Permabanned
- Joined
- 8 Feb 2004
- Posts
- 4,539
Just wanted to share this with the wise people on OC UK... It's a belief I have had for a long long time now but not one I have ever seen raised by a pundits or people 'in the know'.
OK, so Wayne Rooney... he is a bloody good player... A real class act, who (almost) any team would want in their squad of 22 players... But how good is he really? Is he world class or just overhyped? Let me try to answer that question.
What is world class? The question comes up often among pundits yet I have yet to hear a definition I agree with. To my mind, 'World Class' should mean that if a squad of the best 22 players in the world were to be picked, then the player in question would make that squad... So... Assuming 4 strikers/center forwards would Rooney be one of them? No. Not at present... In the past he would have been (2004 & 2008/09, probably he was) but at the moment no... He is not World Class... and unlikely to ever be again currently how many other good strikers there are in world football. Lets say at the moment Suraez, Costa, Neyma Aguero, (prob at least 10) are all ahead of Rooney.
So we have established Rooney is not world class... (he has been in the past) but not for a while now... In my opinion there are 2 strikers who I think Rooney is comparable to in terms of ability... And they are Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Keane... Check them out if you don't agree... I suspect each of them at times were close to being 'world class' and no one can dispute they have been bloody-good/top-draw players etc... No shame in that etc etc.
So I guess the point I am trying to make is that Rooney is a fine, fine player but not great (so, slightly over-hyped, but not massively)... But if you put the English media aside and stop thinking about him as being on the same level as Ron/Messi... and start to think about his as being more like a Jimmie or a Robbie then the boy done good.
Catch my drift?
OK, so Wayne Rooney... he is a bloody good player... A real class act, who (almost) any team would want in their squad of 22 players... But how good is he really? Is he world class or just overhyped? Let me try to answer that question.
What is world class? The question comes up often among pundits yet I have yet to hear a definition I agree with. To my mind, 'World Class' should mean that if a squad of the best 22 players in the world were to be picked, then the player in question would make that squad... So... Assuming 4 strikers/center forwards would Rooney be one of them? No. Not at present... In the past he would have been (2004 & 2008/09, probably he was) but at the moment no... He is not World Class... and unlikely to ever be again currently how many other good strikers there are in world football. Lets say at the moment Suraez, Costa, Neyma Aguero, (prob at least 10) are all ahead of Rooney.
So we have established Rooney is not world class... (he has been in the past) but not for a while now... In my opinion there are 2 strikers who I think Rooney is comparable to in terms of ability... And they are Jimmy Floyd Hasselbaink and Robbie Keane... Check them out if you don't agree... I suspect each of them at times were close to being 'world class' and no one can dispute they have been bloody-good/top-draw players etc... No shame in that etc etc.
So I guess the point I am trying to make is that Rooney is a fine, fine player but not great (so, slightly over-hyped, but not massively)... But if you put the English media aside and stop thinking about him as being on the same level as Ron/Messi... and start to think about his as being more like a Jimmie or a Robbie then the boy done good.
Catch my drift?