A brilliant curling effort set from Wayne Rooney set the tone for Manchester United’s win over Derby County in the FA Cup. United were expected to be given a tough ride but the home side didn’t really turn up for the game and only had a 10-15 minute spell where they actually matched Manchester United but quality finally came through in this round of the cup.
Wayne Rooney’s first half strike was reminiscent of a player who is playing at the top of his game, granted the match wasn’t against Premier League opposition but taking his chance as brilliantly as it came to him and beating a goalkeeper such as Scott Carson – who had played for Liverpool a few years ago – certainly will evoke great memories for Manchester United fans, who have been asking if Wayne Rooney could ever get back to his best, in recent times he seems to have gotten his performances in sync with what is expected.
While United’s overall play isn’t something to be celebrated and their manager has been facing a barrage of questions regarding his future, one thing is certain; Wayne Rooney is finding his scoring boots once again.
The England captain started the season extremely slow but now has 12 goals to his name, he even got the goal through an opportunistic strike in the 1-0 win away at Liverpool, a stadium where he had not scored for over a decade.
Wayne Rooney is just a couple of goals shy from his overall tally last year and that can be attributed to finally playing in a position which suits him. Rooney might not have the pace to trouble defenders that he once possessed but certainly leading the attack and being the focal point is something he seems to enjoy and that has led to him scoring a few more goals this time around.
Even in the game against Derby, Rooney might have been leading the line but he was also the focal point for many attacks which is something that he should be more accustomed to. Rooney would have to play a deeper role as his career progresses but he is just a handful of goals away from becoming Manchester United’s all-time leading scorer.
While Rooney could break Booby Charlton’s record this season, it wouldn’t be because he is back to his best because if we want to see him doing what he does best, Manchester United have to play better. Rooney though is clinical and seems to find the net in the latter half of the season whenever he has a proper chance at goal.
He doesn’t make those lung-bursting runs anymore and he shouldn’t, this is another phase in his career and he will never be the player that he was five-ten years ago. Rooney must adapt and his supporters need to understand that this Rooney will play a slower more calculated game, Rooney shouldn’t be leading the line but playing behind the main striker (no 10 role) but as long as he gets those goals, no one will complain, that is until United start losing or drawing all over again.