A display to warm the hearts of even the most pessimistic Manchester United fans; last night’s 5-0 romp was by far the most emphatic victory of the Moyes tenure. A display that probably emphasised just how far the club have come in recent weeks and suggestive of a United side very much on the up.
It is easy to forget that Leverkusen are a side flying high in the Bundesliga and until yesterday unbeaten at the Bay Arena. It was a result that not only confirms safe passage to the knockouts but one that truly signals the beginning of an exciting new era at the club.
When a side win so convincingly it is often hard to pick out the star performers, for United last evening the whole side deserve some credit. But even so it was the mercurial talents of Wayne Rooney that still managed to dazzle. Rooney has been in scintillating form of late, at the moment anything of worth seems to come through the Englishman in one way or another. Last night typified this trend, Rooney setting up the first four goals before eventually being substituted late on. The ball to pick out Valencia for the first was exquisite, the kind of vision and craft that you only get from world-class players, and for me that is exactly what Wayne Rooney is.
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Last night wasn’t an anomaly; Rooney has been the star man for United these last few weeks. Rooney has scored two of United’s last ten goals and set up a further seven, forget Van Persie this an is the keystone to the clubs Premier League successes.
Rooney’s success under Moyes was never an inevitability. Rumours of a previous rift spilling over and suggestions that Rooney would be no more than a squad player, things didn’t look rosy in August. But the turnaround has been marked, as one of only a few world-class players at the club Moyes has embraced Rooney and he is now starting to enjoy the results of his faith.
United’s gain is England’s as well. If you think United are short on genuine quality, then for England the situation is even more desperate. Granted we now have a crop of rising youngsters, but in Wayne Rooney England have a player that can compete with the best that the world has to offer. With the golden generation on the way out, Rooney is probably England’s last hope of really achieving something special this summer. This isn’t to say the rest aren’t very good, but clearly none come into this illustrious world-class category.
Rooney is the sort of player that can single handedly turn a game, these players are few and far between and that is why such a premium is placed on them. United are seeing these benefits already, Rooney being the man to step up to the plate when others are struggling to make that incisive break through.
Expectations are pretty low for Brazil next summer, we are very much in a transition phase under Hodgson and for that reason we may have to settle for mediocrity, at least short term. With a fit and firing Rooney though, there is a potential to achieve so much more.
United at the moment are a pretty average team, undergoing something of a revival because at their helm they still have a collection of world-class players. For England it is even starker and if Rooney can continue his current form there is no reason why this trend of overachievement can’t extend into the international arena.
Moyes has succeeded in bringing Rooney in from the cold, probably his best bit of management to date. Hungry for goals and firing on all cylinders, Rooney is in destructive form.
United are reaping the benefits now, but will it be England celebrating a resurgent Rooney come July?
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