Former Chelsea manager Ruud Gullit has hit out at Manchester United striker Wayne Rooney by saying that the England international was a failure last season. Rooney was one of the top scorers for United in a very disappointing campaign, as he scored 17 goals in the season. It was still not enough to prevent United from encountering one of their worst seasons in recent history after the club finished seventh in the Premier league table. This was apart from the several defeats that they suffered in major competitions like the FA Cup at early stages.
Rooney was an ever present for United last season, due to the injury problems faced by Robin van Persie. He was often partnered by Danny Welbeck, who also failed to find the back of the net on a regular basis. United recently appointed Dutchman Louis van Gaal as the next manager. It is well-known that van Gaal shares a great relationship with former Arsenal man Robin van Persie. He has even hinted that van Persie could be made as the captain of United next season, which will be a major threat to Rooney.
Gullit says that he would not be surprised to see Rooney clashing with van Gaal on several occasions next season.
“I will be interested to see how things go between Van Gaal and Rooney. Rooney is one of the senior players who seriously failed this season, so how will that conversation go? Van Gaal is the right man for the situation United find themselves in. He has the good fortune that some members of the old guard have left,” said the former Chelsea manager. Former Manchester United midfielder Paul Scholes recently stated that Rooney may have gone past his best after having played continuous football for several years now. Rooney made his debut as a 16-year-old.