So much in the news over the last 48 hours about Wayne Rooney, it would be a sin not to add my two pence!!
I’ll start by saying that for me, the whole sordid saga is actually more about a very uneasy ménage à trios!
Now that I have your attention – that is somewhat misleading, but only somewhat. Hey, we all know sex sells! The uneasy threesome I am in fact thinking about include : Fan vs Sport vs Business – in no particular order.
The bare essentials of the debate begin with the news that Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United. What follows is moral, obsessive, indignant outrage – pretty much across the board, save for the more business focussed of reporters. Speculation, of which there is PLENTY so far, is that the move will be across Manchester …………………… red to blue. Man U to Man Citeh!
The Manager is “bemused” (actually, on TV he just looks pissed off) but you never really can tell with Sir Alex! He says “ the door is always open, nothing is certain, he and Rooney AREN’T at logger-heads, he’s very surprised” etc. etc.
Roo says “he’s not injured, he wants to play, he hasn’t missed a training session” .
Translation : Roo’s on the bench because he couldn’t hit a barn door with a cow right now, so bad is the goal drought! Or, his sulky, whinging, annoying little attitude, a carry over from his spectacular display at the world cup in June is giving him some additional cooler time – remember, this is Sir Alex he’s shadow boxing with, OR …………. and this is the bit the red-tops over here are milking for all it’s worth - His kinky capers and ‘three is not a crowd extravaganzas’ are too much negative publicity for the club – ergo, get some perspective on the bench mucky boy.
However you’ve heard it, or view it, his form is pretty diabolical right now, his general behaviour is stupid and annoying and and and – oh, I’m not a Manchester United Fan, I should put that out there.
And so begins the debate – arm chair, professional pundits and any others welcome!!
“Football is a business” – an opinion guaranteed to really work up a football fan! General fan take on this is “All the big money and big business is destroying the beautiful game”.
“Wayne is just looking after his financial interests” – um, the man has more money than God! He’s also a fairly simple bloke from what we’ve seen, in more ways than one. Cue here – 'His advisors' (and oh what a motley crew they must be) are looking after their …………….. oh, I mean HIS interests !
“Wayne isn’t afraid of Fergie, he just wants to play” – well, we all know what happens to those players that take THE Manager “No one player is bigger than the club” Ferguson on. History indicates that he can’t win this one – he should google Sir Alex vs Beckham or Sir Alex vs Van Nistelrooy for a quick heads up here!
“During the World Cup in South Africa, Wayne saw how much other players were being offered from Real, Citeh, Barca etc. etc.” – WHAT?! and now HE wants a bigger salary? – LOL, I mean literally, laugh out loud. Greedy git! His form is so poor; it’s almost painful to watch him trying to score! All the negative publicity his shambolic personal life is generating can’t be a positive thing for the rest of his team mates and well, he knows that the club has huge debt and a bigger salary is HIGHLY unlikely. Cue ………….. The advice he’s getting from his 'Advisors' is not free or cheap I surmise!!
“Manchester United is a brand and will go on and on and on – with or without Wayne Rooney” – Good point, but as a Liverpool fan, all I can say here is ……………………………… watch those Yanks of yours very carefully !!
“He should be ashamed of himself – he should want to stay at Man U for the glory and honour of playing for such a club” – well, lots to gloat about to be sure, some of the legends of the game have been, still are and will still play in the shirt, but Sir Alex is not getting any younger and ………… there’s those Yanks again! Actually, less than a year ago, he publicly said he’d play out his career at Manchester United. I guess that was before, before ………………… just before!
And so, back to the ménage à trios!
Business first - the Yanks, the advisors and the Roo are in it for the money. Man U prints money all around the world and will probably continue to do so for eons. Manchester United is a brand. Sadly yes, it’s not just about the beautiful game anymore.
It’s also a Sport and Wayne is a sportsman. He’s not playing how, when and if he’d like to. He’s also not playing well. He has ,however, been playing as a professional since he was a teen and he has many more good years in him yet. Perhaps he’s worried (read 'advisors') about where his club will go thinking debt, Fergie, etc. There are other great clubs out there. Plus, if the focus is on his transfer rather than his extra marital game playing – it’s about the sport again then isn’t it?
And then the Fans! No, it’s no mistake that the fans are last ……………..it’s a reality, no matter the club! – “Rooney is under surveillance by the police right now as there are legitimate fears for his safety”! Seriously! Imagine being at the first game Rooney plays in ‘the light blue shirt’ …………………… headline material indeed! Roo didn’t like the fans in South Africa in June; he’s CERTAINLY not going to like them again no matter where he goes, but most especially if he trades red for blue. I suspect that with these fans, the feeling is completely mutual!
And so it goes on. Will he stay, or will he go?………………………….. well, time will tell. Who wins here? His Agent wins. The Business wins. The red tops, broadsheets and other media cashing in on the specuation win. As for the rest, I think the fans lose, the game loses, integrity loses, Roo loses credibility, popularity and perhaps legend value in the long run – but maybe, just maybe Wayne Rooney doesn't lose the lesson - Three is usually a crowd!
Over and Out !
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