Why Wayne Rooney Has Become One Of Everton's Biggest Problems

Why Wayne Rooney Has Become One Of Everton's Biggest Problems
09:55, 17 Oct 2017

All is not right at Everton. From limp displays on the pitch to growing uncertainty over manager Ronald Koeman's future, the first three months of the season have been overwhelmingly negative for just about everyone associated with the club. 

Everywhere you turn, problems abound for the Dutchman. His is a team that excels in no particular aspect of the game at present. But while much has been made of the lack of width and pace in a decidely one-paced first-team, perhaps the biggest headache for Koeman is Wayne Rooney's role in a malfunctioning setup. 

On the face of it, it seems harsh to lay too much blame at the feet of a player who, with four goals in 14 games, is the club's current top-scorer. Indeed, just last weekend, the Croxteth-born striker salvaged a point for his under-fire boss with a calmy taken penalty in the 89th minute. Yet delve a little deeper, and the glaring structural flaws apparent in Koeman's system can be attributed at least in part to Rooney's positional indiscipline. 

For some, the very decision to bring back the 31-year-old was an anomaly in the context of a summer in which concerted attempt was made to bring in hungry young players or those at the peak of their careers. Unlike fellow additions Jordan Pickford, Michael Keane and Sandro Ramirez, the former Manchester United player's best days were almost certainly behind him. Jettisoned by the Red Devils and out of favour at international level, Rooney appeared to be a bizarre choice of symbol for what was supposed to be a brave, exciting new era at Goodison Park. Critics argued that he was ill-fitted to the task of propelling Everton to the top four- and on the face of it they may well have been right.

At first, the initial signs were promising. Youngsters such as Kieran Dowell and Tom Davies spoke of Rooney's formative influence on the training ground, while a pair of goals in against Stoke City and Manchester City helped the Blues to four points in their opening two Premier League games. Buoyed by the emotion of playing for his boyhood team again, Rooney had sparked into life. Temporarily, at least.

But just as Everton's form has waned over the past few months, so too has Rooney's. Jaded displays against the likes of Apollon Limassol and Bournemouth saw the forward taken out of the starting lineup for the visit of Burnley- and when he did eventually emerge from the bench in a bid to salvage the game for Ronald Koeman, an erratic performance followed from a deeper midfield role. Rooney may possess quality in possession, but his presence in midfield unncessarily congests the centre of the park and further puts the brakes a side that already moves the ball far too slowly.

This was again apparent against Brighton on Sunday, albeit in a slightly different system. Tasked with leading the line as a lone striker, Rooney's positional indiscipline saw him regularly move out of position to get involved in the build-up play. With usual partner Dominic Calvert-Lewin shoehorned into a left-wing role, the end result was an Everton team that lacked anything resembling a focal point at the Amex Stadium. For long spells, Brighton were comfortable facing blunt attacks from the visitors, particularly as Rooney dropped deeper and deeper. 

Such issues have plagued Rooney throughout both his time at Goodison and his career in general. Where some see an intelligent footballer able to deliver pinpoint passes, others argue that his ability to wander renders most tactical blueprints obsolete. Certainly as a lone striker, such a tendency risks upsetting the shape of the team in which he is playing.

And so, the debate continues to rage on over the 31-year-old's best position. Does his ability to finish chances make him best suited to a centre-forward role, or is he more adept at linking midfield and attack from a position in behind the main striker?

For former manager Jose Mourinho, at least, Rooney remains a striker by trade. "In football there are many jobs on the field," he told MUTV back in 2016. "The one that is more difficult to find is the one that puts the ball in the net. Players change during the years of course, their qualities change, so it is normal that a player at his [Wayne's] age changes a little bit. 

"However, something that will never change is the natural appetite to put the ball in the net. Maybe he is not a striker anymore, but he will never be a no.6 for me, he will never be someone playing 60 metres from the goal. 

"You can tell me his passes are amazing - yes, they are amazing, but my passes are also amazing without pressure. There are many players with a great pass, but there aren't as many players who can put the ball in the net. For me he will be a [number] 9, a 10, or a 9-and-a-half, but not a 6 or even an 8."

Although Mourinho has a clear sense of Rooney's positional future, most evidence suggests that Ronald Koeman does not. Already this season, the ex-Three Lions captain is listed as having played in four different positions by stats-based website Whoscored. It lends credence to the argument put forward in some quarters that the Rooney is being shoehorned into the team regardless of form. The veteran seemingly, must be accommodated whether it is logical to do so or not. 

Such absence of form and structure has hindered not just the striker but also his teammates. Without a recognised centre-forward, the Blues have struggled enormously in the final third. After eight Premier League games, a paltry five goals have been scored. The lesson from the trip to the south coast, where substitutes Kevin Mirallas and Oumar Niasse added fresh impetus, was that the blueprint must be simplified in the final third. Pace, width and round pegs in round holes are the order of the day.

For Everton to pull themselves out of the mess they find themselves in, players need clearly defined roles from which they are not allowed to deviate. Any failure by either Koeman or Rooney to adapt will only result in more of the same. The much-anticipated return of the prodigal son to Goodison risks turning sour if a solution isn't found.

 

Everton face Lyon in the Europa League on Thursday night at 8.05pm.

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