For the second time in four years, D.C. United will look to Wayne Rooney as inspiration to climb up the table and into the MLS Cup Playoffs.
When Rooney arrived at Audi Field in July 2018, the Black and Red were miles off the pace and looked destined for another season of disappointment. But what followed was a 20-game run in which United lost just four times, took 40 points, and went unbeaten in their final 10 regular-season games, winning seven of them.
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It was enough to drag D.C. all the way up to fourth in the Eastern Conference and Rooney was undoubtedly the catalyst, scoring 12 goals and assisting another six in 20 appearances.
Can he do it again, this time as head coach?
“When he came four years ago, we were about 13 points out of the playoffs. We won 40 points, I think, in our last 20 matches, which was the best record in the league during that time period,” United’s CEO and managing general owner Jason Levien said on Tuesday.
“I’ve told Wayne, we expect the same this time,” he said added jokingly. “But even if we don’t do as well as that, I think we’re going to do quite well.”
Rooney returns as D.C. United lick their wounds from a humiliating, record-breaking 7-0 defeat on the road at the Philadelphia Union. The Black and Red are joint-bottom of the Eastern Conference with just 17 points from 17 games, while no team has allowed more than their 37 goals. DC have just one win in their last nine matches across all competitions, losing six.
But right away, Rooney’s arrival seems to have changed the mood. A source within the D.C. United locker room told 90min the team has ‘perked up’ and is ‘excited’ about the changes Rooney will bring. The source also revealed that the former Man Utd and Everton striker has kept his messaging simple for now, but that he’s been very clear in what he wants and has helped the players ‘re-shift their focus’.
Spoke to a source within the DC United locker room
Says the team have ‘perked up’ following Wayne Rooney’s arrival. The players are excited to see what he’ll bring
Also said Rooney has kept his messaging simple & clear so far. There’s a better mood around the team#VamosUnited pic.twitter.com/M3iWGHsEiA
— Chris Smith (@CJSmith91) July 12, 2022
“I think you’re going to see a real uplift in our play. I think the last couple of days, having Wayne around the organization has put a pep in everyone’s step,” Levien confirmed.
Make no mistake, Rooney is still very much a managerial rookie. England’s record goalscorer took charge of Derby County for 85 games, winning 24 (28.2%) and losing 39. He was unable to avoid relegation to League One in 2021/22, though the Rams were crippled by a 21-point deduction due to financial irregularities.
But that remains Rooney’s only managerial experience to date, so he’s going to have to learn on the job and, perhaps, hope his familiarity with D.C. United can help him hit the ground running.
“I’m at the beginning of that journey,” Rooney said. “I’m at a point in my managerial career where I have to put the work in, I have to put the hours in. Of course, I’m an ambitious person, one day I want to manage at the top level. And this is part of that process in terms of coming here, trying to develop this club, trying to get success here, but also develop myself as a manager.
“But also the connection I’ve got with the club, being here before, there isn’t another MLS team I would want other than D.C. United. So I am proud to be here as manager, proud to try and develop this club both on and off the field.”
“It will get better, it will improve, and I will bring success back to the club.”
A message from Wayne to the Black-and-Red faithful 👊@WayneRooney || #VamosUnited pic.twitter.com/Uhwranot70
— D.C. United (@dcunited) July 12, 2022
Unfortunately, the nature of the situation Rooney walks into means he’ll have little time to find his feet. For all their struggles, D.C. United are still only nine points adrift of the Playoff places with games in hand on the teams above them, while the nature of their latest defeat will leave fans with little patience for any transitional periods.
“Whenever you lose a game the way that we did and by the margin we did, it adds an element of urgency to it,” general manager and head of technical recruitment and analysis Lucy Rushton told MLSsoccer.com in the week.
“It puts your club in a place where you need a reaction or you need a change, and you need something drastic at that point. So I think it probably forced the issue a little bit… As tough as last Friday was, it was probably the final straw that we needed really to go make this change and then start our recovery sooner rather than later.”
A few members of the current roster were around when Rooney joined D.C. United as a player, while the Englishman will have carefully evaluated the rest of the club’s roster.
He’s certain the team is far better than what their form and league position show and is aiming to add a little bit of the nasty streak that made him so effective during in playing days.
“I believe they’re underperforming. I believe there’s a lot more for them players to give,” Rooney observed of D.C. United. “The organization has to be right for the players, they have to be hard to beat, and there’s principles and a mentality which I have to make sure I put into them players, so when they go on the pitch, they become a real horrible team to play against, but also exciting. And that’s what I’m planning on doing.”
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