'respect the club'. truer words have never been spoken. How many players today actually do such a thing, i.e. respecting the club that they are in and not leaving until they are forced to? The United trio are examples, Raul, Casillas, Puyol, Valdes, Iniesta, Xavi are all examples as well. Whats the difference between these type of players and the rest? They are all legends in their own right. Will Rooney ever be a legend at United/Everton/God knows what club when he retires? Unlikely. He will always be in the eyes of the fans a mercenary first, a football player second. Yes, United are not playing well now; yes, they have lost other mercenaries like Ronaldo and Tevez; yes, they have the Glazers who arent helping situations by giving them a huge debt while siphoning off profits for themselves. But it is moments like these where legends are formed. Did Bobby Charlton leave United after the 1958 Munich Air Crash or after United sold Best and Law? No, he stayed on and was rightfully crowned as a legend, as a knight of United and Britain. By wanting to leave, Rooney is saying that he wishes to win, and is willing to be a second or third option in the team, rather than the star player. Much like Lebron James, he has chosen the easy way out. Lebron could have become better than Jordan if he had stayed with Cleveland. He could have won a few rings ON HIS OWN and proclaimed that no one, not even Jordan, can do it single-handedly. And even if he had failed, he still has the excuse of the team not making the right moves and people will still respect him for that. Heck, he could even be like Kevin Garnett. Garnett stuck with the Timberwolves despite a lack of progress and eventually left as a legend to join the Celtics trio where he won a ring that he deserved. Lebron could have done the same and formed a trio with Wade/Bosh/Anthony/Rose/Paul/Stoudemire when he reached his twilight years. He will be a legend and I'm sure the people of Cleveland will not begrudge him his shot at a ring. After all, the number of rings that one have does not really matter. Look at Olajuwon. He only had 2 rings but is rated much much higher than alot of other players who have more. Im sure that Lebron would have been rated much higher if he had stayed and won a ring rather than leaving and winning a ring every year for the rest of his career.
Anyway, back to Rooney. He took the easy way out, he shirked away from his responsibility and he didnt really respect the manager nor the fans. He could have been a Ronaldo, i.e making his intentions clear from the start that he wants to leave (because that has been his dream and not because of the squad strength) and still playing his best for the club. Ronaldo's last season saw him win an EPL medal, a Champions League runner-up medal and a League Cup medal. At least United fans were willing to let him leave because he had played his best for them whenever he pulled on the shirt. How about Rooney? 1 goal so far this season, and it came from the penalty spot no less, isnt really a decent return from Rooney. His performances were abject, uninspired and he doesnt really look interested. But heres the crux of the issue. Is it his fault that things have turned out this way? Has player power now become so important that managers like Ferguson are outdated?
The Bosman and Webster rulings have definitely given players alot of leeway in terms of transfers. In the days before Bosman, even if a player has reached the end of his contract, he is still bound to his club and cant leave until a new deal has been agreed. With Webster, clubs are now forced to sell their players when these players announce the intention to leave as the players can buy themselves out of the contract for a nominal, some say criminal, amount. Yes, the Bosman and Webster rulings are definitely good for the players because they can now hold the club ransom and demand a higher pay. For those in the lower leagues, i will argue for the rules to hold because they are literally the ones living hand to mouth, having to squeeze every pound they can out of their bodies before retirement calls. However, for players like Rooney, does 500K a week really make that much a difference from 200K a week? Is he going to build a house with all that money? Hence, perhaps a modification of the rules can be considered, like perhaps removing these rulings for players who are earning say above 70K a week. Clubs have done alot to try and buy these players, try and keep them happy and they deserve total loyalty from these players. No one is saying that you cant leave, but make sure that you commit to your contract and pay back what the club has done for you. Sepp Blatter might say this as football slavery, but to be honest, slaves don't usually buy huge penthouses and beautiful cars and milk in the adulation of millions of fans worldwide. So if this is football slavery, i would think that alot of people will rather be slaves than to be the 'free' workers that they are everyday. Player power must be curbed because at the end of the day, soccer now is not just about the player. It is about the clubs and the fans worldwide who support these clubs. And these fans deserve every right to see their heroes in full flow, playing at their best every match and not whining divas who try to make a few more bucks a week just to buy that new rolls royce. No player is bigger than the club. I think that has been clear since football started. You may leave Rooney, but just remember, you had this glorious chance to replace Cantona, to replace Beckham, Keane, Ronaldo or even one of the legendary trio and establish yourself as the best player in the world. And you blew it. So the next time when you see Javier Hernandez or Nani or Macheda receiving the Ballon D'or, just remember, that award could have been yours if you had stayed. Manchester United have overcome the departures of many players, some as good as you, most greater than you, but the club is still standing. No one is bigger than the club. If you do not want us, we do not want you either.
