Manchester United Transfer News: PSG Downplay Wayne Rooney Speculation

Bleacherreport.com 16/04/2013

Wayne Rooney's future with Manchester United continues to generate a lot of buzz. 
The latest club to distance itself from the speculation is Paris Saint-Germain, which was one of the potential destinations being frequently mentioned for the longtime United star.
The big-spending French side would certainly have the resources to make a run at Rooney. But nothing is progressing nearly as quickly as the rumors would suggest, according to comments made by Leonardo, the club's director of football, and passed along by ESPN (via Gazzetta dello Sport).
"On Ronaldo, there has never been an offer," he said. "I've never heard anything about (Wayne) Rooney or (Edinson) Cavani either. I do not rule out big signings, but only if there is a suitable opportunity."
In the same report, there's a comment from PSG manager Carlo Ancelotti (viaL'Equipe), who also believes the speculation has been off base to this point.
"Wayne Rooney is one of the best strikers in the world. I think he is impossible to buy. He is an idol for Manchester United."
Those comments from two high-ranking club officials should cool down the Rooney-to-PSG talk. At the very least, it doesn't sound like a deal is done, as Michael Moulin, a former PSG advisor, told French outlets, according to the Metro.

Where will Rooney start next season?

Of course, Rooney's status at Old Traffordbeyond this season has been a constant source of attention since he was left of the sideline for the start of the Red Devils' elimination from the Champions League byReal Madrid.
The decision by Sir Alex Ferguson sent waves throughout Europe given Rooney's prominent place in the club over the years. Now, the United boss will have to spend the entire summer shooting down rumors about the striker. That is, unless he actually could get moved.
It's hard to imagine the 27-year-old England international playing for another club after rising to stardom with United. This season, he's stepped up after a rocky start to help the Red Devils maintain their sizable Premier League edge despite some struggles for Robin van Persie.
The dynamic duo, which was expected to have its way with back lines when van Persie arrived last summer, took some time to gel. But the two players have finally started to show signs of getting on the same page and the potential is still there for them to become an unstoppable one-two punch.
If Rooney exits, whether it be en route to PSG or another club, it will bring an end to that optimistic outlook. There's still a lot of time between now and season's end to sort out exactly what the future holds for him, though.

Is Wayne Rooney's Future with Manchester United in Midfield?

Bleacherreport.com 14/04/2013

Wayne Rooney is a curious figure. Still arguably the most gifted player onManchester United's books, he seems to fluctuate between blistering form and spells during which he is both frustrated and frustrating, a far cry from the teenage prodigy signed from Everton almost a decade ago.
The difficulties with Rooney are often overplayed in the British press as a result of hisexpressed desire to leave the club in October 2010. Like Mel Gibson in Ransom, Sir Alex Ferguson turned the situation on its head and used the cameras to his advantage at the press conference soon after.
Rooney stayed, but there is a sense among some that it is a question of when rather than if he leaves.

Rooney is on course to break Sir Bobby Charlton's goal-scoring records for club and country, yet he will never be considered on a par with the man etched in bronze outside Old Trafford, regardless of his achievements. United fans are of the opinion that it is a unique honour to represent the club, and they don't take kindly to those that want away, U-turn or no.
This is not to say that Rooney is not a very fine player. When the mood takes him and he displays the hunger of his youth (rather than the hunger that leads to himreturning a few pounds overweight for preseason training), he is still capable of brilliance. In a sense, his versatility is also his undoing.
Ferguson has deployed Rooney in almost every midfield and attacking position during his time at the club. The general consensus is that Rooney could excel anywhere on the pitch, including in goal should the situation require it.
Rooney is the last of the street footballers, a lad with the ability to take on all comers in an overly crowded kick-about in the back alleys of Liverpool. What he wants, above all else, is the ball.

In recent years, Rooney has hugged the flanks one week then played the part of an all-out poacher the next. He's been allowed a roaming role in midfield or been tucked in just behind the striker.
He has the natural ability to influence the game from almost anywhere, and yet there's still a nagging suspicion that Ferguson has been auditioning him of late. On Sunday, away at Stoke, as United extended their lead at the top to 15 points, Rooney started alongside Michael Carrick in the centre of midfield.
As it transpired, Rooney produced what was arguably a man-of-the-match performance. This was not the first time he has played behind the forwards. After the win at Newcastle earlier in the season, he tweeted, "Really enjoying my new midfield role. Always involved."
This gives an indication of the personality of the man. For all his flaws, Rooney is not an egotist in the manner of many a modern footballer. He seems to genuinely enjoy assisting goals as much as scoring them, as evidenced by his 14 goals and 12 assists in club competitions this season.
With a wealth of attacking options further up the pitch, now might be the perfect time for Rooney to reinvent himself as a central midfielder. He can tackle, pass and shoot from distance. There is nothing to stop him making the position his own, and it is not as though the options in the centre of the pitch are so remarkable as to demand inclusion themselves.
Wayne Rooney still might be United's best player, so there's no doubt he was devastated after starting their biggest game of the season, at home against Real Madrid, on the bench. If he makes the vacant slot in the centre of midfield his own, then he can ensure that never happens again. And that should be motivation enough.

Wayne Rooney: Genius or Villain?

Blog.soccerloco.com Euro 2012

Although the answer to that question may depend on which side of this weekend’s Manchester United vs. Liverpool game you fall on, let’s take a broader view of the issue.

This was interesting week to be a Rooney.  Things started out looking pretty good, with Wayne being one of the main reasons for Manchester United‘s red-hot start to the Premier League season, and with the English National Team on the verge of qualifying for Euro 2012.  But things started to unravel.  Quickly.  First Wayne’s father and uncle were arrested in connection with an investigation into bets made on Scottish Premier League games.  Then Wayne was red-carded in England‘s Euro 2012 Qualifier for kicking Montenegro’s Miodrag Dzudovic.  The news later this week that UEFA has given Rooney a 3-game suspension for violent conduct has sparked debate over whether Rooney should even be included on the team for the tournament.

This is not the first time Rooney’s temper has gotten him into trouble on the field; his career seems to be an alternating pattern of brilliance followed by madness.  One minute he is tearing apart defenses and winning games for his team, the next he is flashing back to his days as a boxer and letting his temper rage out of control.  This season is a perfect example.  He has started the Premier League season on fire, helping Manchester United to first place after 7 games.  He leads the league in scoring with 9 goals.  But on the same night he helped England qualify for Euro 2012, he badly dented their hopes of doing well in the tournament.

The 3-game suspension from UEFA means Rooney will have to sit out the entire group stage of Euro 2012, but would be able to play if England reached the knock-out round.  But should Fabio Capello should even include Rooney in the team if he can’t be used until the fourth game of the tournament?  Or would that roster spot be better used by bringing another forward who is actually allowed to play?  There’s not much argument that Rooney is one of England’s best players; what Capello has to decide is whether Rooney is good enough to warrant trying to advance in the tournament using one player less than the other teams.