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I just remember folk saying this about Shearer when he was about 29. Great players find a way to reinvent themselves a bit and Rooney's struggling with that but he'll find his way eventually.

 

Rooney in his prime isn't face to lace Shearer's boots even after that injury at Goodison.

 

Prime Wayne Rooney isn't fit to lace the boots of the Shearer who played under Gullit, Bobby, Souness and Roeder?

 

Obviously not even you are stupid enough to genuinely believe that, so I'll leave it there.

Prime Wayne Rooney is 2003-2004. Since then he's been mediocre at best for England with some sporadic good games, which always come in either qualifiers, non important qualifiers or friendlies. He wouldn't be in my squad and probably wouldn't have been so since 2012.

 

Doesn't really have anything to do with the utter shit that Snrub came out with, though.

Yeah, this is true too.

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Prime Rooney was f***ing incredible like, arguably better than Shearer ever was. Obviously not as consistent or adaptable as Shearer, but it'd be daft to forget just how good Rooney used to be.

 

Was short lived imo, but aye, he had the lot. Better than shearer? More talented, for certain, but nah, not overall, imo.

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Rooney could have been one of the greatest ever in this country.

 

Sadly, a mix of Fergie removing his excitement and Rooney himself simply not fulfilling what he should have been saw to that.

 

In around 2004, he was the most exciting footballer I've ever seen in person. He was a street footballer with limitless potential, he was a boy who loved the game who was completely unpredictable.

 

Sure, he's been very good for the best part of a decade. But he should have been a lot more, and his general form the past year or 2 has been frankly sad to watch.

 

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You have to wonder if Rooney's natural physique counted against him in many ways, even if he had been a consummate professional athlete he was always going to be stocky and heavy and that does not lend itself to longevity for the type of player he was. Many factors involved for but it's certainly one of them.

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You have to wonder if Rooney's natural physique counted against him in many ways, even if he had been a consummate professional athlete he was always going to be stocky and heavy and that does not lend itself to longevity for the type of player he was. Many factors involved for but it's certainly one of them.

Was also an advantage at a younger age.
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Guest Howaythetoon

Rooney could have been the best player we have ever produced as a nation, but lack of ultimate professionalism, his temperament on the pitch, i.e. chase down everything, and Fergie installing in him a team work ethic over individualism put paid to that.

 

The Rooney of Everton and Euro 2004 was frightening and amazing, as exciting as any player really.

 

He has or had more natural ability and talent than Ronaldo, but the latter due to his temperament and professionalism rocketed away from Rooney in terms of achievement and development.

 

Back to his temperament... its an English curse, this chasing everything down and grafting. Gerrard played that way. Wilshire does and so does Barkley and it is to the detriment of their game or will be later on.

 

They don't need to chase everything and run around like mad. You never saw Pirlo, Xavi, Iniesta or Scholes play like that. It cost Gazza too...

 

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Guest Howaythetoon

I don't think Rooney had more talent or ability than Ronaldo

 

Perhaps the wrong choice of words... he had more to his game certainly. IMO anyway and I regard Ronaldo as only second to Messi and one of the greats of the game full stop.

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I don't think Rooney had more talent or ability than Ronaldo

 

Perhaps the wrong choice of words... he had more to his game certainly.

 

:serious:

 

Ronaldo is/was more skilful, technically better, fitter, better in the air, faster, works just as hard without the bluearsed fly element...I'm struggling to see what you're getting at.

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You have to wonder if Rooney's natural physique counted against him in many ways, even if he had been a consummate professional athlete he was always going to be stocky and heavy and that does not lend itself to longevity for the type of player he was. Many factors involved for but it's certainly one of them.

Was also an advantage at a younger age.

Very true

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Guest Howaythetoon

I don't think Rooney had more talent or ability than Ronaldo

 

Perhaps the wrong choice of words... he had more to his game certainly.

 

:serious:

 

Ronaldo is/was more skilful, technically better, fitter, better in the air, faster, works just as hard without the bluearsed fly element...I'm struggling to see what you're getting at.

 

Rooney is very good in the air also. For me he has/had a better football brain, better vision, better array of passing hence more to his game.

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Rooney being brought into midfield more ruined him, yes it helped the midfield battle for Man Utd and he created a lot of goals for it, but he should never have been told to do that, much like Ben Arfa should never have been told to track back for us.

 

When Ronaldo came to Man Utd he was the main man and was allowed to do what he liked, which made Rooney's situation of having to come into midfield worse, for a time between Ronaldo leaving and RVP arriving you could see Rooney getting more freedom and benefitting from it.

 

Rooney is just about done though, if Man Utd let him sit up front then they will get a few years of decent amounts of goals out of him, nothing special but a decent amount. If they insist he comes in deep to get the ball then they might as well tell him to hang up his boots now.

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