BREAKING NEWS-Wayne Rooney signs new contract with Manchester United.

[Sir David Gray]

Always knew that he would stay. :greengrin

[M11BMO]

Good Times!

[gorgie_harp]

Good Times!

:agree::agree::thumbsup:

[blackpoolhibs]

Papering over the cracks.

[Sir David Gray]

Papering over the cracks.

:greengrin Bet you're gutted!

"Man Utd cannae afford to keep their best players", "can no longer attract the best players to Old Trafford"....

:thumbsup:

[Teo10]

Wonder how many Man U "fans" will now think he is the best player in the world again after slating him silly the past couple days :confused:

[blackpoolhibs]

:greengrin Bet you're gutted!

"Man Utd cannae afford to keep their best players", "can no longer attract the best players to Old Trafford"....

:thumbsup:

Gutted. :faf: When they start signing quality players, i will start to take notice of them.

[ClewsHibs]

Realllyyy Wasnt expecting that :bitchy:

[Tricla]

:yawn:

[Purehibee_MYB]

He's still a fud

[heretoday]

Thank god for that. I'm so bored with the Roo headlines.

[Hibs7]

so it doesn' t matter if you have the morals of a sewer rat as long as you are a top sportsman, nice example for the young lads, no wonder the games are corrupt.

[Purehibee_MYB]

so it doesn' t matter if you have the morals of a sewer rat as long as you are a top sportsman, nice example for the young lads, no wonder the games are corrupt.

Exactly.

[Ritchie]

what a bizarre story!!!:bitchy:

[Beefster]

Man Utd and Ferguson humiliated and held hostage by a player. What next?

[HibbyAndy]

Wonder if his ankle injury has magically cleared up allowing him to play against Stoke City.:rolleyes:

[Purehibee_MYB]

Wonder if his ankle injury has magically cleared up allowing him to play against Stoke City.:rolleyes:

Depends if he wants to play or not, as Rooney now has control over Man Utd. Next thing all his mates will be playing, and the Grans.

[HibbyAndy]

Depends if he wants to play or not, as Rooney now has control over Man Utd. Next thing all his mates will be playing, and the Grans.

:agree:

[Hibbyradge]

Only Alex Ferguson could have pulled this off.

His whole approach during the week was designed to tug at Rooney's conscience.

He's a clever man. Softly, softly or tough as nails as necessary.

Anyone who thinks Rooney "won" or somehow has come out of this stronger, is way off the mark.

[ScottB]

What a joke. Frankly I'd still sell him off in January anyway. This could all, and indeed, should have, been conducted in private.

[Sylar]

:greengrin Bet you're gutted!

"Man Utd cannae afford to keep their best players", "can no longer attract the best players to Old Trafford"....

:thumbsup:

It still remains a valid point.

[hibby al]

whats the possibility fergie and rooney were in it together
rooney gets new big contract and fergie gets assurances from
the owners that he will still be able to buy world class players
as per waynes request ,just a thought

[blackpoolhibs]

It still remains a valid point.

Yip, when was the last time they broke the world transfer record? Is this not what the biggest club in the world do anymore? Or is it because they dont have that type of money anymore? I had a sneaking feeling they might hold on to Shrek, it would have been a complete nightmare to have lost him. And sent out another message they cant compete.

[erin-go-bragh87]

Sets a very dangerous example. How many players will now start holding their clubs at ransom like this. I know it goes on but never like this. Rooney obviously holds the power.

[Green_one]

Only Alex Ferguson could have pulled this off.

His whole approach during the week was designed to tug at Rooney's conscience.

He's a clever man. Softly, softly or tough as nails as necessary.

Anyone who thinks Rooney "won" or somehow has come out of this stronger, is way off the mark.

:agree:As Rooney said - he is a genius

Like many Man United fans though I cannot blank out the last few days. I am happy that he is staying but he needs to win back friends after this.
:grr:
Hopefully we see some action from the owners now. Not sure that will happen though.

[Hibbyradge]

whats the possibility fergie and rooney were in it together
rooney gets new big contract and fergie gets assurances from
the owners that he will still be able to buy world class players
as per waynes request ,just a thought

And the pressure on Rooney from his extra-marital activities lessens. :hmmm:

[GreenPJ]

Yip, when was the last time they broke the world transfer record? Is this not what the biggest club in the world do anymore? Or is it because they dont have that type of money anymore? I had a sneaking feeling they might hold on to Shrek, it would have been a complete nightmare to have lost him. And sent out another message they cant compete.

When did they ever break the world record? Are Real Madrid the biggest club in the world because they spend all that money on Galatico's or will that mantle soon fall to Man City.

[HUTCHYHIBBY]

whats the possibility fergie and rooney were in it together
rooney gets new big contract and fergie gets assurances from
the owners that he will still be able to buy world class players
as per waynes request ,just a thought
I've been thinking along these lines, something about the situation stinks!

[erin-go-bragh87]

I think people need to remember that Ronaldo signed a 5 year deal 6 months before he was sold to Real. This might just be a way of united making sure they get top dollar for him at the end of the season.

[Sylar]

Yip, when was the last time they broke the world transfer record? Is this not what the biggest club in the world do anymore? Or is it because they dont have that type of money anymore? I had a sneaking feeling they might hold on to Shrek, it would have been a complete nightmare to have lost him. And sent out another message they cant compete.

You just need to consider the sheer "middle of the road" quality of the players they've signed in recent times (respective of the level they're playing at).

Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez, Fabio, Rafael, Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Berbatov... I'm well aware Berbatov has improved in recent times, but he's certainly not world class caliber.

Granted, players like Nani and Valencia buck the trend a little, but they're still far from global household names in the footballing world.

It says a lot to me about these quality of signings when players such as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are STILL central to the successes of the club (which is no slight on these players who have been superb footballers and brilliant servants to the club over the years).

The biggest clubs in the world will always attract top players to their clubs - that's no longer the case for Man United.

[blackpoolhibs]

When did they ever break the world record? Are Real Madrid the biggest club in the world because they spend all that money on Galatico's or will that mantle soon fall to Man City.

That was my point, when have they broken the world transfer record? What chance do they have of doing so now? United cant compete with Barca/Madrid/Chelsea or Man City, these are the clubs competing for the worlds biggest club now.

[Sylar]

That was my point, when have they broken the world transfer record? What chance do they have of doing so now? United cant compete with Barca/Madrid/Chelsea or Man City, these are the clubs competing for the worlds biggest club now.

Until Man City actually do anything, I'm going to disagree with you on them as an example.

They certainly look like an improving side, but to throw them into the same breath as Real Madrid, Barcelona, Chelsea or even the likes of Inter Milan is a little premature.

[ScottB]

Uhh all those moaning that Man Utd aren't breaking transfer records or buying big names... When did they ever?

Fergie has always bought players and made them better for the most part. Rooney was a highly rated youngster, Ronaldo was an unknown from Portugal etc etc. Rarely has he ever went and thrown cash around, indeed the most high profile case, Veron, was a disaster.

Fergie builds teams, Real Madrid buys them. Man Utd's recent buys fit the pattern they've always had. Spending power doesn't equal big club.

[stubru59]

Good move by Fergie. He's ensured Man U get a decent fee for him when he is off-loaded.

[TornadoHibby]

Only Alex Ferguson could have pulled this off.

His whole approach during the week was designed to tug at Rooney's conscience.

He's a clever man. Softly, softly or tough as nails as necessary.

Anyone who thinks Rooney "won" or somehow has come out of this stronger, is way off the mark.

I agree with you particularly as the offer he has signed up to appears to be the one he was offered in the Summer making him the highest paid Man Utd player and on a par with Terry & Lampard etc at Chelsea! :agree:

Man Utd were clearly indicating with the (Sir Alex) language of earlier in the week that they were setting up to offload him whilst giving him an option to stay so long as he acted quickly. However, rumours were already beginning to circulate that they were making moves to bring Torres on board in January! The fans bought into this "plan" and many showed their support for the club at the CL game on Wednesday evening with messages on banners etc indicating that, amongst other things, Rooney was no better than the hooker who snared him earlier in the year, i.e. prepared to sell himself to the highest bidder without regard for loyalty and respect for himself or the club! :agree:

He realised just how big a force a club like Man Utd is and decided he might well be as well staying put (at least for the time being) as moving anywhere else with all the constant angst that might just bring from Man Utd fans and the football world at large (eg the Holloway types particularly)! :agree:

However, if things don't work out over the next 18 months or so then he will seek a move again but at least the club have protected themselves in terms of recouping a decent transfer fee for him should that happen, something they might have found difficult with his current contract situation. :cool2:

[TornadoHibby]

Uhh all those moaning that Man Utd aren't breaking transfer records or buying big names... When did they ever?

Fergie has always bought players and made them better for the most part. Rooney was a highly rated youngster, Ronaldo was an unknown from Portugal etc etc. Rarely has he ever went and thrown cash around, indeed the most high profile case, Veron, was a disaster.

Fergie builds teams, Real Madrid buys them. Man Utd's recent buys fit the pattern they've always had. Spending power doesn't equal big club.

:top marks

[hibiedude]

Man City are still a better club as for Rooney it was all about Money

[ancienthibby]

Man Utd and Ferguson humiliated and held hostage by a player. What next?

Absolutely not!!

This is due to one thing and one thing only:


















THE POWER OF THE MOTHER-IN-LAW!!!
:devil:

[GreenPJ]

That was my point, when have they broken the world transfer record? What chance do they have of doing so now? United cant compete with Barca/Madrid/Chelsea or Man City, these are the clubs competing for the worlds biggest club now.

It depends on how you measure the size of a club. Man Utd will still have more revenue that most of these clubs I would guess but they also have a massive debt to service as well thanks to their owners.

[Corstorphine Hibby]

Man City are still a better club as for Rooney it was all about Money

Robinho, Milner,Adebayor, Silva, Balotelli...............................

[ScottB]

It depends on how you measure the size of a club. Man Utd will still have more revenue that most of these clubs I would guess but they also have a massive debt to service as well thanks to their owners.

To be fair, so do the others, and it wasn't that long ago that Barca had to take a loan to pay their players and sell off guys their manager wanted to keep.

Like Arsenal, it's not commonly been Manchester United's way of doing things to go around spending massive amounts of cash on players that are the finished article.

[Sir David Gray]

You just need to consider the sheer "middle of the road" quality of the players they've signed in recent times (respective of the level they're playing at).

Chris Smalling, Javier Hernandez, Fabio, Rafael, Michael Owen, Owen Hargreaves, Berbatov... I'm well aware Berbatov has improved in recent times, but he's certainly not world class caliber.

Granted, players like Nani and Valencia buck the trend a little, but they're still far from global household names in the footballing world.

It says a lot to me about these quality of signings when players such as Paul Scholes, Ryan Giggs and Gary Neville are STILL central to the successes of the club (which is no slight on these players who have been superb footballers and brilliant servants to the club over the years).

The biggest clubs in the world will always attract top players to their clubs - that's no longer the case for Man United.

Man Utd used to sign "middle of the road" players back in their heyday of the mid-late 90's and early 00's, it's nothing new.

Raimond van der Gouw
Massimo Taibi
Bojan Djordjic
Quinton Fortune
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Kleberson
David Bellion
Alan Smith
Liam Miller

I think you're being a bit unfair on a couple of the players you mention. Owen Hargreaves had a very good pedigree, prior to signing with Man Utd. He was a regular with Bayern Munich since he was a young boy and also with England as well. He has had absolutely horrendous problems with injury over the past two years and if he hadn't those injuries, I don't think he would be in that list you have put up there.

Michael Owen's record throughout his career speaks for itself. He is probably past his best now but I feel he still has a lot to offer the top level of the game. Again, it's injury that is stopping him from showing his best.

Javier Hernandez is a very exciting young player who had a really good World Cup campaign for Mexico in the summer. In his short Man Utd career so far, he has managed to score three goals in four starts, which isn't a bad return. I think in the years to come, he will be seen as being a bit better than simply "middle of the road".

Chris Smalling, I would probably agree with you about, especially signing him for £10 million. However he is still young as well and has time to develop.

As for Nani, he is now beginning to show signs that he could be good enough to replace Ronaldo. A couple of years ago, he was a very frustrating player who showed a lot of immaturity and petulance but I believe he is beginning to come good.

Now that Rooney has signed a new deal, maybe that will entice a few top players to come to Old Trafford. I certainly don't believe for one second that Manchester United are now a less attractive option for top players than Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea. I'm willing to bet that if you asked every single professional footballer which team they would want to sign for the most, Manchester United would be mentioned by the vast majority.

[God Petrie]

The fact that Man Utd are so desperate to keep an average player like Rooney shows how crap they have become. They aren't even contenders for the league or CL these days.

[Wotherspiniesta]

:thumbsup::thumbsup::thumbsup:

ROOOOONEEYYY,
ROOOOONEEYYY,
ROOOOONEEYYY

Hopefully this news can kick start Rooney's and Man United's season :greengrin

[Wotherspiniesta]

The fact that Man Utd are so desperate to keep an average player like Rooney shows how crap they have become. They aren't even contenders for the league or CL these days.

Some belters on this thread, but this takes the biscuit.

[PISTOL1875]

I think people need to remember that Ronaldo signed a 5 year deal 6 months before he was sold to Real. This might just be a way of united making sure they get top dollar for him at the end of the season.

Of course it is.. What chairman of a top European Club is gonna spend around £30-£40 million and round about £250,000 a week in wages on a player who can't play in European Competiton until next season???

The facts are that nobody wanted Rooney right now so he had to make a U-turn and say sorry for his outburst.. Why would he want to play for a team that has no ambition as he put it ???

If Rooney was wanted then a deal would've been struck to get him in January...

[camhibby1]

As a United fan going back to the 60's and seen turmoil and great times at OT and beyond, there was only going to be one way for this story to end - Rooney staying put. A number of things may well happen:-

Rooney will move once AF retires - I doubt he will play for another manager whilst AF is still around unless it is Jose Mourinho who's next up at OT possibly.
All the activity has been to do with the football club and I guess the atermath of this will be a step up in the removal of the Glaziers from OT ala Hicks and Gillette - the groudswell is there and this story may well be the catalyst for the fans to move up a gear.
Manchester United always has had a youth policy and there is usually a season of transition as younger players are blooded in with established players. MU is a marquee club that has never indulged in marquee signings for the sake of it - a reason why it has been so successful.
I'm not worried about the future because I think by the end of the season the Glazers will be gone and this is the start of the process.

[Violater]

Man Utd used to sign "middle of the road" players back in their heyday of the mid-late 90's and early 00's, it's nothing new.

Raimond van der Gouw
Massimo Taibi
Bojan Djordjic
Quinton Fortune
Eric Djemba-Djemba
Kleberson
David Bellion
Alan Smith
Liam Miller

I think you're being a bit unfair on a couple of the players you mention. Owen Hargreaves had a very good pedigree, prior to signing with Man Utd. He was a regular with Bayern Munich since he was a young boy and also with England as well. He has had absolutely horrendous problems with injury over the past two years and if he hadn't those injuries, I don't think he would be in that list you have put up there.

Michael Owen's record throughout his career speaks for itself. He is probably past his best now but I feel he still has a lot to offer the top level of the game. Again, it's injury that is stopping him from showing his best.

Javier Hernandez is a very exciting young player who had a really good World Cup campaign for Mexico in the summer. In his short Man Utd career so far, he has managed to score three goals in four starts, which isn't a bad return. I think in the years to come, he will be seen as being a bit better than simply "middle of the road".

Chris Smalling, I would probably agree with you about, especially signing him for £10 million. However he is still young as well and has time to develop.

As for Nani, he is now beginning to show signs that he could be good enough to replace Ronaldo. A couple of years ago, he was a very frustrating player who showed a lot of immaturity and petulance but I believe he is beginning to come good.

Now that Rooney has signed a new deal, maybe that will entice a few top players to come to Old Trafford. I certainly don't believe for one second that Manchester United are now a less attractive option for top players than Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea. I'm willing to bet that if you asked every single professional footballer which team they would want to sign for the most, Manchester United would be mentioned by the vast majority.

Good post! :agree:

[Dirkster23]

Only Alex Ferguson could have pulled this off.

His whole approach during the week was designed to tug at Rooney's conscience.

He's a clever man. Softly, softly or tough as nails as necessary.

Anyone who thinks Rooney "won" or somehow has come out of this stronger, is way off the mark.

:agree:

I wouldn't want to play Fergie at poker, raised the stakes and Rooney folded!

[ballengeich]

:agree:

I wouldn't want to play Fergie at poker, raised the stakes and Rooney folded!

or maybe raised the offer to Rooney, which was what Rooney and his agent were wanting all along.

[Beefster]

I think people need to remember that Ronaldo signed a 5 year deal 6 months before he was sold to Real. This might just be a way of united making sure they get top dollar for him at the end of the season.

I'm fairly sure Ronaldo signed the new contract at Man Utd about 2 years before he went to Madrid.

[Dirkster23]

or maybe raised the offer to Rooney, which was what Rooney and his agent were wanting all along.

I've not read all the articles, but it seemed to me Rooney's never came out and said he felt the contract on offer wasn't good enough or he was looking for more cash or years. From what i've read, the concerns were all about the quality of player the club had or were likely to buy.

IMHO Rooney has been surprised by the reaction he's received from within the club, media and more importantly Fergie. I think he'll have signed the original contract that was offered to him.

[crewetollhibee]

So that's Man Utd with their very own crab in situ ! And how is shovelling another £50k plus per week into Rooney's bank account going to help with the budget to attract 'better' players ?!?

[Sir David Gray]

The fact that Man Utd are so desperate to keep an average player like Rooney shows how crap they have become. They aren't even contenders for the league or CL these days.

That is quite possibly up there as being one of the most ludicrous statements that I have ever read on this website.

I really hope you are having a laugh.


I'm fairly sure Ronaldo signed the new contract at Man Utd about 2 years before he went to Madrid.

He did.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/teams/m/man_utd/6551679.stm

[lobster]

In the same week that half the country get it tight, classy Wayne doubles his already ridiculous wages. What a load of bollox. Manchester united are simply a brand now. :asshole:

[Mantis Toboggan]

:agree:

I wouldn't want to play Fergie at poker, raised the stakes and Rooney folded!


Don't know about you, but whenever I fold at poker I don't usually come out thirty grand a week better off! Bit too much ferguson loving going on here.face it, rooney has embarrassed man u this week, and been rewarded for it handsomely.