Saturday highlighted just how important Rooney is to Man Utd and how much Chelsea need a player like Rooney
His contract runs out at the end of next season, but Utd are going to have to either sign him to a new contract, or sell him this Summer.
Seems likely that he will leave.
If you were Rooney, what would you do? Yes he can earn what he wants at Utd, but he is 28 now. He isn't going to be one of those players who can go on playing till he is 34, his best years are limited by his physique. Therefore I think there is a very strong likelihood he will sign for Chelsea this Summer. He needs to be playing top class football in his final years, and Ferguson has ensured that his relationship with Utd fans will never be the same again.
Man Utd fans may not admit it, but I don't think history is going to look kindly on Ferguson's final years at the club. Why?
1) Ferguson's strength was in re-building teams at their peak whilst winning trophies in the transition. Some attemts were made to renew his last side, but this has failed
2) Did he appoint the wrong successor? Inconclusive but it doesn't look good. Moyes running commentary over his Summer transfer targets was ill-advised and made them look stupid, and importantly undermined the image of his new CEO who took a lot of flak. That wont have gone down well. Furthermore after the Newcastle game he said he wanted to take off RVP after an hour but was worried about Utd fans reaction. You are the manager Moyes, it's your job to act in what you think are the best interests of the club.
Clearly the Utd management wont be happy with their form and results, but significantly I doubt whether they will be too happy with their manager's comments and actions.......compare to Ferguson when he started at Utd. Edwards said they knew that they had the right man, so they kept with him. Many of the thigs Moyes has said about what he's doing make you question his judgement - it's not just the results.
3) Ferguson's last act was to put a bomb under Rooney by disclosing his "transfer request", why do that? And the ramificatons are still being felt. Players of his quality are as key as the manager to a club's success.
