Manchester: Jose Mourinho is facing the biggest question of his short reign as Manchester United manager: What to do with Wayne Rooney?
While most of United’s top players were benched or rested entirely Wednesday for the English League game against third-tier Northampton, Rooney played the full 90 minutes less than three days before a big Premier League match against defending EPL champions Leicester City.
There could be two explanations for this selection: Mourinho either wanted his captain out on the field to lead the team in a potentially tricky away Cup tie; or there’s a chance Rooney could be left out at the weekend.
In a terse television interview after the Northampton game, Mourinho was twice asked what he wanted from Rooney. “Goals, only goals,” came the reply from the stern-faced Portuguese coach, both times.
The Rooney dilemma where to play him, if at all is hanging over Mourinho and won’t go away, because it’s the most hotly debated issue in English football at present.
Rooney was restored to his favoured No 10 position by Mourinho for this season but it remains questionable if he is doing enough to justify his place, and if this positional switch might be stifling the effectiveness of world-record signing Paul Pogba and new star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic.
But then Mourinho hit back Friday at critics of Rooney. “I don’t why he alone is being blamed for the losses. He alone did not play in those games. I feel very agitated when my players are criticised,” Mourinho told reporters.
Associated Press
