And the winner of the biggest non-story of the year goes to…Wayne Rooney’s “flirtation” with leaving Manchester United.
Seriously, why the uproar? Why the surprise? Why the hate? And frankly, where’s the love?
When news first broke about Rooney’s apparent desire to leave, my initial reaction was similar to many of the managers of the bigger clubs. He’s (most likely) not going anywhere. Whether it’s global football or American football, athletes, agents, and clubs manipulate the media to help seal the deal when it comes to contract disputes. Like it or not, this is the way of the sporting world we now live in. Yet no matter how often it happens each and every year with the top tier of players, everyone always seems surprised. If it can happen with Christiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez, Cesc Fabregas, or Fernando Torres, why would we be surprised that it happened with Wayne? (And for all you screaming out Lionel Messi’s name right now, mark my words, the day will eventually come when we see a heated discussion about his future play out in the media.)
When Rooney first made the comments about not having an ankle injury, it screamed of a frustrated guy overwhelmed by the circumstances surrounding him. He’s got a big scandal, and some little scandals, playing out in the media which ultimately means he’s probably got even bigger problems at home where he has to answer to his wife. Neither he nor his teams have been playing well and since he’s widely viewed as the star of Manchester United and the England national team, his being out of form is viewed as the primary reason his teams are under-performing (justified or not). After absorbing much of the blame for the national team’s disappointing performance at the World Cup, his club team, while rich with tradition, has serious problems of its own which land squarely on his shoulders. Yeah, there may be no ‘I’ in team, but there is a 1 in 11. He was feeling the heat and he deflected the blame.
So next Sir Alex Ferguson calls Rooney’s bluff and went public about his desire to leave. And then Rooney “confirms” it by pointing out the very real deficiencies in the club and the lack of assurances that they’d be addressed. A few players, who obviously misunderstood Rooney’s concerns, called him out on it. The media and fans ripped him to shreds despite the fact that they all have been voicing those very same concerns that their superstar just validated from an insider’s perspective. AND, using his influence, he put everyone’s concerns front and center for the world to see. In effect, Rooney put United in a position to put up or shut up. If they couldn’t pay the face of their franchise, and even worse, let him follow Tevez to rivals Manchester City, it would most assuredly confirm everyone’s worst fears about the state of the club. To what should be the delight of MUFC supporters and players, the club rose to the challenge and got the deal done.
Hopefully, as a result, some of these very real concerns will soon be addressed. Such as,
- Manchester United’s current owners have transformed the club from one of the most profitable clubs into one that has a debt larger than most small countries, and even some large ones. Can they right the ship before it sinks? Based on the green-and-gold movement to rid England of the Glazers, it would appear there is some doubt.
- Can Manchester United retain its talent? After a massively successful, multiple trophy winning campaign, supporters and players watched Christiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez walk out the door. The club wasn’t willing or able to pony up for those two. But they have for Nemanja Vidic, and now they have for Rooney.
- In addition to retaining their own talent, are they in a position to also compete with the big clubs to recruit top talent? We’ve been hearing about the Ronaldo transfer war chest that Sir Alex has at his disposal but have yet to see much of it spent despite a number of glaring holes in the squad. Instead of spending a little more on a Mesut Ozil or a Rafael Van Der Vaart, both of which would have fit a need, they invested heavily in a project/prospect named Bebe. Media, fans, and players want to know if the team is really waiting for “value” in the market, or if this money is tied up because of the club’s debt.
This is really the gist of what Rooney was getting at when questioning the quality of the club. We all know that players like Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes, Rio Ferdinand, and Edwin Van Der Sar are fantastic but they’re much older than Wayne and won’t be around forever. Will there be adequate replacements for them when the time comes? If, for argument’s sake, Nani does become the next Ronaldo, will the club do whatever it takes to keep him? See Rooney isn’t just thinking about this year, he’s thinking long-term throughout the course of his career. Just like the fans and other players, he would like some assurances that the club is committed both now and in the years ahead to do whatever it takes to keep the club at the highest level.
If those assurances can’t be made, and if the club is heading into a downward spiral, could you really blame him for considering his alternatives?
Adam Morris
Soccer State of Mind 