Rooney as a midfielder?

[DJ Barry Hammond]

I've seen a lot of comments concerning Wayne, suggesting a lot of people now consider him to be a midfielder rather than a striker and mock up England line ups with him playing in a variety of midfield positions.

Now personally, I'm not convinced based on the evidence I've seen so far - but thought I should throw the question open to Foxestalk Public Opinion in the hope I may be guided on a correct thought path on what will become an essential debating matter come the Euro's.

[peach0000]

For me his technical ability and range of passing are exceptional, his positioning can let him down but that can be expected from a player with limited experience playing in that position. I think he takes a lot of stick from the media and fans because of name rather than how he's performing in the midfield role.

[ScouseFox]

where's the "worst idea ever we just dropped the best English centre mid this season why would we then replace him with a shit striker trying to be a midfielder because he can't get in the squad as a striker" option

[Jay]

Can only comment on the two games I have seen him play that roll against us and in the FA Cup Final and I thought he had excellent games in that position.

 

That said for that same position you probably have Rooney, Barkley, Lallana, Alli which just shows how stupid Roys Selection has been.  3 CB's and 4number 10's

[Captain...]

Rooney could play in the middle of a 3 in a 4231, he can't play as the 2, their role is to screen the back 4 and cover the space left by full backs.

 

He could play in the tip of a diamond, or even as the Attacking midfielder in a 433 with 2 more conventional midfielders, he really shouldn't be in any role that requires any sort of discipline or defensive responsibility.

[Harry96]

Would play Rooney as a cm and Alli as a no,10 personally

[The Blur]

I think you got too much faith in Foxestalk to be able to guide you on a correct thought path 

 

Essentially, we are putting Rooney in the midfield out of our collective desire to 'fit' him in as a captain foremost rather than due to Rooney's inevitable decline,  which suggest we are doing this for wrong reasons.  If Rooney started this season in the midfield than fair enough but he got put in the midfield partly by the emergence of Rashford and Martial/ Vardy and Kane.  Rooney have spoken about playing in the midfield in latter stages of his career for a long time now but I think it is too early for him to be considered as a serious contender without a season under his belt. 

 

If Rooney is a true captain, he would have recognised that he is hampering England's chances. He would have volunteered to be put on the bench where he can consolidate his efforts in offering his experience to others in the squad and being a voice of the reason. 

[boots60]

Rooney is unfortunately a faded force. Yes, he still puts in the odd decent shift & knocks in a special goal now & then but surely Roy knows he isn't the "first name on the team sheet" he was some time ago.

There are 4 English centre midfielders who you can honestly say have had a great season, Drinky, Alli, Dier & Noble & only 2 of those are on the plane. How Rooney or for that matter any of the chosen midfielders among the squad get in ahead of those is baffling.

[Guest CityFan 06]

Personally I think Rooney does well in the midfield role. He has the creativity and ball ability to pick out a pass and create chances, as well as potentially scoring from that position too. 

[Ric Flair]

Tackling is abysmal, positional sense is abysmal as he goes where the ball is and not where he needs to be. His passing is nowhere near exceptional, it may have improved as he's got older but if he's our best creative player in the heart of midfield then end me now.

[Finnegan]

Absolutely shit midfielder. Thinks he's going to reinvent himself now he's fat and slow just because Giggs and Scholes managed it in their careers. Problem is, they're both a lot brighter than he is.

Other than the fact he can occasionally ping a forty yard cross field pass, I don't see what qualifies him at all.

[Miquel The Work Geordie]

I'd rather we just played our central midfielders in midfield. I've been an advocate of Rooney and have defended him on here quite a bit, I think he's been an exceptional footballer but I think having him in central midfield reeks of crowbarring him into the side because he's our captain and Kane is (rightly, on merit) undroppable at the moment, with Roy playing one up top it doesn't go.

 

I also think the way we should gear up to play no longer suits him. Spurs and Leicester both shift through the gears on the break with sharp passing and quick runs - for me, we have the players to do similar in Alli, Vardy, Kane, (what should be) Drinkwater - and to an extent Sterling, Wilshere and Lallana, but Rooney slows everything down for me. It's the same reason I'd rather us start with Rashford over Sturridge, the latter seems to kill the pace of moves dead for England for some reason.

 

We have some real talent going forward and this tournament is very, very winnable but I fear Hodgson's selections and inevitable "square pegs in round holes" team sheets will cost us.

Time will tell, I'll get behind them regardless.

[Kitchandro]

He's more of a midfielder than a striker these days but nowhere near good enough for England.

 

The Rooney 'world class' myth has been going on for over 10 years now. Possibly the most overrated player of his generation and it's utterly sickening he's got in this squad considering I can think of about 5 players more deserving.

[Guest MattP]

Terrible, he's looked good in about two games against a woeful standard of opposition (How anyone can already vote convinced is beyond me). It sums up Hodgson that he's also now prepared to move him just because his club realise he's now incapable of playing up front.

 

The worst idea since the boy in the striped pyjamas went to look for a friend.

[Wymsey]

Would rather have him on just for a half as a forward, than don't do much as usual up-front or be a headless chicken in midfield for whole game.

[Finnegan]

The worst idea since the boy in the striped pyjamas went to look for a friend.

lol

[MPH]

I think he has aged in the last couple of years and no longer has the dynamism about him to lead the front line. He can pick out a sweet pass though and should of been a midfielder long before now., unfortunately the decision to use him as a mid seems to be at the expense of DD

[Finnegan]

The people in this thread that have claimed he's creative or can spot a pass, do you have any evidence for this that's not a massive and obvious cross field punt that we've seen Morgan and Wasyl pull off plenty of times?

He's not exactly Juan Mata or David Silva, is he? We've seen Kante open up defences far more in nine months than Rooney has from midfield in his whole career.

[Dodgy Bob]

It's like the number 10 role isn't an easy enough ride for him already and he wants the additional luxury of not being expected to score many goals.

[Webbo]

I'm pretty sure if I posted a thread asking whether England should start a match with 11 players there would be people on here claiming it was the stupidest idea ever. People are moaning about what they assume will happen and what they assume the  result of that will be. Why don't we just wait and see? 

[ClaphamFox]

It's like the number 10 role isn't an easy enough ride for him already and he wants the additional luxury of not being expected to score many goals.

What on earth makes you think he wants the 'luxury of not being expected to score many goals'? Where has he said anything to imply that? He's England's leading all-time goal scorer and clearly loves scoring goals. Why do you think he wants to stop doing that? Why would he?

[The Year Of The Fox]

No thanks.

He slows the play down far too much

He can't pass

It reeks of finding room for him because he's got this record

I'm feeling so underwhelmed about this tournament and I'm actually going lol

[Nick]

where's the "worst idea ever we just dropped the best English centre mid this season why would we then replace him with a shit striker trying to be a midfielder because he can't get in the squad as a striker" option

I'm here.

[Nick]

Terrible, he's looked good in about two games against a woeful standard of opposition (How anyone can already vote convinced is beyond me). It sums up Hodgson that he's also now prepared to move him just because his club realise he's now incapable of playing up front.

 

The worst idea since the boy in the striped pyjamas went to look for a friend.

[Dodgy Bob]

What on earth makes you think he wants the 'luxury of not being expected to score many goals'? Where has he said anything to imply that? He's England's leading all-time goal scorer and clearly loves scoring goals. Why do you think he wants to stop doing that? Why would he?

Because he's sick of the pressure maybe? He's never been comfortable being England's one "superstar" in my opinion. I think he's quite insecure as a person, hence the hairline surgery and the botox. I'm sure he loves smashing goals in on the football pitch but does he love carrying the nation's goalscoring hopes squarely on his shoulders? Maybe not. Maybe he looks at Kane and Vardy and thinks let them handle tthe pressure this time, I'll get myself a cosy midfield role.