Rooney Must Step Up to Fill Large Void Left By Ronaldo's Exit

When disposing of his star assets, Sir Alex Ferguson’s timing is usually impeccable. He may have sustained success but stability has been achieved through evolution.

Cristiano Ronaldo was the catalyst for Manchester United’s recent success and he was pivotal in the fluid attacking system which has served the champions so well in the past three seasons. Now, with the Portuguese poised to become the latest Galactico at Real Madrid it may be time for a rethink and a reshuffle once again.

Replacing one of the world’s best will be a gigantic ask and might not be as straightforward as simply finding a similar player.

When Ruud Van Nistelrooy swapped Manchester for Madrid, United not only changed their personnel but changed their playing style. Old Trafford hasn’t been graced with a goal-poaching, out and out centre forward since Van Nistelrooy’s departure but the team adapted and improved and it was Ronaldo who stepped up to fill the void and flourish in the Dutchman’s absence. The player among United’s ranks who can fill the void this time is Wayne Rooney.

Rooney has been on the cusp of greatness for some time. He has all the tools in his arsenal to be one of the world’s best and it is consistency which excludes him from that elite bracket. His best form has been patchy and injuries have often obstructed consistency. He has only been able to show flashes of brilliance in an international shirt and has been isolated in wide berths for too many of his finest hours in a red shirt.

His tireless work ethic allowed Ronaldo to operate in positions higher up the pitch but also restricted his own attacking flair to deeper or wider positions. Several of his best performances this year have been with England when, under Fabio Capello’s stewardship, Rooney has been the central fulcrum of several attacking moves.

The void left by Ronaldo should allow Rooney to play in a more advanced, central role while the flanks are operated by more traditional wingers such as Nani, Valencia or Ribery.

The ludicrous £80 million fee will also no doubt provide a solution to other areas of weakness such as a holding midfield player and left winger. But it is internally where United should look for answers when looking to replace Ronaldo. We are about to find out if Rooney can evolve and make the next step up.