Everton: Wayne Rooney predicted to lead Blues to success
By Paul Taylor
Former Everton striker Louis Saha confidently claims Wayne Rooney will win trophies with his childhood team.
Everton fans are usually realistic — sometimes verging on pessimistic — when it comes to talking about their team. In that respect, they will readily admit this season has not gone as planned so far.
One of the issues with the team has been attempting to accommodate Wayne Rooney. He is not as effective as he used to be, when it comes to playing up front.
As such, Rooney now prefers to play behind a lone striker, while also backtracking to help in midfield (and defence). This would be fine, except for the fact this has often seen him neutralising the impact of Gylfi Sigurddson and Davy Klaassen, who also like to play in a similar position on the pitch.
However, at least one ex Blue expects the recently retired England international and the rest of the team to get their act together. The player in question, is Louis Saha.
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The former French international played for Everton between 2008-12. He scored 35 times during his time on Merseyside and is best remembered for the fastest goal in FA Cup Final history.
Just as important, is the fact Saha played with Rooney at Manchester United from 2004 to 2008. As such, he’s ideally placed to offer an opinion on his former teammate.
Regardless, recent comments from the 39-year-old will likely still come as a surprise to many. Speaking to Aaron Stokes of the Daily Star, he said:
"“He can bring moments in a game that every fan is looking for. He will make Everton win trophies.”"
Part of the reason for Saha’s confident claim, comes down to the influence Rooney had on him, during their four years together at Manchester. He said:
"“He played with me every week and this is a player who changed a lot of the way I played. Because he was that consistent, that powerful, that brave, I felt like I had to keep up.“That is what he does with the players around him. All the players understand this is the consistency you need to have.”"
In that respect, you cannot fault the effort Rooney has put in so far, during his second spell with Everton. He’s been an ever-present in the Premier League and Europe, and is tied for the overall team lead with three goals.
Of course, this doesn’t change the fact the 31-year-old needs to adapt his game to better help his teammates. However, this isn’t all on him, as Blues manager Ronald Koeman has to improve his tactics and take full advantage of the undoubted talent he has at his disposal.
If Koeman can does this, that opportunity is there for Rooney to take Everton to heights not experienced in over 20 years. And if he does, Saha will be the least surprised person in football.
Next: When will we see the real Gylfi Sigurdsson?
There’s nothing wrong with a former Blue expressing confidence in Rooney and the current team. However, what do you make of Saha’s prediction? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.