Wayne Rooney Is Not the Problem at Manchester United

Manchester United's winless run was stretched to 8 games on the bounce​, following a 0-0 stalemate against Chelsea. The United supporters have become restless in recent weeks, watching their club play in a laborious and uninspiring fashion. And in turn, blame has been dished out, perhaps unfairly, to a certain player in the squad. That player is Manchester United and England captain Wayne Rooney. 

Rooney's displays this season do warrant criticism. The Englishman tallied just a pair of goals in the Premier League with half of the season over. Apart from the recent Chelsea fixture, Rooney has looked sluggish, having no influence on proceedings. 

That said, the fans' singling out of the skipper as the primary reason for United's struggles is simply ill advised. In fact, there are multiple United players, in attack, midfield, and defense that have been in poor form this season. 

Daley Blind is yet to consistently convince in the heart of defense, Memphis Depay managed to perform just once in a Champions League match, and Bastian Schweinsteiger's play has been nothing short of pedestrian. In reality, the entire team collectively has been poor, not just one player. 

Many people called for Rooney to be excluded from the starting eleven, believing he was holding United back. But in the absence of the forward, the Red Devils' slumped to defeats against relegation threatened sides Bournemouth and Norwich. The unimaginative attack continued to falter as Anthony Martial and co. were reduced to half chances to score.

The evidence suggests Rooney's presence in the team makes little to no difference on United's overall play. Instead, the tactics placed on all of the players are having a negative effect on the entirety of the squad. 

In recent times, Old Trafford witnessed lethargic, ponderous build up play. By the time the ball reaches attacking areas, defenders are already well adjusted and able to deal with the danger easily. Louis van Gaal did finally alter his tactics against Chelsea. In turn, it was no coincidence that Rooney's performance drastically improved. 

The 30-year-old was full of energy, driving at defenders and spraying inch perfect passes. The improvement did not extend to just Rooney though. For once Manchester United were threatening on the ball, creating multiple chances in the first half. 

From all of this, it's important to realize that one player does not determine the success of any club. Criticism of Rooney is certainly justified, but pinning United's poor season on the number ten is not.