Is Wayne Rooney overrated?

[Zatman]

He is a very good player but he is not world class before people jump down my throat.

He has been average in many big games he has played for United and England. 2 Champions League finals, a semi final vs Barcelona, many games vs Liverpool and Chelsea, big England games like Russia away and Germany on sunday.

Look at Messi he has been poor/unlucky in front of goal in this World Cup but has still been one of best players in tournament as he keeps trying and has been rewarded with many assists

(I would prefer no Darren Bent comparisons in this thread)

[V111A]

He is Over-rated as he aint in the same bracket as Messi,Ronaldo or Villa.

But he is a very good player and im convinced he was playing with an injury to which it was the managers choice to take him out the team as it wasnt doing the team any favours.

[The_Rev]

He is one of the best players in the world, but the comparisons to Leo Messi are laughable.

His recent form hasnt been great, but I dont think he has fully recovered from the injury he got against Bayern in the Champions League.

[ED]

The Moore brothers are better

[Shillzz]

The poll choices should be:

- Just a bit

- Epically so

In all seriousness my take on him is this.

He is a top drawer player that puts in a hell of a lot of effort. But hes not world class.

If there are 3 top tiers of world players, the first containing Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo, the second Containing Iniesta, Villa, Oezil, Xavi, Drogba, Robben etc then I'd sit him in the third tier, along with players like Lampard, Ribery, Suazo & Torres

[wiggyrichard]

The poll choices should be:

- Just a bit

- Epically so

In all seriousness my take on him is this.

He is a top drawer player that puts in a hell of a lot of effort. But hes not world class.

If there are 3 top tiers of world players, the first containing Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo, the second Containing Iniesta, Villa, Oezil, Xavi, Drogba, Robben etc then I'd sit him in the third tier, along with players like Lampard, Ribery, Suazo & Torres

Dont mean to pick holes but...

Kaka alongside Messi is laughable.

Ronaldo and Messi are in a league of there own, no-one is even close to those two.

Also, a bit harsh on Torres i think pal! :?

Anyhow, Rooney is in the bracket below Messi and Ronaldo. He has the potential to be world class, but he isnt there yet.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

Based on 4 games I imagine.

Of course he's no Messi. He'll rarely conjure something from nothing, it's not his style. But he is amongst the top goalscorers, the likes of Drogba, Villa and Bent. Comparing him to Villa for example it's his work rate that sets him apart. He'll put his body on the line AND he'll give you 20 odd goals a season.

I think he's very, very good. World class is subjective but if I were putting together a Premier League XI he'd be the first name on the team sheet. Make of that what you will.

[Shillzz]

The poll choices should be:

- Just a bit

- Epically so

In all seriousness my take on him is this.

He is a top drawer player that puts in a hell of a lot of effort. But hes not world class.

If there are 3 top tiers of world players, the first containing Messi, Kaka and Ronaldo, the second Containing Iniesta, Villa, Oezil, Xavi, Drogba, Robben etc then I'd sit him in the third tier, along with players like Lampard, Ribery, Suazo & Torres

Dont mean to pick holes but...

Kaka alongside Messi is laughable.

Ronaldo and Messi are in a league of there own, no-one is even close to those two.

Also, a bit harsh on Torres i think pal! :?

Anyhow, Rooney is in the bracket below Messi and Ronaldo. He has the potential to be world class, but he isnt there yet.

Perhaps about Kaka, he probably sits somewhere between the 2, but only because of what he achieved at Milan.

But can you honestly say that Rooney has the technical ability of players like Iniesta / Oezil / Villa?

Torres maybe, but again hes achieved little to justify his stardom in absolute terms.

[BG_Villa_Fan]

4 games and Ozil is already a tier above Rooney, laughable!

Rooney is world class, albeit not at his best during the World Cup for whatever reasons.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

He's no Messi, but who is? Ronaldo isn't even close to Messi in my opinion, noone is.

I don't think you can simply say Rooney is over-rated after a bad world cup mainly down to fitness issues. It seemed quite obvious that he hadn't recovered, he's not that bad as what he shown in the World Cup.

Infact, I'm pretty sure at 17/18, he was our best player at the Euro's 2004, since then, 2006 and 2010 he's gone into the tournament with some real fitness issues.

I'm pretty sure he did the business in the Premiership and Champions League, scored in the big games, so I really don't think that he's over-rated. He's shown to do it on the big stage before.

I just think he was simply pushed too hard when he was quite clearly unfit.

How can you compare him to the likes of Iniesta etc.....completly different players. Wayne Rooney is a striker, a goalscorer who should be played in the box, for England, he's also played very much out of position in a deeper role.

you don't see Drogba playing as the creative striker, do you?

Essien technically isn't the worlds best but he is a world class player.

the likes of Drogba, Rooney are all world class strikers.

[nobler]

I would say that he is overrated but that doesn't mean that i think any less of him for his ability, which he obviously has alot of. However, when compared to Messi and Ronaldo, you're talking about two players who could at this moment in time be considered two of the greatest players to ever play the game, Rooney isn't anywhere near this yet, whereas Messi and Ronaldo live for the big games and revel in them, Rooney seems to have issues dealing with them. Regardless of his international career, i remember certain big Man.utd games where he hasn't really stepped up and taken charge of a game and shown the world what he is capable of, he just looks moody and gets bothered by the situation too much. I'd say he is overrated basically because we are desperate to just label an English player world class. I think he has the ability to become a legend of the game but at this moment I think we make too much of his perfomances against average teams week in week out.

[Chindie]

He's a top 10 in the world striker.

All that needs to be said really.

[TheSufferingVilla]

Messi is out on his own, far and away the worlds best. On the second tier you have the likes of Ronaldo, Drogba, Inesta, Kaka, Torres, Tevez and Darren Bent. Rooney is a third tier player with the likes of Fabregas, Anelka, Sweinsteiger and Paul McShane.

[villianusa]

If you were looking on his World Cup display then he would be in the pub league with Davies but I feel he is world class.

If the likes of Barcelona and Real Madrid would sign you given any bit of encouragement then you have to be up there. His performances last season and prior to that also puts him up there.

I hear a rumour that he may have something on his mind during the World Cup that could explain his performances. But only a rumour so I won't mention it here.

[dont_do_it_doug.]

But can you honestly say that Rooney has the technical ability of players like Iniesta / Oezil / Villa?

Torres maybe, but again hes achieved little to justify his stardom in absolute terms.

Why does he have to have the same level of technical ability to be as effective?

Comparing him to Iniesta is silly, they don't play the same position. Ozil too. He's a prodigious young talent, but I think you're jumping to gun a little based on a few games and a little (lot of) hype from a Germany that haven't had a top class play maker in about 20 years.

Torres is one hell of a player too. If he wasn't made of glass he'd be considered the best out and out striker in the world.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

One sec, I didn't even read the OP.

How can you compare his performances of 3 years to now!?!?!?!?!?

He's only been mentioned as World Class in the past year or so. In those Champions League games, he was very much deployes as a wide man to allow Ronaldo to play through the middle!!!

I'm pretty sure Rooney performed in all the big games for United last year. Champions League AC Milan, Semi's. despite injured 2nd leg.

scored against Liverpool, Arsenal, Man City, Tottenham.. Carling cup semi final, carling cup final etc...

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

Messi is out on his own, far and away the worlds best. On the second tier you have the likes of Ronaldo, Drogba, Inesta, Kaka, Torres, Tevez and Darren Bent. Rooney is a third tier player with the likes of Fabregas, Anelka, Sweinsteiger and Paul McShane.

Tevez is not better than Rooney.

That said they are different players.

Drogba aswell is not better or not much better than Rooney.

Rooney is also far better than Anelka.

Fabregas is better than that too IMO.

Rooney is in the top 7 strikers in the world...for me the top 6....(not in order)

Villa, Torres, Drogba, Rooney, Van Persie, Fabiano.

I think Rooney is actually better than Van Persie, Fabiano and on par with the other 3.

[GarethRDR]

Oezil

Ozil

Friends! Countrymen! Alt+1,5,3 = Ö. Save the Umlaut people!

Excellent player? Yes. Overrated? Well, the media hype most players out of all sensible proportion, especially in this country. I'm still inclined to say he is slightly overrated though; needs to replicate club form at international level before being moved into the pantheon of the truly world class.

[Shillzz]

I just think that if you stuck him in the Real Madrid or Barcelona side, he'd be found wanting.

I accept that he is an exceptionally effective player, but the question was "Is he over rated" and if we're talking about the British Media who said on more than 1 occasion that "Englands whole world cup hopes rest on his shoulders" then yes, he is very much overrated. Hes never going to win a world cup on his own, he'll never turn in the maradonna-esque performances required to drag his team kicking and screaming to a world cup final. No ones disputing that he's a fine player, but when you consider the acclaimation he gets from the british press, he is undoubtedly over-rated.

[AVFC-Prideofbrum]

I just think that if you stuck him in the Real Madrid or Barcelona side, he'd be found wanting.

I accept that he is an exceptionally effective player, but the question was "Is he over rated" and if we're talking about the British Media who said on more than 1 occasion that "Englands whole world cup hopes rest on his shoulders" then yes, he is very much overrated. Hes never going to win a world cup on his own, he'll never turn in the maradonna-esque performances required to drag his team kicking and screaming to a world cup final. No ones disputing that he's a fine player, but when you consider the acclaimation he gets from the british press, he is undoubtedly over-rated.

Media hype up anyone.

That said, most managers in the world, said he's one of the best forward in the world.

I'm sorry but to me, he was just simply unfit and still carrying the injury. He was rushed back with United. I'm pretty sure he was meant to be out for something like 3 weeks and was playing the very next week!!!!! They rushed him back and I think England felt the consequences.