Manchester United fans can relax at last, safe in the knowledge that Wayne Rooney is happy with his lot and revelling in Mancunian life once again. This is the undisputed opinion of hacks seemingly content enough to assume that trenchant trotting out of unsubstantiated statements will always be worth so much more than one single quote from the player himself…. but more on that later. In the meantime, tabloid reasoning continues to gush forth, like limpid water from an assortment of open-mouthed and affronted gargoyles. Except that it is far from clear in content and much more limp in thought process than limpid in clarity. Examples cascade from the pages wherever you look…

 

He doesn’t want to put in a transfer request - he’s staying! United will be offering him a new contract - he’s staying! The Glazers will back David Moyes all the way in his efforts to keep him, even if it means his value drops like a stone over the next twelve months. Who could ever have doubted their largesse - he’s staying! Of course, this is really all down to money and Paul Stretford, his agent, who is solely responsible for Wayne’s attitude of late. So there really is absolutely no doubt he’ll wise up soon - he’s staying! And don’t forget the litigious relationship with David Moyes, which has immeasurably improved, that’s plain for all to see - he’s staying! Plus Fergie wont be around Old Trafford much (what with his horse racing and all) to spoil the new party atmosphere - he’s staying, it’s just got to be!

 

And so it goes on. Interminably. Or at the very least until we see Jim White hove into view next Monday to put everybody out of their misery. Apart from Wazza, who by common journalistic consent was never miserable in the first place. Interminable, indeed, and without doubt engineered to salve the hurt pride of a Manchester football club that has never quite got it’s collective conceit-swollen head around the fact that their best player wanted to leave them to join another club. Why is it that the British press, almost en bloc and hand-in-hand with a whole host of media outlets, always feel that need to go through this process of Manc-placation, the multiplication principle being applied at every turn, despite a certain toe-curling gratuitousness surrounding it all? Top Premiership clubs should not require constant buttering-up in this way, especially when there is such a gross miss-massaging of truth in telling this particular tale. Many may disagree with my own assessment of the situation, given below, but it is fantasy-free, all the better for adherence to actual events, and completely source-less when it comes to research. Here it is…

 

In my opinion the initial breakdown in the United/Rooney relationship came about as a result of Ferguson folding over Wayne’s attempted move to the blue half of Manchester. Nobody makes the old boy climb down like that [over transfer or salary demands] and gets away with it for too long. Rooney’s move premise was said to be over the club’s lack of ambition in the transfer market at the time, an accusation answered by the acquisition of Robin van Persie, a buy that flew in the face of logic if you consider those United midfield deficiencies. However, Ferguson’s solution was cunning in its construction, as he promptly flooded midfield by deploying what was effectively a 4-5-1 formation, putting Wayne out of position and his nose out of joint, but effectively solving problems left, right and at centre forward, where RVP subsequently went one to score for fun and secure the title.

 

Then, to make matters worse, Fergie could not resist rubbing Wayne’s already disjointed nose in it further, by dropping him from that crucial Champions League game, compounding matters by stating, categorically and on camera, that he had asked for a transfer. Destined to depart himself soon afterwards and just for a fun finale, the retired general had stuck a lack of loyalty knife into Wayne, a hoped-for fatal wounding in the eyes of their fans that Rooney has been at great pains to deny ever since. Indeed, he is damned if he is going to give up on loyalty bonuses and the like, by asking for a transfer now, as it would be tantamount to admitting he’d done so before and, more importantly, he can see no reason why he should be expected to meet a large slice of the financial burden [on his moving on] when this is exactly what Manchester United have wanted as an outcome from the very beginning.

 

Make no mistake about it, Wayne Rooney was being edged out of that club while he was still worth a massive transfer fee in order to recoup enough funds to buy at least one world class midfielder. Indeed, Ferguson’s departing plans, A, B and C, were all coming together rather well until Chelsea emerged as the only serious bidder and the spectre of a returning Jose, rejuvenating the dispirited Scouser, loomed large. Add to this Wayne’s friendship with several Chelsea players (heaven knows what he thinks of Rio after JT’s court case and the FA show trial rubbishing Ash‘s evidence) and it doesn’t take much to imagine the growing concern in United’s camp. There followed Jose’s open admiration of him as the perfect fit for a formation designed to show off skills already at his disposal, although admittedly his 48-hour deadline to submit a transfer might have carried things a little too far. It did, however, illicit perhaps the only quote we’re going to get from Wayne on this saga - his Facebook message to the United fans who backed him on Monday, that read, “It was an unbelievable reaction from the fans, so thank you. I really appreciate your support. It means a lot.â€

 

Short and to the point, this is the sort of statement every newshound should seize upon in their quest for the truth on this matter, shaking it down and asking simple, straightforward questions - why do the fans trust the player and not their old manager on the transfer request issue? - and why on earth didn’t Wayne go on to say, in the light of that marvellous show of support, how pleased he was to be able to confirm he was staying at the club?

 

After all, as we are told by every hack in the land on every available opportunity, he’s staying, he’s just got to be staying!

There's a feeling I just can't shake that even after finalising a deal for Eto'o that Chelsea are going to go back for Rooney one last time on Monday.

 

Table a much improved bid and let United mull it over. 

There's a feeling I just can't shake that even after finalising a deal for Eto'o that Chelsea are going to go back for Rooney one last time on Monday.

 

Table a much improved bid and let United mull it over. 

 

My thoughts exactly. All the action happens in the last few days, Rooney HASNT come out and said he wants to stay, I think Eto'o is a replacement for Ba and Rooney is still on the cards. Real will be shifting a few players next few days and i can see Utd and Arsenal fighting over Benzema, Ozil, Di Maria, and i can see Rooney being up for grabs for £45-50 Mil. And More to the point he will be a steal at that price. I dont know what we were doing f**king around at £25 Mil.

I'm pleased we have just signed a good striker, however I still want Rooney.

 

But he won't hand in a transfer request and United won't sell. So we're pretty much knackered.

Eto'o has signed for 1 year, so maybe the Rooney situation could be over for this year.

 

Going back for him next year seems the most likely outcome now, and with only a year left on his contract then, his price could be dramatically reduced.

In the paper there on about giving Rooney a new contract in a few months?? I know it's all paper talk but surely not after all this through the whole summer, just makes a mockery of football in general.

Any other job where you act like a spoilt little twat you would be straight out the door and would definitely not getting a wage increase

I really can't see a last minute bid happening now.  Would be funny to try and create the rift again now though, after it has all died down - might distract United for another week.

In the paper there on about giving Rooney a new contract in a few months?? I know it's all paper talk but surely not after all this through the whole summer, just makes a mockery of football in general.

Any other job where you act like a spoilt little twat you would be straight out the door and would definitely not getting a wage increase

 

nope. not if your job skills deem you beneficial enough

There's a feeling I just can't shake that even after finalising a deal for Eto'o that Chelsea are going to go back for Rooney one last time on Monday.

 

Table a much improved bid and let United mull it over. 

 

I've had the same feeling for quite some time, but for us to have even a remote chance of landing Rooney we needed him weeks before now to go public, hand in the transfer request, etc., in other words, to apply pressure on his current club in order to force their hand. Him staying quiet on the matter and playing well when called upon killed any chances of us convincing MU to sell.

 

Jose also mentioned, when asked, that it wasn't us, that started the whole thing, directly hinting at the fact that it was Rooney's camp that informed CFC of his desire to move and encouraged us to bid. We did our part, while Rooney clearly didn't do his.

 

Perhaps, it was yet another attempt from him and his c**t of an agent to use another club's interest, this time Chelsea, to get an improved contract. He did the same thing three years ago with City.

Agree with Abramovich on this one.  I merely think a load of what has happened has been engineered by Rooney's camp to force Man Utd to offer up a new contract, and yet it seems strange that we got embroiled in it all, even to the point of Jose stating that we were interested in Rooney.

 

However, Jose has since come out and said that we are not in for him any more and that our squad is where it needs to be, so I can't see a flurry of activity happening tomorrow.  

 

Rooney looked very good against us last weekend, and I think it was a bit of a statement of intent by Man U to show us that he was staying put.  So we went off and got Eto'o.  Ba and Moses on the way out and that leaves us with Lukaku, Torres and Eto'o.  

 

Can't see this happening, but I bet it re-surfaces in time for the Jan Tran window.  If he was a Liverpool player, they'd have burned his shirt by now.

Did he really cut his head in training or was it him banging his head against the wall....no guts to hand in a transfer request when he had the opportunity to do so, no guts ....no glory.  If Utd do nothing today I can see them wallowing just outside the top 4 by Christmas with Moyes appointment being questioned and Rooney still warming the bench now more often than not.

Did he really cut his head in training

Or did him and Phil Jones go toe to toe? Out of all the players at Utd i can imagine those two scrapping it out. To be honest i think that would be more entertaining than the Haye vs Fury fight thats coming up soon.