I don't see many strikers of his caliber being available for the prices being talked about. We've had fellas like Rooney at the club before.

We've had players who have behaved like scum before, but they weren't the embodiment of all things Man United for over half a decade. I wouldn't have taken van Nistelrooy or Ferdinand in their prime either. I'd sooner lose a limb.

Benzema probably wouldn't cost as much as Rooney, for one, either in wages or transfer fee. I suspect that's the player Ferguson will replace him with though.

He does seem a bit self-absorbed with the way he's treated two managers that have invested a lot of faith and support in him. But anyone who doesn't want him here is cutting off their noses to spite their faces. He's a fantastic player, would improve any team and at the very least would provide competition for an injury-prone VP. However, I can't see it happening, as mentioned before.

Guess it all depends now on how much Rooney wants to leave. I can easily see a situation where he reneges and ends up staying. Alternatively, I think Madrid are his only realistic option at the moment and if they don't want him, I think he'd have settle much like Robben and Ribery are doing at Bayern. Would he be content with that? It's all dependent on his ambition

Can't believe he's still only 24.

Klaus wrote:

We've had players who have behaved like scum before, but they weren't the embodiment of all things Man United for over half a decade. I wouldn't have taken van Nistelrooy or Ferdinand in their prime either. I'd sooner lose a limb.

Benzema probably wouldn't cost as much as Rooney, for one, either in wages or transfer fee. I suspect that's the player Ferguson will replace him with though.

That's because he isn't as good.

In the end, he isn't coming here anyway, so it doesn't really matter.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Despite what Fergie says, I'm convinced there has been a breakdown in the relationship between the two - otherwise today never would have happened. I also think there's a chance this is to do with his marital problems.

Fergie doing little videos for Sky today was a clear case of controlling the story, get it out there first now whatever Rooney says will look like a reaction to it. Fergie and United are much more media savvy than Wayne.

As for people saying he's so good they'd love him here, I'd say having talent is only half the worth of a player. Rooney himself is already in awful form due to his personal problems and thats not something I'd want to see us wasting our money on. People saying Rooney + Fabregas would win us the league are making huge assumptions. Football is never so simple. Beyond that I think it'd be an absolute disaster for Wilshere, JET and plenty of other young players at the club to have a guy like Rooney around. He's poison now.

Let him go to Madrid where can party in the night clubs with the rest of them and avail of the plentiful street walkers.

I don't know if I would want Rooney at Arsenal but not wanting him here will not be for the lack of ability. I have disliked him ever since he scored at Goodison in 2002 to end our unbeaten run and then despised him since he dived for that penalty on 2004 to end another unbeaten run but there is no denying his footballing ability.

I think he will flourish anywhere he goes once he has his personal problems behind him and i agree with Ricky this is more or less a fallout with his manager, everything else is only an excuse.

I admire how we handle such sensitive issues with players.

Captain wrote:

Klaus wrote:

We've had players who have behaved like scum before, but they weren't the embodiment of all things Man United for over half a decade. I wouldn't have taken van Nistelrooy or Ferdinand in their prime either. I'd sooner lose a limb.

Benzema probably wouldn't cost as much as Rooney, for one, either in wages or transfer fee. I suspect that's the player Ferguson will replace him with though.

That's because he isn't as good.

Rooney himself isn't as good as he's made out to be either. And there's always a ton of injuries and personal problems that keeps him from performing consistently.

@ Ricky

It's a bit out of the blue though. Ferguson said Rooney told the club he wanted to leave back in mid-August before the tabloid affairs; in fact it was August 14th, the first day of the season. 5live (Pat Nevin) were suggesting that Rooney wants to leave because he's been tapped up with a better financial offer, although if that were the case why didn't the unnamed club make a move for him in the summer? Additionally, if Ferguson knows about it, which he would, then he'd be making public complaints unless he still thinks he can keep Rooney here.

Isn't that what he's doing right now, though?

Whatever the reason, Rooney is the one who's left looking like an arse. Ferguson probably feels betrayed, and rightly so. He looked like he was in tears at that interview he did for MUTV.

Rooney said that he wanted to sign a life-time contract with United in march this year, only to turn around completely and ask to leave a couple of months later. Ferguson has built the team around Rooney and, by his own admission, has been like a father for him. I'm not saying I'm feeing sorry for that rednosed ogre, but it is what it is. It's a crappy way to behave, and the reason seems to be money. It's exactly what you'd expect from a person like Rooney though so they probably should have seen it coming.

Of course, but you know what I mean. They've invested heavily in Rooney and now he's pulling a fast one on them. I think betrayal is a proper word to use to describe it. It's been suggested that he was tapped up by someone else in the summer too, and in that case it isn't even legal.

Klaus wrote:

Isn't that what he's doing right now, though?

Whatever the reason, Rooney is the one who's left looking like an arse. Ferguson probably feels betrayed, and rightly so. He looked like he was in tears at that interview he did for MUTV.

Oh Klausie, don't fall for Fergie's lost little boy act earlier. Everything he said was premeditated and carefully planned to make Ferguson and United, predominantly (as ever) Ferguson, look like the victim and Wayne Rooney the evil, greedy footballer, the villain.

We know nothing about why Rooney wants to leave, but I'd bet my life that 1) there's much more to it than Fergie claims there is, and 2) it's absolutely nothing to do with money.

Don Pacifico wrote:

He does seem a bit self-absorbed with the way he's treated two managers that have invested a lot of faith and support in him. But anyone who doesn't want him here is cutting off their noses to spite their faces. He's a fantastic player, would improve any team and at the very least would provide competition for an injury-prone VP. However, I can't see it happening, as mentioned before.

Guess it all depends now on how much Rooney wants to leave. I can easily see a situation where he reneges and ends up staying. Alternatively, I think Madrid are his only realistic option at the moment and if they don't want him, I think he'd have settle much like Robben and Ribery are doing at Bayern. Would he be content with that? It's all dependent on his ambition

Can't believe he's still only 24.

Haven't you heard? He was never any good anyway.

I've found it so funny talking to United fans today, and listening tot he radio. Last season I couldn't take all the "he's the best player in the world" crap. "Better than Messi." The over-hyping drove me mad, but now it's done a complete 180. The British media, or the sections of it I've digested today, now say he wouldn't get in City's team, or Real Madrid's team. Just utterly laughable.

He's one of the best forwards in Europe without any question, and would get in every starting XI, one way or another, out there. I'd take him in a heartbeat at Arsenal. He'd be an instant upgrade on Arshavin, for example - for those that are saying "he had one good season as striker" - no, he's had 5 other very good seasons as a wide forward, second striker, left right, goals, assists.

I really dislike the guy, but I'd quickly got over it if he was wearing the red and white. I'm sure Wenger would kill to have him there - despite his reported problems. I would stake a great deal of money on Rooney, by the time he is 30 (he turns 25 in a couple of days) scoring another 100 goals - whichever club he goes to, and whatever country/level/position he plays at. There are very few others I would confidently say that about.

Btw - I know it's pointless because it won't happen, but I genuinely believe Rooney couldn't pick a better club to go to, or a better manager to work under than Wenger and Arsenal. City would solve nothing, Chelsea have a culture in their club that would be detrimental, Madrid are a joke of a club for the most part - and I'm not sure he could hack another culture.

Don Pacifico wrote:

@ Ricky

It's a bit out of the blue though. Ferguson said Rooney told the club he wanted to leave back in mid-August before the tabloid affairs; in fact it was August 14th, the first day of the season. 5live (Pat Nevin) were suggesting that Rooney wants to leave because he's been tapped up with a better financial offer, although if that were the case why didn't the unnamed club make a move for him in the summer? Additionally, if Ferguson knows about it, which he would, then he'd be making public complaints unless he still thinks he can keep Rooney here.

I'd be astonished if he's been tapped up. I guess we'll know soon, because it can only have been City that did it, so if he joins them, he had his head turned by the money. None of what's happened pints to a greedy player who has been offered more money elsewhere.

My guess would be it's to do with his wife and her desire to get away from Manchester and Manchester United, where the root of their problems are. I definitely believe there's more to the situation between Fergie and Rooney than Fergie made out.

Fergie practically declared war today, a calculated move to put everything on Rooney's shoulders. It was obvious to me that there's no way he'll be staying, otherwise Fergie would have chose his words much more carefully.

Ricky1985 wrote:

Klaus wrote:

Isn't that what he's doing right now, though?

Whatever the reason, Rooney is the one who's left looking like an arse. Ferguson probably feels betrayed, and rightly so. He looked like he was in tears at that interview he did for MUTV.

Oh Klausie, don't fall for Fergie's lost little boy act earlier. Everything he said was premeditated and carefully planned to make Ferguson and United, predominantly (as ever) Ferguson, look like the victim and Wayne Rooney the evil, greedy footballer, the villain.

I think it's very surprising that you're siding with Rooney on this one. I just can't imagine any possible scenario where his actions are justified. The more we hear about this whole story the clearer it gets that he was tapped up (and possibly had fallen out with certain persons at United). I'm sure Rooney will try to justify his actions at some point but what Ferguson said is pretty much what every supposed insider source has been buzzing about for the last few weeks.

Ferguson has never done anything like this before, not even after players have left United. It speaks volumes to me.

I doubt we could afford his wages though, James. The deal he was offered by United would have had him earn almost twice as much as Cesc does. It's the main reason Chelsea or City are far more likely destinations.