It has prompted questions over his form and worth to Manchester United. What should Louis van Gaal do with his misfiring striker? Have your say below:
Scott Patterson and Musa Okwonga discuss whether it's time Rooney -- due a testimonial next year -- should move on.
Is Wayne Rooney finished at Manchester United?
Scott Patterson: On the pitch? Yes. He should not be given 90 minutes every week and it is criminal that Anthony Martial is being played out wide to accommodate him.
But in the dressing room, Rooney is arguably the most important player there is, and maybe that is why Van Gaal is persevering with him. A week can't go by without another player coming out to reveal what an inspirational captain Rooney is and how much help and advice he gives the less-experienced players.
Musa Okwonga: I disagree, Scott. Rooney can still contribute a good amount of goals and assists each season. However, it is becoming clear that his days as a truly elite forward are probably behind him. He can still have a role to play but he needs to be deployed more selectively.
Why has he declined so much?
SP: He has been playing week in, week out since he was a kid. He's played close to 700 games and it's not as if his style of play is passive. Whatever position he's played in, he's spent the majority of his career covering the pitch, throwing himself into challenges and picking up the odd broken bone along the way.
Usually, a player will be around 32 or 33 before they've played in as many games as Rooney has and that's when they start to decline. As a result, they may be moved in to a different position, one that can accommodate their strengths and doesn't highlight their weaknesses.
MO: Time has apparently been as ruthless with Rooney as injuries have been with Radamel Falcao. Both of these players were known for their explosiveness at their peak and very few forwards with such an all-action game have managed to maintain their optimal level into their 30s. Generally, a forward needs to adapt as he slows down, which is why Brazil's Ronaldo evolved into a devastatingly effective poacher. This is now the challenge that lies ahead for Rooney.
By the time Rooney was 29, he had played over 100 more games than Andriy Shevchenko had at the same age. Shevchenko, of course, was another striker of extraordinary physical gifts, whose game suffered a sharp decline once he passed 30.
What should Van Gaal do?
SP: Stop starting him in every game and give him a different position. The midfield is more or less sorted now, so playing him behind the main striker would be a start. He could come on for the last half an hour or 20 minutes if the manager is determined to keep using him.
An issue with this solution could be the notion that Rooney needs a regular run of games to get into the swing of things. A stop-start approach to his playing time could only damage his form further. But that is still a better scenario than playing him for 90 minutes every week when he's performing as badly as he is.
United are still only two points off the top of the table, but they have scored only 15 goals -- the fewest in the top six. Over the next few weeks, that sluggishness in attack may see them fall further behind the leaders. If Rooney is in the starting line-up, then he should be surrounded with pace, which unfortunately means that either Juan Mata or Ander Herrera should make way.
What's Manchester United's strongest XI -- does Rooney feature?
SP: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Jones, Rojo; Schweinsteiger, Schneiderlin; Mata, Herrera, Young; Martial.
Luke Shaw would obviously feature ahead of Marcos Rojo when he's available, as the Argentinean's form is so inconsistent. He was brilliant in the recent derby against Manchester City but he needs to maintain that standard.
The midfield partnership of Bastian Schweinsteiger and Morgan Schneiderlin is the best United have had for years and it means there's no longer a place for Michael Carrick in the best starting line-up.
Ashley Young has been sacrificed by the manager in an attempt to settle Memphis Depay, but the former is certainly the more effective. Within minutes of coming on against Liverpool he won the free kick that put United 1-0 up and he helps defensively too. Depay's crossing can be far superior to Young's, but his general play isn't at a good enough standard yet.
Martial can be dangerous on the left, which is where he has been used recently to accommodate Rooney, but we don't get to see the best of him here. He can go on great runs and has the ability to beat a full-back on the touchline, but he doesn't see the ball anywhere near as much as he should.
Opposition teams have already wised up to what an attacking threat he is, and can double up on him, forcing him in to the corner. He desperately needs to be given more games playing centrally.
MO: De Gea; Darmian, Smalling, Jones, Rojo; Schneiderlin, Schweinsteiger; Mata, Herrera, Depay; Martial.
Darmian had a couple of poor games in recent weeks, but he is such an intelligent footballer at his best, and though Depay has been poor of late he still has exceptional talent and might benefit from being in an attack which offers optimal movement and playmaking.
It is perhaps a little forgotten now, but Depay and Martial looked very good in tandem in the opening stages of the Champions League loss away to PSV Eindhoven, before the injury to Shaw. If his partnership with Martial is given time to develop, then it could be extremely fruitful for United.
SP: Martial has been fantastic at United and the fans can hardly believe how good he is. He will run through a wall of defenders and somehow still emerge with the ball at his feet at the other side. Nothing seems to overawe him. You would imagine that United would have so many more chances to score with Martial playing centrally as, at the moment, moves regularly break down when the ball comes to Rooney outside of the opposition penalty area.
It is a surprise that James Wilson hasn't been spoken about much this season though, as the belief last summer was Van Gaal allowed Danny Welbeck to leave for Arsenal because United had Wilson in the squad.
After enjoying a brilliant debut when Ryan Giggs was interim manager, scoring two goals in a 3-1 win against Hull City back in May 2014, he's barely had a look in.
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