Wayne Rooney: Sent off against West Ham on Saturday
Following Wayne Rooney's sending off against West Ham on Saturday, two TEAMtalk writers debate whether he should keep the Man United captaincy.
In Daily Debate, two TEAMtalk writers give their views on a hot topic and then invite readers to decide who has put forward the best argument.
You can vote for your winner using the story comment facility at the bottom of the article, or by declaring your support on Twitter.
Should Wayne Rooney captain Manchester United?
Having started the season indifferently, Manchester United's match against West Ham was crucial for the confidence of the team following a heavy defeat at the hands of Leicester a week before.
However, with the Red Devils 2-1 up, Rooney's lack of judgement in the sending off, where he kicked out at Stewart Downing just before the hour mark, seriously jeopardised United's chances of winning the match with the waves of pressure from the Hammers that followed.
Rooney has since apologised for the red card, but the action in kicking out at Downing has prompted many to question whether he's still the right man to lead the club? James Dixon and Rob McCarthy offer two differing points of view....
He is the right man to captain Manchester United. James Dixon (@JDixon_88)
Saturday's game Wayne Rooney is definitely one he will want to forget in a hurry, but I massively sympathise with the forward.
Cynical challenges have become increasingly common in the modern game and as well as being applauded by coaches for snuffing out dangerous situations citing the phrase "a good foul to give away".
In this instance the challenge Rooney was attempting was without individual reward, but to pick up a yellow card and stop the potential danger that came when Stewart Downing looked to have a free run at United's flimsy and inexperienced defence.
Although the execution was all wrong, the United captain had his team's best interests at heart, against a West Ham team that has markedly improved in attack, and despite Downing being inside his own half when he made the challenge, the West Ham winger had an opportunity to play a dangerous ball through to the forwards that could be described as a goal-scoring opportunity.
Had Rooney succeeded in stopping Downing - without the ugly high foot - everyone would have been praising his quick thinking in halting the attack.
What is clear to see, however, is that he recognised the danger unfolding in front of him and as the captain chose to make that split-second decision.
Louis van Gaal in his post-match interview, realised the error and came out in support of his captain rather than scolding him for nearly costing his side the game.
"I think he (Rooney) did it too unfriendly, because you can do it in a more friendly way. I call that a professional fault," he said.
We must also remember that Van Gaal was impressed enough with Rooney to make him captain in the first place, despite Robin van Persie the overwhelming favourite to take the armband after the harmonious relationship they enjoyed during their time working together with the Netherlands national team.
And you can see why.
Rooney's record on the pitch speaks for itself with 219 goals for Manchester United, and his ferocious competitive nature means he leads from the front and is willing to get his hands dirty doing jobs few other forwards would care to even think about - what more can you want from a captain?
It also must be said that his increased level of maturity has boosted his game - gone are the days when we would refer to Rooney's red mist - he hasn't been sent off in the Premier League since 2009.
As well as having great characteristics to keep the job, his likely replacements are either horribly injury prone or massively lacking in experience and ultimately you need your captain first and foremost getting games.
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He is NOT the right man to captain Manchester United. Rob McCarthy
Although I'm a fan of Wayne Rooney as a player I just don't think he is captaincy material, at United or in England colours.
There are two types of captains in my book - those that are leaders of men off the pitch and those that lead by example on it. It's rare to find a player who has both these qualities, although Manchester City's Vincent Kompany strikes me as someone who arguably has both (sorry United fans for mentioning the noisy neighbours!). Rooney, in my opinion, is neither.
As an England fan I'm not inspired when I hear Rooney interviewed and I can't imagine that the majority of United fans are too.
In terms of being a leader on the pitch he's too inconsistent to be considered in someone like David Beckham's company. Beckham was not the greatest talker or the most naturally gifted of footballers but he strained every sinew when he took to the field and players clearly looked up to him and admired him greatly for that.
Rooney's game is not at the level that he or United fans would expect and giving him more responsibility is an issue for me and is not something he rises to. He's at his best when he's playing off the cuff and doing things that come naturally to him - that was the beauty of Rooney as a young player. Unfortunately being captain is making him try harder, thus taking away that natural flair and love for the game he clearly used to have but looks in short supply these days.
The big question for United is..... if not Rooney then who?
United are clearly a club in transition under Louis Van Gaal and he obviously wanted a senior Old Trafford figure to take the reins, hence the reason to opt for Rooney.
Darren Fletcher is an obvious choice but he is unlikely to get the game time to warrant taking the armband, while I've never been overly convinced by Jonny Evans as a player, let alone a leader.
I would seriously consider Phil Jones, if he can get himself fit on a regular basis. At just 22 years of age his game will improve beyond doubt in the coming years and he could be at the forefront of this new United era for years to come and eventually become what Kompany is to City - a leader, a talisman, a winner.
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