06 Aug 2015 06:22:57
I see Rooney is quoted as saying he wants to emulate Gerrard as a captain and leader! Sorry but whatever Gerrards qualities our captain should not be espousing the merits of the ex captain of one of our rivals over some of the great title winning captains at our own club. Rooney mentions Nev and Vidic but aims to be like Gerrard. For me he can be like Gerrard and disappear off to America and especially so after appearing for his beloved Everton in whose shirt he sounded more excited to wear than our own.
06 Aug 2015 07:54:56
Who pissed in your cornflakes then ?
06 Aug 2015 08:01:39
Agreed Redman - Gerrard led by example, but you just felt you needed to give him a good shake when talking. Those type of captains are good for the flakes in the team of which Liverpool and unfortunately we have many, Most of our former captains could do it on the pitch and you felt an aura around them as men as well, if they talked you listened, you didn't have to say "can somebody give him a microphone and a translator".
This sums up Rooney for me, and what's worrying is that since getting that new contract he is not performing particularly well on the pitch so the inspiration he can provide isn't being done - may as well have Young as captain for what good it is doing. For me he is not performing the role of inspiring leader raising others games and leading by example - it's a pointless token appointment now and we are missing out and a tiny advantage that Chelsea, City and Arsenal get from having useful captains.
There wasn't a viable alternative for Utd or England so hard to blame him, but there is now with Schweiny at Utd. Captain is up there with shirt number now, not really that important to most people.
{Ed025's Note - good post that beast..
06 Aug 2015 08:14:53
I should be clear that it was not appearing for Everton but his comment that he was glad his kids had seen him in an Everton shirt was what I found disappointing and disrespectful to THE shirt
{Ed025's Note - he was just being nice to his boyhood club red man, you are reading too much into it imo mate..
06 Aug 2015 08:54:52
Take your devil embroided specs of Red Man. Gerrard was a thorn in our side for years. I hated him playing against us but he was different class in his prime.
You have to remember Rooney and Gerrard aren't just rivals they are friends and have played together for many years in the England set up. Give Wayne a break!
06 Aug 2015 09:12:55
Whatever you feel about Liverpool, Rooney was talking about emulating a great captain and leader, and Gerrard was just that. As for the Everton shirt, it was a testimonial game and players are often invited back, even though they have moved on. Lighten up mate.
06 Aug 2015 09:24:05
This just comes across as a 'Rooney hating' post and you know it will split opinion. I am pretty sure you know what he means when he says how good a captain Gerrard was, even as a rival fan you can see what a driving force he was for Liverpool and he has pulled them through a lot of games in recent years, is that not all he meant?
The bit about the Everton shirt I don't even think deserves comment, there is a reason he got a great reaction from the Everton fans in that match, it appears some of them appreciate his ability more than United fans, no wonder he enjoyed going back there.
{Ed025's Note - im with you GDS..
06 Aug 2015 09:31:42
Stevie G was a great captain and leader, to suggest otherwise is blind tribalism.
06 Aug 2015 09:37:25
Very odd comments but probably because he is simply thick. Keane would have been a better reference. He as probably thinking of club and country but a stupid comment none the less.
06 Aug 2015 09:38:23
In a way Red Man, I get what you're saying but even though I have no love for Gerrard/Pool whatsoever, he was everything you wanted in a skipper. He won games and drove his frankly mediocre team to some glory. Who wouldn't want that in a captain? As a man, I don't like Gerrard but in his prime, he was a great captain. He was no Keane or robbo though.
Rooney is an Everton fan and you have to take that into consideration. Especially with the abuse he gets from them when he goes there. It Not every player that plays for us is a boyhood fan. I think it was more laying things to rest with them. He owes that team a lot. He will never bleed United and he has never messed them around like he did us, but the Rooney bashing has become stale. He's not the player he was,true. But he has always been committed on the pitch in 11 seasons with us. He had a bad dip but I remember when the old Trafford crowd booed giggsy for a season. I'm just bored of the bashing of players on this site and think that we all need to look forward and not back. Or we will end up bitter and living off past glories like the scousers!
{Ed025's Note - well said jimmy..
06 Aug 2015 09:45:07
dont tell me , we should buy lewandowski
06 Aug 2015 09:50:35
Dude really? It's ok for our players to acknowledge that ex players of rival clubs were/are good captains/players. It's not like he is at Liverpool now and Rooney is saying it. As for wearing the Everton shirt I see absolutely no issue with it, he played in a testimonial match at the club he was raised at for a player he admired. You need to chill.
06 Aug 2015 10:12:38
gerrard single handed carried liverpool for years, i thought he was a great captain for them and an inspirational leader at a time when they were well. poor. he could do far worse then emulating him
06 Aug 2015 10:22:37
You sound like a child
06 Aug 2015 10:24:41
rooney
"I think on the pitch probably Steven Gerrardis the one you look at. In difficult situations he has been a leader,"
"Off the pitch, Gary Neville was fantastic for the players and made sure everything was organized. Other lads like David Beckham and Nemanja Vidic were great captains in their own way."
06 Aug 2015 10:38:19
Maybe he meant for national team :)
06 Aug 2015 10:45:21
gds
what happens is , a poster spends a month going on about getting rid of rooney and buying new must have player, lewandowski in this case.
when this doesn't happen you then start getting post like the above
06 Aug 2015 10:52:54
Jred,
Thanks for that, puts it more into context, guessing he was asked who he feels he is most like on and off the pitch. Good answers really.
06 Aug 2015 11:08:53
I admired Gerrards undoubted drive and ability as a player and yes he has been a thorn in our side as a player. I just believe that given the great captains we have had in our history for example Keane, Neville, Robson that for Rooney to name Gerrard is a bizarre choice especially when trying to motivate our team.
Yes Jred I believe we need to upgrade on Rooney on the playing front but I am not impressed with Rooneys motivational message as our Captain on this occasion. If you look back I have not been a big critic of Rooney the player, but as Captain he needs to be careful with his utterings
06 Aug 2015 11:26:02
redman
rooney never played in the same team as robson .
played 1 season with kean.
the captains he played under are.
becks
gerrard
vidic
neville
all the ones he talked about.
but don't let that get in the way
06 Aug 2015 12:11:51
Robson is a revered club ambassador and influence around the club. He had good choices other than Gerrard
06 Aug 2015 12:29:09
redman
he spoke about the captains he played under.
he should maybe of said bobby moore and Beckenbauer.
i think we both know the reason behind your post
06 Aug 2015 12:42:16
dont hand pick quotes and manipulate them to suit your argument red man, you're half way to being a journalist there.
06 Aug 2015 14:05:11
Did he talk about Stevie G during a half time team talk? This is a non-starter Red Man.
Deeps.
06 Aug 2015 16:00:54
jesus, vidic signed for another club while still manchester united captain he should never be talked about in glowing terms by United fans it was a disgrace and he should have been bombed out the following day.
Rooney is not the most articulate of captains but I ont doubt he has the respect of his tem mates,
Gerrard was a great captain for Liverpool, Bobby Moore was a great captain for England
And Finally i'm not sure Rooney is any less articulate or any less stupid than Roy Keane. I don't think Rooney has ever gone out to injure another player on purpose to put him out of the game, he has never been in jail the night before a cup final.
Some of you have very short memories and only look at what you want to see, many of our previous captains have had their faults they are only human, but Rooney is slated for holding the club to ransom and for maybe wanting a move. vidic actually signed for another club while our captain so He ranks miles ahed of vidic IMO
06 Aug 2015 16:35:04
if he wants to be like Gerrard for united i'd welcome it. like so many people have said Gerrard dragged Liverpool through games and most notably almost single-handedly won them the champions league. yes Keane was great, Beckham was good, Vidic and all the other captains but so was Gerrard, Lampard and Viera. as long as he is looking to do right by united I don't care.
To many people on here are quick to get on Rooney's back but he has given us 11 years of hard work and commitment. you can see he always works for the team. yes he wanted more money and he isn't worth 300k a week BUT he is on it. he is 19 goals from being the ALL TIME goalscorer for man utd even though he has had to accommodate Ronaldo, RVN and Van Persie. every season bar the 09/10 season i think he has been happy to sacrifice himself for someone else yet he has still scored that many goals. give the guy a break