Van Gaal: Rooney will continue to play in midfield & not as a striker

Hmmm, for you, could this be an indication that Man Utd midfield is really bad? Or you think is just because he wants to accommodate Falcao and Van Persie?

Louis van Gaal admits Wayne Rooney might be the best striker at Manchester United but insists he will continue to play in midfield.

Rooney has scored eight goals in 23 appearances in all competitions for United this season despite often being deployed in a more withdrawn role to accommodate superstar strikers Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao.

With neither frontman yet capturing their best form and no one at Old Trafford boasting double figures for goals, Van Gaal has come under mounting pressure to restore Rooney to his favoured position.

But while he has no doubts about the England international's scoring prowess, the Dutchman insists he needs his captain's quality more urgently in midfield.

“Rooney is maybe our best striker," Van Gaal told reporters. "But I am playing him in midfield because I have to look at which players make the biggest contribution and in what position.

"While I agree that maybe Rooney is better as a striker if I play him there, then I have a problem in midfield.”

England manager Roy Hodgson has already indicated that he will play Rooney as a striker in next month's Euro 2016 qualifier against Lithuania and friendly clash with Italy, and Van Gaal claims he has no problem with that.

“Rooney is probably giving more of a contribution to the England team when he is playing as a striker," he added.

“I would also put him in the striker’s position if I was the coach of the English team. But it is the composition of the team that is more important than the individual player."