Rooney. FFS.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

The point about him looking to get it onto his right foot is ridiculous (his first goal for the Club was with his left I seem to remember)...the reason he tries to get on his best foot is because he can strike a ball like no other player in the £#%&!ing Premiership.

Agree with the rest of what you say, but not that point. His lack of a left foot is a major issue, and one of the main reasons behind his struggles in the CL. Top defenders will not give him the time to always use his right foot. That and the inconsistency of his touch are major technical flaws in his game.

He is not comfortable on his left at all, may occasions he has lost a chance in attempting to pull the ball onto his right.

MJ Ramone I reckon a lot of it comes from the fact so many numpties in the summer used Rooney as a stick to beat Ronaldo with.

There is no doubt that Ronaldo has always been the better player technically. He's caught and passed Rooney physically now as well. But Rooney still gets a lot of attention from defenders and at times it's too much for him. This is why he has been encouraged to drift out wide, why he has taken more and more to drifting out wide (either side) of his own volition, and above all, why he MUST play from out to in in Rome on Wednesday.

With Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs in full flow on the break, Roma won't know what's hit them. Especially if Carrick's passing is on blob like it was today.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

With Rooney, Ronaldo and Giggs in full flow on the break, Roma won't know what's hit them. Especially if Carrick's passing is on blob like it was today.

Carrick is brilliant at finding space over the top, better at it in some ways than Scholes. Because of Scholes technique and the fact that he rarely looks to curl the ball, the chip over the top can sometimes be predictable. Carrick on the other hand is harder to predict.

I would imagine that the same team, bar Vidic would start in Rome. Unlikely to throw Saha in to a game like that after a month out. I am less worried about that now because the Giggs/Rooney partnership is actually working very well, bar finishing.

heinze was quite poor, i agree. carrick was superb; scholes second half also. rio was mom, imho, but rooney was not poor. the chances he missed were actually astonishing saves by friedel: rooney did little wrong, and an awful lot right.

what most seem to be missing is that rooney doesn't get into those positions by accident. the fact he's springing the offside trap/losing his marker shows that his movement is very good, that he's making intelligent runs and getting into one-on-ones with the keeper. he was a nightmare for the blackburn centre-halves to mark today - they had all sorts of problems with him. if it wasn't for friedel we'd all be saying what a fantastic hat trick rooney got.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

MJ Ramone I reckon a lot of it comes from the fact so many numpties in the summer used Rooney as a stick to beat Ronaldo with.

Yeah, agreed. But I didn't appreciate that either...& it was hardly Rooney's fault that the press/fans carried on like that.

The press were gagging to create a ROONEY V RONALDO thing, they got a interview with Rooney & the lad comes out & says "I wished him all the best for the semi-finals. He's still my mate"
Rooney behaved brilliantly over the whole thing.

We should be better than that....we should support Rooney 100% because he's a great player & will come good again.

Originally Posted by borsuk

heinze was quite poor, i agree. carrick was superb; scholes second half also. rio was mom, imho, but rooney was not poor. the chances he missed were actually astonishing saves by friedel: rooney did little wrong, and an awful lot right.

what most seem to be missing is that rooney doesn't get into those positions by accident. the fact he's springing the offside trap/losing his marker shows that his movement is very good, that he's making intelligent runs and getting into one-on-ones with the keeper. he was a nightmare for the blackburn centre-halves to mark today - they had all sorts of problems with him. if it wasn't for friedel we'd all be saying what a fantastic hat trick rooney got.

I agree with you about his movement and I'd never question his talent or his effort. But you're being a little kind about his poor finishing methinks.

He missed the ball completely when he was played in the second time, and then panicked and hit the keeper. A little look up - with Blackburn still nowhere - and he could have rolled it square for his team-mate (Giggs I think it was) for an open goal tap in.

Originally Posted by MJ Ramone

Yeah, agreed. But I didn't appreciate that either...& it was hardly Rooney's fault that the press/fans carried on like that.

The press were gagging to create a ROONEY V RONALDO thing, they got a interview with Rooney & the lad comes out & says "I wished him all the best for the semi-finals. He's still my mate"
Rooney behaved brilliantly over the whole thing.

We should be better than that....we should support Rooney 100% because he's a great player & will come good again.

Agreed. No-one was slating him at the game round by me MJ. It's mostly just armchair fans who get on the players backs. The match threads on here you were slagging off before are the gayest things I've ever £#%&!ing seen btw - couldn't agree with you more.

Maybe it's a substitute for not having the 3rd dimension

Can someone just remind me how old Rooney is.......

Why are we expecting Rooney and Ronaldo our two youngest players to carry the team ?

Rooney has the ability to be the best striker in the world, why slag him. Form is temporary, class is permanent.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

He missed the ball completely when he was played in the second time, and then panicked and hit the keeper. A little look up - with Blackburn still nowhere - and he could have rolled it square for his team-mate (Giggs I think it was) for an open goal tap in.

It's a fair point, but you know that Rooney normally has excellent awareness (off the top of my head I remember a great disguised square ball to Fletcher that killed off Charlton a few weeks back)

I know I'm coming across as being slightly obsessed with Wayne!!!..but I think a lot of the criticism he gets is uncalled for.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

Don't know about that about Giggs but take your point. Some of the old boys are right miserable whinging @#%&!s though!

Too many ballbags posting during games who never even go all season. Winds me the £#%&! up.

Originally Posted by Leroyloverod

Too many ballbags posting during games who never even go all season. Winds me the £#%&! up.

Agreed.

Just because certain players, like Carrick don't run about diving into tackles and doing Pro Evo flicks they're shit.

Clueless £#%&!ing #@&%!s.

We forget sometimes that Wayne Rooney is what? 21?

He has the body of a 30 year old, but he's still a lad.