Wayne Rooney hasn’t quite been at his prolific best in the last couple of seasons, but the Manchester United captain could well be the man to fire United to the title this season, given he is played where he is most effective – upfront, terrorizing opposition defenders. Yes, he has all the attributes to play as a No. 10, and the passing, vision and defensive work rate to pass off as a central midfielder but he is most effective as a No. 9.
The stats don’t lie – Rooney has smashed 34 goals each in the 09/10 and the 11/12 season when he was United’s main striker. And the man himself insists that he is ready to take on the mantle of being the first choice central striker for the Red Devils this season following the departures of Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.
The question is, why hasn’t he been scoring left, right and center for United in recent seasons? Simple. He hasn’t been used enough as a No. 9, given United’s lack of quality midfield options in recent years. Three years back, Robin van Persie was brought in to drive United to the title with his goals and Rooney, amidst poor luck with injuries and a breakdown in his relationship with Sir Alex Ferguson, had to play second fiddle. Rooney’s selflessness and desire to fight for the team’s cause ironically acted against him as he was asked to play deeper to add some quality and bite to a shaky midfield. The away tie at the Bernabeu in Fergie’s final season comes to mind.
Rooney was shunted out to the right wing to track back and keep a certain Cristiano Ronaldo quiet while Danny Welbeck and Robin van Persie played up front. Rooney had gradually become Sir Alex Ferguson’s workhorse and it was a role that was increasingly fostered upon him by Fergie, given the lack of a Roy Keane like figure in United’s midfield. And despite scoring 34 goals the previous season, Rooney was happy to play his part in a title winning team, than whine about Robin van Persie stealing the plaudits. Much like he was quite happy being the bigger man and let Cristiano Ronaldo take what could have been his share of the pie.
And let’s face it, a player as good as Wayne Rooney would make a difference all over the pitch – but if you aren’t playing in front of goal, you don’t get the goals. Even in David Moyes’ disastrous season in charge, Rooney was so often the man to slot into central midfield, given United’s lack of quality options and Marouane Fellaini’s increasingly sloppy displays. And with Michael Carrick missing a substantial part of last season due to injury, Rooney sometimes played as the defensive midfielder shielding the back four. And for someone like Louis van Gaal who likes horses for courses, there really must have been a dearth of options to convince him to play arguably his best striker as the midfield enforcer. That too in a game as significant as Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.
Imagine the big, broad smile on John Terry’s face when he looks at the United team sheet and learns he has to take on an out of form Radamel Falcao with no confidence, than his former England teammate who never gives defenders a moment’s peace. A man as well-traveled as Louis van Gaal would know that a player as good as Rooney should be playing on the defender’s shoulder, not shielding Phil Jones and Chris Smalling. He is a proven goal scorer at the highest level for both club and country, and there’s no reason why a fit and hungry Wayne Rooney can’t regain his best form.
And when he is good, he is pretty good. Let’s rewind to the 09/10 season when he was knocking in goals for fun and gave Alessandro Nesta a nightmare at the San Siro. Wayne Rooney is an all-round player capable of troubling any defence in the world, and with United finally adding some ammunition into their midfield with the signings of Morgan Schneiderlin and Bastian Schweinsteiger, maybe this is time for Rooney to step up as the main striker and let his goals do the talking.
United don’t need a Cavani or a Lewandowski – all they need is to wake the beast up. There are few better sights in world football than Wayne Rooney at his very best. If Louis van Gaal does what he is expected to do, we may well see a different United led by a different Rooney. The sky is the limit.
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