If Wayne Rooney has truly broken off talks over a contract and decided to leave Manchester United then there is no future for the striker at Old Trafford. That the 24-year-old has chosen to seal his exit by publicly falling out with Sir Alex Ferguson over an ankle injury only adds a layer of credibility to the story that rapidly evolved over the weekend.
It is not the first time Ferguson has fallen out with a star player, of course. The difference this time: the Scot occupies the moral high ground, with his out-of-form philandering star seemingly bereft of any reasonable justification for his actions.
It is unlikely to play well with United supporters.
Rooney is said to want a transfer after Ferguson left the striker out of the United side in recent weeks stating illness and injury, rather than the player’s indiscretion with a prostitute, as the cause. But with contract negotiations at an indefinite impasse and United unlikely to allow the striker’s deal to run down – it ends in June 2012 – a move away from the club in the next year is likely.
In common with Rooney, the autocratic Scot has previously fallen out with numerous leading stars at the club; none has remained at Old Trafford in the aftermath. David Beckham, Jaap Stam and Ruud van Nistelrooy can all attest to the folly of taking on Ferguson in a battle of wills. Paul Ince and Roy Keane have similar battle-scars.
No matter how big the star, Ferguson drove each out of Old Trafford because he will not countenance egos in his dressing room.
Indeed, the quartet might each argue he was at the height of his powers when the door marked exit loomed large. Beckham, just 28, was the most high-profile player on the planet. Meanwhile, van Nistelrooy had scored 150 goals in 219 games for the club. Ferguson later admitted his error in offloading Stam to Lazio in August 2001 despite the £16.5 million fee on offer from the Italians.
The Rooney case is different to previous though and not solely because the striker is the most talented player in the United dressing room. While Ferguson’s stubborn nature, personal ego or inability to deal with modern celebrity culture played a role in Beckham, Stam and van Nistelrooy’s departures, Rooney’s problems are of his own making.
Indeed, Ferguson while personally seething over the striker’s behaviour in recent months, has sought to protect his player with a fatherly air. With the benefit of hindsight, the Scot has dropped Rooney for five matches this season but in public refused to criticise his player.
What else could Ferguson do? After all, Rooney is a highly paid employee of the club and in private Ferguson no doubt sought to remind the striker of his responsibilities, while publicly protecting the player behind the mask of injury.
Rooney’s reaction to Ferguson’s strategy is seemingly both childish and lacking in judgment. The mental strength once attributed to player now evaporated along with his form, as if he genuinely believes that there are no consequences for his off-the-field behaviour.
Supporters might observe that Rooney ought to be more thankful for his manager’s support. Like those players before him, Rooney may well find life after Old Trafford is more difficult still.
Yet there now seems no way back for the pair, with Ferguson unlikely to give what little ground he can and Rooney instructing his agent to brief the media widely. It is a direct and humiliating challenge to the manager’s authority that Ferguson cannot accept without total emasculation.
In the background the spectre of Rooney’s contract looms large. While chief executive David Gill promised contract negotiations would re-open after the World Cup, the two parties have effectively been in talks for more than a year.
Money cannot be discounted from the equation, with the Rooney camp in full knowledge that United’s £140,000 per week offer can be comfortably exceeded elsewhere. The club has already risked standing accused of trying to secure Rooney on the cheap.
With around 18 months left on Rooney’s deal, the player is in a strong negotiating position both with United and other interest parties. Yet the scale of demands both from the player and United leaves a deal possible with only a select few clubs.
That elite group might reasonably include the Spanish giant Real Madrid, Chelsea and Manchester City, with a huge fee and wages to match demanded. Even Barcelona, with its £370 million annual revenues, can no longer spend the predicted £50 million fee and £8 million annual wages it might take to lure Rooney from Old Trafford.
Madrid began the game of cat-and-mouse today when general manager Jorge Valdano denied the club has any interest in Rooney.
Chelsea, meanwhile, no longer spend at the top of the market with Roman Abramovich keen for the club to break even. From next summer Chelsea must scale back on its spending commitments to meet the new UEFA financial fair play regulations (FFP), with the initial three-year reporting period opening.
It leaves the spectre of Manchester City looming large in United’s sights. Rooney is reportedly open to a move across town and City would certainly stretch to meet any financial demands despite the need to fall within FFP regulations itself.
On the periphery of a rapid evolving story, United fans must wonder how it came to this. This time, however, few will question the manager’s judgment. The same cannot be said of the player.
F***s a whore, gets photographed smoking and pissing against a wall, plays like a fat OAP for six months and then turns his back on the club that loves him like no other — and even sung his name on Saturday when he was rightly stuck on the bench.
What the f**k are you doing Wayne?
Sad really that a player we all so admired has acted so petulantly.
Can’t see him staying now, and I genuinely believe that we won’t miss as much as some might think. Obviously he’s an outstanding player and had this happened last season I’d have been devastated, but I think we’ve coped excellent this season (going forward) in his effective absence.
I can’t see much of the proceeds going into the transfer kitty, in which case it’s excellent news for Macheda and Hernandez.
David Gill has just come out and said SAF will make a public address to this siuation tomorrow. Money talks!
I don’t think that Man United will refuse 50 million being offered by Man City for a January transfer. Would Rooney be interested in going to Man City and partner Tevez? Yes, if wants to get back at Fergie. Something tells me Rooney will start Wednesday night against Bursapor. If not, and he is not on the sub bench, then there maybe some truth to all these rumours.
has nothing to do with him turning his back on the club, its yet another player who loves the club like beckham stam ruud who that ginsoak jock horse rimming speccy fat lying cunt has had a tiff with and now feels he can’t work under anymore, rooneys fucked about with his wife not with the club, its the manger who thinks he’s bigger than the club and again has turned an off the pitch matter into him or me bollocks
You’re seriously deluded if you think Rooney’s Mr Innocent in this.
Why shouldnt Rooney get the ‘going rate’ for his services? I think this is the bottom line, the Glazers want to cut the wages bill. Therefore pick a fight and make it look like it is all the player’s fault. Plus but for their cost cutting, leave contract negotiations to th last 12 months policy, Rooney would have been signed up before the World Cup, end of story. All smoke leads back to the debt gun in the glazers’ hands. Despicable leeches.
His attitude stinks, needs to wake up and remember he’s standing on the shoulders of giants
PS His contract ends June 2012, not 2011
Johnny – yeah typo. Deal runs out June 30, 2012.
He’ll go to City. I’m sure City made him a massive offer on the sly and his advisers have been itching for a way to cash in ever since. Fergie has bent over backwards the past few months, but Rooney’s advisers have still managed to convince him that the club has treated him badly. They’ll make millions from a transfer, much less if he just signs a new contract with us.
how the fuck does smoking, pissiing in public, whoring, making the manager look like a lying cunt in public, have anything to do with the Glazers – ffs does every thread have to be about the ginger cunts? this is about a feud between Fergal and Shrek
yeah i think glazer ‘cost cutting’ measures may have some sort of a hand in this contract impasse with rooney. more than anything, i believe it is a money issue. but rooney needs to be performing on the pitch in order to warrant a pay rise of that nature. he’s not even playing at the level of 15k quid a week right now to be honest. you play well you get paid well. get your head straight wazza, the club will not be held ransom
and oh yeah f*ck you glazers
I wish someone will come straight out and say that the club is trying to reduce its debt so there will be no major signings in the near future. Istead you keep hearing David Gill saying Fergie has 168 million to buy players at anytime, then you hear Fergie saying there are no players out there worth millions, so he is saying he will not be wasting the money when he has these youngsters there that can do the job. What is really the truth? If fans were to boycot all the home games, maybe the truth will come out.
I see roy keane has waded in with his tuppence worth.Do us a favour roy and stay the hell out of hit.You sad and bitter muppet.
This sums it up perfectly.
Rooney carried the team last year and Fergies obsession with knocking the scouse off there perch has forced Rooney to come back to early from his ankle injury. He has been a shadow of a player since then and look how shit he was at WC2010 when cunts were mentioning his name when talking of WPOTY.
Another man management disaster from the senile fucker.
I still think that he will stay. Although truth be told, if he continues to not be able to control a pass from 5 yards away we might not be losing a lot. I always have faith in the manager and will now, just concerned that for the first time a player might me more important than him.
We can blame the Glazers for cost cutting and not offering the cash to keep him. But even they can’t be blamed for him behaving like a prize wanker over the last few months.
If Rooney joins City I´m going to kill myself.. ;(
Hate to add to your woes (OK, that’s not entirely true!) but have you seen this?
http://www.sportingintelligence.com/2010/10/18/revealed-wayne-rooney-can-invoke-article-17-to-leave-manchester-united-for-a-song-181010/
P.S. I’m with Mattias – If Rooney joins City I’ll kill myself too!
I haven’t felt this sick since Ruud got fucked out
Mattias and fifthcolumnblue. Here’s the number for the Samaritans 08457 90 90 90. You’re going to be needing them
OK, so he carried the team? He did it for about 2/3 of last season. Ronaldo did it for three years straight.
That’s the kind of player that should get big money. When Rooney does what CR7 did, when he is our best player in CL finals, when he wins a Ballon D’Or, then he has a right to ask for more.
But Wayne, you can’t even control the thing these days, you’ve not beaten a man in over six months, you haven’t scored from outside the box in 60 games, and you haven’t taken a free kick that hasn’t hit the wall since your debut almost six years ago.
What’s more, you smoke, fuck whores, piss in the street, scream at your own fans in South Africa and contradict the man who made your name in public.
You senseless fool.
I can’t believe I just wrote those words about the player I idolised most in football up until last night.
You’re not alone mate.
What the hell is Keane bleating about.Being a “piece of meat” is the price modern footballers pay for being over-hyped and over-priced.Very few of them have a genuine connection with either the club they play for or the fans so a move means nothing to them (except a pay rise).And being a “piece of meat” is not a new concept with regard to footballers.The expression has been used for many,many years.These days,however,its not trotted out by players who work part-time,but by multi-millionaires.
As regards to Rooney-let him go.He has been shite for months and on Saturday was pathetic.United will continue long after Rooney has finished playing.Also will he ever be judged a United “Great”.I don’t think so.
The consequences for United,short term,may be bad.But just think….2-3 years of non qualification of CL will mean greatly reduced profits and maybe then the Glazers will sell.
Football is cyclical and United will rise again whatever happens.
SAF is right on this occasion.
mid life crisis – I wouldnt underestimate the effect his balding pate is having on his behaviour.
rooney ‘carried’ utd for about three years prior to ron becoming brilliant, him and ruud kept utd afloat before ruud was fucked off ‘like a piece of meat”
Stretford and Rooney did it to everton and now he’s doing it to your lot. Time to take your medicine and accept that no matter how many times he kisses the badge or claims to love the club, money motivates these two. Don’t be fooled into thinking the agent is leading him astray, however: if Rooney didn’t want to go, he wouldn’t.
There are still no actual quotes
Something has definitely gone on but I don’t think he’s a goner… not yet, anyway
I really wouldn’t be surprised if he started against Bursaspor
On the plus side if he does leave then it fucks up the Glazers’ business plan somewhat. They rely on his brand, his international appeal, his shirt sales etc.
And surely without him in the squad United aren’t worth £1.5bn
Nevermind £1.5bn… by January United won’t be worth a £1bn.
He is really overreacting to being called a coatto.
There’s no player bigger than the club – ask Beckham, Stam, Ruud, Ince and Hughes. One wish though – don’t sell him to City! Funds can be used to buy VDS & Scholes successors.
Its all starting to come apart for these scumbag glazers and they will be really pissed off that somebody has not kept their eye on the ball with Rooney and the stalled contract talks. A reduced fransfer fee looks likely but the knock on effects are massive with fergie rightly feeling down to us fans. Ronaldo/Tevez/Rooney all gone in 2 years and there will be much worse to come. Glazers will curse the day they bought our club LUHG
Did Rooney ever say or act as if he is bigger than the club though? It looks like he want to play a team that will pay him more – that’s it.
This ‘bigger than the club’ argument is often dragged up by United fans as they wave goodbye to another top player. All Fergie has to do is imply that a player started to get above themselves and United fans wholeheartedly support him in giving them the boot.
If Anderson had quit last Christmas it would have been the same; NO ONE IS BIGGER THAN THE CLUB. When really, he was gonna quit because Fergie has fucked him about and he wanted to play in the World Cup – nowt to do with thinking you’re bigger or better than United.
Look at the Caf Sid there in full mong modus going on about burning tops, making up anti-rooney songs, lets face it for the majority of the United faithful he is the biggest cunt and a slimy scouse to boot, Alex Ferguson should get a Oscar for that performance because that’s what it was.
rooney statement, he says he talked to gill and asked for assurances about the teams future and us signing top players, gill didn’t give it to him, he said he’s off then, called fergie a oneoff and a genius and says he wanted fergie to stay on as his boss forever
just reding statement now, it sees he is pised off with the lack of ambition at manchester united?
maybe we should make him the figure head of the green and gold protests.he is boycotting the club like many wanted. jut taking it to a new level
It has to be asked why only a few months ago he was banging on about staying at United for life. The football wasn’t any prettier, the squad wasn’t much better (or worse), we were still in a shedload of debt. In short, nothing has changed at United from then up until now.
Rooney is on a fantastic salary at United. Irrespective of how we’re playing, he should thank his lucky stars he is playing for us, regardless of whether we’re as good as we used to be. He has had every whim taken care of by one of the greatest managers in the game (notwithstanding of what certain idiots on here think). He’s behaved like a complete prick off the field and yet fans still idolised and worshipped him.
Rooney’s behaved like a spoilt petulant child who hasn’t got what he wanted. The simple fact is that United have a fairly straightforward policy about salaries only being a certain proportion of turnover. You can moan about the Glazers all you like, but this is a sensible policy which limits the extent to which there can be a ‘race to the top’ for the highest earners in the side.
Of course he’s entitled to fuck off elsewhere, if he feels he can earn more elsewhere, but that won’t stop United fans turning on him because he’s been indulged and over-indulged and he’s still not happy. He’s a fat, petulant Scouse twat.
its about the clubs ambition rather than salary, that makes more sense to me.maybe if united did somthing about the shitty midfield and lack of sending he would change his mind, the door is still open
This “clubs lack of ambition” crap, is just that… CRAP!
Three titles in a row, lose out on a fourth by one point… and suddenly, the club has no ambition? Fuck off!
It’s ok for the fans to be impatient, cause we’re looking in from the outside, and paying for the right to complain… but Rooney should be asking HIMSELF questions… could he have scored one more goal in a game that might have made the diference, not blaming anyone else that we missed out on the title.
As fans, we look at United as an ideal, a fantasy, that we can only wish we could be a part of… when we see our club struggling, we suffer, and when we’ve become so spoiled for success, we don’t take second best lightly.
But the players get paid a hell of a lot of money to pull their weight in making the club successful… If a club like Liverpool fails so badly to support the dreams and aspirations of it’s players, like Gerrard and Torres, then fair enough, you can see their reasons for bailing, and looking for more a competetive opportunity… BUT, United has NEVER let Rooney down as a team that fights for honours, and after ONLY ONE FUCKIN SEASON, without the league title… he starts to spout this horse shit… what a fuckin CUNT!
Not only is he a lying shit, he’s gone and publicly insulted his team-mates as well.
done a complete uturn there alf, from ‘rooney almost carried us to the title’ to ‘he should he be asking himself if he done more’, from ‘it was a point difference that represented a mile’ to ‘it was ONLY one point’
BANG ON
No Mate… from a fans perspective, we are shit, and heading for worse… Rooney carried us last year, no doubt about it, and had he or anyone else score just 1 goal, in a game we’d drawn… we’d have won another title, 4th.
And let’s just think about that for a second… one goal, 2 more points… and we win our fourth straight, record setting title. And then what?… what would have changed? Nothing… What would Rooneys excuse for quitting be then?
I’m sick that Rooney is leaving, and I’m even more sick, that my club is falling apart… and it turns my guts what the Glazers are doing with the money, that could be used to fix all our squad troubles.
But Rooney has got to stand up and answer for himself… this year so far, he has been dreck on the pitch, for club and country, he has been a cunt in his marriage, and he’s got some fuckin nerve to be pointing his finger at anyones failings… especially his club, who have done nothing but support his chavvy arse through all his off field nonsense.
Whether you believe in players showing loyalty to their clubs or not, surely you must believe that Rooney owes the club and the fans better than this.
Scot? I thought Wayne Rooney was of Irish descent.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wayne_Rooney