Wayne Rooney’s future could well lie in the hands of new Manchester United boss David Moyes
Author: Bricki
Follow Bricki on Twitter – @Bricki
I didn’t want to discuss Rooney and the ridiculous situation he has again put himself in due to whatever brain cell he has decided to use this time. The summer however seems dominated by him once again.
My personal opinion on Rooney is that a change would probably be best for him and the club but then i’m not in a position to offer either side advice so my thoughts don’t count, just like every other blogger going.
The current predicament however seems to give David Moyes an early chance to stamp his authority on a squad that has only been use to one other Scotsman.
The ‘Rooney’ issue has now been going on for several seasons following the flirtation with City which resulted in his new high value contract. Since then it’s fair to say that we have only seen brief flashes of the Rooney who felt he deserved such a contract. He has continued to score goals in fits and starts with the odd really good game suggesting he has hit the heights we know he is capable. Unfortunately the huffing and puffing would follow, hands on hips or an exasperation that things were not going his way.
For a player who pretty much held the club to ransom over his importance to them, he hasn’t really provided the leadership and talent we would hope for. The demand for the quality of player recruited to go up has resulted in Robin Van Persie ousting him from the main strikers role. This has resulted in more bottom lip sulking and now a demand for an apology at the suggestion he requested a transfer. This has not gone down well with the majority of fans and it appears the bridges with the fans he rebuilt after the first transfer request may well have been completely burnt.
So what does this mean for Moyes stepping into the biggest challenge in world football, replacing Sir Alex Ferguson?
Having to deal with one of the biggest ‘stars’ of the squad has actually given Moyes a no-lose situation.
If Moyes decides to cut his losses on Rooney and sell then he will do it with the blessing of the majority of fans, many match going reds will also approve offering him strong backing early. All signs point to the club at least attempting to recruit at least one ‘name’ for the squad so it can highlight the belief and ability that we can lose Rooney but make the squad stronger without him.
The other option Moyes appears to have would be to take the hard line with Rooney, put him in his place in terms of his role in the squad and demonstrate to the squad and fans that he is now in charge. This would again demonstrate to the fans that Moyes is his own man and will not be dictated to by any of the squad. It would set a marker down for everyone in what Moyes will expect from his team.
The biggest issue i feel for Rooney is that he has been living on past success too long. Whilst the likes of RVP, Hernandez and even Welbeck have shown a development, Rooney appears to be stagnant. 15-20 goals a season is a pretty impressive stagnant but the rest of Rooneys game has failed to improve the way others have. The setup of the team requires the forwards to be creative as well as score and Rooney just does not seem to do this now.
Does Rooney still ‘get’ United like he has previously? The breakdown in relationship between himself and the fans suggest he doesn’t. This becomes even more stark when you look at the way that other players have embraced joining the club. Van Persie, Hernandez and others have nothing but good words for the players, fans and everything about the club. They have bought into what Manchester United is about and are delighted to play a part at the club. Rooney it seems like he feels the club is lucky to have him and not vice versa. This is an attitude that the fans pick up on very easily and whilst difficult to make the fans turn on you, Rooney has now successfully done this twice.
In trying to play a game where he is in charge, it would appear Rooney has lost complete control of his situation.
Whatever Moyes does with Rooney it seems that he can only look strong in the eyes of the people that matter. The fans.
Follow Bricki on Twitter – @Bricki