Opinion: Rooney Was United's Main Man

Following a frustrating draw against Aston Villa last week, Wayne Rooney was pivotal in ensuring Manchester United got back to winning ways against Newcastle United on Boxing Day, once again highlighting his immense influence on Louis van Gaal’s side.

It wasn’t all that long ago that, following a stunning 34-goal campaign back in 2009/10, many proclaimed Rooney’s best position was right up top, as the Reds’ lead striker. Despite that assertion, this writer – and, indeed, many others – felt Wayne’s talents were best exploited in a deeper-lying role.

Under Sir Alex Ferguson, Rooney was often deployed behind the main striker, with the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and, latterly, Robin van Persie all benefiting from Rooney’s wily forward play. However, only under van Gaal has the Reds’ 2004 signing been given an extended run as an attacking midfielder, and both player and manager have reaped the rewards.

The skipper was at his swashbuckling best against Newcastle. A midfield role suits his ability to dictate a game but, at the same time, does not hinder his goalscoring nous, as he showcased with two well-taken strikes.

When Wayne is played as the lead forward, you risk compromising key aspects of his game, such as his excellent long-range passing ability, which is – dare I say it – Scholes-esque. He highlighted this against Aston Villa last weekend, frequently finding the likes of Antonio Valencia and Ashley Young on the flanks. However, it was only against Newcastle that, under instruction from his manager to play "more attacking", we saw Wayne at his best.

Sitting behind the imposing forward duo of van Persie and Falcao, Rooney juxtaposed his serene passing and perfectly-timed runs into the box with dogged defensive work in midfield. It was a performance that did not escape the eye of his manager, who praised Rooney’s professional, classy and controlled display.

"When Wayne scores two goals and also gives an assist for the third goal, you can’t help but be very happy as a manager," van Gaal told journalists at his post-match press conference.

"He has the lung capacity to run for 90 minutes as a midfielder, which is why I played him there, but I can still use him as a striker," the boss added. "But for the team, at this moment, it is better that he plays in midfield."

Although the manager hinted Wayne’s occupancy of this role may only be temporary, it is possible Rooney could make it his own over the coming weeks and months. It enables us to see Rooney in full flight, while also creating the tactical means to utilise the likes of Juan Mata, Falcao and van Persie without the risk of the Reds’ forward line becoming overcrowded.

Only time will tell if this proves to be the case, but either way, let’s hope Wayne continues his fine form into 2015.

The opinions expressed in this article are personal to the author and do not necessarily represent the views of Manchester United FC.

Credit: manutd.com