An alternative solution to the Rooney situation

[Parry Gallister]

The way Rooney is portrayed as a scheming mastermind on here, once he hangs up his boots, he could easily go on to replace Kevin Spacey on House of Cards. In all seriousness though, I think if he's dropped, he'll wait for his chance and it'll be the kick up his arse he needs and he'll probably play better. He got dropped against Stoke and he only played much better after that. I also don't think he'll be able to "raise a fuss" via the media considering the very same media seems to be saying he's done and needs to be dropped.

 

[gza the genius]

I think most here would be happy to keep him around as a squad player. I'm one of his biggest critics but I'd certainly be happy to see him kept around as long as he wasn't starting most games. I don't see him accepting that role but if he did I'd be happy to see him used like that.

 

[Womp]

The way Rooney is portrayed as a scheming mastermind on here, once he hangs up his boots, he could easily go on to replace Kevin Spacey on House of Cards. In all seriousness though, I think if he's dropped, he'll wait for his chance and it'll be the kick up his arse he needs and he'll probably play better. He got dropped against Stoke and he only played much better after that. I also don't think he'll be able to "raise a fuss" via the media considering the very same media seems to be saying he's done and needs to be dropped.

He'll just get Coleen to raise a fuss on social media then, like he did when he was dropped for the Madrid game.

 

[fatboy]

He clearly sees himself playing into his mid or late 30s at the top-level. That degree of delusion will be hard to mitigate. If Rooney were a different character, yes maybe he can play a withdrawn, mentor type role. But I don't think he'll accept it, and neither should we.

The MLS, or Chinese, or some oil-rich Arab league springs to mind.

 

[Americano]

He should still be captain.

Of the LA Galaxy.

 

[SteveJ]

I know you dislike the guy but Rooney really has been selfless over the years and sacrificed his peak years to play wherever the manager wanted him to be playing. He was better than the likes of Berbatov and Tevez and yet he's never complained when shifted around the pitch.

The other side of that coin is this: his 'selfless' willingness to be the world's most high-profile utility man meant that he always got a game when he might not otherwise.

 

[finneh]

The truth is no player would take a pay cut unless the length of contract made it mutually beneficial.

If Rooney has £40m left to be paid on his current contract, he and his agent aren't going to allow him to be paid less. So if you want him to be paid a squad salary of say £100k, we'd need to offer him a contract until he's nearly 39. Not only that but he would want extra because he's playing 8 years, rather than 3 (he's also forgoing the potential for another big payday abroad).

Therefore to get him on a salary that would be even slightly representative of his role we'd need to offer him a contract until he's 40.

 

[Rory 7]

Dropping him is the best option. Give him a rest. Let him him fight for his place.

 

[Needham]

I think we should all just ignore him and like most problems ignored the Rooney problem will not feel like much of a problem at all.

 

[Bastian]

You do know he has no future in football once he is done right? He cant coach, he cant be a pundit either. He isnt smart enough for either. He will want to milk every penny he is getting because he wants to earn as much before he retires. There is no way he is taking a pay cut.

If I were him, I'd decline any request whatsoever reducing my existing agreed contract.

Any reduced salary can wait til the next set of contract discussions. Thats what I'd do if I were him!!!

Yeah, I wouldn't blame him for getting all he can. And I don't think it's realistic to renegotiate his contract at all. He'd get a signing bonus, Stretford would get more cash, and it would all be a pointless exercise. We need to get rid, simple as. The fact that he's captain is the most worrying aspect in my view, he's not good enough to lead and he should be afforded no special privileges (to state the most obvious obvious)

 

[Grib]

I remember talk always being about how marketable he was for United

If true and he was the face of the brand, maybe it was just untenable for the club to shut him out or causing a fuss with no other established/high profile players to help sell the club

Hopefully with the arrival of Pogba and Zlatan this could give the club more leverage on this level

 

[Raees]

I don't even want him as a squad player he's that far gone. I just don't enjoy watching him play.

 

[Rhyme Animal]

I don't even want him as a squad player he's that far gone. I just don't enjoy watching him play.

I think the thing most are missing with this thread is that I'm talking about realistic options to manage the situation this season, and actually get something out of it without causing discord.

Of course he should be moved on. But he's sat on a 3 year contract, he's the captain of club and country and we're 1 month into a new season...

Saying, "get him out" might be cathartic, but it's not constructive, and if we're honest, it isn't realistic, at this point at least.

 

[sun_tzu]

And then imagine being offered the chance to stay at the club you love, in your home country, take a pay cut (as Scholes and Giggs both did) and wind down your career with some glory in the domestic cups and coming on against tired defenders in the PL while retiring as the club's leading goal scorer - I know which one I'd pick.

£500,000 a week in china on a 5 year deal or sit on the bench at united... yeah I'd go for the £130,000,000 and living somewhere sunny myself

 

[sun_tzu]

The way Rooney is portrayed as a scheming mastermind on here, once he hangs up his boots, he could easily go on to replace Kevin Spacey on House of Cards.

Possibly thought the same people who portray him as a scheming mastermind one minute then go to to make him out to be a thick granny shagger the next - still the juxtaposition could make for good TV I suppose

 

[SteveJ]

Wayne Rooney remains the only Premier League footballer to be sued for libel by his manager. He formally, and privately, apologised for lying and paid substantial damages to David Moyes; so let's not pretend that Rooney is steadfast and trustworthy when it comes to furthering his own interests.

 

[Hoof the ball]

We'd have to renegotiate his contract. He's not a first-team fluffer for 300K a week.

I remember in basketball that Tim Duncan, legendary player for the San Antonio Spurs, reached a certain age where he'd declined from a world class player to a top class player, but still with great experience. The team had a limited cap space, and he agreed to take on a more supplementary role in the team with his salary being halved in order to free up cap room for other players. Now, United aren't constrained by a cap, so to speak, but I would like to see that level of self-reflection where Rooney re-estimates his value based on the merits of what he can provide at present.

 

[Sarni]

He will never take a pay cut, he held the club to ransom over contracts in the past. What has changed since then?

He has 2 and a half years left on his contract. He can easily stay, keep his salary and chances are he will play a lot too.

 

[Michael Edge]

Tell you what I think that's a great post and rather than everyone with their daggers out, an objective post for a realistic solution to an ever-growing nightmare scenario, and the responses are just kick off and unrealistic, top post mate and some of the replies are laughable and a bit clueless.

So many fans are so quick to only talk about the last 3 years, jesus take the blinkers off! If I said to most of you now, Rashford could have as good a career as Rooney has had at United, would you all take it?

I hope for his sake Rashford doesn't spend 10 years at the club and becomes our all time leading goal scorer not sure he could handle the criticism for achieving that, f**k me

 

[IBleedRed]

He has 2 and a half years left on his contract. He can easily stay, keep his salary and chances are he will play a lot too.

My point exactly, I really hope it doesn't happen though

 

[tomaldinho1]

The problem for me is with all the talk of Rooney having to drop back into CM, I don't think he is good enough there. So he would have to be a striker in my mind, a 9 or a 10.

No 9. Ibra first choice, Rashford second striker
No 10. Miki first choice, arguably Mata above Rooney

That leaves him as a 300k a week benchwarmer. It makes sense, for both the club and him, if he were to move to th MLS (somehwere he can be a top level performer and prolong his career). Bottom line is time has caught up with him IMO and because he has not been ultra comitted to physical conditioning (Ronaldo, Giggs, Ibra) I don't see him playing at the top level anymore...

He will always be a legend of the club but, like we saw in the past with SAF and Ruud, Keane and, sadly, Jaap, Man Utd mut always come first and the player second.

 

[Danillaco]

Would it be too crazy to try the Pirlo approach here with BFS or even Carrick?

4-3-3, drop Rooney, have one of them holding and droping between the defenders, using Pogba and another one (Herrera or Morgan) in front of him to do the running and box to box, and two creative players behind Zlatan. Let's say Miki and Martial... He has quality passing and good vision, wouldn't make him tire and would give him chance to control the match. Would give us ability to build plays from the back and push the fullbacks up. Hell, even try Blind.

What do you guys think? Would it be possible?

 

[adexkola]

He would be an idiot to offer to take less money. Get your money while you can. Clubs will drop you and sell you off when it's convenient for them. Why make their job easier?

 

[Sarni]

My point exactly, I really hope it doesn't happen though

Me too. He knows well that if he can survive Mourinho, the next manager could be bullied into playing him week in week out. Let's face it, Mou dropped Casillas and Ramos who were favourites at Real Madrid despite the backlash it created even from their own fans, and he still hasn't had the guts to drop Rooney. He's pretty much untouchable, the madness is so strong I wouldn't be surprised if we extended his deal.

 

[Adzzz]

A true Alt solution would be if Rooney became a goth.

 

[MAME DIOUF 32]

I think most here would be happy to keep him around as a squad player.

u wot m8?

Seriously, is there ANYONE who wants him here as a £15m a year "squad player"? Yet you're saying "most". Insanity.

 

[gza the genius]

u wot m8?

Seriously, is there ANYONE who wants him here as a £15m a year "squad player"? Yet you're saying "most". Insanity.

He's here already and who else is going to buy him with those wages? It's certainly a better option than him playing constantly.

 

[charlenefan]

An alternative solution to the Rooney situation - Phil Jones

 

[Sylar]

I liked the idea in the other thread of stripping him down, having fans throw shit at him at OT, and Jones ringing a bell following him making faces and chanting "Shame"

 

[Jaybomb]

He is finished. We sold Beckham, Ruud, Van Persie, Rio, Evra and a ton of others without a second thought. So why does it seem to be such a tough decision to sell this guy? Those guys (with the exception of maybe RVP) were United through and through. More so than Rooney.

 

[Adisa]

Dropping him doesn't go far enough for me. What kind of £300k a weeks squad player is he? Get rid.

 

[sosolid4u09]

The truth is no player would take a pay cut unless the length of contract made it mutually beneficial.

If Rooney has £40m left to be paid on his current contract, he and his agent aren't going to allow him to be paid less. So if you want him to be paid a squad salary of say £100k, we'd need to offer him a contract until he's nearly 39. Not only that but he would want extra because he's playing 8 years, rather than 3 (he's also forgoing the potential for another big payday abroad).

Therefore to get him on a salary that would be even slightly representative of his role we'd need to offer him a contract until he's 40.

Im sure ed will offer him something satisfactory

 

[sosolid4u09]

He is finished. We sold Beckham, Ruud, Van Persie, Rio, Evra and a ton of others without a second thought. So why does it seem to be such a tough decision to sell this guy? Those guys (with the exception of maybe RVP) were United through and through. More so than Rooney.

Because who in their right mind would cough up the money for him

 

[Infra-red]

Would it be too crazy to try the Pirlo approach here with BFS or even Carrick?

4-3-3, drop Rooney, have one of them holding and droping between the defenders, using Pogba and another one (Herrera or Morgan) in front of him to do the running and box to box, and two creative players behind Zlatan. Let's say Miki and Martial... He has quality passing and good vision, wouldn't make him tire and would give him chance to control the match. Would give us ability to build plays from the back and push the fullbacks up. Hell, even try Blind.

What do you guys think? Would it be possible?

No.

 

[Jaybomb]

Because who in their right mind would cough up the money for him

That doesn't explain why he's the first name on the team sheet every week.

To answer your question, I imagine the MLS.

 

[red_devil83]

Drop him then give him a free transfer in January

 

[glazed]

If Jose is waiting till sympathy has completely dried up for Wayne, he need wait no more. What a sad ending to a career. They'll probably have to pay off his contract.

 

[Oaencha]

Here's a solution - we have a whip round and raise £46.800.349. £46.8m to pay off the rest of his contract, and £349 for a one-way flight to China. Sorted.