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Wayne Rooney could still be deployed as a striker for Manchester United , Louis van Gaal has said.
The England captain has found himself utilised in midfield on a regular basis this season, with Radamel Falcao and Robin van Persie preferred in the striker roles when all three are available.
Following the disjointed display against West Ham, in which a lack of movement from Falcao and Van Persie drew criticism, the wisdom of utilising Rooney further back came into question. That the Manchester United captain is keeping specialist midfielders such as Juan Mata and Ander Herrera out of the side has also not gone unnoticed.
Yet speaking ahead of tonight's Premier League game against Burnley, Van Gaal appeared to suggest a return to the front line for Rooney is not out of the question.
"It can change every week," said the Dutchman. "It is dependable on the circumstances."
Show all 22 1 /22West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings West Ham: Adrian Impressive performance from the Spanish goalkeeper. He wasn’t tested too many times but when he was, in particular from Robin van Persie in the second half, he stood firm. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Carl Jenkinson Not as effective as he has been recently. He struggled to cope with Radamel Falcao and allowed Adnan Januzaj to get the wrong side of him too often. Came close to scoring when his cross-cum-effort when inches past David de Gea’s goal. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Cheikhou Kouyate What a goal. He did excellently to turn and shoot past David de Gea. Alongside the composed figure of James Tomkins he was able to express himself. He was also the most effective at stifling Angel di Maria. 8
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings James Tomkins Back into the team and he did not disappoint. He kept composed when his defence was under threat and did brilliantly to block a Robin van Persie effort that looked destined for the back of the West Ham net in the second half. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Aaron Cresswell Consistently he has been one of West Ham’s best players this season. Defensively not much gets past him and he’s no slouch at getting forward. His delivery from the left is superb. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Alex Song Made a few sloppy errors in the first half. Lucky not to have been punished when his pass across his own box was intercepted by Robin van Persie. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Kevin Nolan Still not a fans’ favourite as the fans near the press box in the west stand made clear. He was constantly overrun in midfield and wasn’t able to deal with Wayne Rooney running at him. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Mark Noble Dependable performance from Mr West Ham. Tireless work marking Adnan Januzaj, who can break quickly, but Noble dealt with him well. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Stewart Downing Behind Diafra Sakho and Enner Valencia, the English midfielder seemed to run into trouble a little too often and didn’t press forward as much as he has been able to before. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Enner Valencia A constant threat to the Manchester United defence. Used his pace effectively to move into areas where the ball could be fed to him. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Diafra Sakho No sign of his recent back injury causing him any bother. He didn’t use his physicality as well as he should have and was too slow to react in the final third. No doubt he’ll get his sharpness back with a few more matches. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Manchester United: David De Gea Sharp to react to the penetrating runs of Enner Valencia and Diafra Sakho. Did brilliantly to deny Valencia in the first half. Beaten by a strong Cheikhou Kouyate volley. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Phil Jones Handled the physicality of Diafra Sakho well. He won the majority of 50/50 balls in the air against the Senegal international. A composed performance. Could possibly have done better to stop Cheikhou Kouyate getting his shot away. 5
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Luke Shaw Caught out of possession a few times by Enner Valencia who never allowed him out of his sights. Pressed forward well. Sent off for a horror tackle on Stewart Downing. 5
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Antonio Valencia One of Manchester United’s best players against West Ham. Highly effective on the right. Worked particularly hard to support the attack but made sure to track back when required. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Marcos Rojo He never stopped grafting. Very quick out of defence but covered for Luke Shaw when the English defender pushed up. He did pick up an unnecessary yellow card for a reckless tackle on Mark Noble. 6
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Angel di Maria In behind Robin van Persie and Radamel Falcao, the Argentinian playmaker struggled to make an impact. His delivery from set pieces were particularly poor as they failed to beat the first defender. 5
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Adnan Januzaj 50th game for Manchester United three days after he turned 20. Early on his was relatively effective on the left side but as Carl Jenkinson started to read where he was going the Belgian ran out of options. Replaced by Marouane Fellaini after 72 minutes. 5
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Wayne Rooney A little out position but his ability to link up the midfield and attack is always required. A threat to West Ham after the Hammers took the lead. Very creative from a fairly deep role. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Daley Blind Not as strong as he has been. Playing in front of the defence you expected him to stay calm and tidy up loose balls. Bypassed a little too easily by Stewart Downing. Scored a beautiful goal to bring his side level. 7
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Radamel Falcao Too often he appears a little too casual. His movement created space but when he got the ball he didn’t progress play often enough. Missed a sitter to level the scores when one-on-one with Adrian. 5
West Ham 1 Manchester United 1 player ratings Robin Van Persie Failed to punish Alex Song’s mistake in the first half when the midfielder played across his own box. Didn’t link up with Radamel Falcao as much as he has done previously. Should have levelled the match with minutes remaining. Good movement, though. 6
Van Gaal went on to suggest whatever selections he makes will be questioned.
"When I am not lining up Falcao, you are asking 'where is Falcao?'
"When I don't line up Van Persie you are asking 'where is van Persie?'.
"When I play Rooney in midfield I know in advance he is not always in the situation to score."
Rooney is currently third in the all-time top scorers at Manchester United, 25 off Sir Bobby Charlton's record.
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