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It's Not Rooney's Time
Despite what Alan Tyers may think, Wayne Rooney is not suddenly going to hit form and make United fans forget all about Ronaldo.
As was pointed out in this morning's mailbox, Rooney is more like Kuyt than Ronaldo. He works hard for the team will set up a few and score a couple of goals.
However, to think he will score 40 in a season (in fact 20 a season looks beyond him) is highly naive. Waye Rooney has been at United for five seasons. In five season, he's managed 65 league goals. Thats an average of 13 league goals a year. His european form looks even worse. In five seasons, taking part in the Champions League in each one, he has a grand total of 16 goals. It's unlikely he'll knock in a 40 yard screamer like Ronaldo did against Porto and his preformance against Barca was hardly inspiring.
Before countless United fans email in saying "he's not that type of player," then what type of player is he? I mean, why spend 30 million on a striker that isn't that fond of scoring goals (Berbatov does spring to mind).
Wayne Rooney is not going to change overnight. he will kepp running around, keep trying really hard and keep failing to be a prolofic goal scorer. He is without doubt a fantastic talent, but he will always be in the shadow of a pleyer like Ronaldo. All that reamins to be seen is who's shadow.
Connor (put it in the mailbox.. it's a friday) O'Hanlon
...I'm puzzled by the various mailbox contributors' suggestions that, in Ronaldo's absence, Rooney will be allowed to shine and somehow miraculously blossom into a world class player?
I thought it worked the other way around- the old adage was an average player could look good in a gifted team.
Rooney may seem to appear to be a bit better next season, but surely that's simply as he will then be compared to a lesser skilled group of players around him.
If he played with the local U12's he would appear to be the greatest player of all time, wouldn't he?
Doesn't make him any better though, does it?
Colm
Ah But It Is...
Kevin, Tip in Melbourne. I have come to the conclusion that anyone who doesn't think that Wayne Rooney is world class isn't worth talking to about football because they know very little about it. I'm no fan of ManU or Liverpool (although I must admit that I'm warming to Rafa).
I can only guess that living in Melbourne that you have never seen Rooney play live, other than on TV. Please, if you ever get the chance, go and see him. The boy is so impressive.
Wayne Rooney is a f**king brilliant player and the fact that he's so often asked to play out of position is testimony to that (a bit like Roy Keane's early ManU career).
I too hope that he gets a chance to play a more forward role in the new season, if for no other reason than to prove to the Rooney sceptics once and for all what a World Class player he is.
Tim, Spain (Spurs)
...Kevin, Tipp in Melbourne. As a Gooner it pains me to say this, but check Rooney's goalscoring record against Arsenal, Liverpool and Chelsea. He actually delivers against big opponents with some regularity.
Tim "Still Haven't Forgiven Him For That Dive To End the 49 Game Unbeaten Run' Stillman
More Accurately...
I think Aaron (take me home etc)'s suggestion the the Premier League is La Liga's b!tch is a little far fetched. In recent seasons Liverpool have bought Alonso, Reina, Arbeloa, Riera & Torres from La Liga - all current members of Spain's European Championship winning squad!
To this you could add Fabregas, Robinho, Carew (and to a lesser extent Xisco, Collicini & Jonas at Newcastle).
A more accurate question would be: Are Manchester United now Real Madrid's b!tches?
The answer is yes.
They are also Barcelona's b!tches (see Champion's League final 2009)
Brendan (I agree with Nani - he should replace him) McAreavey
...In response to Aaron (take me home Utd road).
I think one of the main reasons why we are seeing the top players migrating to La Liga again is financial. Top players in England are taxed more than their Spanish dwelling counterparts.
Not top players per se, but the likes of Pennant and Adam Johnston who were linked with Spanish moves and these were directly attributable to the current Sterling/Euro exchange rate. Our players are practically half price, of course the continental teams will look at them.
Conversely this makes continental players double priced for us which may force clubs to look at homegrown talent (an already premium cost market). South American league players are the future it would seem...
KB
'Doesn't Hold Water'
Aaron's point about the Premier League losing superstars to La Liga doesn't really hold water. Has any English team ever managed to sign a 'best player in the world' in their prime ? Manchester United picked up Ronaldo speculatively - he wasn't the player he is now when they bought him. Most of the very best players, from Platini through to Zidane, Maradona to Ronaldo (the real one), and Ronaldinho to Kaka, have always plied their trade in Italy and Spain when they were at their peak. It goes some way to explaining why our own homegrown world-class players get built up so much by the press though; there's no genuine superstars for them to be judged against.
James
What Will The Money Actually Get Them?
I think there are a lot of United fans getting very carried away with this £80m fee. Much like our own American "investors", United's owners are a bit short of cash at the moment I believe, and I wouldn't be surprised to see them try to take the cream off the top of that fee. Couple this with the hugely inflated transfer market (if Kaka' is worth £56m and Ronaldo £75m, I should think a talented but unproved signing like Benzema will cost at least £30m and you're probably looking at more for Ashley Young with that whole "add an extra 20% to his price because he's English" thing), and serious concerns abound for United. With Ronaldo gone, I suspect they'll have to change the way that they play entirely because without him, only Evra and Rooney are fixtures in the side with any pace to suit their current counter-attacking gameplan. There's a lot of rebuilding to be done and I'm not so sure whether they can do it.
As a Liverpool fan, I worry that we'll be in the same boat should we sell Alonso. OK, so we might get £30m+ for him if the current deals are anything to go by, but the only direct replacements are Pirlo and de Rossi who'd each command a similar fee or young players like Martinez who are still a gamble. I feel like there are a lot of clubs who might have to spend a fortune just to tread water.
Some of the best players in the world are either confirmed as going to or staying in Spain, and that's only going to make it harder for clubs in this country to compete. So yes, I agree with Aaron from this morning's mailbox. On the other hand, with the exception of Shevchenko, the Premier League doesn't often buy in superstars from other countries. Some of the bets players to come into the league in the past five years - Torres, Tevez, Ronaldo, Mascherano, Drogba, Essien, Robben, to name but a few - have all seen their stock rise considerably. It's often in this league that players cut their teeth, and it's the reason why players like Beckham, Van Nistelrooy, Stam and Owen have been able to leave and the league's still gotten stronger. Outside of Real and Barca, the English top four are still held in very high esteem so as long as we can keep getting in quality young talent and improving on it, I think we'll be just fine.
As for Perez... has he ever not gotten his man? He's such a skilled negotiator he could probably crack that whole Middle East situation if he put his mind to it.
Nick Glover
'United Are Stronger', Is The Gist Of This One
The over-reaction from rival fans surrounding Ronaldo's move to Real Madrid is, quite honestly, embarrassing. To me it's obvious that these so called "assessments" of United current situation are just wind-ups or wishful thinking on their part. Either that or they have a severe inability to learn their lessons from the past. How many times will they write us off?
The suggestion that the midfield that has just wrapped up it's 3rd consecutive league title is now on it's knees because of the departure of a winger who never contributed defensively anyway, is absurd. They have spent the last 3 years telling us he's over-rated, a big game bottler, a one trick pony, and now they're trying to portray him as the one reason United fans have any reason to be hopeful? I do wish they'd make their minds up.
If Liverpool fans are looking for a chink of light following on from their diabolical financial situation coupled with their middling transfer budget, then carry on. Fill your boots. Knock yourself out. But the situation is this: the team which ran away with the league and made the CL final for the second consecutive year this term has just had it's transfer budget boosted by £80m. Ontop of the fact United had more to spend than Liverpool anyway, they have just received £80m to yet further open the gap between themselves and the rest. Last time I checked, that is not a reason to celebrate, it's a reason to mourn. Anyone thinking that Fergie won't seek to prove a point next season clearly has not followed football closely for the last decade or so. The man will make it his life's mission. And a word of warning to those scousers coming to a point of realisation: Madrid usually get their man, so I'd watch the Alonso situation carefully if I were you.
Put that in your pipe and smoke it.
Harry - Manchester
The Galacticos Did Work
Enloe stated in this mornings mailbox "It's obvious that buying Ronaldo, Kaka, Silva, Villa, etc. is not going to work. They've tried this kind of thing before and it didn't work then."
I'm sorry what? Firstly Madrid's first Galacticos won the Champions League, that suggests they worked back then. It's also an indication that the new Galacticos will probably work this time. As for debt, Madrid don't worry about such things, their debts are not like real debts, they don't really have to pay them back if they can't. Can you honestly see Madrid banks sending Real into administration? Not a chance in hell.
Madrid will get another Champions League trophy from this and we all know it.
Conor Byrne
'16 Chunky Kit Kats'
Am I the only United supporter who is completely bamboozled/aghast/appalled over our attempts to sign the boy Valencia from Wigan? Figures being quoted in the press reports today put his value to be somewhere in the region of £16m plus. It's bad enough losing one of the best players in the world but to replace him with someone so over-priced just isn't on. The 'Pool and Chelski fans must be laughing their heads off at this. I dont know how this magic price of £16m has come about over the last month or two but the wigan PR people deserve to be the best paid people in the country. Sixteen million pounds !?!?...Even £5m is a bit pricey in my book... if fact I wouldnt pay 16 chunky kit-kat's for this clown!
We used to laugh at Benitez and Houllier before him for wasting big money on complete no-hopers like this so what it the world coming to now?
Even Real Madrid will be getting better value for money with Ronaldo and they are shelling out 5 times as much (for someone who is 10 times the player).
I know the prospect of all this cash must be burning a hole is Fergie's pocket but c'mon SAF. Surely our scouting network can do better than this??
David Lane
Who United Should Buy
There's been a lot of talk about who Fergie is going to buy with his 80million squid. The world's best attacker is going to need replacing but similarly the freedom it's going to give Rooney and even Berbatov could be devastating.
Now, if it was my money, I'd be putting a bid in for Palacios. They were apparently after him in January and Spurs got him. He's what their midfield needs. It's impossible to claim that he could have broken up the Barcleona 'carousel' but he would have added some much needed steel to a midfield that at times looks a bit lightweight.
Andrew, Woodford Green
...If I was Fergie I would be looking at doing one thing with my £80 mill - offering half of it for Torres. I'd offer it half in the hope Liverpool wouldn't sell, then stand back and smile as it set Rafa off, destabilised Torres, and brought the Scousers out in their hand ringing droves. Just like stirring up an ant hill in fact.
Then with the rest of the dosh I'd go for Fabregas!
Mark Alden
...With all the talk of who United can bring in, there is one name I haven't seen mentioned at all.
A great signing for United would be Mikel Arteta. He's only down the road relatively speaking and already has a few years Premier League experience.
Plus, he is still only 27. I think he could be bought for a reasonable price also.
I for one would love to see him playing for Man U and think he could improve the team for next season.
He is better than what is currently there anyway.
Richie D, Dublin
Two things
First, in response to Paul Rhodes, the "United went downhill after Busby so the same will happen after Fergie" argument is far too simplistic. Busby himself retained the services of some players for far too long (as regular starters, not bit-part players like Giggs and Scholes) and were already on a downward path even by the time of his first departure, and despite his legendary status, was simply not as good a manager as Ferguson. Plus, I bet Fergie's replacement will not be a latter-day Wilf McGuinness.
Second, and on a totally unrelated matter, is it just me or is absolutely every one of these rule change ideas you've been getting sent absolute dogsh*t?
Griff
Schadenfreude
Is anyone else hoping that in the first day of preseason Kaka and Ronaldo both go for a 50-50 challenge and in a freak accident both give each other season ending injuries?
No? Just me then. And I'm a Toon fan and I really should be upset about other things.
Jimmy the fish.
Platini Had No Choice
Aidan Williams, Newcastle - the reason Platini has come out and criticised Madrid is because his previous comments about English football and our spending meant that he HAD NO CHOICE but to do it. If he didn't say anything then it would have been absolute unequivocal proof that he was anti English, and would have made his - supposedly neutral - position as UEFA president untenable!
NB, Salford
They Won't Get The Money
I was readng Kris Garthwaite, Darlo mail from the mailbox today and allow me to answer a few of his question. As a fan from the "far east" I can safely say that we are indeed passionate about buying replica shirts.The problem is ,most of the shirts sold are replicas of replica shirts (i.e knock offs). We might be a passionate bunch, but there is no way we are wasting 300 Malaysian Ringgit on a new Real Madrid kit. A knock off can be bought at 1/7th of that price. Take a walk around Kuala Lumpur. Those ASADI and NIKEY knock offs can be found everywhere.
Effi (skint fan) Nazrel, Kuala Lumpur
We'll Be His Agent
Taking two main points into consideration - The first being that Real Madrid's crazy spending has now, somewhat, inflated player prices. The second being my current 'footballing' ability. I reckon I'm now worth at least £500,000!
Offers from Championship teams or above though I'm afraid.
Ben Daniels
A Flawless Plan
The Problem: Real Madrid keep buying our No.7s
The Solution: Introducing our new No.7 - John O'Shea
Hopefully we can pass it around the lower end of the squad until they resemble a team in the Pontins League, perfect.
Mike Coxon, N4 via Northwich
U.G.L.Y
I've been away, so forgive me if this has been pointed out already, but if Manchester United were indeed to hold on to Tevez, and sign Franck Ribery, along with Rooney, would they have the ugliest strikeforce the world has ever seen? They would, quite literally, give defenders nightmares. Off the top of my head, only Iain Dowie and Matt Le Tissier in their Southampton days would come close to beating them.
The prospect of kids all over Manchester (well, ok, Surrey) waking up with those three mugs on their Man Utd duvets is surely enough to send the marketing bods at Old Trafford into a cold sweat. Say what you like about Beckham and Ronaldo, but they aren't unattractive guys and their status reflects that. How can Man Utd compete on a global scale with football's equivalents of Sloth from the Goonies banging in the goals?
Steve
