Rooney has continually played deeper under van Gaal, it seems to his detriment.
Louis van Gaal has admitted that Wayne Rooney is Manchester United’s best striker despite continually playing him in the middle of the park.
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Van Gaal agreed with Roy Hodgson’s assertion that Rooney was an incredible striker but has said he needs to play him deeper because of United’s serious need for help in the middle.
This incredible admission essentially puts paid to the Red Devils recent acquisitions in the transfer market and could be seen as an enormous insult to his current midfield options.
United have spent an incredible £158 million on midfield talent in successive transfer windows on the likes of; Angel Di Maria, Juan Mata, Marouane Fellaini, Ander Herrera and Daley Blind.
Yet despite this, Rooney finished the match against Burnley – a particularly insipid performance for van Gaal’s side – as a defensive midfielder.
“Rooney is maybe our best striker. But I am playing him in midfield because I have to look at which players make the biggest contribution and in what position,” said the Dutch coach, reports Daily Mirror.
“Rooney is probably giving more of a contribution to the England team when he is playing as a striker.
“I would also put him in the striker’s position if I was the coach of the English team. But it is the composition of the team that is more important than the individual player.”