Wayne Rooney Not Suited to Louis van Gaal's Tactics, Says Teddy Sheringham

Wayne Rooney can get back among the goals again if Manchester United manager Louis van Gaal uses him in the correct system, according to former Red Devils striker Teddy Sheringham.

The England and United captain has struggled in front of goal this season, often playing in a lone striker's role despite calls for Van Gaal to field Anthony Martial in the position.

Pete Norton/Getty Images

Sheringham believes that, in the right formation, Rooney, 30, can again flourish for the Manchester outfit, and he has called on Van Gaal to rectify the situation, per ESPN FC's Kevin Palmer:

"

Rooney will score goals if he is given the right kind of set-up to work in. He has proved that time and again down the years. 

All I would say is playing up front on your own is very tough. Not many players can pull that off successfully. I certainly wouldn't have fancied trying to play that role and always had a partner alongside me. 

Van Gaal is trying something different at Man Utd and it is not quite suiting Wayne Rooney at the moment. You have a top-quality player there, so you would like to think there is a way of finding a system that will suit him. It is up to the manager to work that out.

"

Rooney has scored only two goals in 11 Premier League matches this season, playing the majority of his minutes as the most advanced attacker, rather than in the No. 10 role, per WhoScored.com.

Clearly Stevenage manager Sheringham believes his positioning is the problem, and it is hard to argue with that logic as Rooney has often looked isolated playing as a No. 9 this season.

Per Bleacher Report's Dean Jones, Rooney's starting spot at United is no longer a guarantee after his poor start to the season:

And perhaps a spell on the sidelines could help Rooney return to top form while also giving him a much-needed rest.

Though he only turned 30 last month, Rooney has been playing top-level football since he was a teenager, and it looks to be taking its toll as he has often been sluggish this season.

He has proven over the last decade that he is capable of consistent match-winning performances for United, but something clearly needs to change for him to return to winning ways. 

Sheringham's suggestion certainly seems sensible, and withdrawing Rooney to a deeper role—where he could be more consistently involved with the play—could well bring the best out of him once again.