Wayne f*cking Rooney

Dempsey

He's not worth keeping around

Dempsey wrote: »

Try reading his book

You don't have to even read a book. He's looked overweight many times over the years.

Certainly hasn't looked after himself as well as he should have

Quandary

This is an excerpt from Rooneys book

When I get up in the morning after a game, I struggle to walk for the first half an hour. I ache a bit. It wasn’t like that when I was a lad.

I remember sometimes when I finished training or playing with Everton and United, I’d want to play some more. But football has had a massive impact on my body because my game is based on speed, power and intensity.

His book was published over 4 years ago so I would imagine his body is most certainly starting to let him down now. It is clear as day he is no longer anywhere near as effective or physically capable as he once. Very sad to see him nowadays, a shadow of the powerful explosive player he was.

Potential Underachiever

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Do you know them both personally? Strange how you're so in formed about how Rooney looks after his body away from football.

Strange that you as the founder member and chairman of the Rooney fan club are so ill informed about how he looks after his body!

StringerBell

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Do you know them both personally? Strange how you're so in formed about how Rooney looks after his body away from football.

Really?

Flint Fredstone

A good option from the bench

If only there were pictures of him looking out of shape, smoking and drinking pints during the Summer...

deaddonkey15

He's not worth keeping around

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

Strange that you as the founder member and chairman of the Rooney fan club are so ill informed about how he looks after his body!

What an unfunny post.

StringerBell wrote: »

Really?

Yes really.

clubberlang12

I really do wonder if some people are even watching at all what they are trying to defend? Are they just looking at stat's or figures? Do they watch the games? Do they actually see what is in front of them? Rooney hasn't managed his body well over his career, especially in the off season. This is far from a recent development.

StringerBell

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Yes really.

I have felt you misguided a lot of the time, incorrect a lot of the time, and a bit soap boxy a lot of the time, but this is the first time I am sure you are not being genuine in your Rooney discussion.

How Rooney looks after himself outside of football is a well publicised and discussed topic, with years of pictures, quotes, and other things to back up the fact that he does not look after himself the way a top professional such as Ibra, or closer to his age, Ronaldo, does.

Its not a point worth debating. You know this too. It is impossible to be unaware of this.

Billy86

Flint Fredstone wrote: »

If only there were pictures of him looking out of shape, smoking and drinking pints during the Summer...

Odd that deaddonkey15 didn't respond to this along with the other posts about Rooney not looking after his body...




In all honesty, more than Ibra I think Rooney vs. Ronaldo is a great comparison to show very young players about the importance of looking after yourself from day one, a good decade or more before deterioration should set in, and the impact of not doing so. Ronaldo was the better of the two for the last good decade, not a slight on Rooney per se as Ronnie is one of the very best players to ever step foot on the pitch, but the gulf between them in recent years as their bodies have aged and as they have become less explosive with time is extremely telling.

deaddonkey15

He's not worth keeping around

StringerBell wrote: »

I have felt you misguided a lot of the time, incorrect a lot of the time, and a bit soap boxy a lot of the time, but this is the first time I am sure you are not being genuine in your Rooney discussion.

How Rooney looks after himself outside of football is a well publicised and discussed topic, with years of pictures, quotes, and other things to back up the fact that he does not look after himself the way a top professional such as Ibra, or closer to his age, Ronaldo, does.

Its not a point worth debating. You know this too. It is impossible to be unaware of this.

Quotes from who?

Muahahaha

sReq | uTeK

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

What an unfunny post.



Yes really.

When will your retorts actually address the idiocry of your statements.

fergiesfolly

A good option from the bench

Muahahaha wrote: »

If someone were to post that picture of Rooney a year or two after retiring, I'd say fair enough.
But that is the physique of a professional athlete, currently plying his trade.
Don't mind the comparison with Ronaldo, 99% of professional footballers would put him to shame.

eagle eye

fergiesfolly wrote: »

If someone were to post that picture of Rooney a year or two after retiring, I'd say fair enough.
But that is the physique of a professional athlete, currently plying his trade.
Don't mind the comparison with Ronaldo, 99% of professional footballers would put him to shame.

How the hell can you decide what his physique is like based on that picture? When was the picture taken?

There is a glass covering part of his stomach and it's impossible to make any definitive decision about what shape he is in based on that picture.

fergiesfolly

A good option from the bench

eagle eye wrote: »

How the hell can you decide what his physique is like based on that picture? When was the picture taken?

There is a glass covering part of his stomach and it's impossible to make any definitive decision about what shape he is in based on that picture.

In fairness, its not just that picture.
There's been dozens down through the years.
And its not just his stomach. There doesn't seem to be a lot of muscle tone anywhere on his upper body.
He lets himself go a bit during the summer, every summer. And this, added to the young start at the high end of professional football, the few injuries, I think he's physically older than his 31 years.

Dempsey

A good option from the bench

eagle eye wrote: »

How the hell can you decide what his physique is like based on that picture? When was the picture taken?

There is a glass covering part of his stomach and it's impossible to make any definitive decision about what shape he is in based on that picture.

I can see enough to know he doesnt look after himself that well at all.

If I didnt know who that was and you told me he was a professional athlete earning £300k a week, I would be stunned tbh.

As they say, what you eat in private will show up in public

Liam O

Rooney is probably about a stone heavier in that picture than he is now and was a better player for it. I think the struggles he's had with weight have him looking very slight now and while he's still quick enough the lack of muscle to back that up means he gets pushed off the ball very easily when that used to be one of his biggest strengths.

His first touch has gone to pot and i think that started when Ronaldo left and he adapted to become the main striker. It meant that a heavier touch that he could run onto was an asset. When he was then moved back in the last few seasons he has struggled to adapt the other way to a more controlled touch which results in him showing a lot more of it to defenders in tight spaces than he used to which impacts passing a lot.

There is still a great player in there imo but it's as a number 9. If he was played in front of Zlatan he'd get a lot of joy imo but that ship appears to have sailed which is a shame.

PhlegmyMoses

Liam O wrote: »

Rooney is probably about a stone heavier in that picture than he is now and was a better player for it. I think the struggles he's had with weight have him looking very slight now and while he's still quick enough the lack of muscle to back that up means he gets pushed off the ball very easily when that used to be one of his biggest strengths.

His first touch has gone to pot and i think that started when Ronaldo left and he adapted to become the main striker. It meant that a heavier touch that he could run onto was an asset. When he was then moved back in the last few seasons he has struggled to adapt the other way to a more controlled touch which results in him showing a lot more of it to defenders in tight spaces than he used to which impacts passing a lot.

There is still a great player in there imo but it's as a number 9. If he was played in front of Zlatan he'd get a lot of joy imo but that ship appears to have sailed which is a shame.

This is the thing, him slowing up is par for the course. It doesn't really explain the lack of technique, the hesitancy and the slow decision making. This was a guy who used to bomb shots into the top corner, use clever pieces of skill to evade defenders and had a good first touch. If it was a simple case of not looking after himself when younger, those traits would be still evident at times. For me it has a lot to do with being inside his own head and his confidence levels. Maybe the fire is gone - we see it with lots of sportspeople, golfers are particularly good examples - and it's up to him to rediscover it. Giggs hit a long forgotten barren couple of years coming into his 30s and pulled it back around to be a productive team member again, it's up to Wayne to do the same.

Liam O

PhlegmyMoses wrote: »

This is the thing, him slowing up is par for the course. It doesn't really explain the lack of technique, the hesitancy and the slow decision making. This was a guy who used to bomb shots into the top corner, use clever pieces of skill to evade defenders and had a good first touch. If it was a simple case of not looking after himself when younger, those traits would be still evident at times. For me it has a lot to do with being inside his own head and his confidence levels. Maybe the fire is gone - we see it with lots of sportspeople, golfers are particularly good examples - and it's up to him to rediscover it. Giggs hit a long forgotten barren couple of years coming into his 30s and pulled it back around to be a productive team member again, it's up to Wayne to do the same.

All good points but I don't think he's been the bomb shots into the top corner for a long time, instead going for that silly chip that never ever worked. What he really improved on was his finishing in general. He became more greedy when Ronaldo left and went from being a decent finisher to one of the best in the world.

Around 2011 I think you could argue that he was in the top 5 attackers in the world. This is because his role was clearly defined. Play off the last defender and bang it in when it comes your way. No defensive responsibility. He evolved into a player who didn't use up all of his energy chasing lost causes. Now he's devolved and is trying to be the player he was 10 years ago when he became a completely different player to that.

I reckon RVP joining was the death knell in a way. Him playing as the main striker with Kagawa feeding him would have been glorious imo but Fergie wanted to go out with a bang so put it all on RVP. Seemed to have personal gripes with Rooney too but sure they are who they are and Jose has to look forward.

PhlegmyMoses

Funnily enough, RVP is a good example of a striker who seemingly lost his touch and never rediscovered it, Torres and Shevchenko another two. All of those had injuries, as did Rooney, but the fall-off in their general play and overall sharpness was incredible. I think a lot of it is down to mental fatigue as much as physical. For every Shearer and Giggs who reinvented themselves after injury or their bodies slowing down, there's a Falcao or Michael Owen that just never really gets back to their best. Some people just don't have the drive to do it all over again.

bangkok

He's not worth keeping around

Wayne Rooney is a United legend, an England legend, all time leading England goal scorer, premier league legend, playing at the highest level for 14 years and still only 30. Give him a break ffs

PhlegmyMoses

bangkok wrote: »

Wayne Rooney is a United legend, an England legend, all time leading England goal scorer, premier league legend, playing at the highest level for 14 years and still only 30. Give him a break ffs

I mean, it's not like we're saying he's none of those things. He's in a pretty big slump right now though, and it could be the beginning of the end for him at the top level, it has happened to many players before him and will happen after. It's a valid discussion.

Billy86

bangkok wrote: »

Wayne Rooney is a United legend, an England legend, all time leading England goal scorer, premier league legend, playing at the highest level for 14 years and still only 30. Give him a break ffs

So what you're saying is he should be completely immune of any and all criticism, despite playing like a 35 year old for quite a while now?

Dirty Dingus McGee

bangkok wrote: »

Wayne Rooney is a United legend, an England legend, all time leading England goal scorer, premier league legend, playing at the highest level for 14 years and still only 30. Give him a break ffs

But strikers age much more quickly than other positions and Rooney is 31 next Monday and he's been a regular first team player at the top level since he was 17 means he has a lot more miles on the clock than other players his age .In footballing years he's probably closer to a 33 or 34 year old now and not his real age.

He looks to be almost completely gone at this stage and it's not uncommon for strikers to completely fall of a cliff once they hit their 30's.

I'd say the only way he's going to have any chance of reviving his career is to accept he's not good enough for Man Utd anymore and look for another club and try and get himself back into form.

Lord TSC

bangkok wrote: »

Wayne Rooney is a United legend, an England legend, all time leading England goal scorer, premier league legend, playing at the highest level for 14 years and still only 30. Give him a break ffs

The "but he is a legend!" Defence really frustrates me. No one is denying he is, but you shouldn't get a place in a supposedly top level team based on past glories. I mean, so is Cantona, but no one is advocating he should be starting for United.

"But he is a legend" basically admits you just want to look at a player through rose tinted glasses....

12gauge dave

Once ferguson started moving him back to midfield that time it disrupted him big time he had to nearly reinvent himself and now hes neither a striker nor a midfielder and its a shame he was the last chance of an english player being in balon dor contention and thats coming from an arsenal fan.

Dirty Dingus McGee

12gauge dave wrote: »

Once ferguson started moving him back to midfield that time it disrupted him big time he had to nearly reinvent himself and now hes neither a striker nor a midfielder and its a shame he was the last chance of an english player being in balon dor contention and thats coming from an arsenal fan.

Rooney is an example of ones of these players that was tricked into being something other than an out and out striker when really he was at his best as an out and out striker.

His best season by far was the season he played as the main striker (2009-010 I think) and he scored a bucket load of goals.

Same thing happened with Van Persie who only completely fulfilled his potential when he played as a number 9.

I always think there is far too much emphasis on turning strikers into number 10's, there seems to be a lack of appreciation in the alst decade or so fr genuine out and out strikers and playing players as out and out strikers.

crkball6

Lord TSC wrote: »

The "but he is a legend!" Defence really frustrates me. No one is denying he is, but you shouldn't get a place in a supposedly top level team based on past glories. I mean, so is Cantona, but no one is advocating he should be starting for United.

"But he is a legend" basically admits you just want to look at a player through rose tinted glasses....

I agree, "But he is a legend" should be enough not to get the sort of treatment he's getting. e.g. England fans booing him. Disgrace Joe.

crkball6

He's not worth keeping around

crkball6 wrote: »

I agree, "But he is a legend" should be enough not to get the sort of treatment he's getting. e.g. England fans booing him. Disgrace Joe.

England fans tend to do that

RobbingBandit

A good option from the bench

Rooney is and always will be a legend but so was/is Giggs even more so yet he is gone now. In order for Rooney to be a legend in the eyes of all he has to go. Nothing lasts forever except disdain which in his current form Rooney is a target from all angles.

Maybe he can rebuild himself but right now the standard at Man Utd is too much in flux to allow him to do that here. Chicharito, RVP and Nani all hit a slump yet now they're bouncing back Rooney could too perhaps but not at Old Trafford.

Nalz

He's not worth keeping around

Billy86 wrote: »

So what you're saying is he should be completely immune of any and all criticism, despite playing like a 35 year old for quite a while now?

Schevshenko

Lawrenson on Rooney

http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/mark-lawrenson-on-wayne-rooney-when-your-legs-go-your-legs-go-760205.html?

Nalz

He's not worth keeping around

I heard he looked fitter and sharper last night. Didn't see the game, that true?

Liam McPoyle

Nalz wrote: »

I heard he looked fitter and sharper last night. Didn't see the game, that true?

He looked better for parts but looking better than very poor performances isn't much of an improvement.

I'm feeling a little sorry for him tbh.

With the two penalties he gave the ball up to Pogs and Martial with out so much as a whimper and walked off with his head down.

He really looked like a shadow of himself.

inforfun

He possibly looked fitter than he is because of the opponents as well.

Playing Kjaer/Skrtel or Koscielny/Mustafi might make you look better or worse than you really are

deaddonkey15

He's not worth keeping around

Saul T Nutzz wrote: »

With the two penalties he gave the ball up to Pogs and Martial with out so much as a whimper and walked off with his head down.

Perhaps they were the designated penalty takers?

Potential Underachiever

He's lost his bottle to take them, he's poor at them anyway, so it was for the good of the team.

Lord TSC

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Perhaps they were the designated penalty takers?

You would imagine the club captain, playing striker, and so close to breaking the goal scoring record, would insist....

Agent Coulson

He's not worth keeping around

If I was Jose I'd want him breaking the record in or around the January transfer window and making the headlines so a club in China or America might see the headlines and throw in a bid for him.

Liam McPoyle

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Perhaps they were the designated penalty takers?

I don't thibk so.

He had the ball in hand and was heading for the spot.

deaddonkey15

He's not worth keeping around

Lord TSC wrote: »

You would imagine the club captain, playing striker, and so close to breaking the goal scoring record, would insist....

Unless he's following his manager's orders or putting the team before personal interests?

Cantona's Collars

deaddonkey15 wrote: »

Unless he's following his manager's orders or putting the team before personal interests?

Bollox,he's the captain and close to breaking the scoring record.If that was Zlatan would he stand back? A complete lack of cajones imo.

deaddonkey15

He's not worth keeping around

Any excuse to put him down I suppose.

Giggsy11

Potential Underachiever wrote: »

He's lost his bottle to take them, he's poor at them anyway, so it was for the good of the team.

zerks wrote: »

Bollox,he's the captain and close to breaking the scoring record.If that was Zlatan would he stand back? A complete lack of cajones imo.

Awful posts. Maybe he should have created scene like Balotelli? Pogba praised him for letting him take the penalty, it did wonders for his confidence, same with Martial. It shows what a truly team player Rooney is and no wonder he is very popular among the players.

Cantona's Collars

Giggsy11 wrote: »

Awful posts. Maybe he should have created scene like Balotelli? Pogba praised him for letting him take the penalty, it did wonders for his confidence, same with Martial. It shows what a truly team player Rooney is and no wonder he is very popular among the players.

Smacks of passing the buck. I reckon deep down he knows if he missed one the pressure on him would get even greater. It was not for the good of other players that he passed up two opportunities to get within touching distance of the goals record. Surely a goal or two would have done wonders for his confidence and put positive stuff about him on the back pages but no, our Wayne thought otherwise.

Giggsy11

zerks wrote: »

Smacks of passing the buck. I reckon deep down he knows if he missed one the pressure on him would get even greater. It was not for the good of other players that he passed up two opportunities to get within touching distance of the goals record. Surely a goal or two would have done wonders for his confidence and put positive stuff about him on the back pages but no, our Wayne thought otherwise.

If you have agenda then whatever he does, it puts him in negative light. It's as simple as that. For a player for Rooney's caliber taking penalty is not a big issue. IIRC he has scored 10 out of his last 11 penalties.

Young player who is under big pressure came up to captain and asked to take penalty, Rooney just gave it to the player. Not sure what's the issue is.

It's pathetic that everything Rooney does is used against him. Some of the journalists are much better than this.

Cantona's Collars

Giggsy11 wrote: »

If you have agenda then whatever he does, it puts him in negative light. It's as simple as that. For a player for Rooney's caliber taking penalty is not a big issue. IIRC he has scored 10 out of his last 11 penalties.

Young player who is under big pressure came up to captain and asked to take penalty, Rooney just gave it to the player. Not sure what's the issue is.

It's pathetic that everything Rooney does is used against him. Some of the journalists are much better than this.

No agenda. I just don't get this attitude of "kudos to Wayne for not taking a penalty". Maybe we should congratulated him for letting Mata or Blind take a corner. Its not as if he is a poor penalty taker. I'd have had no complaints if he had taken those pens........Maybe he's afraid that if he beats the record before Xmas that Jose will sell him in January ( takes off tinfoil hat)

Kirby

Giving the penalty to pogba was just good leadership. Rooney had the ball in his hand. Pogba came up to him and wanted it. There is potential for a scene here but he just gave it to him.

The martial one I don't quite get. Rooney should have taken that one for sure. A bit strange really.

Lord TSC

Giggsy11 wrote: »

It's pathetic that everything Rooney does is used against him. Some of the journalists are much better than this.

I mean, it's a topic about Wayne Rooney, at a time in his career when he's under a load of scrutiny. Every little thing he is going to do will be looked at, in a bid to figure out what future he has (or hasn't) at United. Trying to handwave any discussions or criticisms about him as "pathetic" smacks of not having a decent refutation to me.

For me, it's quite simple; club captain, close to breaking the scoring record, a striker who has been benched for poor form, and a chance presents itself to score a goal from the penalty spot. Surely you want to prove yourself, surely you want to get your first goal in two months (August 19th vs Bournemouth was his last goal for United).

Fair enough, a young guy walks up and asks for the ball. Ok, go for it.

And then a second chance provides itself minutes later. And again, you hand the ball over?

Wayne Rooney has 1 goal this season, and should be desperately trying to add to that tally. Not passing the ball over to two other people when he finally is served up a chance on a plate. Doing it once might be "good leadership" but doing it twice, to me, shows a complete lack of hunger.

As for the thought he's not the designated penalty taker...what does it say for Jose's faith in his striker that evening when he puts him down as (presumably) third choice penalty taker?

clubberlang12

For everyone saying it was good leadership.............the game was still 0-0 at that stage. It wasn't like we were cruising by a couple of goals. Rooney has one goal this term and in a game where he hadn't had a sniff of goal so far he should have been craving that scoring opportunity. He needs a confidence boost much more than Pogba. And to let Martial take the second one amazes me even more. If Ibra was on the field he would have demanded it. He would have demanded both penalties.
As for it causing a scene if he refuses Pogba, Rooney is the most senior member of the squad and has been penalty taker for a number years. A new recruit, regardless of pricetag, who has played less than a dozen games asks for the ball, and then Martial for the second and Rooney is doing the right thing!! I'm sorry but if he still is the designated taker he tells them both to get lost.