Employing Rooney in Scholes' role instead of continuing to shoehorn him as an out-and-out striker he is not is the only scenario I can envision really unshackling Rooney's remaining and decreasing potential.
Well it's about bloody time.
Sir Alex Ferguson emerged from his carefully-carved thinking box and finally employed Wayne Rooney in the center of midfield for Manchester United.

For being a legendary manager, Sir Alex sure makes a lot of bad fundamental decisions.
Especially coming off a hopefully learning loss at Chelsea midweek.
But Ferguson showed no signs of insight or clarity when he sat Darren Fletcher and played a flimsy 4-4-2 away to his arch-rivals Sunday.

With a trip to Merseyside against Liverpool looming on Sunday, Manchester United have little time to ruminate over the frustrating loss to Chelsea on Tuesday.
Luckily, I have way more free time than any respectable person and I've decided to spend some of it sitting here typing this bollocks.

Certain recurring narratives were reinforced when Manchester United beat Wigan 4-0 away on Saturday.
Whether or not their import will be heeded by their manager going forward remains to be seen.
United gaffer Alex Ferguson started Javier Hernandez up top with Wayne Rooney for the first time this season away at the JJB.

Three-time European Cup winners Manchester United travelled to the Stade Veladrome Wednesday in first-leg action from the UEFA Champions League knockout stage, squaring up against the successful French outfit Marseille.
For no legitimate reason, Reds manager Alex Ferguson opted for Darron Gibson in midfield in lieu of Paul Scholes.

Oddly, the losing fans probably had more fun at Old Trafford than Manchester United's multi-national supporters.
Crawley Town gave an audacious account for themselves, losing 1-0 but leaving the Theater of Dreams with their pride, a million quid, and a distinct moral advantage over the Premier League giants intact.

On Saturday morning at Old Trafford, Manchester United held off their local rivals 2-1 thanks to a cracking overhead finish from an otherwise off-form Wayne Rooney.
City enjoyed possession and were successful going forward throughout, but the Red side had enough luck with Rooney's unlikely finish to nick all three points.

Manchester United's seaside jaunt to face an attacking-styled Blackpool promised to be an open affair, but United manager Alex Ferguson wasn't in on the plot. Instead he erred with a pusillanimous 4-5-1 to open the game, a questionable setup with questionable selections.
Rooney was on the left, where he often is over the years when the season's final third, and United's forays into Europe, become the priority.

Man United traveled into White Hart Lane against Tottenham with more at stake than at least Spurs were accustomed. For neutrals, unfortunately, the added pressure resulted in a less carefree affair.
The game started openly, though, with some of the glorious back-and-forth attacks everyone expected.

Manchester United made the small jaunt south to the Hawthornes to k ick off the new year in the English top flight. The undefeated visitors topped the league table. West Brom were near its bottom.
Having not scored from open play since March, Rooney's first touch today brought the opening goal.

Birmingham City hosted Manchester United in the late kick-off Tuesday on the second matchday of the gloriously congested festive period.
The home side had the fortune of having been postponed on Sunday due to inclement weather while most United starters put in full shifts that afternoon.

Sunderland visited Old Trafford on Boxing Day and lost 2-0 like they were supposed to.
United came out of the gates like a cartoon horse that'd just been branded. Berbatov scored within five minutes after Giggs made a marauding run through the center and fed Rooney, who curled his cross onto the Bulgarian's head.

Cristiano Ronaldo's latest cracking free-kick success had a minor but significant distinction from his numerous others.
The Portuguese highlight reel has had a proclivity—from his Manchester United days—to use the top of his foot, without following through, to create a driven, dipping, swerving strike on all his free kicks.

Park Ji-Sung once again transcended an inherent mediocrity to edge Manchester United to victory Monday against Arsenal.
The Korean mimicked Javier Hernandez' own contortionist header against Stoke City to somehow steer Nani's cross into the net just prior to the interval at Old Trafford.

Agility trumped strength today as Javier Hernandez nimbly saved Manchester United from drawing with Stoke City at the Britannia Stadium.
If any side deserved to win, it was the visitors. But neither team could produce spells of flowing football. Most of the match was spent retrieving balls gone out of bounds.