03 Mar 2013 12:02:24
I'm baffled by some people on here, criticising Rooney for only performing in the last 20 minutes? How many games are won in the last 20 minutes especially by us? How about for the first 70 minutes Norwich and whoever we play give their all to stop United, close down, hassle players, chase back? Teams up their game and work rate when playing United to prevent a good hiding which means United have to work harder to break them down.

I see people say Rooney is unfit and overweight, well isn't it a testament to the lad that in the last 20 minutes he come in to his own? Or are people so blinkered to say that for 70 minutes he was having a Cuban? Because I've seen also people say if he didn't run around as much he wouldn't't be in the team so his work rate is top draw.

KLOOT says his 2 assists were 6 yard passes, well Kagawa's 2nd Rooney, a striker may of shot in that position but unselfishly set up a team mate in a better position because the result is what matters not individual glory.

The boy made a mistake and admitted it, United players have forgiven and moved on, I suggest others do as well.

1.) 03 Mar 2013
Ports, just one point. He pulled the ball back for Kagawa, not out of unselfishness, but because his first touch was poor and took him away from goal - watch it again.

Nice attempt to portray the lad as a modern-day saint though :)

2.) 03 Mar 2013
I really couldn't see the portrayal though Stevie.

And if you are saying that his assist for Kags second goal was not unselfish, well what else can I say?

3.) 03 Mar 2013
It was unselfish. But by neccessity, not choice.

4.) 03 Mar 2013
Sorry, wasn't logged on for that last comment.

5.) 03 Mar 2013
SteveK

Wow, if you have read that I am portraying him as a modern day saint then wow. May I be so bold to suggest though that the people who criticise Rooney on here and fail to accept he made a mistake and has worked hard to rectify his mistake are the one's who portray themselves as modern day saints? I am amazed at how many people haven't made mistakes on here.

As for Kagawa's second, he had to take that first touch as Bassong was right on him, he then beat Bassong and where some strikers may look to shoot with their left foot, he picked out a better option, you say first not out of unselfishness then say it was unselfish but by necessity not choice? 1) Wasn't a necessity because he could of shot with his left foot and 2) as I stated, the win was more important then individual glory, a team player. I guarantee a lot of strikers would have shot in that position.

Don't get sucked in to the anti-Rooney campaign just because certain people think they are taking some sort of morale high ground against Rooney and watch the games with your eyes and brain and appreciate what Rooney offers us.

6.) 03 Mar 2013
Wow Ports, it was said tounge-in-cheek, in response to the 'result is what matters, not individual glory' comment - hence the 'winky' face at the end, like wow.

I'd also like to ask you, who out of all of us on here, have ever tried to portray ourselves as modern-day saints? Ridiculous comment, when you don't actually know any of us on here.

The Rooney cheerleaders always reason that it must be his past actions as to why some of us don't buy into the hype.

Surprisingly, I'm more concerned with the here and now, and the truth is, however unpalatable, Rooney has not been in 'top form' for some time now.

As our top earner, he should be putting in consistently good performances to justify his wages - can you honestly say that he has done this over the season?

If he did, there wouldn't be regular arguments over him on this site for a start.

Prolonged periods of average, followed by a couple of short bursts of brilliance isn't enough for some of us.

If Toni isn't playing well, he should be dropped. If Nani isn't playing well, he should be dropped. These players are allowed to be criticised for their poor form. But if we criticise Rooney for his form, it's because of his past actions and we're all blinkered.

Sometimes it's just because he's not in good form, end of.

7.) 03 Mar 2013
If you're concerned with the here and now, then the fact is, now Rooney is a United player and people need to except it and get behind the lad. As for the comment about me not knowing anyone on here, yeah you're right, same can be said for Rooney, no one, I very much doubt, knows him so won't know what he thought, was advised, his intentions were during the contract issue so no one should get on their high horse about him.

As for form, well the only person that really matters is SAF and what he thinks. SAF obviously thinks he does a job and if he does then we should recognise it. If he wasn't then SAF would drop him, he did with bigger personalities before Rooney so he'd have no worries doing it with Rooney.

Like I said, watch with your eyes and brain, watch his movement off the ball to attract opponents to create for others, look how he covers for players, look at how he fires team mates up. The game is 90 minutes long and what you do off the ball is sometimes as important.

The hardest thing to do in football is score goals and the stats people have been showing about how many goals Rooney has been involved in should tell you the job he is doing. End of. {Ed004's Note - There was a lot of talks at the time he was trying to force the club into spending more on quality players. Over the past few seasons spending has increased quite significantly...}

8.) 03 Mar 2013
I can't think what else I would watch with to be honest.

As our top earner, I expect a bit more from him than 'firing team-mates up', or 'covering for other players'. That's sort of scraping the barrel in any defence of a top player's ability.

Putting aside his past actions, as I am, because I want him to start showing top form regularly to benefit Utd, on the form he's shown this season, should he be guaranteed a starting place, any more than any other first team player?

Not on top form, not on the chance he might show top form, not because he MIGHT be able to change a game, but simply on the form he has shown for most of the season. Even most of his supporters have stated he hasn't had a great season.

As our top earner, he needs to step up to the mark and start grabbing games by the scruff of the neck again. He looks like he's in a comfort zone, and comes alive every now and then - not good enough.