mazhar08:

he was played up as a main striker against Bilbao second leg and for England against Italy.

Against Italy, Welbeck did track Pirlo decently early on but it definitely became Rooney's responsibility once Caroll replaced Welbeck and he did this job very poorly.

Part of this can be blamed on the manager instructions but the application of the player must also be questioned since this is not some one-off in the past year and a bit.

donald p to sign for united:

I'm not concerned about Rooney's quality which is not questionable, a lack of match fitness is probably the cause of his recent form. His tactical indiscipline in the last 12 months or so is a worry however. Whether it be him not tracking Busquets well in 2011 CL final or Iturraspe in the home defeat against Bilbao or more recently Pirlo, his work rate has certainly dropped from what it was like a few years ago. This is probably a natural progression, he couldn't run around chasing people forever I suppose. This is also a good reason to push Rooney up to a false nine role now that Kagawa has arrived which would mean that he would have less defensive duties.

It does seem a bit concerning that Rooney doesn't track the defensive midfielder anymore. However, this could be because he was played up as a main striker against Bilbao second leg and for England against Italy. He was not told to be put into a deeper role. If anything, the "blame" can be put onto the managers for this. In the Champions League final in 2011, he did keep track of Busquets rather than let him free to do his thing.

If Rooney was put into such a role, he can do it well. As it stands, in the recent 2 cases that you mentioned, he wasn't put into such a role.

2009champ:

89cruefan2:

2009champ:

Well, its painful reality check – any team who rely to Rooney is trophies less, Man Utd or England…Rooney poses unique ability to use the team’s resources just for his own benefits, but when the moment of truth comes, Rooney simply didn’t deliver. Exactly what already happened in Man Utd seasons 2009/2010 and 2011/2012, World Cup 2010,EURO 2012. So, nothing unexpected about Rooney, the best Man Utd and England player. GOD help us ,next season ….

Wow you are an idiot really

We lost the 2009/10 season because of Berba.. It was the draw with Blackburn which cost us the title... the game without Rooney playing where Berba had his chance to shine and where he missed sitter after sitter. So how can that be Rooney's fault? He was injured by Van Bommel in the CL and Berba couldnt handle the responsibility.

World Cup 2010 he was 60% fit as the press, Rooney himself and Capello rushed him back from injury. You could tell he was injured when playing.

Last season we lost the league because of our defence... HOW is that Rooney's fault? Is it his fault our defence became leaky in the Everton game? Had we won and not drew that game, we would have won the league.

You are sound exactly like the title of the tread states “Rooney Excuses”! /p

Rooney occupied Man Utd’s attacking forces and played almost every single game during 2009/2010 and 2011/2012 seasons. Even in 2009 Alan Shearer named Man Utd - “one man (Rooney’s) team” and this team failed to win the EPL. Sorry, the reality check shows Rooney doesn’t have ability and can’t bear the responsibility to lead Man Utd to the trophies. It is proven already by results. /p

About England , it is the same. The goal at Euro 2012 was Rooney's first at a major tournament since scoring four at Euro 2004 as an 18-year-old rising star. You are welcome to the reality check! /p

By the way very interesting logic – if Rooney doesn’t deliver defense is the problem, or somebody else that was part time player and didn’t play regularly, he is the problem, or bad Dubai vacation…. Funny staff, isn’t it? Rooney excuses! /p

I just want to remind you how many goals score Rooney after he didn’t play regular football in fall 2010, December, January2011 until end of the season and Man Utd still took 19 th EPL. Rooney always was the player “without whom Man Utd can’t do it”, really? /p

Well, you know already all this “little details” and you are still trying to switch attention from them, but for how long? Next season is coming and with Rooney occupying Man Utd , you know…..

brian1977:

why blame rooney .england were awfull long ball . if they had valencia on the wing and scholes down the middle they would have won .

89cruefan2:

2009champ:

Well, its painful reality check – any team who rely to Rooney is trophies less, Man Utd or England…Rooney poses unique ability to use the team’s resources just for his own benefits, but when the moment of truth comes, Rooney simply didn’t deliver. Exactly what already happened in Man Utd seasons 2009/2010 and 2011/2012, World Cup 2010,EURO 2012. So, nothing unexpected about Rooney, the best Man Utd and England player. GOD help us ,next season ….

Wow you are an idiot really

We lost the 2009/10 season because of Berba.. It was the draw with Blackburn which cost us the title... the game without Rooney playing where Berba had his chance to shine and where he missed sitter after sitter. So how can that be Rooney's fault? He was injured by Van Bommel in the CL and Berba couldnt handle the responsibility.

World Cup 2010 he was 60% fit as the press, Rooney himself and Capello rushed him back from injury. You could tell he was injured when playing.

Last season we lost the league because of our defence... HOW is that Rooney's fault? Is it his fault our defence became leaky in the Everton game? Had we won and not drew that game, we would have won the league.

You are sound exactly like the title of the tread states “Rooney Excuses”! /p

Rooney occupied Man Utd’s attacking forces and played almost every single game during 2009/2010 and 2011/2012 seasons. Even in 2009 Alan Shearer named Man Utd - “one man (Rooney’s) team” and this team failed to win the EPL. Sorry, the reality check shows Rooney doesn’t have ability and can’t bear the responsibility to lead Man Utd to the trophies. It is proven already by results. /p

About England , it is the same. The goal at Euro 2012 was Rooney's first at a major tournament since scoring four at Euro 2004 as an 18-year-old rising star. You are welcome to the reality check! /p

By the way very interesting logic – if Rooney doesn’t deliver defense is the problem, or somebody else that was part time player and didn’t play regularly, he is the problem, or bad Dubai vacation…. Funny staff, isn’t it? Rooney excuses! /p

I just want to remind you how many goals score Rooney after he didn’t play regular football in fall 2010, December, January2011 until end of the season and Man Utd still took 19 th EPL. Rooney always was the player “without whom Man Utd can’t do it”, really? /p

Well, you know already all this “little details” and you are still trying to switch attention from them, but for how long? Next season is coming and with Rooney occupying Man Utd , you know…..

2009champ:

Well, its painful reality check – any team who rely to Rooney is trophies less, Man Utd or England…Rooney poses unique ability to use the team’s resources just for his own benefits, but when the moment of truth comes, Rooney simply didn’t deliver. Exactly what already happened in Man Utd seasons 2009/2010 and 2011/2012, World Cup 2010,EURO 2012. So, nothing unexpected about Rooney, the best Man Utd and England player. GOD help us ,next season ….

We lost the 2009/10 season because of Berba.. It was the draw with Blackburn which cost us the title... the game without Rooney playing where Berba had his chance to shine and where he missed sitter after sitter. So how can that be Rooney's fault? He was injured by Van Bommel in the CL and Berba couldnt handle the responsibility.

World Cup 2010 he was 60% fit as the press, Rooney himself and Capello rushed him back from injury. You could tell he was injured when playing.

Last season we lost the league because of our defence... HOW is that Rooney's fault? Is it his fault our defence became leaky in the Everton game? Had we won and not drew that game, we would have won the league.

Sephiroth Rising:

Every major tournament where rooney fails to deliver on the big stage, the excuses begin to get trotted out by us united fans. Last time it was he wasn't fit because he was allegedly rushed back from injury even though he was only out for 2 weeks. Euro 2006 the same thing the injury excuse and now euro 2012 he doesn;t start the first two games because of his own stupidity and we're meant to believe that's the reason why he can't pass accurately, control the ball or take on any players and run out of puff after an hour. I think we should be honest with ourselves instead of being like deluded liverpool supporters and say rooney isn't as good as he;'s made out to be. Before his return for the Ukraine game the media was calling him pele, the only pictures of the camp where of him and he couldn't deliever once again. The pressure got to him. He's not on Ronaldo's level. Look at how Ronaldo responded to the critiscism leveled towards him after the denmark game. The next game he came out all guns blazing and delievered. When has rooney ever lived up to the hype or proved his critics wrong when the heat started to turn up on him in a big tournament? I tell you, never.

England bloody hoof the ball down to the striker and expect him to hold it up, but rooney's never been stand-out in that. He needs to join in the midfield and link up play, creating opportunities for others to run into space, which in turn creates space for himself to take shots. But of course england never play like that. You ask why he can't pass the ball accurately, control the ball or take on any players? Maybe its because the bloody england midfield is static, and there's hardly any significant off the ball running.

You may say that a world class striker like him should be able to adapt, but look at the netherlands vs portugal game, portugal played defensive football, EXACTLY THE SAME AS ENGLAND, and ronaldo was useless, wasn't he?

The reason why rooney fails to perform internationally, MAY be due to him, however, I am more inclined to blame it on POOR NEGATIVE tactics. Hard to change the game when you midfield concedes >60% possession.

almasi:

Mujtaba:

rooney can't play well for england because of the rubbish he plays with. walcott, gerard, barry, milner, carroll? wtf! Even messi on nandralone would struggle

You are wrong. Walcot and Chamblein had little playing time but they made much bigger contribution than our star Rooney. Very unfortunate we had Rooney Young and Welbeck since the three players are used to playing together one would have expected them to show great understanding with inter passes but they failed to find one another. There were times when both Rooney and Welbeck rushed to the same ball, the positioning of both was poor and created a lot of gapes and free spaces for Italy to roam freely leaving all the work to the midfield players. That's typical of Rooney.

ronan99:

International football is a higher standard of football its like going up another league..not all great club players make great international players.