- Status
mightymoyes
Player Valuation: £70m
Should have retired before stealing 15m quid off the club he supposedly loves
MarkK1988
Player Valuation: £8m
Football365's write up of him in their winners and losers section
Wayne Rooney
If Rooney was demonstrably annoyed at being substituted by his manager in the 57th minute for the second successive home game in a row, goodness only knows what his reaction was to Sam Allardyce’s quotes that filled the Sunday papers.
“Our passing sometimes got a bit woeful. That is why we made the changes,” was Allardyce’s immediate post-match take. “He can say whatever he wants to me in the office but it has to be done between the four walls of the office between me and him. He’s an Evertonian through and through and he’s been brought off in a derby game. I’d expect a reaction because that’s how much he cares. That’s fine by me.”
If that intended to play down the problem, far worse was to come:
“I can agree with you, to a certain degree, that Wayne struggles against the very best opposition,” Allardyce said. “He didn’t play very well in the first half against Manchester City but, before that, he had been outstanding and we had been a little bit short in midfield in recent weeks anyway. We’re still playing Tom Davies at 19 and bringing on Beni Baningime at 19-years-old and we are without Gylfi Sigurdsson, who can play there.”
Allardyce is effectively admitting that Rooney is playing for Everton because there is nobody else available. Were there, he would be sat squarely on the bench.
That is an extraordinary admission for two reasons. Firstly, Rooney is Everton’s highest-paid player at around £150,000 a week, a significant drop from his Manchester United salary but still lofty. A jobbing 32-year-old Everton midfielder really is on more money than any Tottenham player.
Secondly, it suggests that Rooney’s career at the top level is finished. When Allardyce was made England manager, he famously said that he could not stop Rooney playing in midfield for the national team, because he had enjoyed such a decorated club career. Seventeen months later, and it is Allardyce who is hammering nails into Rooney’s coffin.
The expectation was that Allardyce’s arrival at Goodison was good news for Rooney. An English manager for an English player, and one who would have far more respect for Rooney than a continental coach might. They tend to prioritise little things like stamina and energy rather than reputation.
Rooney’s first-team place might well have been at significant risk anyway. Allardyce is likely to leave this summer having burned the few bridges that were in place when he took over. Would Paulo Fonseca have the same inbuilt respect towards Rooney?
As it is, one of Rooney’s closest cohorts has done more to damage his long-term reputation than anyone else. Insinuating that Rooney struggles against the elite when playing for a club who have designs on becoming part of that elite is to render him useless. Rooney may well outlast Allardyce at Goodison, but don’t expect the final year of his contract to be a grand hurrah.
Wayne Rooney
If Rooney was demonstrably annoyed at being substituted by his manager in the 57th minute for the second successive home game in a row, goodness only knows what his reaction was to Sam Allardyce’s quotes that filled the Sunday papers.
“Our passing sometimes got a bit woeful. That is why we made the changes,” was Allardyce’s immediate post-match take. “He can say whatever he wants to me in the office but it has to be done between the four walls of the office between me and him. He’s an Evertonian through and through and he’s been brought off in a derby game. I’d expect a reaction because that’s how much he cares. That’s fine by me.”
If that intended to play down the problem, far worse was to come:
“I can agree with you, to a certain degree, that Wayne struggles against the very best opposition,” Allardyce said. “He didn’t play very well in the first half against Manchester City but, before that, he had been outstanding and we had been a little bit short in midfield in recent weeks anyway. We’re still playing Tom Davies at 19 and bringing on Beni Baningime at 19-years-old and we are without Gylfi Sigurdsson, who can play there.”
Allardyce is effectively admitting that Rooney is playing for Everton because there is nobody else available. Were there, he would be sat squarely on the bench.
That is an extraordinary admission for two reasons. Firstly, Rooney is Everton’s highest-paid player at around £150,000 a week, a significant drop from his Manchester United salary but still lofty. A jobbing 32-year-old Everton midfielder really is on more money than any Tottenham player.
Secondly, it suggests that Rooney’s career at the top level is finished. When Allardyce was made England manager, he famously said that he could not stop Rooney playing in midfield for the national team, because he had enjoyed such a decorated club career. Seventeen months later, and it is Allardyce who is hammering nails into Rooney’s coffin.
The expectation was that Allardyce’s arrival at Goodison was good news for Rooney. An English manager for an English player, and one who would have far more respect for Rooney than a continental coach might. They tend to prioritise little things like stamina and energy rather than reputation.
Rooney’s first-team place might well have been at significant risk anyway. Allardyce is likely to leave this summer having burned the few bridges that were in place when he took over. Would Paulo Fonseca have the same inbuilt respect towards Rooney?
As it is, one of Rooney’s closest cohorts has done more to damage his long-term reputation than anyone else. Insinuating that Rooney struggles against the elite when playing for a club who have designs on becoming part of that elite is to render him useless. Rooney may well outlast Allardyce at Goodison, but don’t expect the final year of his contract to be a grand hurrah.
diggerdestroyer
Player Valuation: £40m
No coaching badge in the world needed needed to explain that rooney cant play in midfield against anyone in the top 6. Yet with all their badges koeman and sam reckon he can.
Rooney should be a limited squad player esp in midfield and only used against bottom half teams at home in a 3 man midfield. Simples.
From the digger coaching manual #common sense
Rooney should be a limited squad player esp in midfield and only used against bottom half teams at home in a 3 man midfield. Simples.
From the digger coaching manual #common sense
GwladysBlue
Player Valuation: £70m
We can’t affors to keep a player on £150k p/w who can’t play against certain teams and is now only good enough to be a squad player.
He’s useless and expensive. Get rid.
Simon Buttle
Player Valuation: £60m
I don't think it's that. The whole Rooney coming back thing stinks of Kenwright, but at the same time i do understand why from a marketing point of view. However from a footballing standpoint his level now is the MLS, the PL is the fastest league in europe and he just does not have the legs to play in it anymore. It's a shame but sadly it's the truth and Wayne just needs to accept it. I think all three managers this season have struggled to find a proper place in the team for him and even then he can't seem to last 90mins.
B
Big Fat Sam
Guest
Not even good enough for the 23s. To think somebody at Everton actually thought it would be a good idea to hand him a 150k a week two-year deal. Goodness gracious me, no wonder we're absolutely abysmal in almost everything we do as a football club.
D
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chuffy
Player Valuation: £500k
Crikey, talk about reading into things.
mightymoyes
Player Valuation: £70m
No he shouldn't, paying him 150k p/w for that is ridiculous. He needs driven out of the club this summer
d34noj
Player Valuation: £40m
I thought Rooneys 2 year deal was subsided by United as part of the Lukaku deal?
OneTrueLegend
Player Valuation: £35m
It sort of is, he was on about £250k a week at Utd, they paid him £10m to leave and he signed a new £150k a week 2 yeardeal with us, so he is effectively still on the same money now as he was at Utd.
Any way, I think Rooney still has something to offer the squad, but his contract should not be extended beyond the current deal. I don’t see him going abroad or anything like that, regardless of how good the money is, he doesn’t need it and I don’t think he has any desire to do it.
marcus
Player Valuation: £15m
I agree he needs to get back amongst the goals...
He must know within himself he needs to do more...
Wayne get yourself fitter play further up the field & do what your good at scoring goals...
d34noj
Player Valuation: £40m
Course, knew it was something or other.
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