„Sky Sports“ analysts Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville discussed the potential partnership between Wayne Rooney and Paul Pogba in the "Manchester United" midfield on the „Monday Night Football“ show, as reported by manutd.lt.
In recent times, there have been a lot of speculations surrounding Wayne Rooney's role in the team under head coach Jose Mourinho. However, after the match against "Bournemouth," J. Carragher and G. Neville believe that the Englishman can work well alongside P. Pogba in the midfield.
Previously, J. Mourinho stated that W. Rooney would not have specific tasks in the midfield, but Sunday's match showed certain signs that the team captain still drops into the midfield to receive the ball.
“On paper, he was supposed to play in the number 10 position, but he played in the 8, 6, and 10 positions,“ said J. Carragher.
“If we look at his touches in the previous few matches of last season, you will see that he played more as a defensive midfielder and had very few touches in the opponents' penalty area. So, he drops into the midfield, receives the ball, and gets many touches,“ he continued.
“I think there are two reasons he plays deeper. Firstly, he enjoys it, likes to receive the ball and get many touches. Secondly, he is getting older. In that case, you naturally drift into the midfield,“ he added.
G. Neville also agrees that this style of play from Rooney is inevitable, regardless of what J. Mourinho said before the season: „Jose Mourinho can try to put sticks in the wheels and ask him to play closer to the forwards, but he will continue to drop into the midfield. He feels comfortable there.
Former "Liverpool" defender also believes that this tendency will not change: „I don't think Wayne Rooney is not following instructions, but at his age, it will be very difficult for him to give up this habit.“
However, J. Carragher senses that the arrival of Paul Pogba could open up excellent opportunities for Rooney to play where he likes. According to the expert, Rooney and Pogba could switch positions during matches.
„I believe this can be a fantastic duo allowing "Manchester United" to move forward by exchanging positions. At one point, Pogba can play in the number 10 position and let Rooney stay deeper. Pogba can leave Rooney behind and thereby allow him to fill the spaces that appear in the midfield. Therefore, "United" could benefit from this, considering the type of player coming into the team.“
"United" legend G. Neville seconded J. Carragher's opinion and thinks that P. Pogba's arrival will not pose problems for W. Rooney.
„I wouldn't be surprised if Pogba and Rooney play in the front of the defensive line. I think they can play very well together, Wayne has enough intelligence, reads the game well, and if necessary, can run into the opponents' penalty area.“
In Neville's opinion, the most important thing for W. Rooney now is to establish himself in a specific position for a longer period.
„Under Louis van Gaal about a year and a half ago, he was the lone striker and got 25 touches per game. Last season, he got 100 touches on the left, being one of the three central midfielders. Now under Jose Mourinho, he is told that he won't play there and is asked to play in the number 10 position.“
„I think he probably needs stability and a coach who will be in the team for two or three years. He needs to establish himself in one position,“ Neville concluded.
manutd.lt
