Wayne Rooney has been one of the most consistent players for Manchester United over the last decade. He has been a servant of the club in all situations and has seen the club experience highs and lows in his time. He is a player made for the Premier League with his built and pace. He has a peculiar eye for goal and can score almost every time he has space in the penalty area. Coming into the 2015-16 Premier League season, manager Louis van Gaal game him the captains armband which everyone thought will lift his confidence even more.
But 14 games into the new season, Rooney has not been much but a liability in van Gaal’s side this season. He has lost his predatory instinct and is not longer the fierce striker he once was in his prime. The England International is an asset to any team he plays and had many chances to leave the Old Trafford for better opportunities. But the forward remained at the club and won thousands of hearts over in Manchester. But his performances off-late will not impress those hearts as it has been far from what they wanted from him.
United have won close games fighting it out till the end but have not really played as well as a squad with the number of stars it has should play. The defense of the club has improved two fold and has been solid right from the start of the season. They have not really given their opponents easy chances to score and this has been one of the major reasons that the club is in the top 4 spots.
But when it comes to the other side of the field, struggled is small word to express how they have been. A number of recruitments in the summer adding to the array of stars already at the club should have made life easy for the manager. But in spite of the talent in the squad, they have looked lethargic and lazy in the final third and have not created anywhere near the required amount of chances. The skippers performances in most of these games highlights the lack of incisiveness in the final third.
Wayne Rooney who is at his best at the top of the attacking line has often picked up a deeper position trying to carry the ball up front. Though his idea is bright, it has left a void up front and has left United helpless with not enough people in the box. Rooney’s movement and passing have also taken a turn for the wrong this season. The captain has scored just 2 goals for the club this season and has created just 1 chance per game for his team-mates. In the previous season, he created 1.36 chances per game.
Rooney also had a successful take on percentage of more than 63 last season. This stat has also dropped to just 50% this season, a number that is just below the average for the Premier League. The club as a whole has not been able to break the defenses of the opponents in most of the games and that has surely rubbed off on their start striker.
Van Gaal would have expected his star players to lead from the front this season but Rooney has just not been able to knit it together at all in the first few months of the season. He lacks any kind of conviction when taking a shot and has also been the culprit in breaking down United play in the opponents third. This is far from a performance that the manger expected from his captain and he will surely try his best to get Rooney back in scoring form.
But until then, it is safe to say that Rooney lost his form this season and it has coincided with him being appointed as the captain of the club. Though the arm band is a huge responsibility, Rooney is experienced enough to be able to handle himself but this season, it may have just taken its toll on the United legend. There is no doubting the ability of the player, but Wayne Rooney will have to start working harder for his club and should start making the difference on the field if he wants to lift the title with his club at the end of the season.
Leave your opinion if the arm band has affected Wayne Rooney’s form this season.