Manchester United: Deciding Wayne Rooney's Best Position for Remainder of Season

Manchester United, on 43 points currently, sit in third place in the EPL. Yet most United fans wouldn't tell you that their team has played to their ability thus far.

A combination of injuries, tactical confusion, and players such as Radamel Falcao and Angel Di Maria having a tough time adjusting to life in England have contributed to the Reds looking unconvincing at times, with good results not always being able to mask the surprising lack of dominance from their star-filled squad.

This failure of the United squad to truly reach their potential (so far), combined with the recent emergence of Arsenal, Liverpool, and Tottenham, and the season-long competitiveness of Southampton, mean that a top-four finish is no formality.

To achieve this top-four finish, United will need their top players, such as Wayne Rooney, to be in top form in the closing stages of the season.

Rooney's eight goals and four assists so far, most of which have come from a midfield position, are respectable (WhoScored.com).

However, much like United's respectable league place, Rooney's numbers don't really tell the full story.

Think about it this way: If you had no idea of Rooney's season statistics, and only judged him on what you've seen when watching him (assuming you've watched every game he's played in), would you say he's having a good season?

The answer to that is extremely up in the air.

This is not meant to bash Rooney, and even his harshest critics would never say that he's having a poor year. Per WhoScored.com , he has completed over 84 percent of his passes, and is completing 1.4 key passes per game. 

In some games, such as United's dismantling of Liverpool and Newcastle respectively, Rooney has looked like the powerful attacking midfielder Sir Alex Ferguson has always wanted him to be. 

In those games, he scored three goals total, and dictated United's attack with composure and class.

But this dominant Rooney, unfortunately, hasn't been all that common this year.

In recent games against Queens Park Rangers and Leicester, Rooney has been fairly anonymous, and the startling thing is that no one seems to notice his quiet drop in influence.

Rooney's best games, contrary to the rest of the squad, have come when United have used a three-man defense, sitting in front of midfield anchor Michael Carrick. This role, an attacking-minded box-to-box midfielder of sorts, allows Rooney to make deep runs into the box and showcase his offensive abilities without disrupting United's lineup.

Rui Vieira/Associated Press

However, when Rooney is asked to play in a diamond alongside an attacking-minded midfielder like Di Maria, he struggles to meet his defensive duties, and also looks uncomfortable and sloppy if he's forced to sit back and simply distribute.

Even when Rooney is completing a fair percentage of his passes in this role—he completed 82.3 percent vs Cambridge—it still seems like he is simply a cog in the team, no longer the star man.

There is no shame in simply being a "cog" for many players, but it seems that if used correctly, Rooney is capable of so much more.

If Rooney continues in a box-to-box position, it seems plausible we will never see his best again, and a change is needed from Van Gaal. Rooney has never seemed completely natural in an attacking midfield role, but he is certainly better from there than a traditional midfield spot.

If United stick with the 4-4-2 diamond, the first formation in a while for the Reds that uses a true No. 10, Rooney needs to be given a chance to stake his place there. While Ander Herrera, Marouane Fellaini, and Juan Mata can all play here as well, with their different skill sets, they are more comfortable than Rooney in deeper midfield positions.

Louis Van Gaal made Rooney captain, and it's important that he puts him in a position to succeed, whether that's fair or not.

Another option for Rooney would be to actually play his natural forward position once again. Radamel Falcao and Robin Van Persie have both been largely unconvincing that they are good enough strikers to lead a title-winning team, and both the Dutchman (Colin Harvey of The Star) and the Colombian (Charles Perrin of The Express) are linked with exits in the summer.

It is foolish for Van Gaal not to let a pure striker help their striking problems.

The last possible role for Rooney is somewhat of a long-shot, but a role that Rooney has played before.

Just like it has become a common practice as of late to move struggling wingers into the center (see Stewart Downing), maybe a move out wide-left for Rooney would work wonders for his career.

If played on the left of a 4-3-3, Rooney would be able to cut onto his favored right foot, and would have limited defensive responsibilities. He could switch throughout matches from true wide play to pinching in to work as a playmaker.

Ultimately, it seems that, given his occasional dominating performance, that Rooney still has it left in him to be a truly great player.

Whether that means another change of shape, a change of role, or simply some rest, Van Gaal better find out soon if he wants to ensure a top-four finish for United and success in the future.

Stats and info via WhoScored.com