Rooney Could Play Out Wide
- By Lewis Doe on March 11, 2011 07:31 GMT
Wayne Rooney will be determined to start scoring goals again for his team after he was snuffed out during the Liverpool derby.
Rooney has not been having his best season in a Manchester United shirt by some distance but he has found a way to score a few vital goals for the team. His scissor kick against Manchester City showed he’s one of the few players at the club who can score a goal out of nothing and this match against Arsenal could be another pressure situation for him.
Rooney will be forced to play a wider role in the team if Sir Alex Ferguson takes the decision to play Javier Hernandez in a two man attack or Dimitar Berbatov up top by himself. The reason for this is Nani’s injury after a tackle by Jamie Carragher during the Liverpool match.
Rooney is effective in a number of ways for United and he can score goals from different situations. He is a strong and powerful unit who is deceptively quick over the turf. He has more than enough skill and quality to run at a defence, using his strength to create gaps and shooting opportunities.
He’s also very good at picking the ball up in between the straight lines of another team. This makes him difficult to mark because it pulls players out of positions. Rooney can drift into pockets of space regardless of whether he is playing a wider role in the team or whether he’s at the very top of the team in attack.
Also bear in mind that Rooney is always prominent when it comes to set pieces. There are very few that can strike a dead ball better than the England striker and he will always throw his hat into the ring to take set pieces in good positions. He also takes the spot kicks for the club which will give Rooney a chance to score from this angle.
Another aspect to consider is Rooney’s attitude and aggression during a game. If he’s fired up then he will run around the pitch like a mad man with and without the ball. A crucial diving tackle in the opponents half can win the ball back and he’ll be up before the Arsenal defence has a chance to react.
