Football Focus

[red devil]

Rooney's statement last week about not being injured was a public smack in the face to Fergie and the club who had tried to protect him when the lurid stories about his private life surfaced. His current form does not merit a first team place, at the moment he seems to even have difficulty with basic ball retention skils...Utd fans would be gutted to see him go but no player is bigger than the club.

[Emerson Crane]

red devil Wrote:

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...Utd fans would be

> gutted to see him go but no player is bigger than

> the club.

Spot on, no player is bigger than any club.

[mockney piers]

Do you agree with Mr Hansen that 'Utd need Rooney more than Rooney needs Utd' however?

EC, have you read Private Eye's review of Match of the Day? Music to your ears (or eyes?) I reckon.

[Keef]

Rooney is all about Rooney. I've disliked him since he scored against Everton for Utd, and really taunted the fans of the club that gave him his chance. He's a genuinely great player when on form, but he lacks class in many ways.

[mockney piers]

He he, indeed Keef, indeed. 'he lacks class' is understatement of rare beauty. Likewise I've not much time for him either, but his footballing ability (when firing) is undeniable.

[SimonM]

They need an in-form Rooney though, not the current incarnation. Maybe City will buy him and repeat that "Welcome to Manchester" poster? :) I don't think Rooney's fortune would revive in either Spain or Italy, assuming a sale price could be agreed.

[Annasfield]

I'd have him at Anfield. Imagine Torres and Rooney up front.

[red devil]

mockney piers Wrote:

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> Do you agree with Mr Hansen that 'Utd need Rooney

> more than Rooney needs Utd' however?

As Simon points out, in his current state of mind he's no good to anyone. But to answer your question, who does Rooney need?

I think most neutrals would agree he is at the right club with the right manager.

If he were to go then the club would need to find a replacement, personally speaking Benzema would soften the blow.

However, this is all speculation about speculation, but there is no way he would end up at Citeh, there would be civil war, if he thinks he's got problems now...

[Emerson Crane]

Going from Everton to Man U didn't exactly endear him to many either did it, once a blue and all that nonsense.

[SimonM]

Torres and Rooney up front, in their present form?! :))

Would Liverpool pay Rooney the ?150k a week he is supposedly after??

[Sandperson]

As RD says, most of us would hope he stays but he isn't bigger than United. If someone offers good money for him then I think we should bite their hands off. Bridges are smouldering and if he's not careful they'll be burning behind him.

We've seen great players come and go and they'll be someone else to take on his mantle soon enough. The Little Pea is looking pretty good!

[Ladymuck]

5,200

*waves MUFC scarf at Mr. Quids*

[matthew123]

SimonM Wrote:

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> Torres and Rooney up front, in their present

> form?! :))

>

> Would Liverpool pay Rooney the ?150k a week he is

> supposedly after??

?7.5m a year in wages on Rooney... damn right they would purely on commercial payback

Looks like the old Anfield fever has cursed Roy Hodgson.. http://lfcglobe.com/hodgson-attacks-norwegian-journalist-following-everton-defeat/5782/

?Are you from Denmark?? Hodgson asked. ?No, Norway,? replied the journalist.

?Ah, two countries I never want to work in again,?

[Mick Mac]

gordon strachan resigns.

I knew poor gordon had lost it when he signed kris boyd. :-)

But apparently he has ripped up his contract and sought no compensation. So hats off to the man.

[Annasfield]

Just seen this on another forum. Well in Mr Brand

http://www.liverpoolecho.co.uk/liverpool-news/local-news/2010/10/19/russell-brand-makes-generous-donation-to-hillsborough-family-support-group-100252-27500737/

COMEDIAN Russell Brand has made a ?generous? donation to families who lost loved ones at the Hillsborough disaster.

The entertainer decided to make a contribution to the Hillsborough Family Support Group (HFSG) after watching spokeswoman Margaret Aspinall speak at the 21st anniversary memorial service at Anfield.

Brand met Mrs Aspinall recently when he attended his book signing at Waterstones, in Bold Street.

The West Ham fan has phoned the mum, who lost her son James, 18, on the Leppings Lane terrace, on two occasions, once when he was in Memphis, Tennessee.

Today, Mrs Aspinall told the ECHO: ?It really came out of the blue. He sent me a letter, which was lovely, and said he would like to meet me.

?He mentioned the group on a Billy Butler radio interview and said he had watched me speak and it was very moving.

?He said he loves Liverpool and thinks the work we are doing is very good. It was very nice of him ? he did not have to do it.

?I will not disclose how much he gave us, but it was a generous donation. I met him upstairs at Waterstones and he signed his book for me.?

Yesterday, it was also revealed how ?660,000 was made available to the independent Hillsborough committee.

In Parliament, sports secretary Jeremy Hunt, who recently caused controversy after wrongly linking the tragedy to hooliganism, announced the cash boost.

The panel brought in to study the previously undisclosed files on the 1989 disaster are currently examining the once-hidden documents. They are likely to be made public some time in 2012.

Concerns the group?s work might be downscaled with a new government at the helm have been quashed after home secretary Theresa May gave her full backing to the project.

[DJKillaQueen]

Doesn't stop Mr Brand from being a total knob though.

[Ladygooner]

Actually that does stop him from being a total knob!

[matthew123]

Italian sunshine and all that.. - http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=833732&sec=england&cc=5739

[Jah Lush]

Rooney Wants To Leave - Alex Ferguson

[Narnia]

Wonder why and where to?

[SeanMacGabhann]

I think the ?why? comes down to Rooney being yet another young man who thinks he knows better than anyone else

Sure, it may be ?wise? to maximise his value before he becomes a busted flush before 30, but he may not even make that at the current rate of decline. He is young, and someone like him can only benefit from someone like Fergie ? he just doesn?t like what he hears. I?ve never liked him and I said to Everton fans at the time that he was going to be another Gascoine

As to ?where? ? pick whichever speculation you like the sound of the most. If he goes to City, expect an Adeboyor type mini-resurgence before people go ?oh I see, he really IS a twat?

[Jah Lush]

I largely agree with you there Sean. I think he could be getting bad advice from his agent (Paul Stretford) too, who has you know will get a very nice cut if and when they sell him.

[SeanMacGabhann]

What?s the figure being mooted for the transfer? 50 million?

I?m not so sure that will be realised ? if he plays like this for another 2 months, someone wil be taking an almighty gamble

Last season: oh he hasn?t recoverd from injury properly

World Cup: oh he?ll pick himself up for this ? nope

This season: he?ll show the doubters now ? nope

He really could be gone for good ? at least as the force he was. He might be solid without being spectacular for a few more years but I certainly wouldn?t want him at Arsenal

[DJKillaQueen]

Actually that does stop him from being a total knob!

I've worked with him...trust me, the guy is an idiot.

[matthew123]

Bit surprised United have come out and said Rooney wants to leave as it suggests they urgently need the money - with Ronaldo they kept it quiet. But I don't think Rooney will agree to move in January. I suspect Rooney will try and wind his contract down all the way and collect a ?40m signing on fee. Not sure Fergie will be able to bully Rooney as after all this is the same player who walked out on his boyhood Club when he was 18.

Comparison to Gascoigne, no. Whatever you think of Rooney you cannot class him in the same bracket as that Geordie lunatic.