Manchester United's Rooney dilemma

He was Wayne Rooney – England Superstar. He was benched in favor of Danny Welbeck, a relative nobody when compared to him. Of course it hurt him. To Sir Alex’s credit, however, the decision to play Welbeck paid rich dividends and if it were not for the red card to Nani and his, Sir Alex’s, subsequent inertia in acting in response, United might well gone through at the expense of Real.

Rooney now is at a point in his career when his next contract is almost everything. He is approaching his prime. He has lost pace and a bit of his dynamism but, in exchange, has developed a more rounded game. Sir Alex opted to use him in midfield in the last few games – a role that Rooney said that he would like to see himself playing in the future – but those were mixed results. Thus, Rooney must now decide.

The fans are divided. Some do not want to see him go and understandably so. All said and done, he is still one of the best players in the world and, with massive changes in the air at Old Trafford – the most notable being the absence of the Gaffer in the dugout – it is paramount that the senior players stay and oversee the transition. Also, David Moyes and Rooney have buried the hatchet and Moyes will, most definitely, not hold it against Rooney any more. He, more than most, knows the potential of Rooney and will be hoping that Rooney will be integral to the Moyes era.

There are, however, other fans who are not so charitable. They still have not forgiven him for his tantrums and still believe him to be a spoilt brat who got his way once too often. They also think that he is over the hill and that it is time for United to cash in and get reinforcements at other areas that need strengthening.

Whatever happens, there is one thing that is for sure. Until David Moyes has a chat with Rooney, there will be rumors and there will be counter rumors. There will be calls for his head and there will be calls for his stay. In the end, it will come down to Rooney and whether his heart is still in Manchester United. If it is – and assurances from Moyes will go a long way in fortifying that – then there is no doubt that he must stay for, all said and done, he is still one of the best players in the squad and a genuine match winner. If his heart isn’t, however, he must leave. Manchester United can cope without him. Of that, there is no doubt. After all, no man is bigger than the club. However, do they need to cope without him? That is the question everyone must be asking.