Analysis – Can Kagawa Fill In For Rooney At Man United?

By Dhruv Saraf
11 years Ago

Manchester City vs Manchester United – Team News, Tactics, Lineups And Prediction

On his final day at the Theater of Dreams, Sir Alex Ferguson confirmed the persistent rumours surrounding Wayne Rooney since the Madrid debacle at Old Trafford; the Manchester United #10 was indeed not a happy man, and was seeking a move away from Old Trafford. Since then we’ve come a long way, and so have the musings about the ‘abject’ life that the striker is currently subject to. With reports abounding that Jose Mourinho is going all out to bring Rooney to West London, the hierarchy at Sir Matt Busby Way have maintained a firm stance, stating that the striker isn’t for sale ‘at any price.’

But, assuming that this situation boils down to a point where David Moyes is forced into conceding to the striker’s demands, it is plausible that Rooney will be seen in the blue of Chelsea instead of the Red of Manchester come September 1. So, how will David Moyes cope with the assumed departure of United’s former golden boy?

An analysis of Wayne Rooney’s role in the team -Ai??

In his 9 year spell at Old Trafford so far, Wayne Rooney has grown into one of the most complete players in world football. The #10 has taken up a multitude of roles under Sir Alex Ferguson, the transition from a dyed-in-the-wool center forward to a tactically astute play-making midfielder being the most notable phase of his evolution. Being a self-proclaimed follower of Xavi’s game, Rooney has honed his radar and ability to find a pass significantly, besides being his lethal self in terms of finishing a move. During Ronaldo’s reign of pomp and splendor at the Theater of Dreams, Rooney was shifted to the left in order to make way for the bounties that the Portuguese offered down the center. Post his departure, Rooney reverted to the center and enjoyed one of his most fruitful seasons thus far.

Despite his hankering and injury troubles the striker has adopted himself in a free role behind the #9, making him the heartbeat of most of his team’s moves. Rooney’s ability to bring others into the game with his movement and passing, coupled with his work-rate when not in possession off the ball has made him a supremely important figure at Old Trafford. Though the hype of the Rooney-Robin combo failed to live up to its immense billing( largely due to Rooney’s injury woes), the pair looked to have formed a formidable understanding between each other, whenever started in tandem.Ai??

The following heat-map depicting Wayne Rooney’s action zones in the 2-0 win against David Moyes’ Everton back in February give ample evidence about Rooney’s all-round capabilities. The sprinkling of green and blue dots all over the pitch depict the different positions taken up by the forward during the game. Rooney made a total of 5 clearances, and a couple of tackles alongside having completed 36 out of 40 passes in the game, finishing with a pass completion rate of 90%

The chart above shows the different areas of the pitch where Rooney operated during the 90 minutes. It is interesting to note that the striker was ever present in midfield, occupying nearly 15% between Everton’s defense and attack, and nearly 16% between Manchester United’s midfield and defense. Wayne Ai??Rooney dropping deep when not in possession of the ball meant that the threat coming from the likes of Leon Osman and Steven Pienaar cutting in was negated to a large extent, thereby isolating Jelavic upfront. Ai??Occasionally, when in possession of the ball, Rooney dropped into central midfield to receive the ball from Carrick, thereby pressurizing the Toffees’ midfield by outnumbering them.

So how will United cope with the absence of a unique combination of sheer quality and immense versatility?

Could Shinji Kagawa do the honors?

If indeed Rooney does leave, David Moyes will certainly have his work cut out, in terms of replacing this embodiment of quality and ferocity up front. The safe option, for starters would to be assume that United have a replacement ready in the form of Shinji Kagawa. The Japanese, who arrived from Borrusia Dortmund last summer had a mixed campaign last season, which many feel is down to him playing on the left wing, a position in which he clearly looked out of depth. The midfielder started down the middle at the Hawthornes in the last game of the season and impressed many with his smooth possession on the ball. Kagawa, however, has a reputation of not being the most athletic of players when not in possession of the ball.

At Dortmund the midfield pivot of Sven Bender and Nuri Ai??Sahin provided the platform for him to excel in the final third of the pitch without offering much down the other side of the pitch; at Manchester United his lack of covering for his central midfielders might prove to be costly, as United presently seem to be lacking a consistent partner to Michael Carrick.

Comparing the above heat-map of Kagawa with that of Rooney, one can clearly notice the stark difference in the sprinkling of the green patches across the pitch. Whereas Rooney covered almost the entire pitch, Kagawa for a major portion of the game, operated between the lines of the Spurs’ midfield and defense. His inability to drop back when not in possession, coupled with the presence of both Scholes and Giggs in the starting XI meant that the United midfield were run ragged in the first half by a rampant Spurs who lifted their Old Trafford hoodoo that evening.

Talking about the other facets of the Japanese midfielder, it is interesting to note that Kagawa actually has a better pass accuracy rate (90%) compared to that of Rooney (83%). Another interesting point to be observed is that Kagawa actually has a better shot conversion rate (33%) compared to that of Rooney (18%). The midfielder’s finishing has always been one of the USP’s of his game; 17 goals from midfield in a season shows us precisely that.

Other notable stats can be seen below :

	Mins/Chance	Pass completion	Mins/Goal
Kagawa	70	90%	251
Rooney	41	83%	168

Given that Kagawa only made a mere 20 appearances compared to Rooney’s 27, the stats probably do not reveal the entire picture. Rooney as we see, scores more frequently but that probably may be down to the latter’s exploits of having the instincts of a natural striker, whereas Kagawa comes out on top in terms of the qualities associated with an advanced playmaker – i.e pass completion. Though his chance creation rate falls short of Rooney’s, it would be safe to assume that the former would have a more pronounced influence on the game if played through the middle.

In a recent interview, Gary Neville stated that United would be foolish to sell Rooney at all. The striker has been the torch bearer for the club since Cristiano Ronaldo left to realize his dream. A long burning desire to lead his team’s attack may well result in Rooney swapping Manchester for London, and indeed if he does, Manchester United may not have all that much to worry about in finding a new lease of life post Wayne Rooney, after all.

Categories: English Premier League, Features, Manchester United

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