i think the OP means for the future, i mean look how lost we we look without rooney, and yes it's all very good having solid players, but if you dont have 1 or 2 world class attacking minded players you won't score as many goals, meaning you won't win as many games, meaning you won't win as many trophies, meaning you won't have as much money, meaning you can't continue to invest in top players. lets face it, in 5-10 years, rooney will be doing what giggs is doing now, not playing every game but giving priceless experience and advice, and 10 years ago, we weren't saying we need a giggs replacement, or scholes replacement, and now we all feel we need a midfield man, and while young is very good, 16mil for a 27 year old, who is only as good as nani, isn't the best bit of business when you look who else is (was) out there. and also look at it this way, if we sign goetze/hazard/eriksen for 25-35 mil (depending which one), and we help fulfil their potential, this is excellent business, as if madrid come knocking again, we could demand another 80 mil (or more, who knows what the players will eb worth by then) and it is good business. i know people will disagree with me but the point is, eriksen or hazard or goezte will improve our team immensely, as we will have attacking firepower all over the pitch.

MUFC_BENGI:

Thanks for that brilliant input mate. What I'm trying to say is that we just need another World Class player instead of just relying on Rooney in any position. CM,Winger,Forward, any of these positions. I'm basically saying we need one more attacking world class player to play alongside Rooney. I in no way want a CF who lays in Rooney's position. I'm asking for someone like Robben,Xavi,Sneijder,Silva, Villa perhaps that's all.

A World Class player in a midfield/striker position.

I hope you don't actually mean Robben because he is past tense. Many fans yell for Sneijder last summer but he has perhaps passed the peak as well, we should have gone for him before Inter got him cheap. We have all been shouting for world class signing but all we got was Jones and Young. No offense to these new addition but they are not there yet. As much as I admire Scholes and Giggs, and their contribution to our success season after season (perhaps more so this season), they are really stopping Fergi from making 1 bold move - go for a big name and build the midfield around him. I suspect Fergi is using this season to test Cleverly and Progba, before making any big decision.

Rooney Toons:

Sorry to double post, but -

89cruefan2:

Rooney has stated this many times, He loves his free role. He always wants to be on the ball and he wants to influence the game and dropping back to start attacks at times is he way of doing say. Rooney cannot work as a lone striker anymore as we witnessed against Bilbao. His game has changed, he has changed as a player and tbh he is a better far superior player for it.

I couldn't let this go unseconded. Absolutely bang on the money. It always surprises me how many people who presumably watch every single Manchester United match don't understand Rooney at all. He is one of the top three players in the world because he genuinely fulfils two roles at once, playmaker and finisher. Very few players who can do this (and I mean REALLY do it, not just strikers who can also dribble and pass like Aguero) even exist, and of them only Messi is better at it than Rooney. We talk about finding Scholes' successor, but the truth is that Rooney is already fulfilling that role, pulling strings and dictating tempo just like the Ginger Prince does. And then on top of that, he also manages to be the second best (this season, first over his career) striker in the league. To cast him as simply a brilliant, skilful striker - like Van Persie, for example - is to severely underestimate him.

Bloody well said man.Totally agree with you mate.I do think we could do with someone like Hazard an verstille attacker who can play in many positions and even in Rooney's position if hes pushed further forward or if Rooney isnt avaliable know what i mean.

MUFC_BENGI:

Okay...We need another Rooney. Let me explain:

Me personally I was the one saying no to Sneijder, Modric, Goetze etc. However now I think we need one of them players. I don't know who's going to win the league this season but obviously the odds are in favour of United so at the moment I think we definitely don't need a new player even though we couldn't buy one now anyway as the transfer window isn't open.

Corresponding with this our only Big man,World Class player is Rooney. Madrid have Ronaldo and many others. Barcelona - I'm not even guna say anything. City have two - Silva and Aguero. And pretty soon they're gunna buy more with the spending power they have.

Btw just to note I'm only talking about attacking players because I know you lot are gonna slam me about Vidic.

I know we have Valencia but he isn't as effective as a central player. We need a new World Class attacking player to compete for the Champions League and the Premier League next season.We can't let City go above us next season.

A central player like Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo,Robben, Messi. We need that player with attacking threat. A player who never has an off game.

We can't just rely on Wazza.

Anyway your thoughts??

oh and even i we get another rooney, hope we get a more loyal one

and you can hate me for that

Thanks for that brilliant input mate. What I'm trying to say is that we just need another World Class player instead of just relying on Rooney in any position. CM,Winger,Forward, any of these positions. I'm basically saying we need one more attacking world class player to play alongside Rooney. I in no way want a CF who lays in Rooney's position. I'm asking for someone like Robben,Xavi,Sneijder,Silva, Villa perhaps that's all.

A World Class player in a midfield/striker position.

I would like to see a player like Hazard Gotze Rodriguez Gaitan etc any of these would be great to add more class and creativity to our attack.Either of these can not only play on the wings they can also play as an AM r behind the strikers so say we played with 1 upfront either of these can play in the hole behind the main strikers or if Rooney wasnt available they can play there know what i mean.Either of these aswell as either Martinez Eriksen etc would be great for us.

mark.k.:

I've been thinking the same for a while. If Rooney was out for a prolonged period it would be costly. Also, it would be good to have another playmaking striker. Hernandez & Welbeck are good but don't get involved in play as much as Rooney.

Finding a deep-lying forward willing to cover for Rooney is difficult; however, we already have on in Berbatov, but look what happens to him when he doesn't get regular match time: he wants to leave.

As a result, finding such a player to cover for Rooney is very difficult. However, we can probably do this if we get Kranjcar or Ireland and have him cover for Rooney, as he wouldn't mind covering for others; he didn't complain at Spurs, did he? Well...maybe once, but that was just about how he wants to play some matches and not warm the bench regularly. And Ireland wouldn't mind covering, too. Otherwise, we can take a gamble and promote Petrucci to the first team to cover for Rooney.

I'm just making sure I understand your post, as it seems to not focus on a main idea, for me.

So you're basically asking for another attack-minded player who can provide us a spark. For example, you're asking us to get someone like Ronaldo who can do special things and rarely have off days.

Now let's look at which position we should get this kind of player. For goalkeeper, defence, out wide, and up front, we're sorted. Looking at central midfield, you would probably want that kind of player, then.

Alright, so which player of that calibre is available for us to buy? Modric? No, as he wants to stay in London. Gotze? Eriksen? Attacking midfielder? No, unless we do what we did to Anderson to him or change our system completely to a three-man-midfield formation. Besides, these players want to start regularly, as regularly as C. Ronaldo did, and not want to get benched due to rotation (unless you rotate like Benitez). Hazard? Muniain? Wide/deep-lying forward? No way, unless we sell one of Young, Nani, or Valencia or sell Rooney, as he wouldn't want to play as a striker all the time and wouldn't want to be benched behind someone else who wants to play regularly and not want to be cover for Rooney.

Our best bet is to currently get a central midfielder who is willing to cover for Cleverley and Anderson who is Man. Utd. quality (like Hargreaves) and give Anderson one more season. After that, if he still gets injured often, sell Anderson, and get a good central midfield season in next year's summer.

MUFC_BENGI:

Okay...We need another Rooney. Let me explain:

Me personally I was the one saying no to Sneijder, Modric, Goetze etc. However now I think we need one of them players. I don't know who's going to win the league this season but obviously the odds are in favour of United so at the moment I think we definitely don't need a new player even though we couldn't buy one now anyway as the transfer window isn't open.

Corresponding with this our only Big man,World Class player is Rooney. Madrid have Ronaldo and many others. Barcelona - I'm not even guna say anything. City have two - Silva and Aguero. And pretty soon they're gunna buy more with the spending power they have.

Btw just to note I'm only talking about attacking players because I know you lot are gonna slam me about Vidic.

I know we have Valencia but he isn't as effective as a central player. We need a new World Class attacking player to compete for the Champions League and the Premier League next season.We can't let City go above us next season.

A central player like Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo,Robben, Messi. We need that player with attacking threat. A player who never has an off game.

We can't just rely on Wazza.

Anyway your thoughts??

You're right.

I've been thinking the same for a while. If Rooney was out for a prolonged period it would be costly. Also, it would be good to have another playmaking striker. Hernandez & Welbeck are good but don't get involved in play as much as Rooney.

Sorry, I didn't mean to write a central player. I obviously did know Robben and Ronaldo are wingers.

Sorry to double post, but -

89cruefan2:

Rooney has stated this many times, He loves his free role. He always wants to be on the ball and he wants to influence the game and dropping back to start attacks at times is he way of doing say. Rooney cannot work as a lone striker anymore as we witnessed against Bilbao. His game has changed, he has changed as a player and tbh he is a better far superior player for it.

I couldn't let this go unseconded. Absolutely bang on the money. It always surprises me how many people who presumably watch every single Manchester United match don't understand Rooney at all. He is one of the top three players in the world because he genuinely fulfils two roles at once, playmaker and finisher. Very few players who can do this (and I mean REALLY do it, not just strikers who can also dribble and pass like Aguero) even exist, and of them only Messi is better at it than Rooney. We talk about finding Scholes' successor, but the truth is that Rooney is already fulfilling that role, pulling strings and dictating tempo just like the Ginger Prince does. And then on top of that, he also manages to be the second best (this season, first over his career) striker in the league. To cast him as simply a brilliant, skilful striker - like Van Persie, for example - is to severely underestimate him.

Several serious failures of logic in that OP.

MUFC_BENGI:

City have two - Silva and Aguero.

If Silva and Aguero are considered 'world class' then both Nani and Valencia should be too. And Rooney is significantly better than either. Silva is just a playmaker, Aguero just a striker (albeit an impressively flexible one), but Rooney is both at the same time.

MUFC_BENGI:

A central player like Xavi, Iniesta, Ronaldo,Robben, Messi.

Ronaldo and Robben are not central players. Ronaldo would best be described as a 'wide forward'. Yes, he often cuts in, but his starting position is still always on the wing. And Robben is a straightforward winger. Even Iniesta is only halfway to being a central player, preferring to push wide.

I'm not totally against buying in a really world class player if the right one is available for the right price. And you're correct that the place for a player like this, at the moment, is central midfield, because our wingers, strikers and defenders all look fantastic. Neither Sneijder and Gotze is right for the position, and buying someone only to adapt them to an unfamiliar position would be a foolish way to go. Like I said, only the right player for the right price.

For me, Modric is really the perfect option, and indeed the only truly suitable player available right now. Given our quality and depth in almost every other position, I'd be willing to see us spend whatever money Ferguson is given over the summer to tempt him away from a wobbling and potentially Harry-less Spurs.

However, if you wanted to buy in a youngster to become Rooney's understudy and eventual replacement in that peculiar false number 10 position he plays (and which no other member of our squad can quite fulfil), look no further than Mateo Kovacic. 17 and already a league winner and Champions League starter against the likes of Real Madrid. A game in which he looked very much the equal of some of those galacticos. Mark my words, this kid is going to be something very, very special indeed.

Unfortunately players in the mould of Rooney, Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Ronaldo etc are really difficult to come accross...

But in terms of Rooney dropping back.. If people think it will change if we spend, it wont... Rooney has stated this many times, He loves his free role. He always wants to be on the ball and he wants to influence the game and dropping back to start attacks at times is he way of doing say. Rooney cannot work as a lone striker anymore as we witnessed against Bilbao. His game has changed, he has changed as a player and tbh he is a better far superior player for it.

andy19850:

really we need the old rooney back, because rooney now is playing more of a deeper role, nearly in midfield, compared to rooney playing further up front like he did with saha and RVN

if what the op suggested happens then Rooney would not be needed to drop back as he does and can remain as out and out striker....but even if Rooney was playing as out and out striker do you think he will stay there i don't. some games he is a defender midfielder and a striker, that's just his style his work rate is amazing and he wont just sit up front if we are been pegged back. Rooney knows he is the main man and he is loving it that's why his game has improved for me.

I agree with this.

We need a worldclass player in midfield,someone to take some pressure off of Rooney.A worldclass midfielder who can help the team and Rooney out in difficult matches so Rooney doesnt need to drop deep to get the ball.An attacking threat like a Hazard,Gotze,Ericsen.These 3 will be great players and we should really try and snap one up,cause as you say,we cant just rely on Rooney.