Sir Alex Ferguson has confirmed Wayne Rooney wants to leave Manchester United.

[ILIKECANDLES]

I was enjoying this thread until EP mentioned the worst commentator in the world. Alan Green has been up his own arse on too many occassions to mention it's beyond a joke. I'd happily pay my licence fee to another broadcaster to take him off the BBC's hands.

Completely disagree. AG is class. Fact.

 

[Driver8]

Hehe yeah right...[/QUOTEDe]

No, I really wouldn't want him anywhere near Albion. He is in danger of being the next Michael Owen - burnt out by 25.

 

[Football_Friends]

Head ruling heart I think this would be more Rooneys loss than Uniteds. I don't think Wayne has as much about him as the likes of Ronaldo to show he is bigger than the club. Since leaving ronaldo has looked unplayable for Real even when up against it, and does Rooney have it in his locker to want to show he is the best in the world?? I don't think so. He will be leaving a club where he is admired by fans who have stood by him, a manager who has stood by him and there is a support network I don't think he would get at another club.

And in response to a few other posts I'm certain city would pay almost any fee to please their fans and send another message out. Fletcher is a class player and is an integral part of how united play now so to compare him to Scott Parker is laughable, much like people dismissing Wes Brown as average. With player like Nani, Obertan, Macheda still young I think it will be a long time before united fall away from the top 4.

You can take the boy out of Liverpool......

 

[Chicken Runner61]

What you have to realise is that the people that own Man U bought them to make money by building up the business by winning trophies so they could charge fans more.

The people that bought Man City don't need to make money, they just want the prestige of owning the club that wins all the trophies and has all the best players. In fact they will spend more than the club is worth so long as it becomes the best.

So if Man U need the money and Rooney goes a long with the deal he will sign very soon.

They won't be worried about a few million now or after xmas

 

[Jimmy Grimble]

Fletcher would only be an England player in the same way that Scott Parker is an England player. Just a fringe player. In fact, Parker would probably be Scotland's star player if he was a jock. Seriously, the world's biggest club and the best player that they can produce from their ranks since 1995 is Fletcher.

Darren Fletcher.

There's a facepalm or Wozza smiley just itching to be used there.

And yes, Ronaldo and Rooney were the real deal. That's why Man U paid so much for both of them. They weren't wingers languishing in some Italian reserves that were turned into pedigree strikers (a la Henry). They weren't unkbown talents - these were the hottest young commodities around at the time. Once again - it's why they paid so much for them.

And as for comparisons with Gascoigne you don't know what Rooney's gonna turn out like but currently under Ferguson he sleeps with whores whilst his missus is pregnant, smokes and drinks till all hours and is never off the front pages the last few months for the wrong reasons. Would he be any different under any other manager? I doubt it. He's 23. If he's like that now what's he gonna be like at 33? Will he last that long at the current rate? This can't really be much worse at the moment for Rooney. And that's Ferguson nurturing him is it?

Ferguson took top players to a top club and playing them with other top players in a top league. That is not nurturing young talent as most neutrals would see it.

You really are not making a convincing argument here.

Owned.

 

[Spider]

I don't really give a f*** if Rooney (ie. the most overrated English player in my lifetime) plays for Man U or Macclesfield. If he is still playing for the club at which he has made it clear he wants to leave, and the hordes of mindless idiots forget he ever mentioned anything (probably with and extra £50,000 a week), I will officially cease to give a f*** about top flight football.

 

[Agent_Torpor]

Love how the Guardian is falling all over itself by saying Fergs won the pr battle.

Mularkey.

 

[Stat Brother]

much like people dismissing Wes Brown as average.

If I were you I'd bite their hand off, before they are commited.
Young Wesley has never been good enough to be called average.

 

[sten_super]

Fletcher would only be an England player in the same way that Scott Parker is an England player. Just a fringe player. In fact, Parker would probably be Scotland's star player if he was a jock. Seriously, the world's biggest club and the best player that they can produce from their ranks since 1995 is Fletcher.

Darren Fletcher.

There's a facepalm or Wozza smiley just itching to be used there.

And yes, Ronaldo and Rooney were the real deal. That's why Man U paid so much for both of them. They weren't wingers languishing in some Italian reserves that were turned into pedigree strikers (a la Henry). They weren't unkbown talents - these were the hottest young commodities around at the time. Once again - it's why they paid so much for them.

Ferguson took top players to a top club and playing them with other top players in a top league. That is not nurturing young talent as most neutrals would see it.

You really are not making a convincing argument here.

I actually agree with a lot of what you are saying, but this post is a bit silly. Darren Fletcher has developed into a very good midfielder, and is every bit as good as Gareth Barry (and probably better). On that evidence, and in the continued absence of Owen Hargreaves, he'd get into the England side.

Rooney and Ronaldo are two completely different examples. Yes, Rooney was an international and well known in England. However, Ronaldo wasn't well known in this country, although Sporting knew they had a decent player on their hands, and had not played for Portugal. Sporting seemingly didn't know quite how good he was going to become, however, otherwise one suspects they would have charged quite a bit more!

The comparison of Henry with either player is rather unconvincing. Henry had already sealed a £10.5m move to Juventus, and Wenger paid £10m for him, at a time when the british record transfer fee was £15m. He had already been the top scorer in the Champions League in 97/98, and had played sometimes as a striker and sometimes as a left winger under Wenger in Monaco. To claim that he arrived as some complete unknown for tuppence ha'penny and Wenger turned him into a footballing god is a complete fallacy.

I would also argue that the line between imported young players and genuine youth prospects is difficult to ascertain. I would argue that Fabregas was another imported young player, as Barca certainly knew they had a hell of a player; but he didn't see a path into the first team there (with Iniesta and Xavi ahead of him in the youth teams) and moved to Arsenal. His age simply meant that they were unable to get a large fee for him. It's only really the new generation of young English Arsenal players (Wilshere et al) that can truly claim to be genuine Arsenal youngsters.

A lot of the top clubs are pretty poor at bringing through youth teamers; you can look at Chelsea (who have they had since Terry?) and Liverpool (since Gerrard?) for further examples. I don't think Ferguson is any better or worse than any of the others, although I agree that he is overrated by some as a result of having one year of genuine top class players come through together. All of these clubs now bring in the best 16/17/18 year olds and train them from there.

 

[Marshy]

Be lucky to get 40m for him

 

[Easy 10]

Interesting interview with Neil Webb on the radio this morning. He recalled the time he was called up by Graham Taylor to the England squad, but was then told by Ferguson to pull out because of a "thigh injury". Webb was perfectly fit, but Fergie was having none of it and told Webb to tell Taylor that he was injured. Webb did as he was told and reluctantly pulled out of the squad, but went back and had a BIG falling out with Fergie over it, and ended up training with the reserves.

Fergies bullshit about Rooney being injured has already been exposed now by Rooney (and this current "ankle injury" keeping him out is just as dubious). Looks like the relationship has well and truley broken down - Fergie knows EXACTLY why Rooney wants to leave the club, yet he still insults our intelligence by acting all "bewildered" in the press conference. The guy is full of shit, you just can't believe a word he comes out with.

I'm enjoying this, I am. Roll on January.

 

[Simster]

Interesting interview with Neil Webb on the radio this morning. He recalled the time he was called up by Graham Taylor to the England squad, but was then told by Ferguson to pull out because of a "thigh injury". Webb was perfectly fit, but Fergie was having none of it and told Webb to tell Taylor that he was injured. Webb did as he was told and reluctantly pulled out of the squad, but went back and had a BIG falling out with Fergie over it, and ended up training with the reserves.

Fergies bullshit about Rooney being injured has already been exposed now by Rooney (and this current "ankle injury" keeping him out is just as dubious). Looks like the relationship has well and truley broken down - Fergie knows EXACTLY why Rooney wants to leave the club, yet he still insults our intelligence by acting all "bewildered" in the press conference. The guy is full of shit, you just can't believe a word he comes out with.

I'm enjoying this, I am. Roll on January.

Yes, I'm agreeing with this today.

 

[Gwylan]

I see 'Arry has said that he'd be interested in Rooney going to Tottenham. Yeah right, I can really see Spurs spunking out £40m and pay a player £200k a week. Arry was probably thinking about his cut of the signing-on fee.

Can anyone explain how Barcelona are being mentioned as possible suitors? Only three months ago, the club was broke, which is why they stopped their interest in Fabregas - now they're being spoken about as a club able to fork out massive sums for a footballer who may already be past his best. And if Barca did have that sort of money, they'd be far better chasing Fabregas again IMO.

 

[Simster]

Agree with you about Barca. I could actually see a move to Spurs with a player plus cash deal. If not, then clearly he's going to Citeh.

 

[Tooting Gull]

Interesting interview with Neil Webb on the radio this morning. He recalled the time he was called up by Graham Taylor to the England squad, but was then told by Ferguson to pull out because of a "thigh injury". Webb was perfectly fit, but Fergie was having none of it and told Webb to tell Taylor that he was injured. Webb did as he was told and reluctantly pulled out of the squad, but went back and had a BIG falling out with Fergie over it, and ended up training with the reserves.

Fergies bullshit about Rooney being injured has already been exposed now by Rooney (and this current "ankle injury" keeping him out is just as dubious). Looks like the relationship has well and truley broken down - Fergie knows EXACTLY why Rooney wants to leave the club, yet he still insults our intelligence by acting all "bewildered" in the press conference. The guy is full of shit, you just can't believe a word he comes out with.
.

Reckon that's about right. To listen to Fergie, you'd have thought he'd just found out. He's known for TWO MONTHS. Talk about hamming it up.

And to sound that disappointed in the lad, and then claim they 'hadn't fallen out', utter horseshit, when did Fergie ever NOT fall out with someone in those circumstances.

It was an attempted masterclass in spin and character assasination, but unfortunately Fergie has forgotten, with all the MUTV lickspittles surrounding him, that other people aren't such mugs.

 

[Football_Friends]

Would people put the Albion ahead of England? I'm sure I remember a poll where it was pretty much concluded most people would. Why would fergie be any different? He has been looking after the best interests of club and player with regards to England IMO.

In reality fergie actually told Rooney to go play for England and dropped him from uniteds line up to hopefully build hos confidence, get the fight back in him and then take advantage of it. Strangely putting the needs of the player infront of the clubs best interests.

The ball is now firmly in rooneys court, united have done their best for him (even offering to make him the highest earner in the PL) and all recent negative press surrounding him have been his own un-doing. It's now time for Rooney to say what he does want.

 

[Easy 10]

Would people put the Albion ahead of England? I'm sure I remember a poll where it was pretty much concluded most people would. Why would fergie be any different? He has been looking after the best interests of club and player with regards to England IMO.

In reality fergie actually told Rooney to go play for England and dropped him from uniteds line up to hopefully build hos confidence, get the fight back in him and then take advantage of it. Strangely putting the needs of the player infront of the clubs best interests.

Fergie couldn't give a rats arse about England. The reason Rooney played in the friendly and the qualifiers was because (unlike in Neil Webbs day), players are assessed by the England physios, being as the FA know damn well from experience that the likes of Fergie will lie through his teeth about the fitness of his players.

What has become clear is that all Rooney wants to do is play. Fergies spin about leaving Rooney out of that Everton game to "protect" him never quite sat right at the time, it did sound strange. What now seems far more likely is that Fergie probably went completely BALLISTIC at him over his latest whoring, has told him his heads all over the place, and dropped him.

Rooney has been playing shite for months so it was quite justifiable to drop him from the team, but its always dressed up as something else by Ferguson, and it looks like Rooneys just flipped. As we've seen in the WC, Rooney does not take criticsim well at all. Player and manager have been at each others throats, and theres only ever going to be one outcome when that happens at OT, ESPECIALLY as the Glazers can see the £££ they'll make off the back of it.

 

[Garage_Doors]

Interesting interview with Neil Webb on the radio this morning. He recalled the time he was called up by Graham Taylor to the England squad, but was then told by Ferguson to pull out because of a "thigh injury". Webb was perfectly fit, but Fergie was having none of it and told Webb to tell Taylor that he was injured. Webb did as he was told and reluctantly pulled out of the squad, but went back and had a BIG falling out with Fergie over it, and ended up training with the reserves.

Fergies bullshit about Rooney being injured has already been exposed now by Rooney (and this current "ankle injury" keeping him out is just as dubious). Looks like the relationship has well and truley broken down - Fergie knows EXACTLY why Rooney wants to leave the club, yet he still insults our intelligence by acting all "bewildered" in the press conference. The guy is full of shit, you just can't believe a word he comes out with.

I'm enjoying this, I am. Roll on January.

This is nail and head for me.

We have all known for years that united players pull out of internationals at Fergies direction.
Whilst appreciating his greatness as a manager it still does not stop him being a ****.
The success he has had has elevated him with Man u to the point he wields too much power at the club for my liking.
And all the posturing previously with the stop watch, intimidation of officials, won’t do interviews with BBC because they upset his son etc really gets my goat.

I’m really looking forward to him leaving the game whilst they are in decline rather than him going out on a high.

 

[Football_Friends]

It isn't just united players though is it? Alot of top flight teams do it. It seems this is more of an anti-united thread than a fair assessment of the events.

In response to easy why would or should fergie give a rats about England? Its his job to make United as successful as possible on and off the pitch. If this means taking players out of meaningless friendlies that are usually Ill timed then so be it. Poyet would do the same and would be slammed on here if he didn't!

As someone has also said there is a very fine line between developing players through the youth system and developing young players. It can't be argued that united have had some great players from a young age and helped in their development. Picked up at the same age as fletcher was piqué who many say will be the next captain of Spain. Thats not bad development of a youth player when at 16 it could go any way regardless of talent. Ask Leon knight and others, without the correct guidance look what happens.

Alot is made of youth structures but it is a regional problem and a problem with lack of talent in this country. How many world class players has there been recently in england, and how many of these have come through english ranks? The likes of terry, rooney etc but as soon as they are half decet the weight of England is upon them and they fall. They also cost a fortune as they are over-rated! Players are naturally developed local to where they are from and it isn't until later on bigger clubs pick them up as potential world class players and develop them. This is what united and arsenal have done for years. Arsenal to a better extent but it has cost them success.