The European football thread

[Cuthbert]

Rooney I'm quite certain would not score more than a goal a game for Atletico, he is pretty overrated here. His passing is poor, his first touch is poor, his shooting isn't what it was, his fitness has gone. Still an important player for United though, just nowhere near as good as people think he is. Goes missing a lot in big games too. I think his 'genius' comes from being able to do spectacular things out of nowhere ala Arsenal '02, Boro + Portsmouth '07, City '11... that tricks people into thinking he's better than he is.

[Goofle]

His passing and dribbling is on another level to Faclao. Rooney has scored 25+ goals in a few seasons and has never been the only goal threat in the team.

[FRED HALE SR.]

Originally Posted by Goofle11

His passing and dribbling is on another level to Faclao. Rooney has scored 25+ goals in a few seasons and has never been the only goal threat in the team.

Even with Rooney's inconsistencies, he still has the ability of a top ten footballer on the planet.

[Trollheart]

I think Van Persie is a far superior player to Rooney. He's more instinctive, doesn't have to rely on others to feed him, often picking up the ball from his own half and finishing off with a strike on goal (not always IN the goal, admittedly) and he just seems more a natural striker than Rooney. He'll score the lion's share of Man U's goals as compared to Rooney, I'd be happy to bet.

Why am I enthusing about a Man U player? They'll revoke my membership of the ABU!

[Goofle]

Originally Posted by Trollheart

I think Van Persie is a far superior player to Rooney. He's more instinctive, doesn't have to rely on others to feed him, often picking up the ball from his own half and finishing off with a strike on goal (not always IN the goal, admittedly) and he just seems more a natural striker than Rooney. He'll score the lion's share of Man U's goals as compared to Rooney, I'd be happy to bet.

Why am I enthusing about a Man U player? They'll revoke my membership of the ABU!

That certainly isn't true, but he is better than Rooney.

[Trollheart]

It is in the matches that play out only in my mind...

[Cuthbert]

Originally Posted by Goofle11

His passing and dribbling is on another level to Faclao. Rooney has scored 25+ goals in a few seasons and has never been the only goal threat in the team.

If you're on about 2011/12 and 2009/10 where he scored about 30 goals in each season then he was the only goal threat in the team. Ronaldo and Tevez had left and Berbatov wasn,t doing too well. The only time Berbatov was a genuine goal threat was the season sandwiched in between, 2010/11, when Rooney had all that stuff going on.

His dribbling is non existent too, that like most of his attributes has declined. At Everton he would take defenders on all the time, when he tries it now he loses the ball every time.

And his penalties are crap too, he has scored something like 10 in 19 of his last penalties. That is bad for a League 2 player.

[Goofle]

Fortunately I think he is better than Falcao.

[Cuthbert]

You are entitled to your opinion, but being a more complete player doesn't make you better. John O'Shea is more complete than Javier Hernandez but he's not better.

[Goofle]

In Rooney's case I think it does as he can match Falcao is most areas, and better him in more. Any top manager would take Rooney over Falcao in my opinion.