Author: Bricki
Follow Bricki on Twitter – @Bricki
Let me make it quite clear, I don’t like Wayne Rooney. As a footballer when he’s on form he is sublime but as a person I do not have the time of day for him.
It didn’t always use to be this way though; the kid who arrived from Everton and made such an impact was a sensation. He was a terrace favourite and had the fans eating out of his hands at times.
Fast forward 10 years however and the story today is a much different one. 2 attempts to leave the club and general belief from the fans that his heart is not in it has led to a difficult situation for the fans.
How should you treat Rooney now as a Manchester United player?
It comes down to a personal choice of course but to me the attitude and behaviour of Rooney has disrespected the fans but more importantly it has belittled United as a club. Sir Alex and many football commentators have always insisted that no player is bigger than the club. This should apply to all players at all clubs but at Manchester United this is something that nearly all fans will agree with.
Players like Ince, Beckham and Keane have all been moved on when essentially they have had ideas above their station whilst at the club. The team has been reshaped and the players have not been missed like they may have thought they would.
It would appear that Rooney has gotten the idea over time that he was indispensable at United and attempted to use it to his advantage. You cannot blame a person for wanting to earn what he feels he deserves but the way Rooney has gone about this is the major issue for many.
The public declaration that the players at the club were not up to standard and he intended on leaving was an insult to the club and his team mates. To then openly flirt with our most local rivals twisting his fingers in the wound that the transfer request had opened up. The subsequent new deal completed in record time and earning Rooney a mammoth wage did not go down well.
From this moment on I have chosen not to cheer Rooney’s name. I still celebrate if he scores a United goal but I will not sing his name. Many fans were able to forgive Rooney over time for this ‘one-off’ error in judgement but then came this summer. The very public fallout with an out-going Ferguson (who it could be argued was point scoring with his transfer request comment) led to Rooney doing everything bar publically confirming he wanted to join Chelsea.
United have stuck to their guns and refused to let Rooney manufacture a move away. It is clear though that the end result of this will be Rooney getting a new deal or getting his move (probably cheaper than this summer). So in the long run United look to be losing out in the battle.
Where does this leave United fans though? Can we sing and cheer the name of a man who has twice held the club to ransom and behaved in what we perceive is an insulting way to the club?
Against Leverkusen we saw a return to the Rooney of old. He was bustling, positive and with two goals he led the side to victory. After both of his goals and when he left the pitch he received huge applause and some fans chanted his name.
I’m not sure he deserved that sort of adulation from fans he has deemed as not important to him. I cheered with everyone as the ball hit the net on both his goals but I will be loath to sing that mans name again.
I have always operated under the idea that whatever 11 players are on the pitch (good or bad) I will support and cheer them all the way. With Rooney I will applaud and cheer the team but he does not deserve individual praise. He lost the right to that the moment he decided he could dictate to the club.
Am I right? Some will say yes and I’m sure some will say no but how should the fans approach Rooney going forward as it looks clear he will be vital to Moyes team?
Follow Bricki on Twitter – @Bricki
So long as he scores goals and wins us matches/trophies I don’t care what he tries to screw out of the Glazers.
A lot has been said about Rooney over the summer but there hasn’t been a single quote from him in any of it. It’s always “his camp said” or “sources at Manchester United said”, it was a summer of hearsay. Nothing really changed when Chelsea made their bids and Rooney has played well during and after it all.
Whatever went on between Ferguson and Rooney, you can understand one of the best players on the team not starting against Real Madrid. They’ve butted heads before in the past as well. Ferguson is an absolute legend but he is no innocent, he has mistreated many a player in his time. It might be what gets results but you can’t just expect a player to like it.
Rooney still played well after the Real match, with that fantastic ball for RvP’s stunning volley against Villa last season.
How to react to Rooney. The question I asked myself the whole summer. In my opinion the first mistake we made was not letting him go this summer. I don’t care if we would’ve strengthend Chelsea, I care about Manchester United and I didn’t want him to have a future at this club. If he doesn’t get how special it is being the n.10 at Manchester United just sell him like other players in the past.
There would’ve been great replacements for him (Özil, Mata) and even Kagawa could’ve filled the huge whole Rooney would’ve left. RvP, Welbeck, Chicharito, Kagawa and an upcoming star in Januzaj … the AM/striker position wouldn’t have been a concern for me.
Fast forward a few months and Rooney looks in the best shape since 2010. I say let’s extend him for a shitload of money. Finding a replacement with his class would cost quite a lot more than we’d get from selling him next year and I don’t trust the Glazers to suddenly spend some serious money on the squad. So if we don’t extend him we lost a possible replacement considering Glazernomics, because of a one year rental?
He certainly didn’t deserve it and I too won’t ever sing his name again, but I care about Manchester United the most and right now extending him is simply the best decision for Manchester United. It’s sad but that just is how modern football is. The likes of Giggs and Scholes are gone.
Kids…
A tad unfair. He wanted out this summer but the only reason it became public was down to SAF. Additionally, he has not been played consistently in his best position, often being forced to play either out wide or as a number 9. Why would he not want to make a change where he could showcase his talents in the sweetspot of his short career in a position he favours.
Bear in mind he moved across from Merseyside, it’s clear that ambition is more important than club or territorial loyalty. We’re all happy to chant a scousers name when it suits the club, but not when he maneuvers in the same way to leave than he did to join. Perhaps we, as fans, are just as guilty of being fickle? Just a thought…
I completely agree. Sell that wanker off to Fulham!
I agree wholeheartedly.
It’s not what happened over the summer, it’s what happened in 2010 that’s my problem.
I cheered the goals, of course, but never since that week in 2010 have I cheered his name when it comes over the tannoy. When he went off, when everyone around me was stood giving him a standing ovation, I sat there. Still clapping – he had played well – but I wasn’t going to stand and clap above my head as so many were doing.
People need to remember that once he got his massive pay rise he was not playing well. He didn’t play all that well throughout last season either. Now, as people are saying that contract negotiations need to start again and that other clubs will be looking at him, he starting to play well again.
Funny, that.
The worst part of this all is if/when he overtakes Bobby Charlton’s record. When my dad tells me about Charlton, he has a glow, he’s proud of Sir Bobby. A true legend that’s still at the club. How am I meant to tell my son about Rooney? “Yeah, he was a mercenary that played for money and his own sense of ego… Now, let me tell you about Paul Scholes son.”
Well written article with many valid points, however I have to disagree with the underlying argument.
Rooney is a very hateful person, he is far from a role model and is quite understandably disliked by the majority of non United football fans. He isn’t the brightest lad, which is to be expected as he was in the Premiership at 16. We all know his focus was football and we can only imagine what little concentration he gave to his school work. His agent also seems to be a hateful person, whispering in Rooney’s ear about the best deals and how to maximise his income, which has been said by a couple of ex players.
However, all that aside, look at what he does on the football pitch. His assist numbers and goal record is incredible. He has scored countless goals and has been a crucial part of the team since his arrival. Over the past couple of seasons we’ve seen the City bicycle, the RVP assist against Villa and many other masterclass moments. He had an immature hissy fit in 2010 and again last season, which ironically completely contradicted each other, another testament to his intelligence off the football pitch.
Moyes is no mug, he wants to play Rooney beside Van Persie and wants to build a partnership, the same one we all got incredibly excited about last August upon the news of Van Persie’s arrival. We’re only a couple of games in but it seems it’s working. In my opinion Moyes was completely right to put his foot down on Rooney’s exit wishes. It sends out a message of authority that Moyes won’t be pushed over when players are complaining and it also sends out a message, one which Wenger is so heavily criticized for failing to do, we won’t sell our best players to direct rivals. Look at Chelsea at the moment, struggling immensely. Mourinho wanted one man this summer but Moyes held on to him. Put Rooney in that Chelsea side and they would be infinitely stronger than they are now. Look at the United squad now, pressure is eased from the Dutchman’s shoulders, Midfield has been strengthened and we have arguably the best strike-force in the league.
Of course Rooney’s actions were immature and disrespectful. However it all comes down to money and can we really get upset about Rooney getting a few extra thousand a week when the club has sanctioned such high bids for Anderson, Ashley Young, Bebe…shall I go on? What about the fact Ed Woodward left pre season to conclude transfer business, transfer business that was inevitably concluded a few hours from the deadline, some 7 weeks later. Surely the Glazers can be heavily criticised as well for their management of the clubs finances and debts.
We can’t support a club where we complain about every aspect of it, apart from those loyal players like Scholsey and Giggs. We all look at Rio as a United legend now, have we all forgot about the drugs scandal of 2004? A lot of the time footballers are idiots, they share a greedy aspect with their agents and can often take the upper hand on the clubs they play for. In return we need performances and goals, which Rooney is well capable of giving us.
People ask if he thinks he is indispensable to the club, my answer would be yes. Any player who is 27 and 49 goals away from the all time club record is definitely indispensable to the club, especially when you factor the abysmal performances and struggles of the big Premiership clubs to attract big names and replacements in this transfer window.
We want to win trophy’s under Moyes. This season Rooney is vital to that wish, he has demonstrated not only in the past few years but in the past few games, his ability on the pitch. Football’s finances is an odd, complex game, one that I, and many of you don’t wish to get involved in. What we do want to get involved in is the action on the pitch, watching week in week out and analysing it. If Rooney is off form and uninterested, sell him, provided the replacement is there but once himself, Moyes and Van Persie are smiling, the goals are going in and United are winning, why do we itch to complain about such common footballing tendencies, ones we should unfortunately grow to expect – immaturity and greed.
Rooney is a dick. I’d rather we drew 2-2 then he score. Winning isn’t everything, I’d rather have a team to be proud off.
I’m with bricki on this one i will never sing his name again and i dont get how people can sing that fat c**ts name aftet hes tried to leave twice yet give young abuse just cos they think he aint playing well at least young wants to play for the club unlike that ungrateful granny shagger!
agree with chris completely – it’s realy very difficult to understand fans who are complaining about rooney and berating pogba for just asking his fair share really, and at the same time saying completely nothing about glazers, looks like they are brainwashed contempt with that – but our problems in transfers market is because of glazers not sanctioning bigger fees which are common thing nowadays – if you don’t pay money you get fuck all. all these transfers failures embarassements this summer because glazers dont pay market price, if rooney would went to chelsea this summer like somebody said it would be madness complete madness it s on the level of fergie madness than he gave away pogba to juventus for free:))
One thing we forget and we come down do hard on him , he has been a united player for ten years.and he has been constantly been in the top players in the world. He has the been the hard working goalscorer we never ever had. Those tackles in our own half in the later stages of matches , those yellow cards earned for the team. Rooney stands out when it comes to commitment on the pitch. So what’s wrong if he feels a little betrayed for not starting arguably the most inportant match of the last season, we got to give him that space. He is a top player and he puts in his all every minute of the ninety. He is a fans player and gives me assurance that a united player is all about the fans and the team. I am a fan. And will be.