Mail: Wayne Rooney says 'Manchester United have to be a top-one team, not top-three' following Ronaldo interview

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V.O.

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I agree, but still a bit harsh to give him a Stone Cold Stunner for it.
 

Ladron de redcafe

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Well said Rooney. Targeting top 3, and considering it an achievement is a loser's mentality. United and the fans are not going to be satisfied with regressing to 3rd spot after getting 2nd last season.

The only target is the top spot.
 

sparx99

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Ronnie made it clear we should be aiming for first. He was being realistic about this season and how you adjust your expectations due to the poor start.
 

Samid

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Love Wazza but it’s extremely easy saying this from the outside. Where was this when our decline had started and he was stinking up the place while wearing the armband?
 

Rightnr

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Typical thing someone who's not watched us for years or been involved with the club would say.

Ronaldo saying we should aim for 3rd this season is basically aiming for the title since we have to make up 10 points on the scousers. I'm pretty sure he was talking about this season.
 

Ixion

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I remember when Ole thought the same after Mourinho finished 2nd
 

2 man midfield

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They’re both right. Ronaldo this season, Rooney long term. We haven’t been a top 1 team for ages, which is a massive fecking problem. In Fergie’s time even coming 3rd was a major disaster.
 

Ladron de redcafe

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They’re both right. Ronaldo this season, Rooney long term. We haven’t been a top 1 team for ages, which is a massive fecking problem. In Fergie’s time even coming 3rd was a major disaster.
From 1992-93 to 2000-2001, we only failed to win the league twice, ending 2nd (by one point each time).
We then rebuilt.

From 2006-2007 to 2012-2013 (Ferguson's last season) we only failed to win the league twice, byy a point and then in goals difference.

Even in those seasons, coming second was a disaster. That's how high United's standards were.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Well they sound great making these "winners" statements but it's the fellows who will actually make it finally happen that matter. I don't see a difference between the empty worlds of Rooney and Ronaldo and those of Rashford who 'dealt' with the haters last week.
 

amolbhatia50k

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Love Wazza but it’s extremely easy saying this from the outside. Where was this when our decline had started and he was stinking up the place while wearing the armband?
It's always easy to say things aren't how they should be. Some with Ronaldo or Maguire or Rashford.
 

SATA

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Rooney is right, you know. I was surprised when Ronaldo for such a born winner said United should finish top three but if he means that’s the aim for this season, then yeah it makes sense
 

MattofManchester

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They made the exact same point, but that headline will make idiots believe they're two different things.
 

Amar__

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Well they sound great making these "winners" statements but it's the fellows who will actually make it finally happen that matter. I don't see a difference between the empty worlds of Rooney and Ronaldo and those of Rashford who 'dealt' with the haters last week.
It's quite clear that we should make Rooney our captain after these words.
 

Relevated

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Many people will blame him for trying to leave, but by doing what he did he held the club and ferguson to account to maintain a high standard.
 

Ludens the Red

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From 1992-93 to 2000-2001, we only failed to win the league twice, ending 2nd (by one point each time).
We then rebuilt.

From 2006-2007 to 2012-2013 (Ferguson's last season) we only failed to win the league twice, byy a point and then in goals difference.

Even in those seasons, coming second was a disaster. That's how high United's standards were.
It’s mad when you think back isn’t it. I remember how low it felt coming 2nd/3rd in those days. The next year you HAD to regain the title.
 

Hound Dog

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Here is what I do not get.

After the Glazers' takeover, most of the fans were united in the opinion that this would be terrible for the club in the long run. Years have passed, United have inevitably slowly declined, replaced Ronaldo with Valencia, won the last league title with a team full of soon-to-be-past-its and a few youngsters who never lived up to the potential...

The decline has been slow and steady but completely what was to be expected when the Glazers took over.

Yet people seriously think that United can somehow have the same standards as they would have if these people were not in charge. My question is how. How exactly?

Even Liverpool, with the genius Klopp at the helm, have won only two major trophies and this is likely to be his final tally at the helm once he leaves.

How do people expect United to be able to compete with other large clubs whose owners either help them financially or do not take money from the club is beyond me.
 

Manny

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I'm sure Ronaldo and Rooney are on the same page about this. Both are winners.
 

Grande

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That's a winning mentality.
You could say ‘a winning mentality’ is the mentality of a winner, or a mentality that gives you a higher chance of winning. How can we know how a winner thinks? Let’s take an extreme winner, like Wayne Rooney, and see what he thinks. He has won a CL, 5 leagues, 1 national cup with his teams, and counted national player of the year once by sports journalists. Or better yet, let’s se what the mentality of Cristiano Ronaldo is, he has won 5 CLs, 7 national leagues, 4 national cups and the European Championship with his teams, and has 5 Ballon d’Or’s individually. His mentality, whatever it may be, must surely be a winning mentality? Maybe ‘become Top 3’ actually is a more winning mentality for Man United than ‘become number one’?

How do you know what a winning mentality is?
 

SuperiorXI

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Ronnie was talking about this season.

It's impossible for us to finish top, we'd have to bridge a 22pt (or 16pts) gap in 17 games and hope those above us drop a lot of points... never going to happen.
 

MackRobinson

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People who aren't even the best at their job, mad that other people aren't the best at their job. :lol:
 

Pexbo

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Rooney definitely has his eye on the United role at some point. Fortunately I think Ole has killed the ex-player route. Rooney would have to show himself to be an excellent manager, winning trophies in the top flight to even be considered.
 

RuudTom83

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Here is what I do not get.

After the Glazers' takeover, most of the fans were united in the opinion that this would be terrible for the club in the long run. Years have passed, United have inevitably slowly declined, replaced Ronaldo with Valencia, won the last league title with a team full of soon-to-be-past-its and a few youngsters who never lived up to the potential...

The decline has been slow and steady but completely what was to be expected when the Glazers took over.

Yet people seriously think that United can somehow have the same standards as they would have if these people were not in charge. My question is how. How exactly?

Even Liverpool, with the genius Klopp at the helm, have won only two major trophies and this is likely to be his final tally at the helm once he leaves.

How do people expect United to be able to compete with other large clubs whose owners either help them financially or do not take money from the club is beyond me.
Well said!

Then you have Gary Nev on Sky Sports saying the players are whingebags. Sure Gary, the only difference from when United were winning titles every year is that the current crop of players moan more! :rolleyes:
 

Relevated

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Rooney won and everyone likes to win but no way he has a winning mentality.

A friend of mine used to deliver donner kebabs to his house mid week.

Ronaldo has a winning mentality
The donner was for my mate, he was a cleaner at rooneys yard and was paid in donner.
 

Grande

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From 1992-93 to 2000-2001, we only failed to win the league twice, ending 2nd (by one point each time).
We then rebuilt.

From 2006-2007 to 2012-2013 (Ferguson's last season) we only failed to win the league twice, byy a point and then in goals difference.

Even in those seasons, coming second was a disaster. That's how high United's standards were.
I’d say that’s how high the quality of United’s football team was. ‘Standards’ are primarily a function of quality and performance, and only in a small way the other way around. Most teams sets goals above their current achievements and tries to implement the highest standard realistically possible.

Expectations are normally based on current and recent performance, except for teams that have had long runs of success in the past, like United now and Liverpool in the 90’s and 2000’s. When expectations aren’t based on recent performance, but past glories, they tend to result in overly unrealistic expectations, which lead to disappointments, frustration, splitting, blaming, thingsthat aren’t really conductive of improvement and success.
 

Chairman Steve

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It’s a pretty tough gig to be the top-one in a league where three of the clubs in the league have the infinite money cheat code enabled.