Lame Looney: How Wayne Rooney Hurts Manchester United

Everyone has been talking about the useless piece of £30 million meat that is Andrei Shevchenko—but I'll do them one better:

How about Wayne Rooney?

Sir Alex Ferguson has called Rooney one of only five world-class players he's ever coached. That praise, along with a £20 million contact, has effectively put Rooney on a pedestal in Manchester.

Still, I'll stick my neck out here:

Rooney is overrated, and Manchester United are better off with him not in the starting lineup.

Why?

Look at the numbers, for starters.

Rooney has scored seven goals in 28 appearances against credible teams like Chelsea, Arsenal, Liverpool, Milan, and Roma. This brings me to my first beef:

Rooney doesn't perform on the big stage—certainly not like a "world-class" player should.

Granted, Rooney isn't a natural goal-scorer, but he's always been one of United's most important offensive threats. Given the opportunities he gets, the lack of goals against big teams glaring.

Known for his fiery demeanor, Rooney often draws unnecessary fouls or is distracted by conflicts with opponents and officials. Until he get a handle on his overconfident contentiousness, he'll continue to be a disciplinary liability.

Rooney's playing style is another cause for concern. He has a habit of running the ball into the wide and corner positions,  where he's very often crowded out by two or more defenders. He also tends to lose the ball due to poor touch and awareness, and is unable to bring his teammates into the game—a vital  skill for someone employed in his position.

Rooney's finishing is inconsistent at best. He used to score spectacular goals, and is still able to put away easy chances, but he has yet to score in 10 competitive games this year—four of which came against inferior teams.

The only advantage to having Rooney on the pitch is his determination and physical presence, which cause problems for defenders and open up space for his teammates.

I take issue with Ferguson including Rooney among the likes of  Eric Cantona, Peter Schmeichel, Roy Keane, and Ryan Giggs. The 22-year-old has yet to achieve anything on the big stage—and won't be "world-class" until he does so.

Perhaps this is another mind-game from the wily old Scot, in an attempt to elevate Rooney’s level of play. What I know for sure is that Rooney has to find his game soon—if he doesn't, Tevez and Saha should supplant the Lame Looney in the first team.