Djemba-Djemba
Full Member
I think that is the main reason for the ill feeling towards Rooney to be honest.While I don't disagree that this was regression from a team perspective, this particular move was the best thing that happened to Rooney. Valencia was pretty much his personal servant, and created many goals for him, without having the ability or the ambition to do things independently like Ronaldo.
On the whole, I agreed with his sentiments at the time though. He said exactly what most of the caf and every United fan was afraid of too. Personally, I have no issue against his contract situations. He was doing right by himself, and we are absolutely loaded anyway, so why not?
I just have a problem with the fact that he's shit. In fact, I don't even have a problem with the fact he's shit - it happens, he's burnt out, and we can handle it, we have better players. He's entitled to lose it. My main problem has been with years of people talking about him as if nothing has changed, and how he's still 'the most important player' etc, and how 'he can play any position', and 'if I'm picking the team, I'll always have Wayne Rooney in it' etc. That is the shit that pissed me off. I didn't get angry when Giggs could no longer run past full backs. He's entitled, he's old. The difference was, everyone,including Giggs, realised it. There was no denial of it. We've had years of denial regarding Rooney.
His transfer requests and steep decline didn't help but the bizarre stepford wives thing that the media had for years, ignoring how bad Rooney had become and acting like everything was fine, was the major reason for this groundswell of anger and frustration at Rooney.