Roo’s rolling back the years with masterclass at Derby
Wayne Rooney’s performance for Derby County on Friday night was a reminder of his greatness.
Yes, it was in the second tier of English football.
Yes, it was against a Stoke City side that have lost 17 Championship matches this season and hover just above the relegation zone.
But it was still a reminder, a vision of his past when he was head and shoulders above any other English footballer.
There is a valid debate about whether or not Rooney has actually made the most of his stellar talent. Considering he is England’s and different cloth. Rooney’s there were many fans of Manchester United’s record mischief makes him. Premier League clubs below goalscorer, it seems And he has never been the big two watching his ridiculous, truly absurd to anything less than professional masterclass against Stoke and dare to suggest he has when he has needed to be. not thinking of how Rooney underachieved by even a You do not play 735 club would still be an asset. sliver. matches and 120 senior After the 4-0 win, featuring
But Cristiano international games his set-piece goal and a nice Ronaldo (right) is 35 without being in assist, Rooney – operating in on Wednesday, good shape for most a deep-lying midfield role – scoring hat-tricks in of your career. said he was “getting up to Serie A, starring in He looked in speed” with things. the Champions decent nick on There is certainly another League and will Friday. Again, it season in him, that is for sure. carry his nation’s was a rung down And, as Derby are highly hopes at Euro from the elite unlikely to make the play-offs, 2020. level and his do not be surprised if there is
Rooney is almost nine most recent season in the Premier League interest in months younger than Premier League – the return him this summer. Ronaldo. But the simple fact to Everton – was not an In the meanwhile, there is is that those two are cut from outstanding one. But I doubt Northampton Town at home
APPARENTLY, West Ham are threatening legal action against the Sky Sports TV show Sunday Supplement after one of the guests made unflattering comments about the club. You would have thought there were more pressing matters for those in West Ham power to concern themselves with. in a fourth-round FA Cup replay on Tuesday for Rooney to negotiate.
The prize for winning that would be a fifth-round meeting with Manchester United at Pride Park in early March.
As United scrambled around looking for an emergency striker ahead of Friday’s transfer deadline, there were even some sorts on social media who, presumably only partly in jest, suggested Ole Gunnar Solskjaer should have asked Rooney to return.
That, of course, is never going to happen.
But, watching Rooney roll back the years, you cannot help wondering why he was ever allowed to leave in the first place.
Ronaldo is older than Rooney... and he’s still leading Portugal
THE Premier League season started five months ago and, boy, has it been a gruelling time for some. Adam Lallana (left) has started three league matches, Naby Keita two, Joel Matip seven, Alex Oxlade-chamberlain 10, Divock Origi five, Joe Gomez 11 and Fabinho 12. They have certainly earned a holiday, that lot. No one has suggested Jurgen Klopp should send out Mohamed Salah and Virgil van Dijk to face Shrewsbury on Tuesday, but the insistence on fielding a team entirely from the Under-23 squad simply smacks of petulance. If nothing else, it does a grave disservice to the efforts of Shrewsbury. IT was not just the free-kick strike for his goal, it was the passing, the vision, the awareness, the class.