Rooney as a non-striker simply the best choice.
Hypothetical conversations about where Wayne Rooney should play for England will go on until the first Euro 2016 match. Roy Hodgson might have a puzzle on his hands, but Louis van Gaal does not; Wayne Rooney’s stay in midfield over the last month or so is a decision that is largely made for the Dutchman. The rise of Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford have simply forced the United captain back, such is the effervescent insouciance they provide.
Rashford, before departing with an injury, was always a threat to Palace, neat and eager, with a frightening turn of pace, propelled by those long, elegant legs. Martial is universally regarded as United’s player of the season, and so for Rooney there just isn’t any room up at the pointy end. It just so happens that Rooney’s hugely varied skillset allows for him to contribute meaningfully from a midfield position, as he did with his superb run that led to United’s equaliser in this match, but that’s just a bonus. The fact that Ashley Young took up the strikers spot when Rashford departed only reinforces this hierarchy and Rooney’s place in it.
