Manchester United currently look like slaves to Wayne Rooney’s financial ambition. In their current position, United are scared to lose one of their best players, and Wayne knows it. The situation has evolved to the extent that Rooney can essentially name his price and Manchester United will be obligated to pay the ransom. But the question remains whether Rooney will be able to deliver a lot better and prove he is worth the landmark deal coming his way, to help build the team around him to bring back silverware to Old Trafford.
Or would it be better for United to sell Rooney and use the money to help buy several players to rebuild the team under Moyes or a new manager?
As far as the contract negotiations are concerned, Rooney is playing United like a fiddle. By letting his deal run towards its summer 2015 expiry, he’s provoking Manchester United by not signing the extension, making the club becomes more eager to tie him down – by any means necessary. However, the club has every right to demand a lot more in return for the money they are about to pay.
If a poll is to be conducted, has Rooney been Manchester United’s player of the season? Perhaps, with Adnan Janujaz, that seems to have been the truth. But if compared to the previous seasons, this is the worst Manchester United team performing in a decade. Presently, he’s excelling at a club that sits in seventh position in the league currently in a mid-table side. If he was not standing out at United, it would be remarkable.
The Premier League is currently flourishing with as many top players as it had in recent seasons with Luis Suarez, Sergio Aguero and Eden Hazard performing and improving tremendously well every week. It looks a joy-ride watching them score or assist in almost every match. Those three in particular are leading their sides towards fulfilling their club objectives.
Could the same be said about Wayne Rooney at present? Not a chance. Critics are keen to stress that United’s brilliant forwards are being inhibited by David Moyes. That seems more of an excuse than a reality. Rather, the truly great find a way to ease the pressure of the man in the dug-out by proving themselves on the pitch, where it matters.
Manchester United are safeguarding the future of a man who has twice held the club to ransom and who has tactically admitted that his ambition is breaking Sir Bobby Charlton’s scoring record, which seems entirely selfish. Traces of his ill behavior revealed themselves after he missed the starting spot in last season’s Champions League draw against Real Madrid, which resulted in his subsequent performance dropping.
On Sunday, Rooney was no better than any other Fulham player and never cut the figure of a man capable of turning the game in his team’s favor. He clipped a few passes over the heads of the Fulham defense to little avail and can even consider himself unlucky not to have scored. But he lacks that certain spark that comes with the prime performers – that cunning intelligence and imagination.
The contract coming his way looks the best, and last, in his career. The huge amount of money that Manchester United is planning to spend on Rooney might be better invested elsewhere. Wayne Rooney has much to prove if he fancies himself as a £300,000 per-week footballer.
For more Manchester United news, analysis and opinion, visit the Red Devils team page.
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peter
February 16, 2014 at 2:20 am
no way!! You may buy Ibra at that wage… Ronney is not the top 10 players in the world, his skill and talents can’t compare to Messi and C. Ronaldo. And his speed drops at his age. I would say Balotelli is much better choice
Brian
February 13, 2014 at 7:01 pm
If United pay him what he wants and he does not perform then Moyes and United will be criticized for making a bad decision. If he is sold and United don’t improve with the replacement(s) bought with his sale then Moyes and United will be criticized for having let him go. Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
jtm371
February 12, 2014 at 11:17 pm
No and Hell no. Never took care of his form in off season. All the crap he pulled to get more money. His petulance on the pitch kicking out at opponents. Selling Shrek would be a good thing. It will never happen Moyes would be scared off by the backlash.
goatslookshifty
February 12, 2014 at 9:01 pm
Utd have gotten the best from him. They need to rebuild but to spend that amount of money on a player in the latter half of his career is risky. Those wages are three quality players worth. If utd can let Ronaldo leave, they can definitely let Rooney go.
Marc
February 12, 2014 at 3:05 pm
Is anybody worth that, I mean anybody?
Brian
February 13, 2014 at 8:22 am
Messi, Ronaldo?
Dean Stell
February 12, 2014 at 1:52 pm
Rooney is clearly not worth that wage in an objective sense, BUT…..I’m also not sure that Rooney’s situation at United can be analyzed in the same way as a normal player at a normal club.
One is that Rooney is still a spectacular footballer. He’s not a Top 5 in the World player, but it isn’t that easy to replaces players with elite talent. As soon as you start buying from that “good but not elite” selection of players, you get Young and Fellaini. I’m not sure you can just sell Rooney and buy two players who will be as good as him. I think you can sell him and buy two players who are as good as Fellaini…..but that doesn’t really help United much.
Then you have to consider it is United and they are made out of money. They haven’t spent in the transfer windows recently, but it’s not because they don’t have money…..they just were cheap and didn’t think they HAD to spend the money (and they blanched at spending the £60MM+ prices to really get the elite type players).
So, when you have an elite talent (which Rooney is even if he doesn’t always play that way) and you have mega-financial resources and you have high ambition, you always hold onto that elite player for a year too long.
christian
February 12, 2014 at 1:15 pm
Lose him a year too soon than keep him a year too late.
Mufc77
February 13, 2014 at 10:23 am
That was the old Bill Shankly mindset with his players. The same could be applied to underperforming managers.
Paul
February 12, 2014 at 12:55 pm
is he worth it to United? No. Because United has both Kagawa and Mata who plays the same position as Rooney. The money given to Rooney could be allocated to other areas of the team that would benefit the team more than whatever ROoney can give that Mata/Kagawa can’t.
But is he worth it to Chelsea? absolutely. That is crying out for a CF of Rooney’s class to really elevate them to new heights.