Why Mourinho Should Rest Wayne Rooney

Manchester United boss, José Mourinho is under a huge pressure to perform. His team is finding it difficult to properly dominate other teams as  expected and a few reasons can be seen as the bedrock of their problems. One of such is surprisingly, Wayne Rooney.

Back in 2004, Wazza as Wayne Rooney is fondly called was a hit shot. He had shone at the Euros and got Manchester United falling for him. He went ahead to score a hattrick on his UEFA Champions League debut. He is a record scorer for both club and country, but his form has dwindled in recent years.

Wayne Rooney started his journey out of his high standards in the concluding years of veteran gaffer, Sir Alex Ferguson. Yes he was getting old and can’t continue to perform at the level he was earlier, but he has failed to evolve to suit his football.

He has tried almost all positions from the no. 6 to the no. 9 and yet delivered the very same results. Unfortunately, every manager that comes on board at either Manchester United or English national team, will look at making him a major part of the team. He has even risen to the captain of both sides.

The counterattacking side of Wayne Rooney as a striker is totally gone. His first touches are mostly heavy and, more often than not, he finds it difficult to control the ball after such touch. The striker part of Rooney is gone which was evident especially in the EFL Cup game against Northampton where he started as a centre forward but failed to make any meaningful impact on the team.

Similarly, playing Rooney in the middle of the park is a huge mistake. He rarely gets his tackles and is somewhat temperamental, a trait that is gradually decreasing though. On his day, Wayne Rooney can be an excellent passer of the ball but such days of his come in trickles and a club of Manchester United’s pedigree needs a consistent performer in any and all departments at all times to maintain the high standards they have developed for themselves over the years.

This season, Manchester United and José Mourinho are under pressure to perform and none needs to keep giving time to underperforming players. All they need is to keep getting out the results that will fit the expectations of their fans and the club management, and inconsistent players like Rooney shouldn’t be guaranteed a place in the starting XI.

This doesn’t take away the fact that Wayne Rooney is  an exceptional footballer. Only a few footballers can boast of his exploits. He still has some magic left in him but if he won’t bring out the magic, match in match out, then he should wait for lesser teams as well as find a position he will fit into permanently as he looks at the tail end of his football career.