So yesterday I was talking with a non-United supporting friend about football and bemoaning Rooney's performances and my friend said he hasn't watched us live but the impression he got from highlights was that he was playing fairly well. Anyway I just went on iplayer and watched their package of the Swansea game on MOTD 2 and it was amazing, this was the main game of the day, first up on the show with a lot of time devoted to the game itself as well as studio analysis. Despite this they:
1. Edited out the moment when Rooney was played through by Shaw and due to being slow and indecisive was tackled by Williams.
2. Edited out the moment when Rooney was played through by Herrera and the best he could do was chip the ball gently to their keeper.
3. They did show Rooney giving the ball away for Swansea's equaliser but even though Rooney's pass was straight at the defender and nowhere near a red shirt the commentator made no mention of the error, or his failure to try and atone for it, and instead called it first a block and then an interception by the defender.
4. In the post match analysis the only talk of Rooney, who has been our worst player in every league game so far, was to say that he lacked confidence, and then the blame was quickly shifted to our other players who, apparently, are not providing Rooney with enough service.
I've grown used to commentators like Neville and Owen downplaying Rooney's faults and exaggerating his abilities but as someone who doesn't watch MOTD I thought that was just a bias limited to his friends. I didn't know the flagship football programme of the country would actively edit out Rooney missing chances to promote a narrative that chances aren't being created for him.
