons of the English Premier League – having appeared in every season since the new top tier was created in 1992.
- the only player to have scored in every season of the English Premier League.
Commenting on his records, Giggs said: “To have my records in the Guinness World Records book, which I remember reading as a kid, is an amazing feeling.”
Four entries of Guinness? Must be pissed!
Arsene Wenger says:
“Juventus can’t think about selling their players for €70m and then buying new ones for a tenth of that amount. That would be too easy, but that is not possible in today’s football.”
“Van Persie would have been a free agent in the summer of 2013, but we decided to sell after Manchester United made a great offer.”
Thanks Arsenic Whinger, it looks like RVP will be worth every penny.
Zibbie @ 00:09: “Rooney in a 2 of the 4-2-3-1 formation.”
YEAH, that’s how I see it too. BUT, of course, not just in that role – like King Eric (and you) wrote yesterday, the guy is a “footballer” so he can be a midfield partner for Michael Carrick as well as a back-up for RVP. Gives lots of flexibility. AND, like StateSideAussie wrote the other day – having TheWayneBoy alongside/ahead of MIchael Carrick would mean that the Cleverley/Anderson pairing could knit together rather than being mixed-and-matched.
It’s a great way ahead – like they say in the Alexander Keith beer commercials “those who like it, like it a lot”.
Samuel @ 01:06: Anderson: “he’s yet to fulfill his potential due to endless injuries that curtail his progress just when he’s starting to play well. He got handed a 5 year deal if i can recall? surely the manager must be witnessing a top player in there that’s yet to emerge due unavoidable reasons.”
Absolutely spot on – he works very well with YoungTom, too.
Away you go man a six year waste of rations.