Can Zlatan and Rooney play together?

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

If Rooney isn't on it this season he'll finally lose his place, imo. Especially if Pogba is in. It was always difficult for Van Gaal to make that call while he had a delicate relationship with the senior players and I suppose with the fans. Mou currently in a much stronger position.

For some games that could see Zlat drop off and play behind Rashford, but most of the time Zlat probably not aggressive enough in terms of pressing and helping the midfield to play that role for Mourinho. Feels like it's going to be a frustrating year for Rashford tbh.

Can see him on the left if Martial doesn't produce the goods week in week out.

Originally Posted by dunk

Can see him on the left if Martial doesn't produce the goods week in week out.

I didn't watch much pre-season, but hasn't Lingard been tried there? Definitely feels like the side we'll look to spring the counter from.

I appreciate the signing of Zlat and look forward to watching him, but I felt a more versatile forward who would switch roles with Martial and Rashford would have made it a bit easier to rotate. Bit similar to what we had at times with Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

If Rooney isn't on it this season he'll finally lose his place, imo. Especially if Pogba is in. It was always difficult for Van Gaal to make that call while he had a delicate relationship with the senior players and I suppose with the fans. Mou currently in a much stronger position.

For some games that could see Zlat drop off and play behind Rashford, but most of the time Zlat probably not aggressive enough in terms of pressing and helping the midfield to play that role for Mourinho. Feels like it's going to be a frustrating year for Rashford tbh.

bullshit re LVG - he £#%&!ed off all the strikers and planned for rooney as his 9. absolutely batshit mental.

sadly does look that way re rashford, but we'll see. it's less about him (mourinho will struggle to hold him back) and more about the other young lads anyway for me...

Originally Posted by dunk

Can see him on the left if Martial doesn't produce the goods week in week out.

yep can see that. it's exactly what worries me. it would be a complete cop out as well.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I didn't watch much pre-season, but hasn't Lingard been tried there? Definitely feels like the side we'll look to spring the counter from.

I appreciate the signing of Zlat and look forward to watching him, but I felt a more versatile forward who would switch roles with Martial and Rashford would have made it a bit easier to rotate. Bit similar to what we had at times with Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney.

Zlat is our Tevez.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

bullshit re LVG - he £#%&!ed off all the strikers and planned for rooney as his 9. absolutely batshit mental.

sadly does look that way re rashford, but we'll see. it's less about him (mourinho will struggle to hold him back) and more about the other young lads anyway for me...



yep can see that. it's exactly what worries me. it would be a complete cop out as well.

Indeed.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

I didn't watch much pre-season, but hasn't Lingard been tried there? Definitely feels like the side we'll look to spring the counter from.

I appreciate the signing of Zlat and look forward to watching him, but I felt a more versatile forward who would switch roles with Martial and Rashford would have made it a bit easier to rotate. Bit similar to what we had at times with Ronaldo, Tevez and Rooney.

Maybe Depay will get his chance. I think he's got the right physical qualities to play down the middle and he has shown to have good movement and shooting. Not so much at Utd but a bit of confidence will do him great. There is a reason why Europe's top clubs were after him tbf.

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

bullshit re LVG - he £#%&!ed off all the strikers and planned for rooney as his 9. absolutely batshit mental.

sadly does look that way re rashford, but we'll see. it's less about him (mourinho will struggle to hold him back) and more about the other young lads anyway for me...

yep can see that. it's exactly what worries me. it would be a complete cop out as well.

Don't know. There were reports that he told Woodward he wanted a world class striker or none at all. And wanted Mueller.

Then at the end of the window settled on the next worldy striker in Martial. But certainly if his relationship with senior players is delicate, dropping Rooney is very difficult until you've got someone patently better. The long-term contract for Rooney was a disaster.

Originally Posted by Bunker Buster

Zlat is our Tevez.

Similar types of player tbf.

Originally Posted by buck

most players play at the top level for 10 years. Rooney's been playing top level football since the age of 16. He's never been a natural athlete like giggs. Been downhill since 2012.

2008

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

Don't know. There were reports that he told Woodward he wanted a world class striker or none at all. And wanted Mueller.

Then at the end of the window settled on the next worldy striker in Martial. But certainly if his relationship with senior players is delicate, dropping Rooney is very difficult until you've got someone patently better. The long-term contract for Rooney was a disaster.

LVG planned for and repeatedly selected him as his lone striker ffs. that was his plan.

less than a year after publicly acknowledging that rooney couldn't £#%&!ing do the job.

it gave rise to some of the dullest dry £#%&! football united have ever played consistently at old trafford, where it was often difficult to even get excited about goals.

the fact we went on to have one of the worst injury crisis i've known and crashed out of the CL as a consequence, and the fact we improved pretty well after xmas, cannot change the fact that LVG's tactics £#%&!ed the league season from day 1.

How surprising, the 2 tired old shit bags stay on the pitch no matter what...

Originally Posted by Rashnaldo

How surprising, the 2 tired old shit bags stay on the pitch no matter what...

Doesn't bode well..

Originally Posted by Rashnaldo

How surprising, the 2 tired old shit bags stay on the pitch no matter what...

Zlatan must have agreed the same contract as Rooney.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BI0kEY5j...4WPAeC0LbuHc0/

Originally Posted by believe

Zlatan must have agreed the same contract as Rooney.

yep, he's got at least 5 years at the top left

Rooney was absolute dog toffee Sunday, his passing was shite, his touch was worse.

Him, Fellaini and to a slightly lesser extent Lingard are just losses of possession waiting to happen, Lingard's saving grace is he at least loses it at pace trying to create something, at times on Sunday Rooney couldn't execute a basic control of the ball and he's slow as shit..

I think moving Rooney on would benefit him as much as us.

He's not even going to consider moving on until he's got that damn record, tbh.

Rooney

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

LVG planned for and repeatedly selected him as his lone striker ffs. that was his plan.

less than a year after publicly acknowledging that rooney couldn't £#%&!ing do the job.

it gave rise to some of the dullest dry £#%&! football united have ever played consistently at old trafford, where it was often difficult to even get excited about goals.

the fact we went on to have one of the worst injury crisis i've known and crashed out of the CL as a consequence, and the fact we improved pretty well after xmas, cannot change the fact that LVG's tactics £#%&!ed the league season from day 1.

As I say, there were strong reports he wanted a world class striker. Hence the Mueller interest.

Bigger mistake imo was not having more options up his sleeve when Rooney inevitably disappointed. Rashford came a bit late to save the season. Putting all his eggs in the Rooney basket was mental. But really the club is paying for the ridiculous contract extension.

Originally Posted by S/Side.Red

As I say, there were strong reports he wanted a world class striker. Hence the Mueller interest.

Bigger mistake imo was not having more options up his sleeve when Rooney inevitably disappointed. Rashford came a bit late to save the season. Putting all his eggs in the Rooney basket was mental. But really the club is paying for the ridiculous contract extension.

rashford is 18 years old...

van gaal went from publicly stating rooney wasn't up to be a 9 to making him first (and only) pick in his 9 and planning the season round that.

rooney cannot deal with the ball played into his feet at centre forward under challenge, doesn't play on the half turn in that scenario, doesn't threaten in behind and is amazingly easy to negate in that position, especially in the restricted van gaal version of it.

i don't care who they were sniffing around - and as long as guardiola was at bayern there was very definitely a chance of getting muller, (meaning fawning over mourinho as the only reason we can get big players is ridiculous) - van gaal caused all his own problems at centre forward and was directly responsible for the shambolic start to last season and the season-long results pressure it put him under...

Originally Posted by Tumescent Throb

rashford is 18 years old...

van gaal went from publicly stating rooney wasn't up to be a 9 to making him first (and only) pick in his 9 and planning the season round that.

rooney cannot deal with the ball played into his feet at centre forward under challenge, doesn't play on the half turn in that scenario, doesn't threaten in behind and is amazingly easy to negate in that position, especially in the restricted van gaal version of it.

i don't care who they were sniffing around - and as long as guardiola was at bayern there was very definitely a chance of getting muller, (meaning fawning over mourinho as the only reason we can get big players is ridiculous) - van gaal caused all his own problems at centre forward and was directly responsible for the shambolic start to last season and the season-long results pressure it put him under...

When the club tied Rooney down for 5.5 years it made it extremely difficult not to build around him. The contract extension really is a commitment to do just that. Rashford showed how much difference more dynamism made, but he's young and he only showed up in February. As you say, LvG had even criticised Rooney the season before. Quite why he didn't think it vital to have other options is a mystery to me. Only thing I can think of he was so #@&%!sure of seeing his three years out he was happy to be patient and take the risk.