Share

Tweet

Share

Share

Email

Comments

 

Ever since Wayne Rooney was left out of the side to play Fulham at the weekend the newspapers have been rife with stories of the player wanting to leave Manchester United.

In his pre-match programme notes on Saturday, Sir Alex Ferguson said:

“If I hear a player has fallen out of love with us, and is looking elsewhere, I invariably help them out of the door,”

The Independent suggested that this quote was an allusion to Wayne Rooney. Admittedly, Rooney had a pretty poor game against Everton earlier that week – but he certainly wasn’t alone.

Such is the status of the player that every time he is left out of the side there is talk of him leaving Manchester United. soccersweep has of course been wrong in the past but we strongly believe that speculation surrounding Rooney’s departure is just that.

The argument that Rooney will leave is supposedly supported by the idea that Sir Alex has never been scared to let his best players go if they get too big for their boots. But we disagree. Of all the high profile players that Fergie has sacked in the past, none were indispensable to the team, with one exception. Jaap Stam was at the top of his game when he wrote his autobiography, slating Gary Neville. Sir Alex subsequently let him go and then had a porous defence for a time, before getting Rio Ferdinand in. When asked about regrets during his time as manager, Fergie regularly references Jaap Stam. But let’s look at the other big departures.

Roy Keane was past his best when Fergie shipped him out. Ruud Van Nistelrooy had a great season at Real after United but Fergie had already decided that Louis Saha was a more mobile player for the team. And David Beckham never reached United heights at subsequent clubs.

However egotistical you think Sir Alex may be, he seldom lets pride get in the way of his team. The basic fact is that Wayne Rooney is too good to let go and Fergie knows it. When Wazza said he wanted to leave 18 months ago it was hugely disrespectful to the manager and the club. If you believe the notion that no player is bigger than Manchester United then surely that outburst was enough for Fergie to wield the axe. But instead Fergie immediately went about improving Rooney’s terms.

This is why Sir Alex is a great manager. He will sack dissenters if the team won’t suffer. But, the team is god. Wazza, just like Eric Cantona, gets special dispensation because, without them, the team would clearly be weaker. Wayne Rooney is not only a great player but a great character. This character is a vital driver of the team. A positive influence rather than a trouble maker. He has the same winning mentality as the manager. Rooney wanted to leave because he felt that the playing staff needed to improve. Well, now it has improved we think that Rooney will stay.

Rooney has been unfortunate so far this season with his freak injury. It will take time for him to return to the fold. But when he does, he will be the main man again. Regardless of the excellent additions to the team in the summer, Rooney remains central to the future of Manchester United.

Follow us on Twitter @soccersweep10