Rooneys Off

[tsb]

[Buzzo]

It would change my life! One ****ing week's wages.

Totally depressing isn't it. He could clear my mortgage with one weeks wages.

[CJ]

so your saying they were in vincents?

[Daniel 7]

Bloke who sits next to me in work is always on about how he paid off his mortgage 4 years ago, his huge disposable income and how he made a £7000 profit on a share deal just before xmas - does my nut in.

the other day we got our payslips through, he went to me "Is yours worth opening?" Said I keep them for a new mortgage, and he said "You should just take mine, I earn loads more than you, I'm loaded!"

Couldn't keep it in, I said

"But mate, you sit in the dark all day wanking off to World of Warcraft, I have a girlfriend, you don't!"

I thought it was mild compared to what I could have said. Shut him up though

[Shaggy]

Got this from another forum regarding Rooney. No idea if it's accurate or not.

-----------------------

Some more stuff about Rooney, from a reliable source, apparently (don't know where):

...not quite but I now have chapter-and-verse on the Rooney saga which will end with him leaving, probably to either Sell-out City or PSG. If you're interested, read on....

It's well known Rooney, Gibson and Evans (who is out injured) went with their WAGs to a hotel in Southport for a meal. All three players went to bed about 12.30 and the WAGs stayed up a bit longer but no big deal (don't know if Fergie had given specific instructions to not go out) .

Next morning Gibson and Rooney were breathalysed(!) by the club. Fergie went ape, had them in for a extra day's training and then fined Rooney (I'm not sure the other two were fined) and effectively dropped Rooney - and probably Gibson - as well.

To compound it all, Jones, Young and Welbeck were out until 4.30 the same night in town - none of those three were breathalysed - apparently an injustice Rooney was quick to point out (insert scouse joke here!). The two had a slanging match in front of the rest of the team.

The relationship between Rooney and Fergie has deteriorated. Rooney himself (via his brother) leaked the story about what had happened - united were going to put it down as a rest/niggle . United managed to get whichever paper it was to keep the J-Y-W angle out of the story. There was a story last week about Rooney being up for sale for £50m? This has come from United via 'sources'. Underpinning it all is Fergie's growing frustration with Rooney's weight and lifestyle - he can't keep the weight down, and doesn't really try to, and Fergie claims to notice a drop off in performances when he's half-a-stone overweight - and there's obviously an ongoing tension. In addition the 80s drinking culture is 'now' a smoking culture (headed believe it or not by 'Freddie the Fag' Macheda for whom it's all he can do to manage to get through a match without lighting up!) Fergie's getting a bit embarrassed by it (Carrington Car Park is Nicotine Alley after training), and while he's obviously not going to sell a player because he lights up after training, its another on-going lifestyle/discipline/irritant whirring away in the background.

The upshot is, at some point we're going to enter one of these dreary Mexican stand-offs a la Beckham, Fabregas etc etc. This time however, unlike 2010/11 (when Rooney was deffo going to City for £300k/week until Fergie talked him out of it), Fergie isn't going to put up a fight - probably knowing all the blame will be piled on the Glazers (the cash would be helpful too) - at the moment its about the old transfer request and contract release. The two have kissed and made up before, but as we all know, once He thinks your not doing it on the pitch, you don't have long left.

And that's that (no doubt this will be wheeled out in five year's time to rub my nose in it, though it is a well sourced story), take it or leave it - so best keep the Rooney shirts in the club shop and be prepared. Personally, after last year's flirtation he can sod off with his working class hero act as far as I'm concerned. Harumph....!

[Vermilion]

Don't care if it's true or not, it's damn good, and just having the picture put in my mind of Fergie looking on as his players gather round Freddie 'The Fag' Macheda, as he hands out the ciggies is worth the read alone.

[tsb]

Don't care if it's true or not, it's damn good, and just having the picture put in my mind of Fergie looking on as his players gather round Freddie 'The Fag' Macheda, as he hands out the ciggies is worth the read alone.

I'm imagining Grange Hill, Fergie as Bronson and Macheda as Zammo.

[jonnygrunter]

so your saying they were in vincents?

i believe so, he goes there quite a lot. i seen him after they won the league last year with about ten jagabombs on his table

[CJ]

never been in myself. i heard that gerrard was mates with the owner and has a room available there.

[Darth Marty]

If Rooney goes it will strengthen the mancs though because Rooney is mediocre now and earns loads of cash & will bring them a huge transfer fee. I hope he stays with them.

[Buzzo]

Got this from another forum regarding Rooney. No idea if it's accurate or not.

-----------------------

Some more stuff about Rooney, from a reliable source, apparently (don't know where):

...not quite but I now have chapter-and-verse on the Rooney saga which will end with him leaving, probably to either Sell-out City or PSG. If you're interested, read on....

It's well known Rooney, Gibson and Evans (who is out injured) went with their WAGs to a hotel in Southport for a meal. All three players went to bed about 12.30 and the WAGs stayed up a bit longer but no big deal (don't know if Fergie had given specific instructions to not go out) .

Next morning Gibson and Rooney were breathalysed(!) by the club. Fergie went ape, had them in for a extra day's training and then fined Rooney (I'm not sure the other two were fined) and effectively dropped Rooney - and probably Gibson - as well.

To compound it all, Jones, Young and Welbeck were out until 4.30 the same night in town - none of those three were breathalysed - apparently an injustice Rooney was quick to point out (insert scouse joke here!). The two had a slanging match in front of the rest of the team.

The relationship between Rooney and Fergie has deteriorated. Rooney himself (via his brother) leaked the story about what had happened - united were going to put it down as a rest/niggle . United managed to get whichever paper it was to keep the J-Y-W angle out of the story. There was a story last week about Rooney being up for sale for £50m? This has come from United via 'sources'. Underpinning it all is Fergie's growing frustration with Rooney's weight and lifestyle - he can't keep the weight down, and doesn't really try to, and Fergie claims to notice a drop off in performances when he's half-a-stone overweight - and there's obviously an ongoing tension. In addition the 80s drinking culture is 'now' a smoking culture (headed believe it or not by 'Freddie the Fag' Macheda for whom it's all he can do to manage to get through a match without lighting up!) Fergie's getting a bit embarrassed by it (Carrington Car Park is Nicotine Alley after training), and while he's obviously not going to sell a player because he lights up after training, its another on-going lifestyle/discipline/irritant whirring away in the background.

The upshot is, at some point we're going to enter one of these dreary Mexican stand-offs a la Beckham, Fabregas etc etc. This time however, unlike 2010/11 (when Rooney was deffo going to City for £300k/week until Fergie talked him out of it), Fergie isn't going to put up a fight - probably knowing all the blame will be piled on the Glazers (the cash would be helpful too) - at the moment its about the old transfer request and contract release. The two have kissed and made up before, but as we all know, once He thinks your not doing it on the pitch, you don't have long left.

And that's that (no doubt this will be wheeled out in five year's time to rub my nose in it, though it is a well sourced story), take it or leave it - so best keep the Rooney shirts in the club shop and be prepared. Personally, after last year's flirtation he can sod off with his working class hero act as far as I'm concerned. Harumph....!

Loving the thought of them all smoking crafty tabs out in the car park whilst Fergie's not watching. £200k p/w but still resigned to a sneaky tab in the car park.

[Lee]

If Rooney goes it will strengthen the mancs though because Rooney is mediocre now and earns loads of cash & will bring them a huge transfer fee. I hope he stays with them.

Ah but Ferguson won't see a ****ing penny of it. Sell him. Sell the cunt and put the money towards the Glazier's debt on the club.

*******s.

[Darth Marty]

even that will help them, keep him &
give him a pay rise, thats the best conclusion to this

[Buzzo]

Here's the article all the fuss is about. Telling use of the word 'could' in the first sentence. FFS the Independent is turning into the Daily Mail.

Ferguson willing to sell Rooney during transfer window

Exclusive: Broken relationship with manager may lead to striker's exit from Old Trafford

James Lawton Saturday 07 January 2012

Link

The Christmas bust-up between Wayne Rooney and Sir Alex Ferguson has run so deep that it could lead to the player's departure as early as the current transfer window.

One source close to Manchester United yesterday suggested that their working relationship has been seriously damaged – a situation that has raised fears at Old Trafford that a move could indeed happen this month.

This belief is provoked by strong feeling around the club that Ferguson believes he has lost control of Rooney.

The timing of this latest deterioration in trust between the all-powerful manager and the star player is horrendous for the club as they contemplate the possibility that by the end of this month they could, on current form, be out of touch with all of the game's major prizes. Fuelling the suspicion that despite the ravages of injury afflicting his team Ferguson is ready to wash his hands of the protégé in whom he has shown such massive faith, and patience, since signing him as a teenager from Everton in 2004, is the degree of his anger when Rooney appeared so plainly to be in no condition to train after a Boxing Day night out.

It had plainly not abated when he called Rooney off the field at Newcastle on Wednesday night, clearly disgusted by an abject performance from the England forward at a time when United desperately needed to keep pace with neighbours Manchester City at the top of the Premier League – and in tomorrow's FA Cup tie.

Ferguson's sense of betrayal can only be heightened by his memory of the acrobatics he was required to perform barely a year ago when Rooney, with his private life and football form apparently in meltdown, demanded a transfer amid rumours that City were ready to take him across town on increased wages. Whatever his private feelings, Ferguson held the line with Rooney, agreed to an improved contract in return for a lukewarm apology to the fans and no immediate improvement in the form that had made his World Cup appearances for England so disappointing – especially after a brilliant club season which had won him the Player of the Year award.

Ferguson also had to endure a public lecture from Rooney about United's lack of ambition.

A sharp improvement in Rooney's form at the end of last season and a burst of scoring before Christmas that came at the end of another run of mediocrity might have encouraged Ferguson to believe that his most talented player was in the mood for another tour de force in the second half of this season.

That optimism severely dissipated, however, when Rooney appeared at the Carrington training ground unfit to train – and then crisis was compounded by not only Rooney's failure to perform at Newcastle but also his indifferent demeanour.

Inevitably, the situation conjures memories of Ferguson's previous reactions to any sense that his authority has been too deeply challenged, by David Beckham's showbiz lifestyle, an autobiography by Jaap Stam or the controversial comments of Roy Keane.

Rooney's Christmas rebellion would certainly rank high in such a category of defiance.

A United official last night said: "There is no issue between the manager and player following the discipline administered by the club. As far as we are concerned, the issue has been dealt with and we have moved on."

[Buzzo]

The Indy must be needing to shift some papers this weekend, another Rooney article.

Nobody is bigger than the boss – not even Rooney

Ferguson has parted with dissenters before in spite of their stature – or because of it

Link

By Glen Moore

From Paul McGrath and Norman Whiteside in the early days, then, as his authority was cemented, to Paul Ince, David Beckham, Jaap Stam, Roy Keane and Carlos Tevez, Sir Alex Ferguson has always been prepared to move on good players, even great ones, who challenge him either directly or through the way they live.

Wayne Rooney, it appears, may be about to find that he is as dispensable as the others.

There are times when this refusal to countenance dissent has weakened the team in the short term, such as when Stam was forced out, but even at 70 years of age Ferguson takes the long view. Rooney would be very difficult to replace, but it is harder to control a dressing room when some of its members believe themselves more important than the boss.

Ferguson has said that a manager can never lose an argument, suggesting he has not, but this is only partly true. Players have more power now and he was unable to hold on to Cristiano Ronaldo and Gerard Pique. He has also been prepared to compromise when he needs a player. As Keane recently revealed, he and Ferguson had many disputes when Keane was in his prime. Ferguson always found a way to make peace, to accommodate his warrior captain. Until, that is, Keane's powers began to wane. Then Keane was shown the door. As he said last month, "the difference then was that I was 34".

Rooney is only 26, and still growing as a player, but his performances lack the reliability of Keane. In the last couple of years Rooney's form has either been red hot, or ice cold. While some players – John Terry would be the obvious example – play to par regardless of what maelstrom may be enveloping them, extraneous factors seem to weigh Rooney down. When that happens his body language betrays a lack of desire and he seems to draw within himself before lashing out, as with England in Montenegro, in apparent frustration.

The split between Ferguson and Rooney is understood to date back to the infamous transfer request a year ago. Then Ferguson gave in, swallowing his pride to welcome Rooney back into a dressing room the quality of whose occupants Rooney had questioned. As when he settled with Keane, Ferguson had considered the bigger picture and he seemed to be rewarded. In the second half of last season, Rooney scored nine goals in 13 Premier League starts as United regained the title. All seemed well.

Rooney began this campaign scoring at a rate superior to a goal a game, but then came the arrest of his father and uncle for alleged involvement in a match-fixing scheme. The following day he played against Montenegro, scored, but was then dismissed. Since then he has scored five goals in 15 games. In itself that would not be a problem, not least because he played on several occasions in midfield because of United's lack of alternatives, and did well there. What appears to have infuriated Ferguson is the Christmas night out with Jonny Evans and Darron Gibson, an allegedly dishevelled and disinterested appearance at training the following day, and subsequent sulky performance when recalled at Newcastle.

While Ferguson has shown in the past he is prepared to give way when dealing with star players – his initial reaction to Eric Cantona's lunge into the crowd at Selhurst Park was to sack him – there is a line he, and any other manager, must draw. When a senior player becomes mutinous he has to be moved on. Otherwise he will become the focus of a negative clique in the dressing room, and a bad example on the training ground. The latter aspect is crucial at United. A hunger for success is not easy to sustain. For years Ferguson has succeeded in driving United on to title after title, and one of the means by which he has done so is through a training ground culture in which senior players set the lead. Keane, Gary Neville, Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs ... all outstanding trainers, as were Cantona and Beckham.

New players, and youth players, join United, see how hard the stars work, and follow suit. Giggs is still there, but the others are gone and Rooney is now one of the senior pros. At a time when United's young players have been accused of being complacent Ferguson cannot allow a diminution of commitment. That Ferguson felt he had to discipline Evans and Gibson, too, will not have helped Rooney's cause. It may be Ferguson has decided Rooney has to go because of his stature, not despite it.

Highs and Lows: Rooney's United Reign

Aug 2004: Joins Manchester United from Everton for £25.6m, in what remains the highest fee paid for a teenager.

Sep: Scores hat-trick on United debut, in a 6-2 Champions League win over Fenerbahce.

Apr 2005: Hits stunning long-range volley against Newcastle United in the Premier League.

Sep: Receives first red card for United, sent off for sarcastically applauding the referee at Villarreal in the Champions League.

Feb 2006: Scores twice in 4-0 League Cup final win over Wigan to gain first piece of silverware.

Aug: Sent off against Porto in pre-season tournament, six weeks after World Cup red card against Portugal.

Oct: Scores hat-trick in 4-0 win at Bolton.

May 2007: Hits 23 goals to help United to first Premier League title in four seasons.

May 2008: Secures second title as Manchester United retain Premier League, before helping club win third Champions League, beating Chelsea on penalties in Moscow.

Mar 2009: Dismissed in 2-0 defeat at Fulham, given second yellow for throwing ball away before kicking out at corner flag on his way off the pitch.

May: Wins third Premier League title in three years, unable to stop United losing 2-0 to Barcelona in Champions League final.

Jan 2010: Strikes four in a match for the first time, scoring all United's goals in 4-0 win over Hull. Finishes fine season with 34 goals from 44 appearances, winning FWA Footballer of the Year and PFA Player's Player of the Year.

Mar: Injures ankle in Champions League quarter-final defeat at Bayern Munich. Returns within a week but only scores twice more for the club in 2010.

Aug: Allegations of marital infidelity emerge in tabloid newspapers. Fails in attempts to place an injunction on the story's publication.

Oct: States intention to leave United following a dispute with manager Sir Alex Ferguson, but later changes his mind and signs a new £250,000-a-week contract.

Feb 2011: Scores with stunning overhead kick to win Manchester derby.

Apr: Scores fifth Manchester United hat-trick, in 4-2 win at West Ham. Swears at camera while celebrating and receives two-match ban from FA.

May: Wins fourth Premier League title in five years at Old Trafford. Scores United's only goal in 3-1 defeat to Barcelona in Champions League final at Wembley.

Aug: Scores treble in 8-2 drubbing of Arsenal at Old Trafford.

Sep: Hits back-to-back treble at Bolton, his seventh United hat-trick, starting season with 11 goals in nine games.

Dec: Dropped from the team to play Blackburn and fined £200,000. following night out. United lose 3-2.

Where Rooney might go: Transfer destinations

Estimated value £50m

Real Madrid

A move to the Spanish capital would enable Rooney to link up with his old winking mate, Cristiano Ronaldo. However, with the Portuguese winger, Gonzalo Higuain and Karim Benzema all banging in the goals for Jose Mourinho's side this season, and Mesut Ozil pulling the strings from just behind, Rooney could struggle to get a game.

Barcelona

Having previously raised doubts about Manchester United's ability to continue to attract the world's best players, Rooney would surely have no such qualms were he to move to the Catalan giants (and there would be the added bonus, as with Real, of Champions League football). With David Villa out for the remainder of the season with a broken leg, Barcelona could do with another striking option.

Milan

The Rossoneri's ongoing pursuit of Carlos Tevez suggests that they are in the market for a forward, and with Milan's reputation for fashion Rooney could perhaps be tempted to move in search of some new clothes to compliment his recently-acquired hair – with his wife also enjoying the shops. Furthermore, marital infidelity is apparently less frowned upon in Italy – if Silivo Berlusconi is anything to go by.

Paris St-Germain

The Qatar-backed French side would have no trouble affording the England forward, and would doubtless be attracted to the prospect of making such a marquee signing having recently failed to woo David Beckham over from the States. Rooney could link up well with French goal-machine Guillaume Hoarau – although it is hard to imagine him opting to hide his magnificent barnet under a beret.

Manchester City

Rooney reportedly flirted with the idea of joining United's noisy neighbours during his contract dispute in late 2010, while City manager Roberto Mancini has recently bemoaned the club's lack of resources up front. It would be an act of treason, but could the lure of financial rewards, plus the chance to link up with the talents of David Silva, Sergio Aguero, Samir Nasri et al, be enough to tempt Rooney?

And who might replace him?

Internazionale's Wesley Sneijder has long been linked with a move to United, and his preferred position just behind the striker would make him a like-for-like replacement for Rooney. If Milan were the forward's destination, Brazilian Alexandre Pato could potentially be used in some form of swap deal. Lille's sought after Belgian Eden Hazard would also be able to fill the creative void left by Rooney's departure, while Spurs' Luka Modric could feature. Or there's always a certain Carlos Tevez...