Power centre shifts at Manchester United

Wayne Rooney

There is a central running theme in Sir Alex Ferguson’s “My Autobiography” – control. He knew that to be a successful manager at a great institution like Manchester United, he always had to be the top dog. Egos were massaged only till they served the purpose, personal affairs were closely scrutinized (well, until you were Ryan Giggs) and anything less was met with the dreaded ‘hairdryer’ or in David Beckham’s case – a boot to the eye.

So, when Wayne Rooney signed a massive £300,000-a-week contract – the highest ever offered to a United player – I wondered what the Scot would have made of it. This is the same Wayne Rooney he had fought tooth and nail to get, paying an “eyebrow raising” £25.6 million for the 18-year old. This is the same Wayne Rooney who formed the deadliest of partnerships with Cristiano Ronaldo to bring successes galore to Manchester United.

Yet, this is the same Wayne Rooney who held the club and Ferguson to ransom in 2010 by threatening a move to the fiercest rivals – Manchester City – right across town for the mere issue of a pay rise. Thus, it was no surprise when Sir Alex took a dig at Wazza in his farewell speech stating that “I don’t think Wayne was keen to play, simply because he has asked for a transfer,”, a claim that was vehemently denied by the player’s camp.

Thus, Moyes should be applauded for getting the player back on board with a new five-year deal, right? Wrong! Not only is Rooney the highest paid player in the Premier League now – for perspective, trailblazer Luis Suarez earns a ‘mere’ £180,000-a-week at Liverpool – rumours abound that he will be made the club captain and will be kept informed about the new signings. Kept informed of the new signings? Really? Will the grass at Old Trafford be cut to his whims as well? Will he, in all his largesse, preside over the training as well?

Sir Alex had, previously, showed Rooney his place when he had craved for the same ‘attention’ during the Scot’s tenure – “I told him that to say we weren’t ambitious was nonsense. Wayne said that we should have pursued Mesut Özil. My reply was that it was none of his business who we should have gone for. I told him it was his job to play and perform.” And yet now, Rooney has what he had always desired. Would Sir Alex approve of his chosen successor’s actions? Definitely not. Should Moyes care? No, because he has to mark his own stamp on the team.

But he should be mindful of the fact that the players who had been used to Ferguson’s tough love approached might just get a little too high-headed under Moyes’ ‘soft’ tutelage. It’s not the first time either that Moyes has dropped his guard and given a player a tad more space than he should be getting. Enter Superstar # 2 – Robin Van Persie. Here’s what Moyes had to say about his main man – “I have taken Robin’s advice where he feels he is at,” Moyes said. “I ask him if he is ready to play and how long does he feel he is able to play. All the things I am doing, I am taking from Robin. He is a player who is so important to us that I need to know exactly where he is at. Even the day he pulled his thigh against Newcastle [in December] we had said, ‘Are you better coming off the bench?’

Robin van Persie and Wayne Rooney running things at Manchester United?

I cannot help but recall what would have Bill Shankly, the legendary Liverpool manager made of Moyes’ motherly instincts. He had famously badgered Tommy Smith for a bandaged knee – “Take that poof bandage off, and what do you mean YOUR knee, it’s LIVERPOOL’S knee!” And by the way, if Van Persie decides when he plays, then what is the medical team for? If Rooney is in the inner transfer loop now, what does that say of the men in-charge of that?

And then there is the signing of Juan Mata – the trophy signing as he is known in some quarters. Failed to sign central midfielders? No problem, here play with the new toy, who cost £37 million by the way and the best part is still to come. Moyes still doesn’t know his best position. Behind the striker, to his left, to his right – oh, what the hell, try him everywhere! He is bound to fit someplace!

It’s ironical the way Moyes has let himself be played around, sitting on the throne which was once deemed to be immovable. For our part, we all knew Moyes was about to take on a poisoned chalice, but what we didn’t know was that he would gulp it down, all at once. The only way to earn respect of the players is by winning trophies, his predecessor used to say. Will he get the time to do so? Well, only time will tell.