Wayne Rooney’s transfer to Manchester United in 2004 was, in some respects, an iconic moment in soccer.

He was England’s most exciting young talent in generations, and now he was joining with the greatest manager of all-time, at the most powerful club in the country, to fulfill his potential. In a landscape soon to be dominated by the brilliance of Leo Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, Wayne Rooney was England’s answer.

In retrospect, it’s unfair to hold any player to the heights Messi and Ronaldo have both achieved. Rooney will be remembered as a very good player — and deservedly so. The 29-year-old is already England’s all-time leading goalscorer, and is 15 goals away from accomplishing that same feat for Manchester United.

Still, rather than charging into the final part of his career, there’s a growing sense that the Manchester United captain is starting to drift.

Manchester United were hopeless against Arsenal during its 3-0 loss on Sunday, and Wayne Rooney put in his usual shift. He ran around a lot and made some good tackles, but as is becoming increasingly routine, he looked like a blunt object surrounded by a group of precision instruments. As have Manchester United, for that matter.

Since manager Sir Alex Ferguson’s retirement in 2013, United have lacked all the qualities Rooney was once lauded for: dynamism, speed, strength, directness, and attitude. It’s telling that, as Manchester United have sought to recapture those qualities, they’ve turned not to Rooney but to 19-year-old Anthony Martial.

(PAUL ELLISPAUL ELLIS/AFP/Getty Images)

The original plan was for Rooney to play as a second striker in a 4-4-2 system, giving him free reign to roam around another fixed, target man striker. But as that system has faded into the past and more complex tactics have emerged in its place, Rooney looks lost.

Whereas Ronaldo and Messi fit naturally on opposing wings, Rooney roams too much to play as a striker, isn’t nuanced enough to be a number 10, is too wild to play in midfield, and looks too isolated as winger.

Wayne Rooney doesn’t make sense anymore. His longevity is a credit to his fundamental ability, but as his England career, inflated with goals against lesser opponents, suggests, Rooney looks like a good player masquerading as a great one. He can play a role, but he won’t be the player who leads Manchester United to glory.