The media circus surrounding Wayne Rooney has turned from the misguided and misinformed to the completely ridiculous. Speculation over his future was triggered in rather bizarre circumstances, with the tabloids and broadsheets linking Sir Alex Ferguson’s decision to bench the England man for Manchester United’s second leg fixture against Real Madrid in the Champions League with him apparently being caught smoking earlier in the season. Its lead to allegations that Rooney’s future at Old Trafford was delicately hanging in the balance, and a long-standing rift had formed between player and manager stemming from the striker’s abrupt and surprising decision to transfer list himself a few years ago.
Following the reports that immediately followed the now infamous 2-1 tie at Old Trafford, that focused almost solely on Rooney’s future rather than the match itself, Ferguson was so appalled by rumours of a sour relationship that he banned three major newspapers from Manchester United press conferences until they formally apologised for their misreporting. But rather than quashing the question-marks lingering over the 27 year old’s head, it appears to have only added fuel to the fire, and now every time Rooney is subbed off, match day commentators and the media quickly allude to it being a sign that his days are numbered and he will be jettisoned in the summer, without even a moment’s hesitation.
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This is quite simply getting out of hand. I am not suggesting that there is no way Sir Alex Ferguson would sell one of his most influential players, considering he only has a year left on his contract, but the litmus test for a player’s future should not be based upon how often he is substituted or not included in the starting XI.
Going back to that Champions League defeat, Rooney’s replacement, as a supporting striker to play behind Robin Van Persie and do much of the legwork, was Danny Welbeck. Although there is a gulf in quality between the two England internationals, there is no doubt that Welbeck posesses uniquely athletic attributes and a physique that Rooney is sufficiently lacking in.
Furthermore, for the first hour, until Luis Nani was shown a red card for dangerous play, the 22 year old was playing an integral role in United’s game plan by pinning back Xabi Alonso and limiting his time and space on the ball, in addition to getting alongside Van Persie in the final third. In fact, as soon as Ferguson’s hand was forced into taking off Welbeck during the reshuffle following Nani’s dismissal, Real Madrid’s deep-lying playmaker was suddenly conducting play, and the Champions League semi-finalists found themselves in complete control of the match in just a matter of minutes after spending much of it unable to find any sort of groove.
But rather than drawing on the fact that football is a team game, and furthermore, in the modern era, is a squad game, where managers are allocated a roster of 25 to pick and chose from at their own preference for each particular fixture, and therefore, despite the grand occasion, Welbeck was a much better suited candidate to play in a rather unique ‘duel role’, as Ferguson himself has referred to it as, the British media have concluded that Rooney is no longer of sufficient use at Old Trafford.
The United forward’s substitution against West Ham two weeks ago, in an incredibly dogged affair which could have ultimately won the Red Devils the title had they claimed all three points, appears to have been the que for claims that his speculated summer transfer to PSG is now a ‘done deal’.
As I’ve previously stated, I am not suggesting that Rooney’s future at Old Trafford is completely guaranteed. With just a year left of his contract, now is the time Fergie will be using his ‘helicopter view’ of the club, as described by former assistant Steve McLaren, to decide whether or not to move on his long-serving forward. It would not be the first time the Scottish gaffer has shafted one of his key players during their prime, and there is certainly a case for letting Rooney go in the summer.
Although I am a fan of Rooney’s abilities myself, there is a growing concern that despite being the focal point of what has been the most consistent club in England over the past ten years, he is still yet to reach the dizzy heights many expected of him as a teenager at Everton. He may be one of the Premier League’s best performers when it comes to facing rank and file teams, but in the big occasions, he gets too involved in the dog fight, using his priceless spirit and determination, but in the process sacrificing his duties as an attacker.
Furthermore, Fergie’s dilemma of where to play the 27 year old raises more questions than it answers. There is a strong case for pushing him deeper into the midfield to play alongside Michael Carrick, as the need for a ball-winning midfielder is becoming less of a requirement in the modern game.
But with the United boss expected to delve into the transfer market heavily during the summer, amid the fear of a serious backlash from Chelsea, Manchester City and Arsenal next season following their rather lacklustre campaigns, the Red Devils are said to be bringing in a new centre-back, a new central midfielder and a new striker, whilst attacking midfielder Shinji Kagawa appears to be improving by the game.
It does not mean Wayne Rooney would constantly be chosen over for all of his three most prominent positions, but from a cost-effective point of view, it clearly does not make sense for one of the club’s highest earners and most financially valuable players, in terms of the size of transfer fee he’d command, to be making sporadic appearances in various different departments of the United starting XI and becoming a victim of his own versatility.
However, my own hunch is that the United man will end his career at Old Trafford. Perhaps his stay will not be extended to the levels of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes, who both have an incredibly professional approaches to maintaining their fitness and performance levels, but he is an a unique type of player that only comes round once in a generation.
Whilst perhaps the likes of David Silva, Juan Mata or Gareth Bale, whom take up similar positions and fulfil the same duties for their respective teams, possess greater technique on the ball, there is no doubt that Rooney’s aggression, power, work-rate and desire, which spills over into him filling in at right-back or clearing off his own goal line when requried, is an incredibly rare trait for an attacking midfielder to the extent where it is difficult to find a comparative player to the same level of ability throughout Europe.
But just as I criticise the newspapers for second-guessing Sir Alex Ferguson, I’m afraid my own predictions are guilty of doing the same. The fact is, despite the rumours of a ‘done deal’, or an ‘already agreed’ transfer with PSG from anonymous sources, only Fergie himself will know the truth over Rooney’s future, and he will have decided the England man’s fate some time ago.
However, I can safely say that it was not decided in the build up to the Real Madrid tie, and similarly, not starting the England man for the second leg was not a subliminal indication that his days are numbered, just as taking him off against West Ham was not a sign that Rooney’s use to the United first team had expired. Both decisions were made for footballing reasons, and it is a shame they’ve been misinterpreted and misreported as a central point of Sir Alex’s summer transfer policy.
