Champions League-winning ex-Manchester United striker Teddy Sheringham has said his piece as to what is wrong with Wayne Rooney.
The 49-year-old, who won the Champions League with United in 1999, is currently the manager of League Two Stevenage, but still keeps an eye on his old club. Sheringham, speaking to ESPN FC, said:
“Rooney will score goals if he is given the right kind of set-up to work in. He has proved that time and again down the years,”
The Englishman, who knows what it’s like to play up front for Manchester United and England, feels that Rooney does not fit into Louis van Gaal’s current set-up, at least tactically.
“All I would say is playing up front on your own is very tough. Not many players can pull that off successfully. I certainly wouldn’t have fancied trying to play that role and always had a partner alongside me.”
Sheringham played with the likes of Dwight Yorke, Andy Cole, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and in his time at Tottenham Hotspur, Jurgen Klinsmann. Would Rooney perform better with a striker of their calibre partnering him? It’s fair to assume that he would.
Does this mean that Rooney and Martial playing together in a 4-4-2 would be the best option for United? Probably. Will we see a back-to-basics set-up like that under Louis van Gaal? Probably not – but only time will tell.
Rooney is currently level on all-time Manchester United goals with legendary Scottish finisher, Denis Law.
