To have the poll at all is unnecessary actually.
Wayne Rooney - Manchester United Legend
- Thread starter VP89
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To have the poll at all is unnecessary actually.
He's enhanced his legacy by leaving.
Great servant for the club.
If he had left 4 years ago when Fergie did he'd have been heralded alongside Charlton, Law, Best, Giggs.
Great servant for the club.
If he had left 4 years ago when Fergie did he'd have been heralded alongside Charlton, Law, Best, Giggs.
The “defenders” are (still) claiming that the contract business and whatever blemishes may exist in addition to this (but the contract business is clearly the main point of contention) is insignificant in the grand scheme of things - whereas his detractors are (still) claiming it was beyond the pale.
What do you want his “defenders” to offer? Proof that he’s actually been brilliant these past couple of seasons? Nobody has claimed he was and “defending” him has never been about that. Proof that it’s a mistake to let him go? I haven’t seen a single poster on here claim that it is (could be wrong about that, but the vast majority seem to think it’s the right thing for both parties). Proof that he’s a United man through and through? He isn’t, but nobody has claimed that either. The basis for calling him a “legend” (or just a very important player for the club, as I would myself) is his achievements - which are obvious. Proof that his critics are blowing his flaws out of all proportion? All you can do is to point out that other players have similar flaws without getting crucified in the same way - and his “defenders” have done this over and over again.
Is it pointless to go back and forth over it? Yes, obviously. But if the people who keep bringing up the contract business, etc. stop doing so, the tedious debates will come to an end. It’s actually up to them. The other side are now just people who consider him a United great/legend/whatever - there is no debate to be had anymore about Rooney as a member of the squad.
I think the reaction he gets when he comes back to OT will eclipse any other player I can think of.
Best suffered from alcoholism though. That would have had a massive influence on his behaviour.
Rooney was cold blooded and threatened to join our bitter City rivals at the worst time possible. (City were becoming a force, tensions were high between the clubs and we were very reliant on Rooney; he was by far and away our best player at the time.)
It won't eclipse the Ronaldo reception.
Fantastic video, wee bit emotional watching that. Being that I'm 26 it's been brilliant growing up watching Wayne play as I began to really understand the game properly as I grew up too. Yes he's been poor the last few seasons and there was the contract issues, but a player to win everything he has won at this club and to be the clubs all time top goal scorer makes him a legend in my opinion. At his peak he was a supreme player who I adored, so to see him go back to Everton (for an apparent wage cut too to his credit) I wish him all the best and hope he has a fruitful time there too, except against us. Sad he's gone but the correct decision.
All the best Wayne and thank you for so many memories
I agree I think he will get a wonderful reaction from the fans.
Aside from the fact he said he'd never join city
Pretty sure it will. We'll just have to wait and see
People well connected to the club confirmed it at the time.
Of course he wasn't going to come out and directly say it.
He was a great player for this club. Never a great man off the pitch, but on it he was a beast at his best.
I think the fact that he is so talented and that we were so reliant on him makes the falling out with the club even harder to take.
I voted no on impulse, but the truth is he will be remembered as a legend at this club, and now that he has left, i'd rather just focus on the positives and move forward.
Good luck Wayne.
I think the fact that he is so talented and that we were so reliant on him makes the falling out with the club even harder to take.
I voted no on impulse, but the truth is he will be remembered as a legend at this club, and now that he has left, i'd rather just focus on the positives and move forward.
Good luck Wayne.
People confirmed the transfer request and City declared interest.
Rooney said he'd have only gone abroad.
Pretty sure it will. We'll just have to wait and see
I doubt it mate. Ronaldo was aided by the fact it was a massive game and a late evening kick off. Similar circumstances are unlikely to repeat for Rooney.
I think it will. He's the clubs all time top goalscorers and Old Trafford will show the lad the appreciation he deserves.
There's not really any irony because the comparison doesn't work.
Best was an alcoholic indulging in the self destructive behaviour typical of alcoholics. Rooney and his camp were cynically using tactics to make a rich man even richer. Intention is everything.
I'm not all that bothered about the contract stuff but if we're doing comparisons with other players let's be accurate.
No, well connected journalist like Danny Taylor of the Guardian confirmed it.
Rooney said that a few months later but he was hardly going to say anything else?
Now you're contradicting yourself from an earlier conversation with me. You were saying that Rooney wasn't a legend because he wanted to leave. I pointed out the fact that he didn't. Now you're saying the same thing that I did to support your argument about Gerard.
You're done
Accomplished quite a bit at United and really improved as a player. A fitting move perhaps to return to Everton and hopefully Koeman can still take advantage of Rooney's skill set - they are desperate for leadership on the pitch
Am I "Done"?
Each case is different, I'm able to differentiate. Sometimes it isn't just black and white. Rooney only stayed because, like I mentioned, we offered a perfect location, a great chance of winning almost everything and more money then he could spend. We basically left him with no choice. The difference with Gerrard was, he was being linked with Chelsea where he would have had almost everything better. I'm sure he was tempted, but in the end he took the less attractive package, sacrificed a LOT, i.e never winning the premiership, but in return is forever a Liverpool Legend. Something all the money in the world cant buy.Some here are such plastic fans thy should never be supporters, because he had bad 2-3 season, they easily forgot how many things he did for this club, he is a club legend no matter what you accept it or not his numbers proves everything he did for us.
He doesn't think Pele, Maradona or Best are legends. Or Charlton, or Law. Or Zidane, or Buffon, or Luis Ronaldo. Or Cristiano Ronaldo, or Ronaldinho, or Beckenbauer, or Eusebio. Or anyone that played for more than one club (apart from Gerrard, weirdly).
He doesn't think that Danny Drinkwater or Jamie Vardy count as Leicester legends, and presumably Aguero or Kompany as City legends, or Henry or Bergkamp as Arsenal legends.
You're the same person who gives one club legends the same tag, as people like Vardy and Kompany
You're a hypocrite. You twist your answers to suit your argumentAm I "Done"?
On the pitch, as a player he was amazing and all about the club. As a person he was all about himself and his pay packet. For me, for this reason, he can never be a legend. Money was always more important to him than the club.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder
Tough crowd if being top goalscorer, giving 13 years' service and winning every single trophy with your club doesn't make him a legend.
Yeah he can be classified a flawed genius, but that doesn't get thrown so much at Best or Cantona. It's strange tbh.
Yeah he can be classified a flawed genius, but that doesn't get thrown so much at Best or Cantona. It's strange tbh.
So only one club players can be legends. Wow.
That's a symptom of modern day football really. You can't pin that one on him imo.
Oh, for Frogie's sake
For his defenders: his status is secure.
For his critics: he's gone - rejoice.
I embody both of these viewpoints! It's pointless anybody trying to argue that he isn't a legend, because the fact is that he is...whatever your personal feelings might be about it!
Having said that I am overjoyed he has gone - disliked him since the original transfer request, and have been wanting to see the back of him since he didn't celebrate that United goal early in Moyes' reign...just sulked on his own.
The passage of time will soften all of that though and it won't be long until memories of the good times will be all that matter in the scheme of things.
Cantona is a legend because he probably is our greatest ever player player in terms of influence he had on our club and Cristiano is a legend because he's the best ever player to don the United shirt. Rooney is a bit of both sides but not as great as either.
The contract stuff, City flirting, open Everton love-in (not a bad thing per se, just meant neither him and us fans just didn't get that extra connection between us) and the really bad years at the end of his United career hasn't been enough to deprive him of a legend status at United. History will be kind to him despite this exit being way overdue.
The contract stuff, City flirting, open Everton love-in (not a bad thing per se, just meant neither him and us fans just didn't get that extra connection between us) and the really bad years at the end of his United career hasn't been enough to deprive him of a legend status at United. History will be kind to him despite this exit being way overdue.
Great player for us, and one central to many successes under Sir Alex. I think his trying to force a move (to city?) had damaged his reputation at the club but otherwise, a pretty damn good career here.
It's funny though, I'm not sad to see him go. When players like Vidic, Rio, Evra and even RvP left i felt the pinch but there's nothing here in this case. Weird, considering it's the club's top scorer we're talking about and one that been there 13 years.
It's funny though, I'm not sad to see him go. When players like Vidic, Rio, Evra and even RvP left i felt the pinch but there's nothing here in this case. Weird, considering it's the club's top scorer we're talking about and one that been there 13 years.
I'd recommend watching the MUTV programme Goodbye to a Legend - some brilliant memories
incredible player over the years and what a collection of superb goals
incredible player over the years and what a collection of superb goals
You're the same person who gives one club legends the same tag, as people like Vardy and Kompany
Vardy is a Leicester legend. Ryan Giggs is a Manchester United legend, elevated above other United legends, or at least distinguished from them, because he spent his entire career with the club.
Pele is a football legend, regarded as one of the greatest of all time. Vardy isn't. Kompany isn't. Doesn't mean either can't be legends for their respective clubs.
Yes, according to this clown only players who spent their entire careers at one club and were the best in their positions can be considered legends.
God forbid you make a lasting impact at a club you didn't grow up supporting, or a club you weren't good enough to see your career out at, because then you're automatically discounted from legend status.
Unless of course you're Steven Gerrard, whose decision to leave Liverpool for a New York paypacket doesn't count.
Legends are more than stats. You can scor
You're the mercenary who has cheapened the word Legend so much that a player can play for 3 or 4 clubs, chase money like its going out of fashion, threaten to leave unless they get the best pay package and...............still be a legend to each one of the clubs they've played for lol.
Stats don't make you a legend my friend, to sit at the table among the footballing gods you have to offer a lot more. Your career.
ROONEY 'STAT-PADDING' HIS WAY TO A STATUE
Calm down.
There seems to be two extremes to the debate and many misconceptions presumed by many commentators for example, Brwned's thread assuming it is off the pitch stuff which is colouring many people's views on Rooney.
As his thread rightfully points out, contract negotiations are par for the course and many a club legend has held the club to a ransom across many different historic clubs and the players have still managed to be remembered as legends, so for me anyone who disputes Rooney is a legend based on this is being very unfair to him.
My own personal view on the Rooney is a legend debate, is that he is very guilty of stat-padding his way to glory for club and country.
The truth is that he should not have been at United post 2012/13 and likewise for england should have been dropped by Euro 2012. Therefore he never should have had the opportunity to slowly drag his way to club and country scoring records, whereas the likes of Ronaldo/Messi were smashing records in their prime and didn't just hang around trying to break records despite being way off the pace and not deserving of a first team spot. He used his media presence and tried to manipulate the management of both club and country to try and secure his 'legend' status and to be fair, that is a very rare thing to see at any stage in the history of football.
I can't recall any legend in the game, manipulating and succeeding in doing so.. prolonging their career at a club or for their country to such a Machiavellian extent to the point their teams fortunes are suffering greatly, just to indulge the whims of one player. Even Gerrard at Liverpool was told where to go once they realised his legs had gone, and there was us and England indulging Rooney to a ridiculous degree, just to ensure he undeservedly broke records for club and country.
The other issue for me is that legends like Law, Best, Charlton. Cantona.. they were driving forces behind title wins, memorable moments in campaigns, catalysts for United's biggest moments. For me Rooney's best seasons were when we won nothing, which is very unlucky for him, but does slightly affect how big a legend he was. Nevertheless he was a key part of the 06-11 era.. in which United were domestic and european powerhouses and objectively speaking, even if at best he was a support act for most of those seasons, he deserves to be a legend for being the second most important attacker for us during that era.
Having said that to say he deserves to have a statue and that he's a bigger legend than Cantona, Best. Law, Ronaldo, Keane etc - sorry I am not having that, without his stat padding of the last 4-5 years, he shouldn#t have really been at the club if a ruthless Fergie was still managing the side and he caused the club and country countless damage due to his manipulation and forcing his presence within the first team. That has to be taken into account especially seeing as he never really maximised his peak years and never was the star player leading teams to glory.
I think the feeling of relief that many feel now that he has left, says it all about how 'legendary' his status will be post leaving the club.
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You don't understand what a legend is.
Rooney admitted wearing Everton pyjamas while still a United player.
http://www.espnfcasia.com/everton/s...n-pyjamas-during-my-time-at-manchester-united
http://www.espnfcasia.com/everton/s...n-pyjamas-during-my-time-at-manchester-united
@Raees Rooney scored 17 league goals for a dire Moyes team in 13/14. Him and Januzaj were two highlights in an otherwise dreadful season. Rooney dropped off under van Gaal, and was very deserving of his place in both the United and England squads until then.