Patrick Rees
One player who is under heavy scrutiny these days is the Manchester United skipper Wayne Mark Rooney. Be it the England’s national team or Manchester United, the 30-year-old has been denunciated heavily and quite rightly so. The player, who at one point in his career was compared to the Pele, has seen his form going completely south.
The player has completely lost his magic in the final third and not just that, his ability to hold up the possession for long is also at fault. Furthermore, his first touch has been poor; his ability to find a teammate has been poorer and what not. But surely this didn’t happen just overnight.
Till the final day of Sir Alex Ferguson at the Old Trafford, Rooney was hitting the peak and I still remember his pass to Robin van Persie against Aston Villa that the Dutchman fired into the back of the net. He then played a great role in the following season where United slumped badly under David Moyes and since then, his form has seen a great backslide.
As stated earlier, the player has become an enemy number one for the English and Manchester United supporters. And United even performed superbly when he was rested on the bench against Leicester City and Stoke City. Well, the result against the Potters was surely not the best, but the team showed how deadly they can be in the attacks.
He was also dropped in England’s recent game against Slovakia so is that it for the Englishman? Well, we certainly believe that the 30-year-old deserves more respect from the crowd and quite rightly because he has scored more for the Three Lions than any other player in the history of the sport. Not just that, Rooney is one of the most versatile players the sport has ever seen.
Unfortunately, the former Everton man has been a victim of his own ability. Going a couple of years back when Rooney started playing a much deeper role; he thrived greatly as his vision and his ability as a hitman was at its peak. During van Gaal’s era, the injuries let the Dutchman use Rooney centrally yet again and this was when he lost his attributes in the final third. So all in all, this didn’t happen just overnight.
But despite all of it, has he ever backed down? The Situation has reached a point where Chelsea legend John Terry had to address the fans to treat Rooney with respect but that surely hasn’t changed anything.
The skipper needs support, he has given his heart to the club and he deserves respect during his low time. Many might find it hard, but Rooney is a fighter and is a legend; be it the England’s squad or Manchester United, Rooney has been an ever present personnel.
Rooney is still and will be a player to remember in the sport and for many like us, he still is an absolute legend.
