Before you read on this is all hypothetical, and is much of a "worse case scenario" thing to happen for some fans. But I had a discussion a week ago where this was brought up, and assessing it myself, it doesn't seem to ridiculous as it first sounds.
For starters, Fergie doesn't really allow players to step out of line within the team, out speaking, criticism all that and with Rooney, he has previously handed in his transfer request, disobeyed the rules at Christmas causing him to be dropped for the Blackburn game (a point there would have put us in a much better position) and considering what other players have been sold on for, its fair to say Rooney has gotten away quite lightly with his behavior.
Now this could easily be to do with the fact we rely on Rooney a lot within the team, but getting rid of players like RVN, Beckham, Stam and Keane in the past does suggest to me that SAF has never forgotten what Rooney has done, and despite his prolific goal scoring record this year, he wasn't our outstanding player this year, if we did a poll on our player of the year, I doubt he would feature in the top 3.
So if we do sell him? Lets say he goes for £50 mill, we will obviously need to find a new striker with Berbatov and Owen likely to leave, only having Welbeck, Hernandez and Macheda isn't going to be ideal. With a bit of luck, Hernandez can find the form which made us love him so much last year and if adopting a 4-2-3-1 formation, and with the signing of Gatian/Fellani and Kagawa, our team would look like this:
De Gea
Rafael - Rio - Vidic - Evra
Gatian/Fellani - Carrick
Valencia - Kagawa - Nani
Welbeck
Bench - Amos, Smalling, Evans, Cleverly, Young, Jones, Hernandez.
Obviously a couple of other signings would come in, I've just picked two for now to fit into the team that have been heavily rumoured, maybe another world class player could come in, and while some people will moan that the team isn't near as good enough to compete with Man City, I don't see what world class player we can bring in to do so. I like to see our club as a club that creates world class players, not buys them (as in we buy them young and make them what they are, much like Arsenal) but if Rooney's attitude continues to stink (was less that impressed with his efforts during the Swansea game) will he really be sticking around Old Trafford for that much longer?
Could Rooney leave in the Summer?
posted on 7/5/12
Rooney has a LOT of work to do in our team and the reason, it's simple out midfielders are not good enough. They don't work hard enough and don't drive us forward.
Carrick needs a top player in there with him, Scholes has done very well but come on he's 38 years old it was a short team thing to bring him back,
posted on 7/5/12
comment by SouthLondonManc (U12028)
posted 20 minutes ago
Rooney needs help around him though. He genuinely needs world class players around him.
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And what kind of logic involves surrounding an non world class player with world class player? why make a player of less quality the centre of your team?
The attachment to rooney is understandable but this kind of talk needs to end. If you are going to build a team around a player, he better be a brilliant one. When we have a 10 who seems incapable of playing the position AND is the centre of the team, i can see why our midfield struggles.
If we buy a truly world class player, pls make him the centre of the team. till then, rooney is the best player we have and that in itself is the problem, provided we can look past the attachment to him.
posted on 7/5/12
Rooney also needs to improve his touch and passing. It's been awful for a while
posted on 7/5/12
Get the midfield sorted and rooney's role becomes redundant as there are better strikers than him out there
I still dont see rooney interesting any of the top teams
unless he was back up
I only see the likes of spurs buyig him. City to cheese us off maybe, but in aguerro, tevez, etc they have better players
posted on 7/5/12
Rooney would slot into the Barca team. They are trying to flog Villa. At Real he and Ronaldo would tear La Liga a new one.
He's better than any striker in Italy too.
posted on 7/5/12
SLM - he doesnt like the striker role though
who would he replace at real?
as I said there are better out and out strikers than rooney out there and genuine number 10's
from the UTD squad I think only carrick would fit into barca and ironically berbatov
posted on 7/5/12
In most (easy) matches Real play with Benzema and Higuain with Ronaldo in a free role off the left.
Take out Higuain, play Benzema, Rooney and Ronaldo.
At Barca, Messi plays central, play Rooney out wide.
At AC he is better than all their strikers, same with Inter, same with Juve.
At Bayern he can play where Kroos plays, just behind Gomez.
posted on 7/5/12
Either way, the service to Rooney isn't good enough.
Somebody like Modric will get the ball to him before he is marked.
posted on 7/5/12
Rooney IS and IS NOT an out and out striker... never was...but what he IS, is a damn good TEAM player and that is why he is so loved and well rated. He tries his best to do it all. Wouldn`t see any side rejecting him as such!
posted on 8/5/12
comment by Rooneysmiles (U1347)
posted 11 hours, 40 minutes ago
Rooney IS and IS NOT an out and out striker... never was...but what he IS, is a damn good TEAM player and that is why he is so loved and well rated. He tries his best to do it all. Wouldn`t see any side rejecting him as such!
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How many teams go out and spend 20-30 million on a damn good team player?
Rooney would not fit into many of these teams. have you watch their games and the expectation of technique on these teams? Only an english team would be interested and tbh only one will be willing to pay the money required and that is city.