On Monday night, Wayne Rooney completed his double century of goals with a fine finish against old rivals Manchester City. Watching the move unfold, Rooney moved into a gaping space in City's defence – then powered in a one-touch strike through the goalkeeper's legs. This is the former United striker's second goal in two games. But is this a sign that Rooney is revitalised, or just enjoying an early season purple patch?
Out in the cold at Old Trafford
Although Mourinho was always careful not to denigrate a club hero, he conspicuously trusted other players ahead of Rooney. The Englishman made just 25 appearances last season, 10 as a substitute, and scored a meagre 5 league goals. It's not that Rooney had lost all of his talent overnight – it was more that United had better players in his two preferred positions. Zlatan Ibrahimovic was regularly at his imperious best, and after a few months it was clear Henrikh Mkhitaryan was too talented to leave on the bench. Although Mourinho did try to play all of them together occasionally it did not solve the problems United had with turning draws into wins. For Rooney, the message was clear. His time at Old Trafford had come to an end.
Competition at Everton
Rooney is not the only new striker at Goodison Park, nor is he the only new 10. Sandro Ramirez and Gylfi Sigurdsson will both challenge him for his spot in the attacking 'hole' he favours. Some journalists have posited Rooney will become a mentor to the younger Sandro, allowing them to play together but also as a rotation option. Rooney would be inclined to play a little deeper than his strike partner, which is where he faces a problem – he must battle Sigurdsson for the attacking midfield spot. Signed for a club record of £45 million, the Icelander is clearly seen as an integral piece of this new Everton side.
It may be that the constant threat of losing his place is bringing out a new hunger in Rooney. At 31 he could easily have two more seasons at the top left in him. Winning something with his boyhood club would be the cherry on top of an impressive career.
A world of possibility
Potentially there are three future scenarios for Rooney – the first, that he is revitalised and he brings Everton through this exciting transition phase in their history. The second would see Rooney's purple patch end and limit his appearances as his career peters out. Either would probably work for manager Ronald Koeman. However, the third possible scenario is that Rooney middles along. He scores occasionally throughout the season, perhaps amassing nine or ten goals in the league but ultimately being the odd man out. This outcome would be most problematic for Koeman, who might need to limit the minutes given to young up-and-comers like Tom Davies to accommodate for the veteran striker. According to some sources, Rooney is being paid £150,000 per week. It's an enormous chunk of the wage bill to leave sitting on the bench.
It will be fascinating to see the former England striker's travails this season. Hopefully, for Everton and Wayne, we will see a player rediscover his enormous talent.
Photo by football.ua
© Copyright topfootballtipster.com 2019
