Louis van Gaal says he is satisfied with Rooney's performances

Louis van Gaal has backed his captain’s performances

Leicester City and Manchester United played out a pulsating 1-1 draw at the King Power Stadium on Saturday, which means that both teams are currently in second and third positions on the league table respectively.

It was Jamie Vardy who stole the spotlight as he netted in his 11th consecutive Premier League game and consequently broke Ruud van Nistelrooy’s record. United bounced back at the end of the first half with a goal from Bastian Schweinsteiger, who headed home from a Daley Blind corner and got his first goal for his new side. In the second half, David de Gea kept the scores level with a crucial save from substitute Leonardo Ulloa’s effort.

There was another player who was much talked about before and after the game, and he goes by the name of Wayne Rooney. In the pre-match press conference before the match against Leicester, Louis van Gaal, the United manager, was bombarded with questions about Rooney’s form and whether he still deserves his place in the side as well as his captain’s armband.

The Dutch coach refuted these questions and unequivocally showed his support for the England striker as he said that he was satisfied with Rooney’s performances and that he was contributing a lot to the team’s effort.

Rooney had endured another dismal performance against PSV on Wednesday, but his manager showed no signs of disappointment.

Another frustrating night for the United skipper

He was also asked whether Rooney would be kept in the starting lineup if he had not been captain. Van Gaal replied, "Yes, of course. Wayne is doing a lot, has a very great contribution in the team. I am very satisfied with him."

"At this moment, he doesn't play in the striker's position, Martial is playing there. But it is possible he shall play other matches there. It is dependent not always on the quality and shape of the player at the moment, but also the game plan. And we have to decide that every week.” said the United boss.

However, Rooney’s performance against Leicester did nothing to repay his manager’s faith in him, with some suggesting that this was his worst game this season. He was hardly ever in the game and missed a good opportunity with his head in the first half.

He was taken off in the 68th minute after failing to hit even a single shot on target and having a grand total of zero chances created and crosses completed.

If Rooney does not improve on his performances soon, it will be only a matter of time before he is taken out of the starting eleven. United have a big do-or-die game coming up against Wolfsburg in the Champions League in a week-and-a-half, and we have to wait and see whether Rooney will feature for the Red Devils in that match.