Louis van Gaal has told Wayne Rooney that he will be Manchester United’s main centre forward this season.
|||Louis van Gaal has told Wayne Rooney that he will be Manchester United’s main centre forward this season.
After years of being shunted around the pitch — including a spell as a holding midfield player last season — the United captain has been assured that his position will be right at the top of his team’s formation this season.
United may buy another striker having seen Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie go. But it is understood that Van Gaal and chief executive Ed Woodward are relaxed and feel that the days of United having four frontline strikers are gone. They believe Rooney will flourish and return to his goalscoring best if he is used properly this season.
Certainly the 29-year-old will look to improve on last season when he was played in different positions and scored just 14 goals. Rooney played as central striker during United’s opening tour game — a 1-0 win against Club America in Seattle on Saturday — and will play there when United’s Premier League campaign begins at home against Tottenham.
United are following up their interest in Sampdoria goalkeeper Sergio Romero. The Argentine, who played for Van Gaal at AZ Alkmaar, is wanted to replace current No 2 keeper Victor Valdes who is on his way out of the club. Sources at Old Trafford have confirmed the club’s interest but have refused to comment on suggestions he is set to have a medical.
Meanwhile, Van Persie has spoken for the first time since he left United for Fenerbahce and has claimed his relationship with Van Gaal changed last season. ‘I asked to play in the reserves, to get my minutes, but after that I was on the bench again,’ Van Persie said in The Sunday Times.
‘The atmosphere changed between me and Louis and people at the club saw it, but I was always professional.’
Defender Luke Shaw has revealed he and Adnan Januzaj paid for a United fitness coach to accompany them to on holiday to Dubai this summer. Van Gaal criticised Shaw’s fitness last season andShaw said last night: ‘I only had myself to blame. I didn’t arrive at the club in the correct shape. The manager told me his feelings and I totally accepted that.
‘Adnan and I decided to ask a member of the coaching staff to come with us and we paid his flights. He worked us in four sessions per day. The most important thing was to come back fitter.’ – Daily Mail
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