There are few certainties in life, other than perhaps death and barak’s Shed End syntaxes, but the likelihood of another exactitude joining this short list grows by the minute. For make no mistake about it, if Wayne Rooney ends up in a Chelsea shirt he will morph from quality player to c**p player quicker than you can say ‘but didn’t Fernando Torres score a score last season?‘. Indeed, whether or not this potential ‘transfer of the summer’ plus subsequent transformation happens, we can trust those Manc Media Men not to wait [for evidence] before judging it to be so, either by reference to an exorbitantly high price they deem us willing to pay, or via fabricated guesses at a gargantuan salary, or, once bought and after a game or two, disdainful pronouncement of ‘obvious signs of declining ability‘.

However, childish newspaper nonsense aside for a moment, of infinitely more interest at such an early stage in proceedings is the rather nervous demeanour of United fans every time there is mention of the possibility of Chelsea being a suitor - it might even, perish the thought, be described as an inherent fear of letting their best player go to a club that has inflicted the most damage on them throughout the Premiership era. Since the Glazers arrived, these fans have had to embrace reality, rather than continuing to revel in Red supremacy without a care in the world. They appreciate the danger of a Rooney in our ranks under Jose’s tutelage and, should he join us, will look at the respective squads and wonder if they have any players left, in any position, that we would covet. Having downed that nasty dose of realism, little wonder they cling to an entrenched belief [that ManU never sell to a domestic rival] hoping against hope that David Moyes will be no different in outlook when push comes to shove out the door…..but more on this later.

Quite frankly, the whole situation is fast becoming a real conundrum for them because, rest assured, they want Rooney out, want much more than £20m for him and want a bidding war fought and won under the ABC banner - anyone but Chelsea. The vast majority already think it highly unlikely that the Scouser will stay and as soon as a formal bid comes in he’ll be off. Media coverage so far has been limited to the usual political stuff - an early-day, slow-motion slag-off of a player who dares to want to leave a great club, for a second time if you believe Fergie‘s claim of a previous transfer request, this last attempt having only been forestalled by the old boy at great cost and very little criticism. Only now, when Moyes is on the point of instigating talks over a new deal involving a wage cut, is it turned against ‘a greedy player who will want to maintain his salary’, this time with United being portrayed as fully justified in not wanting to pay out on another [negotiated] two years.

Of course, none of this is reported as such, the hacks peddling their placatory prose instead, by telling us of ’intriguing’ talk of Arsene [allegedly] wanting Rooney to partner another [alleged] new purchase, Higuain, who is about to be signed [allegedly] from Real, all funded by a dip into that £70m [alleged] war chest the Frenchman has been sitting on, Buddha-like, for longer than the faithful at the Emirates care to remember. With levels of scepticism so high and so recognisable in these trophy-less times at the Emirates, it has fallen to Jack Wilshere to fly the optimistic flag, but he barely lifts it off the ground in this comment on the situation, made to ESPN yesterday…

“If it happens, it would be amazing. He is the type of player who can win you trophies [hint, hint], and just to see his name on the team sheet brings fear to the opposition. We could do with a little more of that [a lot, really, as I’ve seen sod all of it since I‘ve been here and haven‘t won a thing yet].â€

Clearly, reading between these lines, Wilshere knows Arsenal’s got Jack-s**t chance of signing his England colleague and Jose’s new all-singing, all-dancing regime is a far bigger attraction for Wazza than Arsene’s French follies will ever be. Hence the sudden sea change of opinion [on Wayne] on most red-tinted websites, especially the United ones, where he is now described as being a millstone around their necks, not only as a result of last season’s form belying his wage, but also due to Van Persie being the new kingpin, his own status diminishing proportionately. The defiant amongst them go so far as to say they’re not bothered who they sell to - if he goes it's because he's not worth the trouble - some holding the view [if it is to be Chelsea] they would prefer to see him up front for us, as opposed to the more dangerous Edinson Cavani at twice the price. This perception brings us full circle, in as much as you choose your Shed End thread and ’plump’ accordingly.

My two-pennyworth? If Jose wants Wayne Rooney, that is good enough for me and it should be good enough for all of us. His undoubted talents, as I see them, are listed on the other Rooney thread, but I will also admit to being haunted by the possibility that Ferguson may well have instigated this situation deliberately. Was it designed to give David Moyes a clear run, by creating the fait accompli selling scenario for a player no longer rated? Or did he just stick the knife into an awkward Scouser who was making life difficult during his glorious retirement year? Magnanimity or spite? I suspect Jose knows the answer to that question and I’m guessing we will know too, very shortly.

Love the play on barak's sin-taxes!

if its a choice between 20 mil for Rooney, or 50m + for Cavani, then we should defo be focusing our efforts on Wazza

I hate to say it, but I'm gradually warming to the idea.

 

I don't think I'll ever be comfortable seeing him in a Chelsea shirt, but our transfer policy is dictated by a man I happen to trust wholeheartedly.

 

If he's to be the new forward that we desperately need, I'm going to have to lump it. I may not like it, but any opposition on my part would be completely meaningless.

With the Cavani rumour gathering pace (again) what if we ended up signing both Rooney and Cavani?

 

 

I think i'd sh*t my pants if that happened. 

So would Fernando.

Dorset, a wonderfully written view of the world as always but I don't understand why you can't add your pieces to the threads that already exist rather than always starting a new topic?

Because he wants the attention.

Oh that's fine then.  As you were.

Dorset, a wonderfully written view of the world as always but I don't understand why you can't add your pieces to the threads that already exist rather than always starting a new topic?

 

I think we know the answer to that!  

 

Don't like the idea of Rooney joining as although he does get some leeway currently, he is still vilified by large sections of the press and that certainly won't improve by joining us, even if he has matured somewhat. But we have placed our faith in Mourinho and if he thinks it's a good move then I'll back it and just hope he's learnt from some of his disastrous signings the first time around.

Because he deserves the attention.

 

Fixed that for you.

 

A Dorset tract is more thread-worthy than a lot of topics doing the rounds, as far as I'm concerned.

I agree, journalists live and die by how much attention what they have written receives, and Dorset has proven himself time and again to be worthy of the 'special treatment'. Is it really any more pretentious than those people who make a new thread to announce what they hope our squad will look like in two months' time?

I agree, journalists live and die by how much attention what they have written receives, and Dorset has proven himself time and again to be worthy of the 'special treatment'. Is it really any more pretentious than those people who make a new thread to announce what they hope our squad will look like in two months' time?

Yep, compare his posts to all these sheep who continually post animated gifs.

Dorset should post what he wants, when he wants and where he wants.

There's a thread called "Does training begin on Monday or am I misinformed?" yet there are questions being asked of why Dorset has to start a new thread when he writes an article?

 

Sheds gone mad.

There's a thread called "Does training begin on Monday or am I misinformed?" yet there are questions being asked of why Dorset has to start a new thread when he writes an article?

 

Sheds gone mad.

 

 

Hey, that thread's an enigma thread!  Don't blame the whole of the Shed End for the sins of enigma!

Put it this way, I'd rather a new thread opened for every Dorset post rather than have his well thought out, intelligent and well written posts lost amongst jokes about Torres and constant chatter about deep-lying playmakers.

Hey, that thread's an enigma thread!  Don't blame the whole of the Shed End for the sins of enigma!

 

Haha I know, but I thought I've given Enigma enough stick in the past about how many new threads he makes, so I let him off this time.

 

The point is though, to me at least a forum is a place where like minded (sometimes) people come to discuss a topic that brings them together?  If my understanding of a forum is wrong then I apologies.

Wouldn't Dorset - who no doubt has a talent for writing about Chelsea - be better having a blog, possibly even a page on this site where he can post his thoughts.  What's happened here is another longwinded (or well written and considered) way of giving an opinion as to wether Rooney will join us or not.  So not only does Dorset have the right to start duplicate threads but now we have two threads discussing the same thing.  Except that I've highjacked this one to discuss the rights and wrongs of duplicate threads!

 

Anyway, it's not that important in the grand scheme of things so I'm now going back to work.

Great post Dorset.

Personally I think Rooney' s best days are behind him. I think he is finding it much harder each season to stay in shape and to me he looks jaded and disinterested.

In my view he looks like a fat rugby player who players on the front row (without meaning to cause offence to any front row players).

He clearly has a poor attitude and wont donus any favours.

Utd wouldn't sell him to us even if we wanted him, and I'd hate us to give that mob any money at all anyway. Can you see Rooney learning French, Italian or Spanish? Can you f**k.

In the end, Rooney will do what he did last time - dog his heels in, demand more loney and more game time. And utd will give it to him.

I agree Rooney was always going to be one of those players who's career was over the hill early. He will pile on the pounds....has made loads of money and will soon be a little fat frustrated footballer who cant do what he used to and runs around kicking people.

He'll be un motivated in training cos of all his money and the fact he has won many trophies already.

Oh and dont forget once/if he signs for Chelsea he is no longer Englands star player in the eyes of the press but a granny shagging scouse thug who's career was ruined once he left that fantastic club in Manchester and went to the hell hole that is Stamford Bridge.

 

I say give Rooney a wide birth, a birth that will be considerably wider in a year or 2.

It would have to be an extremely wide birth - my heart bleeds for the poor old dear giving birth to him!

Id like him but could never see UTD selling him to us....

I'm very much against the idea of signing Wayne Rooney. I've never though he's as good as people make out in this country. He hasn't done anything remarkable for 2 years now and is overpaid, overweight and unmotivated. A transfer to Chelsea would be a step down in his eyes, so I don't see what would motivate him here other than $$$.

 

That said, if there's one manager that reignite Rooney's career, it's Jose. And if Rooney was to join, then that would definitely mean that Torres is out of the door. From a FFP perspective, we wouldn't be able to afford £500k a week collectively for the 2 strikers. But, those positives aside, I think signing Rooney would be a severe mistake.

In the end, Rooney will do what he did last time - dog his heels in, demand more loney and more game time. And utd will give it to him.

 

I hope so because I sure as hell don't want him at Stamford Bridge.

Really don't want him at Chelsea. Really really really don't.