Speak Up Or Play In Midfield? Louis van Gaal Warns Wayne Rooney

Louis van Gaal has urged midfielder Wayne Rooney to speak up if he dislikes his current role in midfield at Manchester United. The England and United captain has been playing in unfamiliar territory in a deeper role in recent weeks but has failed to do much in the process. Rooney has not scored a single goal since Boxing Day and is without a single shot on target since the start of 2015. Van Gaal insistspicking Rooney in midfield is a desperate choice because he doesn’t trust anyone else to perform the role. However, recently the Dutchman has come under a lot of pressure to start picking Rooney in a more attacking positions, once again.

louis van gaal

Further England manager Roy Hodgson insists Rooney is a striker and is expressing his concerns on the matter as well. The fact that his skipper is playing out of position at Old Trafford may prompt Hodgson to hold talks with van Gaal soon, despite the fact that the United boss insists Rooney doesn’t have a problem with the situation and tell him if he does. When asked in an interview about the 29 year old midfielder and van Gaal’s future plans for him, he said,

“He’s happy – otherwise he should come to me and say he’s not happy.”

“He never does. He’s always friendly to me. He wants to perform what I want – so that’s what I see.

“Of course, when the whole world is writing he has to be in the striker’s position, he will be thinking ‘maybe, hey’. He’s human.”

“Our goal (this season) was to be in the first four places. That’s a process of three years. I signed for three years.”

“We are third and have been (in the top four) for a lot of time. So we are showing that we have the results and that once in a while we play very well.”

“We showed last Wednesday (against Burnley) that it was no good in the first half, but we improved in the second half. It’s very important not to lose.”

“We are in a process and we have to wait and see how far we can reach together. It’s logical that you don’t play so well sometimes.”

“But I can assure you that it’s not only Manchester United who play badly sometimes.”