Passing, positional sense, creativity and leadership.

What has Schneiderlin offered in any of his games that suggest he is a better option there than Rooney? Apart from being younger.

Rooney has played in so many different positions but arguably his best is as a striker.

The problem is Martial is undroppable and Rashford has done more than enough to secure his place (at the moment anyway).

If Rashford has a quiet spell I expect Rooney to slot back in upfront.

England will be facing a similiar dilema with a glut of decent forwards with Kane also being undroppable. I wouldn't be suprised if Rooney ends up in midfield either.

none of which answered my question unfortunately

Leadership qualities?

What like being close to get himself sent off considering the mood Oliver was in yesterday?

Again, not answering my question. Its ok if you dont want to, its a forum, its upto you what you want to post i suppose.

Schneiderlin has done a reasonable job in the midfield this season. Not set the world alight but considering it's his first season he's been okay. Rooney hasn't shown anything to justify his place any more than Schneiderlin has (in a midfield role) but he's not going to end up on the bench is he?

What is the point of spending 25 million on a midfielder just to play a striker in his place instead? Herrera's another one who we spent a small fortune on. They might get a game now that Fellani will be inevitably getting a ban.

As with Valencia and Blind I don't see why we have to play so many out of their natural positions.

As for Rooney being a leader I suppose he's better than some of the pussy cats we've got but that's not saying much is it?

What is the point of making a player your captain if you're going to drop him to the bench?

Maybe he's not been amazing but from what little I've seen he hasn't shown enough to justify such criticism, either. From what little I've seen he's done an okay job, and add in his leadership qualities then if he does what he's being asked he's fine where he is.

He has played over 30 games in midfield this season and the best you can come up with in response to what he has done to warrant a place is that he has been "reasonable"

The club wont win anything with "reasonable" players.

Being captain shouldn't make you immune from being on the bench. He's been out injured for a couple of months and we've managed reasonably well without him. Van Gaal has declared that his captain shall always play though which leaves him with no other option other than to play him when fit.

He isn't a leader though, he's better than the rest of them I grant you.

Being a £25m signing doesn't make you immune from being on the bench, either. I don't know why he's on the bench but £25m isn't helping.

Being captain shouldn't make you immune but if you make someone your captain you're not going to just drop them, otherwise why make them your captain? If you drop them soon afterwards it reflects badly on your own judgement.

He does have leadership qualities, though. And, again, I haven't seen much to warrant him being dropped from the midfield. He seemed alright from what I saw.

Well we've got a fair few of them so I suppose that's us done then.

I presume Rooney's getting by on his reasonable form this season also? What his justification for a starting place then if we're using that stick to beat Schneiderlin with?.

We've had a drought of midfielders, bought a few and now they're sitting on the bench because we can't drop Rooney.

I already answered this the first time you asked it in post number 2676. You dont seem to want to give me the same courtesy regarding your opinion of why schneirderlin should be playing ahead of rooney.

Van Gaal should never have dug a hole for himself by stating that his captain should always play. As for the captaincy bit, Darren Fletcher was vice captain before he got flogged to West Brom which in his case obviously didn't count for much.

I think he's done a reasonable job as I have already stated. I also answered your point about Rooney's leadership qualities which as I suggested are very limited.

Would you agree then that Rooney has done a "reasonable" job there as well?

Reasonable is a very catch all statement that doesnt actually have any meaningfulness to it. Whats he actually done in his 30 odd games in midfield that is better than rooney has done when played there?

You also haven't answered anything regarding Rooneys leadership qualities beyond contending that in your opinion he maybe, sort of, could have, possibly been booked at the weekend because the ref might have done so.

By making him his captain he made him undroppable, he didn't have to say anything. What manager would make someone a captain then reduce them to a squad player a few weeks later? Not many, unless they doubted their own judgement, which isn't what you want in a manager.

The vice captaincy is different, the VC should also be someone who's always present, or at least an understudy but that can be changed easily.

He has limited leadership qualities from what I have seen. Obviously I'm not privy to what goes on in the dressing room.

He plays because he's basically undroppable. Dress it up any way you like but Van Gaal has said it. He's played as a midfielder under Fergie when better options were available.

My captain shall always play is what makes him undroppable.

If Van Gaal wanted to drop him he could.

Once more, not answering the actual question. Im guessing you dont really know as you clearly dont want to back up your opinion,

What fergie playing rooney in midfield has to do with why you believe Schneiderlin is a better player than him i have no idea. If anything the fact the best manager in the clubs history saw fit to play him there ahead of these "better options" should tell you something about his qualities, leadership or otherwise.

At Southampton the system was set up to suit Schneiderlin, and I think there is still a very effective player in there.

Van Gaals sideways football doesn't suit him, and never will.

That being said, Rooney can probably play anywhere on the pitch, his energy and desire are definitely traits you want in your team.

But because he's the captain he should always play. The manager should believe he's good enough to always play, that he can be relied upon. Otherwise why make him captain? Like I said if he then drops Rooney, his captain, it'd look bad on him for making such a poor decision. It might be wrong, he might be the wrong choice of captain, but if in his mind he's his captain then he'll play his captain and trust his own judgement. You don't give the armband to squad players, or even old, experienced players who tend to start on the bench. We have Kolo Toure who's a leader but he doesn't always play, he'd probably be more of a captain than Jordan Henderson but Kolo isn't a regular starter, or shouldn't be. If he was he may well have the armband. But as he's not a regular starter he's not first-choice captain, he wouldn't be much use on the bench, would he?

I also don't tend to like it when forwards get the armband, it should go to a midfielder or defender anyway so the captain being in midfield can help him read the game better.

Is this the same mangager who threw him under a bus before he left? Maybe he also thought there were better options available too? The same manager who was the best in the club's history!

He played in midfield as Fergie preferred other options as is the situation Van Gaal has at the moment.

My argument again, is that I don't see any more of a contribution from Rooney than Schneiderlin other than he has to play. If you feel otherwise, as you obviously do, then that's your right to do so.

I have backed up my opinion you clearly don't want to listen to it. Maybe I don't present it as eloquently as you do?

Good awards tonight, Rashford got the Under 18's player of the year, B-Jackson got the Under 21 award, Martial goal of the season for his strike v Liverpool on his debut at Old Trafford, Smalling picked up the Players Player of the Year, whilst De Gea got the fans award for the fourth year in a row (I think Valencia got the last non De Gea award of that trophy!).

LVG has treated Rooney like his secret lovechild but credit where it's due, I was surprised how well Rooney played against Leciester. His touch still wasn't perfect but he had some of his old dash and energy back. I'd play him there for the rest of the season, no problem.

Just watched LVG's end of season speech not a patch on last years, but to me the players looked bored out of there brains when they were listening to him, probably shows that he has lost the dressing room, probably reading too much into it but the sooner he goes the better even in his speech it seemed to be full of excuses about how it is all about players and how he had nothing to do with it all.