Why Do United Fans Want To Get Rid Of Wayne Rooney?

With Wayne Rooney’s future filling the back pages this summer, writer ‘Devanney1’ looks at why Manchester United fans are so eager for the player to be sold.

The infamous transfer window always creates numerous sagas that drag on over the off-season. This summer has been no different with the Luis Suarez, Gareth Bale, and Wayne Rooney sagas selling more newspapers than Rupert Murdoch.

The summer is fast becoming not only a time of excitement for supporters over possible signings but also one of anxiety that your best player may have left for greener pastures by the close of the transfer window on the second of September. At least this is the case at Anfield and White Hart Lane with fans imploring the talismanic Suarez and Bale to stay. Evident from the positive reception Suarez received from the Anfield faithful in Steven Gerrard’s testimonial against Olympiakos and Spurs fans milling round the ground on sky sports news practically on their knees praying for Gareth Bale to stay put.

However, this is not the case at Manchester United. The growing consensus from United fans seems to be that David Moyes should sell Wayne Rooney. Lines like ‘we don’t need him’ or ‘he’s burnt out’ are regularly trotted out by disgruntled United fans that claim they don’t see the same effort, desire or quality as they once did from Rooney.

It is true that Rooney by his own high standards had a quiet 2012-2013 campaign, seen in a return of only twelve goals and with his 83 percent passing completion been one of the lowest in the squad its easy to see why United fans have been a little frustrated with a player that always carries huge expectations.

Yet if you look at Rooney’s career for United this has always been the case; his form has ebbed and flowed. Rooney, in the last four seasons has scored 34, 16, 34, and 16. Although often inconsistent in front of goal Rooney is so much more than simply a goal scorer. Even last season which was considered a relatively poor season he topped the assist list with 10 and created the second most chances in the United squad with 49.

According to Sky Sports stats, in the last five years in the Premier League only Robin Van Persie has more goals and assists combined than Rooney has. The fact that RVP is a United player seems to suggest that Rooney figures are irreplaceable.

As Gary Neville told the Daily Mail:

‘I could argue on the last eight years, he has been the most important player in the Premier League’ adding that he has scored “20 plus goals in most [seasons alongside] assisting, and fighting for every single ball in every single game. The evidence is there- they don’t grow on trees Wayne Rooneys’”.

Neville’s point about fighting for every ball is true; Rooney is not just a forward. Often Rooney sacrifices his attacking qualities to do a defensive job out left or in the centre of midfield to mark a deep lying midfield player out of the game. It’s not just Rooney’s goal scoring and assists but his work ethic and team ethos that United would have to replace.

Who could United replace Rooney with? To suggest the Glazers are going to stump up for 80 million for Bale or Ronaldo is pure fantasy from both the British tabloids and deluded United fans. Other United fans point to Shinji Kagawa as a ready-made replacement for Rooney. Although in the second half of the season Kagawa showed glimpses of the player he was at Dortmund he is still not in the same bracket as Rooney and would struggle to provide the goals or physical presence that the former Everton man gives United.

United fans seem to have created a quasi-mythical Wayne Rooney that is lazy, disinterested and brings less value to United than Kagawa. They seem to have forgotten Rooney’s toils in midfield and on the left wing for the team. Or the shift he puts in when he has to mark a deep lying playmaker out of the game often at the expense of his own chance to attack. These are the qualities the Old Trafford faithful seem to have forgotten; but hey football’s a fickle game.

And Rooney is not exempt from this. This is the second time he has wanted to leave a club at which he has won countless trophies at and scored 197 goals for. Last time, in 2010, Rooney’s desire to leave was borne out of a perceived frustration at United’s lack of ambition in the transfer market. Ironically this time it is United’s purchase of a world class player, Van Persie, and Rooney’s demotion to the wings, central midfield and at times the bench (particularly against Real Madrid) that has upset the apple cart.

This ‘demotion’ culminated with Rooney’s supposed transfer request at the end of the season. Sir Alex Ferguson reportedly telling Sky Sports One that “I don’t think Wayne was keen to play, simply because he has asked for a transfer.” The fans reacted angrily as Rooney was booed by parts of Old Trafford when collecting his Premier League winners medal.

The booing seems to show United Fans disillusionment with Rooney’s lack of loyalty; but hasn’t the same been shown by Suarez and Bale? Both Spurs and Liverpool fans did not boo their players. They recognize that keeping their best players enhances their chances of a successful season. Rooney is United’s best player, thus a good reception and a happy Wayne Rooney would be beneficial for United.

Many United fans don’t see it this way and often point to Rooney’s poor attitude and the fact that he wants to leave as the reason why United should let him go. Statements like ‘their is no player bigger than the club’ been regularly aired and fears that he will effect dressing room morale are used to suggest the club should cash in.

This is short sighted. Rooney has proved before that he loves to play football and can move past his often-fraught relationship with the club. And in a world cup year he is not going to sulk in the reserves but try and play his best football. After the second of September and the close of the infamous transfer window he would buckle down and the Old Trafford faithful would again see the best of Wayne Rooney.

The season after his last transfer request in 2010 he netted thirty four times for United. Do United fans really want to see Wayne Rooney smashing in thirty plus goals next season for Chelsea? And him lifting the premier league trophy in a Chelsea shirt?

It is hard to see United retaining their crown without Rooney, with Man City’s big spending on the likes of Jesus Navas and Stevan Jovetic and the arrival of Jose Mourinho at Chelsea. United’s lack of success in the transfer window only emphasizes the need not to push Rooney away. United fans should be getting behind him, not writing him off as past it or disloyal. United fans need to learn that booing their best player is not going to help bring trophies home.

At 27, if Moyes can get him back on side, Rooney has years of match winning performances in a red shirt. United fans should not write him off or boo him because come May they might just be cheering his name again.

What do you think of the Wayne Rooney situation? Would you like him to stay; or should the club cash in? Share your views below.