Is Wayne Rooney 'world class'

[Black Dagger]

So the 'Katie Hopkins' of football, Joey Barton has made a scathing attack on English players and in particular Wazza. Just want to get your thoughts on this.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/26867861

[Crimson Dynamo]

He is world class but he has not shown that at the top level or for England

[Cherie]

Poor Joey it could all have been so different if he had kept up the anger management classes.

[Black Dagger]

He gets shown up a lot when he plays for England so I don't see him as a 'world elite' player, he's a top quality player though in terms of the PL.

[thesheriff443]

he looks good playing in the english league, up against players from spain, he looks adverage.

[Drew.]

He could fit into any side in England, probably most sides around the world. Just doesn't perform consistently like some of the others.

[Kyle]

Not for me. World class to me is an elite branch with about 20 to 30 players in it and I don't think he would get in.

England's only real (potential) match winner though.

[the truth]

no not quite world class. but at club level he is one of the best. very consistent over many years with over 200 career goals. hes a great player. I think to put in bluntly english players fail to develop , over the years possibly due to overpayment or possibly because english players dont spend enough time working on their skills
I guess the same can be said for british players...though Id add that george best worked so hard he became 2 footed, so too bale who has become a world class talent imo.....english players tend to get overhyped over rated overpaid and they always fail to reach their potential with the exception of a bobby charlton type who always kept his head

[Brother Leon]

Yes. There aren't many clubs in the world where he won't play for. Every time United play in Europe he is considered elite by the opposition and is considered world class, because of everything he provides. I'll take opinions of Pep Guardiola,Carlo Ancelotti etc over Barton lol.


Also it isn't fair to compare his work ethic to Ronaldo, because there isn't another footballer on the planet who could compare to how hard he has worked to be the best.

[Brother Leon]

Also. He's almost certainly going to end up top scorer for one of the world's largest football clubs and is going to continue to climb up the PL scoring table. Considering he has spent a lot of time as a #10 or even a winger sometimes when CR7 was here that is pretty crazy.

Not sure how United's top scorer won't be considered world class.

[Jemal]

He was 'A World Class Player' in the 2009/10 season.
Right now he isn't a world class player anymore. Hes a very good player capable of World Class Performances. The fact he doesn't do it consistently like he used to 3-4 years ago is why i don't count him as world class anymore.

[King Gizzard]

Aye

[smeagol]

comletely overrated . he is a very good player and great as a team player. but you got to be able to finish if your a striker and thats where he fails.

england are never any good at finishing we get near to the goal and panic , to be world class you need to be like all the other countries and be able to follow through

we only have a couple of world class players in my view. but what is world class really its just a state of mind. a hunger and belief and a manager who doesn't hold them back.
3 things we never seem to really have

[Drew.]

comletely overrated . he is a very good player and great as a team player. but you got to be able to finish if your a striker and thats where he fails.

england are never any good at finishing we get near to the goal and panic , to be world class you need to be like all the other countries and be able to follow through

we only have a couple of world class players in my view. but what is world class really its just a state of mind. a hunger and belief and a manager who doesn't hold them back.
3 things we never seem to really have

Most teams/players around Europe probably have worse goals to shots ratios than English players, I don't think being able to finish has ever been something Rooneys been bad at.

[Kazanne]

I like him,he's a great player,scored some cracking goals,a bit of a hot head,but surely that's expected sometimes.

[Chuck]

For most of Brazilian pundits/fans he is considered World Class.

It always surprises me that this is even questioned in England.

[King Gizzard]

He still gets on the Nike ad with Neymar and Ronaldo which should tell you something

[Brother Leon]

He's more appreciated out of this country tbh. Hell there was some idiot journalist that was seriously saying Jay ****ing Rodriquez should start ahead of him. Not sure why the "he never delivers in a wc" excuse should be labeled at him when no English player bar Ashley Cole ever does.

[joeysteele]

For me and it is sad really, Joey Barton for me could and should have been a world class player.
I really rate his talents but he does fail to keep his aggression in check, although he is doing much better at QPR.

As to Wayne Rooney, he has been put at the very top in Football.
He is at one of the greatest clubs,with an extremely lucrative and in my opinion over generous contract,he is a regular England player too.
I however feel he has not on the really big matches often delivered as to performance.

So while I would say he is a really good player on his day, world class I very much would hold back on and agree with Joey Barton as to that.

[King Gizzard]

Rodriguez should start tho just not ahead of Waz

[Brother Leon]

Rodriguez should start tho just not ahead of Waz

There is no space for him to start though :laugh:

He's the fourth choice forward at best and on the wing England is stacked too. He should go, but not more than that imo.

[Brother Leon]

Henderson
Gerrard
Barkley/Wilshere

Rooney

Sturridge
Welbeck

Liverpool style formation

Or

Gerrard
Henderson

Sterling(natural width)
Rooney
Lallana/Welbeck

Sturridge

England does have exciting options though. We should make a thread closer to the time.

[King Gizzard]

Just find it very harsh that a striker that could easily end up with 20 PL goals at the end of this season won't have a look in. That doesn't send out a good message. He's earned it more than most

[smeagol]

Most teams/players around Europe probably have worse goals to shots ratios than English players, I don't think being able to finish has ever been something Rooneys been bad at.


that's not what he's girlfriend said lol

if you watch the england games he and the whole team cant finish.
the only goals we ever get is goal hanging or corners free kicks.
then watch the other teams they run with a mission no fear and most times score or give it a good try.
england however with roony just cant finish none of them can.
different class or mentality bit of both Id say

[Locke.]

Yeah, he is

[GiRTh]

Of course he is.

[AnnieK]

Absolutely....:love:

[Ryan57]

World class when played as the main striker. As he has shown before.

Edit: The whole 'doesn't perform for England in big tournaments' line is so ignorant it's unbelievable. There are very valid reasons as to why, aside from Euro 2004, he hasn't done it for England on the big stage. And I'm not just saying that as a United fan. I'd still be saying it even if he had departed to Chelsea last summer.

[Legend killer]

73% yes loooool I honestly think most of you post your views based on Fifa rankings

How the **** can you call someone WORLD CLASS when they have no first touch and go on patches of 6-7 games where they do **** all then run around the place????

The fact is Wayne like Jack Steven Frank are ENGLISH WORLD CLASS rather then genuine world class players. HOWEVER unlike the others listed above and the first since Gazza Wayne actually had the talent and potential to be a genuine world class player. And though no fault of his or Fergie's TBH it got coached out of him to accommodate the rise of Ronnie.

[Jesus.]

I don't believe he is, no. Like a stopped clock, even LK is right twice a day.

His dreadful touch, and periods of inconsistency/bad form take him out of the WC bracket. He has WC ability, but he is not a WC performer. To be in that bracket, you have to be consistent.

[Legend killer]

League of there own
Ronnie WPOTY
Messi FWPOTY
Pogba WYPOTY

World Class
Ala Robben Ribery Silva Suareaz Pirlo

Now if your putting Wayne in the same tier as the players above you need to stop posting in the football section as football is not for you

However I can say Wayne is a LOT CLOSER to that tier this year then he was last year and although I hate on him TBH THERE A VERY FEW PLAYERS with this current United team in mind I would swap Wayne for as he can bring a lot of intangibles. My main gripe with Wayne this year is when he taking the place of genuine world class talent like Shinji and Mata in that number 10 role

[Kyle]

Seems Joey Le Barton doesn't think Rooney is world class right now either. Since I don't want to be agreeing with him I think I will change my answer to yes he is world class. Watch out Manure, Carlo is gonna come a knocking

[the truth]

sadly he lacks the pace , touch and movement to be world class....but thats not to say hes been a brilliant servant for man utd. just at the elitie rarified levels of the bets hes not quite there. lets face it for a man of his build hes done tremendously well....

[Ryan57]

sadly he lacks the pace , touch and movement to be world class....but thats not to say hes been a brilliant servant for man utd. just at the elitie rarified levels of the bets hes not quite there. lets face it for a man of his build hes done tremendously well....

Lacking pace does not stop you from being world class. Iniesta, Juan Mata and Toni Kroos are world class yet they're hardly Usain Bolt.

[the truth]

Lacking pace does not stop you from being world class. Iniesta, Juan Mata and Toni Kroos are world class yet they're hardly Usain Bolt.

is mata world class these days
besides if you lack pace then you need a lightning quick brain to be world class.....rooney has a great football brain but he doesnt operate at iniestas level
take a kenny dalglish, he was world class his whole career and he was that quick , but his brain was unbelievable
rooneys movement isnt in the same league as the best

[Shaun]

Hmm. Thought he was in the top five PL scorers of the season for a long time but he's only made it four times :/ Still, I would say yes.

[Ryan57]

is mata world class these days
besides if you lack pace then you need a lightning quick brain to be world class.....rooney has a great football brain but he doesnt operate at iniestas level
take a kenny dalglish, he was world class his whole career and he was that quick , but his brain was unbelievable
rooneys movement isnt in the same league as the best

I'd say Mata is world class, yeah. Forget about his time at United so far. Moyes dug out the 'sap every fuker of talent gun' and used it on poor Juan.

Yeah, Rooney's movement isn't as good as say Iniesta's. However, my point was you don't necessarily need pace to be a world class footballer.

[Legend killer]

68% of you need to follow another sport are you watching fatty tonight??? utter joke he is

[Legend killer]

Time to name and shame those how voted Yes reveal youselfs if you have the guts

[Ryan57]

I voted yes. Will admit it. Tonight he was disgraceful. Got me thinking that maybe he isn't world class. One of the worst performances I've ever seen at this stage of such a prestigious competition.

[Legend killer]

Ryan as usual man enough to face the music respect

As for the rest of you show yourselfs

[Ryan57]

I thought he was wank in the first leg, tbh. However, tonight that was Sunday league quality.

Commentators and pundits embarrass themselves again. Not a single mention of the diabolical performance he put in tonight.

[Legend killer]

Bump show yourself you bunch of cowards. ****ing more toothless then World Class Wayne

[Legend killer]

Mods time to name and shame expose those who voted yes so we can laugh and mock there insight of what a world class player is

[Jesus.]

I don't believe he is, no. Like a stopped clock, even LK is right twice a day.

His dreadful touch, and periods of inconsistency/bad form take him out of the WC bracket. He has WC ability, but he is not a WC performer. To be in that bracket, you have to be consistent.

Nailed it.

[Legend killer]

You had the nerve to vote yes so you better have the ****ing decency to show yourself

[Ryan57]

Fully believe this is how LK is feeling right now. :joker:

PbcctWbC8Q0

[Ryan57]

Wouldn't be surprised if Moyes has *****ed up Rooney's World Cup with playing him against Bayern. Wouldn't be surprised to see Rooney be poor for the remainder of the season.

[alex_front2]

No. Wayne Rooney hype was age related, he's almost 30 and fallen short

Apart from the obvious Messis, Ronaldos, Riberys, world class are: Suarez, Falcoa, Costa, Ageuro, Hazard and Tooure.

However WR is a world class £300k/ week money grabbing contact negotiating power hungry copy cat meglomaniac

[Ryan57]

Get off the fence.

[alex_front2]

I forgot to add ...meglomaniac who was adept at putting Moyes on the ropes sniffing out the desperation and getting a captaincy and a say in transfer targets and shagging granny hookers whilst abusing England fans direct on TV becuase he played crap. World class at this. As a player, don't make Messi laugh. Even Costa Rica are relieved to play against Rooneyin WC. NOOne is that afraid of Rooney. In 2004, sure. 2014, not so much.