The Curious Case of Wayne Rooney
The FA Cup semi-final on 24th of April 2016 between Manchester United and Everton, will definitely go down in history as among the best ones. Though it might not be held in the magnitude as the one between Arsenal and United during the 1998/1999 season (Yes, where Giggs scored THAT goal!), but will maybe go down in folklore as when Anthony Martial broke through the ceiling, or when Marouane Fellaini finally gets praised by the United supporters or the one where Wayne Rooney took his first step to being cemented as a true great of modern football(confused eh?).
See also: FA Cup: Everton 1-2 Manchester United - 5 talking points
The star of the show was definitely Anthony Martial, assisting one and scoring one, that too right in the last minute of extra time. He will rightly get most of the plaudits. Marouane Fellaini also will get a lot of credit for returning to be a nuisance he generally was during his Everton days. Ohh, and De Gea, what can I say about De Gea that already hasn’t been said, the biggest compliment I can give him is that his consistency over the last two to three years is unparalleled for a goalkeeper (that includes Manuel Neuer). Right, so with that out of the way, let's address the elephant in the room, Wayne Rooney.
What he used to be
It’s been a while since he got that terrific hat-trick against Fenerbahce (almost 12 years) and though since then he has gone on to become the highest English Goalscorer in International matches, and most probably will go on to do the same for Manchester United, he's most likely never to be held in the same regard as English Greats like Sir Bobby Charlton, Gary Lineker or even Gazza.
Watching that game (vs Fener), it's easy to see why. His pace is gone, also gone is his edge which made him such a pain in the a*se. He hasn't exactly turned out to be what the English Press billed him to be (don't blame them, you won't too, just watch the highlights of the match). Comparing that Wayne Rooney and the one which started the season leaves me with a feeling of profound sadness, the kind you feel when you're wasting tacos.
But, the story isn't over yet (lucky for him). He went on from being an explosive striker, running like a spaniel all over the pitch, to a fox in the box scoring 34 goals a season to the guy whose first touch takes the ball 110 yards away. His move to midfield can lead to his renaissance, and give him the platform to potentially have his name sung by the Stretford End for ages.
His game analysed
There were a couple of doubts before the game about the position Wayne Rooney was going to play. Some people thought that United would play a 4-3-3 formation, with Wayne Rooney and Fellaini to the left and right respectively of Carrick in midfield. But, United started with a 4-1-4-1 formation with Carrick anchoring the midfield, and both Rooney and Fellaini given the licence to get into the box (or the edge of the box).
The game yesterday was a perfect example of his capability and potential in the midfield role. One thing that hasn’t changed about Wayne Rooney is his enthusiasm to contribute to the team, he’ll be at the edge of the opponents box and then he’ll run back to clear off the line. The game would have taken a very different turn if he hadn’t done the same in the 5th minute, with Cleverly waiting for a tap in.
He repeatedly arrived late at the edge of the box to take shots. He had 4 shots in total during the game. That is more shots than all but two of his United colleagues, which is commendable considering he was playing in a relatively deep midfield role. But, his biggest contribution from midfield is undoubtedly his long balls, whether it is pinging it to the right wing, or dinking it onto the feet of forwards. The highlight was his pass for Lingard shot, with Everton trying to play offside.
He’s no Paul Scholes but given time on the ball, his long passing is dangerous.
In his previous forays into the midfield role he was guilty of trying Hollywood passes every time he got the ball, but yesterday Rooney kept possession beautifully, completing 93% of his passes. He chose his moments, played intelligently, and started the attack which led to the goal in the final minute.