Wayne Rooney Thread

[palos]

I does wonder about some people on here yes. How alyuh does make out in RL boi.


Ronaldo was god, then he is the biggest loser and was supposedly committing career suicide should he leave Man Utd. Now talk about Rooney leaving and guess what, is the same Jackass talk men popping up with. Can't believe this...SMDH.

One bad season Rooney have and men talking about he eh worth nothing on current form? Jokers all of you. I eh no Rooney fan, but Man Utd will suffer, maybe not for long, but they will. You all are the biggest bunch of turncoat I ever come across, no loyalty, no allegiance nothing. Damn.

Players such as Beckham, Van Nistelroy, Ronaldo, Yorke, etc were all let go by Man United and they continued to have success.

But if Rooney goes Man Utd will suffer?

LOL!

[JDB]

My question here again for the Man Utd fans, as it was previously in similar run-ins with Beckham, Yorke, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Keane etc and how those situations were ultimately handled is..

Is Alex Ferguson beyond reproach?

I don't want to get into the specifics of hat list but in general, players leave clubs so fans are accustomed to it.

Whether they leave a few years or months early because the manager decide so fans know that players will leave or retire eventually.

Ronaldo come the same summer that Beckham leave, yuh really think that was a bad move.
Van Nistelrooy leave and they win three straight titles starting the very next season.
Keane and Yorke never hit the heights they were at at United. All the talk about Ferguson running them ignores the fact that they were past it. Understandable in the case of Keane, confusing in the case of Yorke.
Yuh could argue that he get the best from Stam too and 15M was not a bad piece of business.

Now things did not have to work out but if you have a manager that there for almost 25 years, winning things, and yuh watch the problems other teams have replacing managers, the manager will always be more valuable than the individual player. Especially when the manager believes that the shit the player is doing is not good for the team. You could argue with his reasoning behind thinking that each player was causing trouble but at the end of the day yuh can't answer with the results.

Anyway this is not about the merits pf Ferguson bouncing players because from all reports Rooney is the one at fault and looking fo rmore trouble here and this could well be resolved without the player being sold anyway. In many ways this is similar to the RVN situation where Rooney getting bench and he don't like it and causing trouble.

[PantherX]

Could be speculation.. or it could be true...

I normally pay most respect to the Guardian and Times but mind you this is the same guy that had sources saying Vidic will definitely leave this summer that now ended and now he's the captain...

It's all too early... of course the press will be littered in this nonsense tomorrow... maybe he's just trying the that's not enough money wildcard until we fold and offer more

I think it will be career suicide should he leave

I cannot imagine United without Rooney 10 in it...it will be a massive shock and massive loss... Irreplaceable

Yeah because Tevez form has nosedived badly since leaving you. 

Allyuh ManU fans is kicks yes.  It's one thing if Rooney was in his 30's but the man is still in his physical prime at 24.  Clearly his loss of form is due to off-field issues affecting his focus, those issues will pass and he'll return to form.  Except now Fergie has alienated Rooney so the resurgence may well occur at another club.  If that club should happen to be the billionaires across town expect to finish behind TWO teams in blue on a regular basis.

No player is bigger than any club but apparently the manager is....at ManU anyway.

Dred pleeze! ferguson tried tuh help rooney by sayin he nursin an ankle injury; rooney let his ego take over and contradicted his manager in the press. Rooney has been very unprofessional by creatin drama and now he can't do his damn job. fergusion's responsibiity is to the team not indulge rooney on the present head trip he seems to be on. so if rooney have a problem with that then he should buss it.

Rooney is in no way an innocent in all this, that's a given but considering the debt hanging over the club ManU cannot afford to lose their last marquee player.  Not only is he irreplaceable but the Glazers won't even bother to try.

The only loser in a Rooney transfer is ManU.

Rooney is very replaceable especially with the type of effort and shite he playing this year. I have no problem with United selling him and using the funds to bring in another player. My only concern is whether they will be allowed to use the money to buy a quality player.

Given the Glazers' track record you think that going to happen?  What happened to the $80 million from Ronaldo's transfer?

[giggsy11]

Could be speculation.. or it could be true...

I normally pay most respect to the Guardian and Times but mind you this is the same guy that had sources saying Vidic will definitely leave this summer that now ended and now he's the captain...

It's all too early... of course the press will be littered in this nonsense tomorrow... maybe he's just trying the that's not enough money wildcard until we fold and offer more

I think it will be career suicide should he leave

I cannot imagine United without Rooney 10 in it...it will be a massive shock and massive loss... Irreplaceable

Yeah because Tevez form has nosedived badly since leaving you. 

Allyuh ManU fans is kicks yes.  It's one thing if Rooney was in his 30's but the man is still in his physical prime at 24.  Clearly his loss of form is due to off-field issues affecting his focus, those issues will pass and he'll return to form.  Except now Fergie has alienated Rooney so the resurgence may well occur at another club.  If that club should happen to be the billionaires across town expect to finish behind TWO teams in blue on a regular basis.

No player is bigger than any club but apparently the manager is....at ManU anyway.

Dred pleeze! ferguson tried tuh help rooney by sayin he nursin an ankle injury; rooney let his ego take over and contradicted his manager in the press. Rooney has been very unprofessional by creatin drama and now he can't do his damn job. fergusion's responsibiity is to the team not indulge rooney on the present head trip he seems to be on. so if rooney have a problem with that then he should buss it.

Rooney is in no way an innocent in all this, that's a given but considering the debt hanging over the club ManU cannot afford to lose their last marquee player.  Not only is he irreplaceable but the Glazers won't even bother to try.

The only loser in a Rooney transfer is ManU.

Rooney is very replaceable especially with the type of effort and shite he playing this year. I have no problem with United selling him and using the funds to bring in another player. My only concern is whether they will be allowed to use the money to buy a quality player.

Given the Glazers' track record you think that going to happen?  What happened to the $80 million from Ronaldo's transfer?

Who the hell knows! All I know is the team needs an injection of creativity and pace in the midfield. The f^cking Glazers suckin we dry!

[dinho]

My question here again for the Man Utd fans, as it was previously in similar run-ins with Beckham, Yorke, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Keane etc and how those situations were ultimately handled is..

Is Alex Ferguson beyond reproach?

I don't want to get into the specifics of hat list but in general, players leave clubs so fans are accustomed to it.

Whether they leave a few years or months early because the manager decide so fans know that players will leave or retire eventually.

Ronaldo come the same summer that Beckham leave, yuh really think that was a bad move.
Van Nistelrooy leave and they win three straight titles starting the very next season.
Keane and Yorke never hit the heights they were at at United. All the talk about Ferguson running them ignores the fact that they were past it. Understandable in the case of Keane, confusing in the case of Yorke.
Yuh could argue that he get the best from Stam too and 15M was not a bad piece of business.

Now things did not have to work out but if you have a manager that there for almost 25 years, winning things, and yuh watch the problems other teams have replacing managers, the manager will always be more valuable than the individual player. Especially when the manager believes that the shit the player is doing is not good for the team. You could argue with his reasoning behind thinking that each player was causing trouble but at the end of the day yuh can't answer with the results.

Anyway this is not about the merits pf Ferguson bouncing players because from all reports Rooney is the one at fault and looking fo rmore trouble here and this could well be resolved without the player being sold anyway. In many ways this is similar to the RVN situation where Rooney getting bench and he don't like it and causing trouble.

I guess the point i'm making is that players come and players go for a variety of reasons yet no one holds Ferguson accountable for any direction he see fit to go for whatever ultimately petty reasons does fuel them at times. Yuh can't argue with his results but yuh could argue that plenty of his knee jerk reactions set the club back when they couldve done even better.

I agreed with the sale of Van Nistelrooy and Keane because I felt that they happened at the right times where really and truly the relationship was beyond repair.

The Tevez sale was shit. That front 3 combo of Ronaldo/Rooney/Tevez was lighting up all and sundry and the team was set to dominate for a few years with that kinda firepower up front and the kind of football they was playing. He went and buy Berbatov and freeze the man out for no reason at all and stall all the good work of the season before. Then talk about the man didnt score enough goals, but look at the man goalscoring record to date. Yuh don't see dem kinda players just so, yuh supposed to nurture that talent.

The Stam sale was shit too and he has admitted as much. Yuh don't sell the best defender in the world at the top of his game over an ill-advised paragraph in a book. A 2 week fine and bench plus a tongue lashing wouldve more than done the job. Look at what their defence became after that sale.

I personally feel if Fergie had given Yorke a chance the year he was trying to sell him to Middelsborough and let him prove his worth that Yorke would've come back to his best. Furthermore, with Yorke, Beckham and I am almost sure with Rooney in this instance, Ferguson is a man from the old school that does wanna tell big men how they should live their life. That is nonsense in this day and age, its not like back in the early 90s when he coulda go in party and drag Giggs outside by his collar. Remember he is the one who tell Rooney he should get married a chill out (he try that with Yorke too), now why should a coach have that kinda input in a man personal life?

These days, footballers is professionals, as long as you maintain your level of performance it shouldnt matter what you do in your spare time or personal life as long as it doesnt draw negative attention to the club. Not saying that this isn't the case with Rooney as it still fresh, but I could see based on his history how he could possibly handle this situation poorly, and the club will pay for it in the end.

But don't expect Man Utd fans to ask questions.

[Mose]

My question here again for the Man Utd fans, as it was previously in similar run-ins with Beckham, Yorke, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Keane etc and how those situations were ultimately handled is..

Is Alex Ferguson beyond reproach?

I don't want to get into the specifics of hat list but in general, players leave clubs so fans are accustomed to it.

Whether they leave a few years or months early because the manager decide so fans know that players will leave or retire eventually.

Ronaldo come the same summer that Beckham leave, yuh really think that was a bad move.
Van Nistelrooy leave and they win three straight titles starting the very next season.
Keane and Yorke never hit the heights they were at at United. All the talk about Ferguson running them ignores the fact that they were past it. Understandable in the case of Keane, confusing in the case of Yorke.
Yuh could argue that he get the best from Stam too and 15M was not a bad piece of business.

Now things did not have to work out but if you have a manager that there for almost 25 years, winning things, and yuh watch the problems other teams have replacing managers, the manager will always be more valuable than the individual player. Especially when the manager believes that the shit the player is doing is not good for the team. You could argue with his reasoning behind thinking that each player was causing trouble but at the end of the day yuh can't answer with the results.

Anyway this is not about the merits pf Ferguson bouncing players because from all reports Rooney is the one at fault and looking fo rmore trouble here and this could well be resolved without the player being sold anyway. In many ways this is similar to the RVN situation where Rooney getting bench and he don't like it and causing trouble.

I guess the point i'm making is that players come and players go for a variety of reasons yet no one holds Ferguson accountable for any direction he see fit to go for whatever ultimately petty reasons does fuel them at times. Yuh can't argue with his results but yuh could argue that plenty of his knee jerk reactions set the club back when they couldve done even better.
...
But don't expect Man Utd fans to ask questions.

You may say/figure that ManU fans don't ask questions but as much as we may worship the club and SAF at the end of the day we're still fans.  And to fans it's usually about "what have you done for me lately?". So as long as SAF continues to get good results you're not going to hear much noise about his methods coming from the fans. If, however, we go another year without winning the league, or don't get any silverware this season you may start to hear questions being asked a bit louder.

Mourinho had his fans and his detractors but not too many of them were Chelsea fans while he was getting results.  Wenger has been at Arsenal for an age and is hailed as a genius in some circles but the lack of hardware for the trophy cabinet in recent years has led to a few rumblings. And the longer it goes on the louder those rumblings will get.

[elan]

I does wonder about some people on here yes. How alyuh does make out in RL boi.


Ronaldo was god, then he is the biggest loser and was supposedly committing career suicide should he leave Man Utd. Now talk about Rooney leaving and guess what, is the same Jackass talk men popping up with. Can't believe this...SMDH.

One bad season Rooney have and men talking about he eh worth nothing on current form? Jokers all of you. I eh no Rooney fan, but Man Utd will suffer, maybe not for long, but they will. You all are the biggest bunch of turncoat I ever come across, no loyalty, no allegiance nothing. Damn.

Players such as Beckham, Van Nistelroy, Ronaldo, Yorke, etc were all let go by Man United and they continued to have success.

But if Rooney goes Man Utd will suffer?

LOL!

Come Palos man quote meh good nah.

[STEUPS!!]

Could be speculation.. or it could be true...

I normally pay most respect to the Guardian and Times but mind you this is the same guy that had sources saying Vidic will definitely leave this summer that now ended and now he's the captain...

It's all too early... of course the press will be littered in this nonsense tomorrow... maybe he's just trying the that's not enough money wildcard until we fold and offer more

I think it will be career suicide should he leave

I cannot imagine United without Rooney 10 in it...it will be a massive shock and massive loss... Irreplaceable

like yuh hadda change your signature again

[weary1969]

Could be speculation.. or it could be true...

I normally pay most respect to the Guardian and Times but mind you this is the same guy that had sources saying Vidic will definitely leave this summer that now ended and now he's the captain...

It's all too early... of course the press will be littered in this nonsense tomorrow... maybe he's just trying the that's not enough money wildcard until we fold and offer more

I think it will be career suicide should he leave

I cannot imagine United without Rooney 10 in it...it will be a massive shock and massive loss... Irreplaceable

like yuh hadda change your signature again

I find he take it real cool.

[Small Magician aka Wazza]

Could be speculation.. or it could be true...

I normally pay most respect to the Guardian and Times but mind you this is the same guy that had sources saying Vidic will definitely leave this summer that now ended and now he's the captain...

It's all too early... of course the press will be littered in this nonsense tomorrow... maybe he's just trying the that's not enough money wildcard until we fold and offer more

I think it will be career suicide should he leave

I cannot imagine United without Rooney 10 in it...it will be a massive shock and massive loss... Irreplaceable

like yuh hadda change your signature again

I find he take it real cool.

I had to change it since summer...just sticking

And yea I not going to panic until Wednesday..If he not in the starting line up then we know he's off... Also press conference 2moro..  we'll see

I honestly think United will resolve the matter...If we were in April/May I would have already been resigned to the fact...but we have time

[Bakes]

My question here again for the Man Utd fans, as it was previously in similar run-ins with Beckham, Yorke, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Keane etc and how those situations were ultimately handled is..

Is Alex Ferguson beyond reproach?

You assume sole culpability falls on Alex Ferguson. There are always (at least) two sides to every story.

Thing is... reading the responses of you ManU aficionados so far, you would think that Fergie does shit ice cream.  Fuhget that 'sole' culpability talk because allyuh ent even looking Fergie way in this dispute.

[Spursy]

Inter will buy him for 20 million euros np + swap for suazo and they can have baibainy or we his name his

[makaveli]

I does wonder about some people on here yes. How alyuh does make out in RL boi.


Ronaldo was god, then he is the biggest loser and was supposedly committing career suicide should he leave Man Utd. Now talk about Rooney leaving and guess what, is the same Jackass talk men popping up with. Can't believe this...SMDH.

One bad season Rooney have and men talking about he eh worth nothing on current form? Jokers all of you. I eh no Rooney fan, but Man Utd will suffer, maybe not for long, but they will. You all are the biggest bunch of turncoat I ever come across, no loyalty, no allegiance nothing. Damn.

Players such as Beckham, Van Nistelroy, Ronaldo, Yorke, etc were all let go by Man United and they continued to have success.

But if Rooney goes Man Utd will suffer?

LOL!

All of the players mentioned save Yorke had sufficient years left on their contract for United to bargin with. Man U were in the driving seat in all of those situations. Also all of those transfers save Ronaldo took place long before the global financial meltdown. Man U as a club is a very different position now than they were back then. Glazers implemented a policy were they would not sign any players who would not be 'sellable' after their first contract. Rooney is turning 25 very soon which means he is capable of top performances for another 4 yrs at least. He and any club he gunning for could basically wine on Ferguson and Man U if only because of the time left on his contract. They will suffer because even after those players you mentioned left they still had 'markee' players left. If Rooney leaves who is their 'go to/ confidence' guy? - the one player on a team that the opposing side knows can change a game at anytime.

[makaveli]

Points to consider.

*Rooney is 24yrs old
*He has 18 months left on his contract
*Financially, Man U not anywhere where they would like to be.

His 'loss of form' as been due to specific personal incidents and the injury he suffered. More importantly can you really call that a loss of form(in football at least) when it has been caused by specific events? To me a loss of form and a major source of worry would be when their are no underlying issues contributing to you not performing as you normally do.

[Disgruntled_Trini]

And this Wayne Rooney soap opera deserves a whole thread why again?

Shouldn't this sh!t be merged with the ManUre thread

STEUPS!!



Sh!t I forget where I was for a second - my bad, carry on.

[dinho]

And this Wayne Rooney soap opera deserves a whole thread why again?

Shouldn't this sh!t be merged with the ManUre thread

STEUPS!!



Sh!t I forget where I was for a second - my bad, carry on.

 

[Cantona007]

My question here again for the Man Utd fans, as it was previously in similar run-ins with Beckham, Yorke, Stam, Van Nistelrooy, Keane etc and how those situations were ultimately handled is..

Is Alex Ferguson beyond reproach?

You assume sole culpability falls on Alex Ferguson. There are always (at least) two sides to every story.

Thing is... reading the responses of you ManU aficionados so far, you would think that Fergie does shit ice cream.  Fuhget that 'sole' culpability talk because allyuh ent even looking Fergie way in this dispute.

I was responding to Dinho, whose comments so far seemed to park the bus of responsibility on Ferguson's door (as usual). I in turn, am stating that in these situations, it is NEVER that black and white. Case in point, from the press conference (just concluded), we learn that apparently, Rooney made up his mind to leave in the off season. If this is true, all this "alienation" *conjecture* becomes moot (well, rubbish, actually). Not sure about the ice-cream comment and the generalised assessment of United fans. I don't do generalizations. And for clarity's sake what do you mean about not looking Fergie's way? Are you assuming that United fans automatically assuming no blame on Ferguson's part?

[D.H.W]

Wayne Rooney wants to leave Man Utd - Sir Alex Ferguson

Sir Alex Ferguson has revealed Wayne Rooney wants to quit Manchester United.

The Old Trafford boss admitted he was "shocked" and "disappointed" to hear the news but said he had not fallen out with the England international, 24.

"We are as bemused as anyone can be, we can't quite understand why he would want to leave," said Ferguson.

Ferguson said the "door is still open" for Rooney, who will miss Wednesday's European game with Bursaspor after being stretchered off in training.

The frontman suffered minor ankle damage at the end of the session and will sit out the Champions League tie at Old Trafford.

Rooney's future has been the subject of intense speculation over the last few days following reports that he was not prepared to sign a new contract.

His current deal is due to finish at the end of the 2011/12 season.

In an interview with MUTV filmed before he spoke to the media, Ferguson said club chief executive David Gill had told him about Rooney's decision not to sign a new deal back in the summer.

"I was in the office on 14 August and David phoned me to say he (Rooney) wasn't signing a contract," said Ferguson.

"I was dumbfounded. Only months before he was saying he was at the greatest club in the world."

Having learned of Rooney's desire to go, Ferguson requested to speak to the player.

"Dealing with the next step was always going to be decisive for us, how we dealt with the situation," he said.

"I asked to have a meeting with the boy and he reiterated what his agent said, that he wanted to go.

"The one thing I said to him was 'respect this club', I don't want any nonsense from you.

"I don't know if he has done that. I have doubts on that, we are reading all these things about falling out with me and all that nonsense.

"It's disappointing because we have done everything we possibly can to help Wayne Rooney ever since he came to the club.

"We have always been here as a harbour for him any time he has been in trouble, the advice we have given him, I was even prepared to give him financial advice.

"But it's not just Wayne Rooney, we have done that for all the players. Wayne has been the beneficiary of that, just as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes has... so there has been no falling out.

"So there we are, we have got into a situation where we had to clarify this for our fans because what we saw on Saturday was unacceptable.

"When we got to 2-2 (against West Brom) and they were chanting Wayne Rooney, it's a pressure on the players and didn't do the team any good so we had to clarify the situation and put it right."

Rooney's decision has clearly had a big impact on Ferguson, who signed the player from Everton in.

United paid the Toffees £25.6m for the 18-year-old, a world record fee for a player aged under 20.

"We've done nothing but help him since he's been at this club," said Ferguson, who has not given up hope of Rooney remaining at Old Trafford.

"I feel that we still have to keep the door open for him, especially as he's such a good player," said the manager.

Rooney has been a key figure for United, helping them to win the Premier League in 2007, 2008 and 2009 as well as the coveted Champions League in 2008.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/9104392.stm

[Small Magician aka Wazza]

Fergie looks utterly dissapointed in his interview... never seen him like that before

Rooney apparently wants to leave due to lack of ambition at the club... All United fans would agree with him there but we also think he should man up and take responsibility as well...

It's a tricky situation and It's in Wazza's hands now... If he wants to leave then he can...but I'm hoping the wiser heads in the team can settle him down and hopefully he will sign the contract that will make him the highest paid player in England(I highly doubt that though)

I'm honestly backing Fergie on this one... I have no problem with the direction he took in this saga... Rooney wanted out on August 14th ... Fergie told him OK I hope you change your mind over the next few months but while your here respect the club etc....

I would like to hear Rooney's side of the story but I'm hoping it's not about money... because that will be sad considering we United fans considered him a loyal player who is about football

I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst

No one is bigger than the club... always has been that way..always will

[dinho]

No one is bigger than the club... always has been that way..always will

Except Fergie.. but with what we hearing now yuh right really can't fault him on this one.

[Disgruntled_Trini]

Fergie looks utterly dissapointed in his interview... never seen him like that before

Small Mag, where yuh sig?

Ten minutes ago it was pics of Rooney with the caption "My Time Now".

What happened to it?

[JDB]

No one is bigger than the club... always has been that way..always will

Except Fergie.. but with what we hearing now yuh right really can't fault him on this one.

I sure yuh could find a way to throw blame at him still.

[dinho]

No one is bigger than the club... always has been that way..always will

Except Fergie.. but with what we hearing now yuh right really can't fault him on this one.

I sure yuh could find a way to throw blame at him still.

Maybe when I hear Rooney side of the story.

[JDB]

Maybe when I hear Rooney side of the story.

I hear yuh. I think just as people think Ferguson gets a free pass with United fans, non-United fans have a knee jerk reaction to blame Ferguson. In this case it have plenty pointing the idea that Rooney having problems of his own making. The drinking, smoking, public urination, hoes chasing business is one thing but his general reaction to his own poor form, like telling off the fans in SA, just doesn't sit right.

United fans question Ferguson all the time, probably too much. What I blame him for was rushing him back for thet Bayern game. That kill the title run-in and say to the rest of the team that it is a one-man side. It seems that Rooney get real big after the setta goals he score last year and all the accolades and comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo.

It makes sense now that since the start of the year Ferguson has been giving Berbatov a bigger role and working in Hernandez and Macheda.

[giggsy11]

Fergie looks utterly dissapointed in his interview... never seen him like that before

Rooney apparently wants to leave due to lack of ambition at the club... All United fans would agree with him there but we also think he should man up and take responsibility as well...

It's a tricky situation and It's in Wazza's hands now... If he wants to leave then he can...but I'm hoping the wiser heads in the team can settle him down and hopefully he will sign the contract that will make him the highest paid player in England(I highly doubt that though)

I'm honestly backing Fergie on this one... I have no problem with the direction he took in this saga... Rooney wanted out on August 14th ... Fergie told him OK I hope you change your mind over the next few months but while your here respect the club etc....

I would like to hear Rooney's side of the story but I'm hoping it's not about money... because that will be sad considering we United fans considered him a loyal player who is about football

I'm hoping for the best but expecting the worst

No one is bigger than the club... always has been that way..always will

I read that he is looking to get at least 200,000 a week and United are not open to giving him that type of money. Allegedly he was talking about leaving during the World Cup and even reported considering City because they can pay him that and more.

[giggsy11]

Maybe when I hear Rooney side of the story.

I hear yuh. I think just as people think Ferguson gets a free pass with United fans, non-United fans have a knee jerk reaction to blame Ferguson. In this case it have plenty pointing the idea that Rooney having problems of his own making. The drinking, smoking, public urination, hoes chasing business is one thing but his general reaction to his own poor form, like telling off the fans in SA, just doesn't sit right.

United fans question Ferguson all the time, probably too much. What I blame him for was rushing him back for thet Bayern game. That kill the title run-in and say to the rest of the team that it is a one-man side. It seems that Rooney get real big after the setta goals he score last year and all the accolades and comparisons with Messi and Ronaldo.

It makes sense now that since the start of the year Ferguson has been giving Berbatov a bigger role and working in Hernandez and Macheda.

And loading up on the forwards.

[elan]

Fergusson destroyed Rooney ankle by playing him in that CL game when clearly he could not do anything on that ankle. That's how much they cared, I never agreed with that.

Why Fergusson does talk to and about players like they is lil boys so

"I asked to have a meeting with the boy and he reiterated what his agent said, that he wanted to go.

"The one thing I said to him was 'respect this club', I don't want any nonsense from you.

[giggsy11]

Rooney's refusal to sign new deal comes down to one thing: cash

Wages being paid at City, which dwarf United's offer, have turned striker's head

The Independent

By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent


Tuesday, 19 October 2010

AP

Rooney (centre) has been voicing concerns about his future at United since the World Cup

At the World Cup finals this summer, in the long weeks in England's training camp outside Rustenburg, Wayne Rooney was given to wondering aloud whether his future was best served with Manchester United who had made him an offer of a new contract that had not come close to his expectations.


Among the despondency and the long unfilled hours around England's headquarters in the little town of Phokeng in the North West province, Rooney's disaffection with his club was not a secret. United's offer of a contract worth around £150,000-a-week was dwarfed by the huge salaries being paid to Manchester City's new signings funded by their owner Sheikh Mansour.

Rooney's other concern was whether United had the means to replace the likes of Ryan Giggs or Paul Scholes, especially with the club paying £40m a year in interest on the Glazer family's enormous debt. As word got around about Rooney's unhappiness it became clear that his frustration at United had a few elements to it. But like all big decisions that affect the modern footballer, Rooney's choice not to sign his new deal came down to one factor above all: money.



The common perception of Rooney is that he is thick and that away from the pitch he is ripe for exploitation by the men in suits who understand the balance sheet better than he does. But Rooney is not thick. He has an instinctive understanding of how much he is worth and he has the single-mindedness and strength of character to force the issue in order to get it.

There is intense interest among footballers in the wages of their peers. It is hard to underestimate the effect that the extraordinary salary City agreed with Yaya Touré, the Ivorian midfielder signed from Barcelona in the summer, has had on the expectations of the best players in the game. It raised the bar dramatically and it was paid to a player whom no one would consider as among the most sought-after players in the world.

Touré's deal was devised to give him a salary of around £4.1m after tax. That means he earns around £185,000-a-week for now but that will rise to £221,000-a-week when the government raises the top rate of income tax to 50 per cent in April. It is a terrifying prospect for football club chairmen that players will soon be asking them to make up the shortfall when the Exchequer takes its extra 10 per cent.

Just as John Terry had his head turned in the summer of last year by the wages that City are capable of paying, so it has been impossible for Rooney to ignore. There is no compunction among footballers at maximising their salary and City are currently the biggest show in town. The prevailing mood among this very fortunate generation of young men is that as the single most valuable commodity in the game they owe it to themselves to make as much as they can.

Rooney has options. His contract is up in June 2012 when he could walk away for free. The Fifa "Webster ruling" would permit him to buy out the last year of his contract for little more the equivalent of a year's salary, £5m. Rooney will not have to listen to the phone-ins over the next few days to know the rage and disbelief that will be expressed at his refusal to sign a new contract. He will already have realised what he is about to unleash. But he has spent most of his young life in the eye of one storm or another.

So what next? Sir Alex Ferguson and David Gill, the club's chief executive, have negotiated countless acquisitions and sales of famous footballers but they have never faced a situation like this. Comparisons with David Beckham are misleading. Beckham signed a new contract in 2002, the summer before he was sold to Real Madrid, which gave United five years' protection against him leaving for free. Rooney will be a free agent in just 20 months' time.

Rooney is represented in negotiations with the club by his long-serving agent Paul Stretford who has a lifetime of experience in the brutal world of deal-making in football. In the 1990s, Stretford represented a series of high-profile English footballers including Stan Collymore and Andy Cole. However, as Rooney has developed into the most famous player in the country, Stretford has concentrated all his energies on his stellar client.

In 2004, Stretford alleged he was blackmailed by Rooney's former agents in a court case that eventually collapsed on the basis of his evidence. He was banned by the Football Association and then successfully appealed. Most recently he defeated a £4.5m claim against him and his client from the talent agency that he founded, sold and eventually left in 2008 – taking with him Rooney and his wife Coleen.

Rooney's life has never been straightforward and nor has the life of the man who negotiates his contracts, his commercial deals, oversees his legal team and goes to battle on his behalf with newspapers. But what that tells us is that both Rooney and Stretford are tough characters and the prospect of public disapproval or a struggle with Ferguson and Gill will not deter the two men if the rewards are big enough.

If Rooney is sold, as United are threatening if he does not sign his contract, then it will be he who chooses where he goes. If he leaves for free then the rewards will be phenomenal – whether it is City or elsewhere. And if he stays, which seems increasingly unlikely, then it will only be on his own terms. He is in the ideal position and there will be many footballers of more modest talent looking at Rooney's example and wondering if they should do the same.

The prize is enormous. Rooney could potentially become the Premier League's first £250,000-a-week footballer, the £1m-a-month man. Over the next five years that will take Rooney, who turns 25 on Sunday, to the age of 30 he could potentially earn £60m. For a player and an agent who have learned the hard way that fortunes in football can change in an instant it is too good a possibility to ignore.

But where would he go? Rooney's most likely options should he leave united

Manchester City 9-2

It would make City's signing of the former Manchester United striker Carlos Tevez last year – who was bought from a third party who had previously loaned him to United – look tame in comparison. The key problem for City signing Rooney would be the effect his contract would have on their attempts to meet the forthcoming Uefa financial fair play rules. But if Rooney is determined to leave then City will generate the most cash for the player. If it is a choice between him joining City for £45m or leaving for nothing in June 2012 then there is no doubt which option the Glazers will take.

Real Madrid 6-1

Jorge Valdano, the club's technical director, said yesterday that with Cristiano Ronaldo, Gonzalo Higuain, Mesut Ozil and Angel Di Maria in the team, "who do we take out if Rooney comes?" Of course, when Madrid say they do not want a player it usually means they do. Those who say that they cannot see Rooney playing abroad are underestimating his determination. Jose Mourinho, who was undone at Chelsea by United's title-winning combination of Rooney and Ronaldo in 2007, was more sceptical. "I don't think he will [leave]," he said yesterday. "The big man [Ferguson] will persuade him to stay."

Barcelona 12-1

Debts of £370m have taken the edge off the spending power of the most attractive team in the world. No Englishman has played in any of the great Barcelona teams of the last seven years but Rooney would fit in. Lower rates of income tax in Europe would increase Barcelona's ability to meet Rooney's wage demands.

There was advice for Rooney yesterday from his former team-mate Roy Keane. "I would tell him to make sure he looks after No 1," Keane said. "Players are pieces of meat – that's how I look at it. When your time's up, your time's up."

Chelsea 16-1

They refused to pay John Terry the wages that he would have been able to command at City in the summer of last year so it would not be easy to justify doing the same for Rooney if he is after £200,000 a week. But this is the kind of deal that might just appeal to Roman Abramovich.

"You better ask Roman Abramovich directly," Carlo Ancelotti said yesterday. "I can't give an answer about this because it's not a good moment to say. Rooney is a United player, maybe he has some problems at the moment. Big teams want to keep top players like Rooney."


 

[elan]

Please Chelsea DO NOT BUY or make an offer for Rooney, please don't.


Giggsy yuh eh like Rooney boy.

[giggsy11]

Please Chelsea DO NOT BUY or make an offer for Rooney, please don't.


Giggsy yuh eh like Rooney boy.

Players come and players go; I do not have a problem with any player wanting to leave United but my issues has always been with how they conduct themselves when they make up their mind to leave. Rooney in my mind has stopped making an effort on and off the field and I find he has been very unprofessional. Even when there were speculations regarding Ronaldo; he never said whether he wanted to stay or go but his actions on and off the field indicated he wanted to leave.  I had issues with him when I felt he was playing half arse or he never came out and said whether he wanted to stay or go. There is no loyalty in football anymore whether it is the palyer or the club. Rooney left his beloved Everton to come to United so I am not surprised that he wants to leave United. I am no longer caught up in the romance/love affair or the belief that players stay at a club until they retire. Whom ever chooses to play for United I will support; when you leave you leave. I hate the direction the club has taken since the Glazers bought them and the debt keeps piling up. I hope we get back on track sooner rather than later. Say wha, if we have to lose a few years in order to regain our position as a force I will take it as long as we get back on track. Hey, we didn't win for 3 years and then we had success so if that is what it will take again so be it. I Will still be a United supporter tru thick and thin.