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Having seen him live on saturday, he looked very sluggish

His form is average but he is only 30, captain, experienced & 4 times as many goals as rest of last eng squad combined

assuming everyone is fit (kane, walcott, welbeck, ings, vardy) is he still an automatic choice to start the first game in 2016?

should he be?

 

Yes and no

He will start unless injuries

He is no longer playing to a standard required to be first name on sheet
Better options available imho

I don't he deserves to whatsoever.

It wasn't just Saturday he looked sluggish, but has been all season.

I really don't see how Roy can look any further than Vardy. I understand he is wanting to build a team around the younger players, but Vardy has still got 4/5 years in him but playing him up top with Kane sitting behind works for me

I'm amazed Rooney gets picked at all

He will probably be picked upto and including the first two group games in the Euro's.  Roy does appear to be very loyal.
We then won't have qualified/played badly first two games and Roy will be "forced" to change it up.
New Striker, will either fire us into the KO stages or we sail off into the sunset having failed at another major and Rooney retires from international football.

I wouldn't pick him today even with Walcott, Wellbeck and Ings all injured.  His body shape of his legs has changed remarkably in the last 18 months, just think he is feeling old for a 30 year old, he has been carrying team for 13 years now.

well what formation will we go with? think definitely 4 at the back, so question is, 4-4-2 or 4-3-3.

With 4-4-4 maybe he gets the nod as second striker, but I predict Barkley will be in great form and has to play so we will play 4-3-3.

It will be very interesting to see how a fit Sterling, Sturridge, Rooney, Kane and Vardy get juggled around.

He should get in playing that formation and England might stand half a chance of doing well (if we play Hart & Butland in goal too!)

kane & Vardy would get my vote before Rooney as things stand....but Roy normally sticks with the same old same old

Im not sure how Rooney is still getting in the United team.

Gone are the days when we seem to rotate players.

Mix it up sometimes Rooney sometimes Mata etc.

He looks knackered and unfit.

Rooney is 30 with the game miles on the clock of a 35 year old.  Add in the very unmodern lifestyle he leads for a pro footballer of drinking/smoking which is known (can only assume not perfect eating habits as well given the size of his direct family) then he probably has the 'body' of a player who should be close to retirement.  It is no surprise to me in the slightest that he is massively declining.  If you add all the mental stuff he has had to deal with in the press with hookers etc on his marriage on top of the fact he has his 'long term pension contract' at manure locked up for the next 3.5 years as well as England's goalscoring record there is very little incentive for him to put it in to even maintain his previous levels.

He is going to be a serious financial millstone around the bench of United for a good 3 years.  Very similar to Arod at the yankees in baseball.  Could easily become a cancer to team spirit and morale further down the line.  It is very easy to say 'drop him' but when the manager goes into board meetings and the board say 'listen this guy Rooney who we keep writing cheques out every month for over £1m why isn't he playing?'  That is the financial reality of the situation and he will be played, like arod was at the yankees, for far too long before anything happens.  This will only hinder the development of the team going forward.

I think the best thing United could do is come to a buy out arrangement with Rooney asap to avoid what happened to ARod maybe at the end of this season.  Both parties can then move on in their desired direction.  Rooney will get the bulk of his money on a terrible contract manure should never have been bullied into and Rooney can finish his career in China or the MLS and get a final pay day.

Time to drop him and give Depay/Mata/Fellani a chance behind martial

What's wrong with Wayne Rooney? We look at the stats behind his struggles with WhoScored http://skysports.tv/u9h3IT 

The torres effect

Played a lot when he was young which is fine but as arb says he has had the playing time of a mid 30s player due to starting so long

Earns a place in the squad on account of experience, pedigree and previous contributions.  Should only be a backup unless his form improves - he's been dire this season.

Of course, Roy Hodgson will put him on the team sheet first every time.

From a United perspective his long term mega contract is a disaster.  Going to deteriorate further from here in future seasons.

 How much is this to do with Rooney's natural decline (as per Arbs post) or to do with the LVG system which presumably Rooney hates?