The Manchester United Thread

[Anthony]

It almost feels like an old family pet has died or something.

Is it because he is English I wonder?
I'd have Keane in an XI before Rooney, yet I don't remember much furor when he finished up?

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

How does anyone seriously NOT class Utd's all-time record goal scorer, who served the club through 13, that's THIRTEEN seasons and 559 appearances (6th all-time) a legend?

I mean he ticks absolutely every single box that defines the word.

*Edit* I thought the two-faced nature of a lot of blues who've spent the past decade and more vilifying him now welcoming him back with open arms was bad enough. But come on. you can't straight faced say a man that's served the club for that long and achieved everything he has for the football club ISN'T a club legend.

 

[RhQQ]

A great, not a legend, that bracket is very select few players for me.

His attitude and the way he has pushed the club around more than once has knocked him down a tier from being a legend for me. Still a United great though for sure.

Would you dismiss Gerrard's legend status at Liverpool legend for similar antics? Or say Ronaldo's at Madrid, for the few times he's cried wolf? I prefer to look past off the pitch garbage and try to judge what they produce on the pitch... and for all his mistakes, whenever he stepped onto that pitch he was the most committed of all 22 men. He was at war.

In his prime he sacrificed himself dropping into deeper roles, playing out wide etc. just to accommodate the team. He done so much of the muck for Ronaldo and co., and didn't reap half the praise.

Stuck it out, saw them all come and go.....
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Broke records, helped us win every trophy possible in the 21st century, and became our top goalscorer ever.

For me, he's an absolute legend.

Is it because he is English I wonder?
I'd have Keane in an XI before Rooney, yet I don't remember much furor when he finished up?

I'm not quite sure what his nationality has to do with anything. Keane has an argument too, but they were completely different positions/players, not the best example.

 

[zzeezzy]

It's personal opinion, for me the likes of Charlton and Scholes are legends because they were great performers, but what they done off it always respected the club 100% and acted like true professionals.

But for me no one comes close to Charlton, he is just something else, what he came through emotionally and to achieve everything is on another level to what any other player has done on the planet for me. Let alone United.

Statistics are not everything for me when considering legend status, it takes the whole package into account and Rooney falls short for what he has done in the past.

 

[Vanjagl]

Each to their own, but I'll always think of Rooney as a Man United legend. That said, him moving away is the right move for both parties.

 

[RhQQ]

It's personal opinion, for me the likes of Charlton and Scholes are legends because they were great performers, but what they done off it always respected the club 100% and acted like true professionals.

But for me no one comes close to Charlton, he is just something else, what he came through emotionally and to achieve everything is on another level to what any other player has done on the planet for me. Let alone United.

Statistics are not everything for me when considering legend status, it takes the whole package into account and Rooney falls short for what he has done in the past.

So you wouldn't regard Ronaldo a Real Madrid legend?

 

[zzeezzy]

Each to their own, but I'll always think of Rooney as a Man United legend. That said, him moving away is the right move for both parties.

Lets be honest here, if we're taking statistics, he should of gone a few seasons ago and therefore wouldn't even of been United top goalscorer. Ok it's hypothetical, but I honestly don't know how he lasted this long.

 

[RhQQ]

Lets be honest here, if we're taking statistics, he should of gone a few seasons ago and therefore wouldn't even of been United top goalscorer. Ok it's hypothetical, but I honestly don't know how he lasted this long.

And if he hadn't sacrificed himself so much for the team over the years, particularly his prime, and demanded to be the main #9 more often than he was, he may have broke the record years ago? More hypothetical food for thought.

You're entitled to your opinion mate, but I think it's bizarre how you don't see him as a legend of this football club.

 

[zzeezzy]

So you wouldn't regard Ronaldo a Real Madrid legend?

Slightly different because his major success is absurd with Madrid, much more than Rooney's especially in Europe. So with a freak of nature like him I think it's inevitable he's a Madrid legend.

But for me, personally I can say again, there is more to just on the pitch to a legend. For me it is the whole package. But with Ronaldo he's a freak of nature on the pitch and has led Madrid to lots of European success as well as domestic, so almost impossible not to.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

It's personal opinion, for me the likes of Charlton and Scholes are legends because they were great performers, but what they done off it always respected the club 100% and acted like true professionals.

But for me no one comes close to Charlton, he is just something else, what he came through emotionally and to achieve everything is on another level to what any other player has done on the planet for me. Let alone United.

Statistics are not everything for me when considering legend status, it takes the whole package into account and Rooney falls short for what he has done in the past.

Point of interest ..... Do you consider Best a club legend?

Think hard on that because you're in danger of sounding stupidly ridiculous if you hold Rooney upto one set of standards and the WAY worst Best for what he did at various stages to Utd, his teammates and supporters to a completely different set of standards.

And I don't want to get into a debate on Best. Just I'm presuming if you don't consider Rooney a legend then you wouldn't Best either.

 

[RhQQ]

Slightly different because his major success is absurd with Madrid, much more than Rooney's especially in Europe. So with a freak of nature like him I think it's inevitable he's a Madrid legend.

But for me, personally I can say again, there is more to just on the pitch to a legend. For me it is the whole package. But with Ronaldo he's a freak of nature on the pitch and has led Madrid to lots of European success as well as domestic, so almost impossible not to.

So you do judge it on success/stats, but there's an apparent line. Not much point arguing much further, your opinion is your opinion

 

[wkdsoul]

Wonder if the board would still have been half assing it if he hadnt have called them on it.. (I was with him on that one, the other time was pure money, **** him for that one.. )

 

[zzeezzy]

And if he hadn't sacrificed himself so much for the team over the years, particularly his prime, and demanded to be the main #9 more often than he was, he may have broke the record years ago? More hypothetical food for thought.

You're entitled to your opinion mate, but I think it's bizarre how you don't see him as a legend of this football club.

You could easily argue he had to sacrifice himself because we've had better no.9's than him throughout his time here. So if he didn't then he wouldn't even of remained in the team.

 

[Vanjagl]

Lets be honest here, if we're taking statistics, he should of gone a few seasons ago and therefore wouldn't even of been United top goalscorer. Ok it's hypothetical, but I honestly don't know how he lasted this long.

I think this was the perfect time for him to move actually. When Moyes gave him the contract, most of us said it was brilliant move by Moyes. And it was. Rooney was face of the team back then. Team was built around him, but it didn't work out. It was hard to sell him after that and, tbh, he's a figure who's not easy to replace. Say what you want, but players love him, coaches love him. ****, media loves him. And he's by far Uniteds most marketable player. If Mou sold him in his first year in the club, we would ask a lot of ifs. This way, Rooney gave his influence and he probably help the team a lot of the pitch.

We are spoiled. Some of fans actually didn't want Rooney to score goals for United just because he could beat the Sir Bobbys record. Thats ******* absurd if you ask me.

 

[zzeezzy]

Wonder if the board would still have been half assing it if he hadnt have called them on it.. (I was with him on that one, the other time was pure money, **** him for that one.. )

I honestly thought that was BS the whole 'Oh I'm doing this because the club are not signing the best players', just another one of his ploys for money where he used that as an excuse to the United fans. I never bought it personally.

 

[RhQQ]

You could easily argue he had to sacrifice himself because we've had better no.9's than him throughout his time here. So if he didn't then he wouldn't even of remained in the team.

You could argue there was no better #9 in world football in his prime, so I'm not buying that. Rooney's biggest downfall in the whole 'played out of position' saga was he was ridiculously complete, extremely hard working with a tactical/footballing brain, SAF knew it and used it as a manager's well within his rights to if it helps the team.

 

[zzeezzy]

I think this was the perfect time for him to move actually.

Perfect time for him yes, the club, not really. I remember many United fans wanted him gone during the latter Fergie years. Then consequently, more and more each year since Fergie retired.

In regard to him being loved, I think for a period of time a lot did, then after his whole antics with holding the club for ransom more than once, a lot of fans never saw him the same way.

If Fergie had of stayed on any longer I think he would of gone a few seasons ago. He had about had enough of his antics, that's the impression I got anyway.

 

[RhQQ]

I think this was the perfect time for him to move actually. When Moyes gave him the contract, most of us said it was brilliant move by Moyes. And it was. Rooney was face of the team back then. Team was built around him, but it didn't work out. It was hard to sell him after that and, tbh, he's a figure who's not easy to replace. Say what you want, but players love him, coaches love him. ****, media loves him. And he's by far Uniteds most marketable player. If Mou sold him in his first year in the club, we would ask a lot of ifs. This way, Rooney gave his influence and he probably help the team a lot of the pitch.

We are spoiled. Some of fans actually didn't want Rooney to score goals for United just because he could beat the Sir Bobbys record. Thats ******* absurd if you ask me.

Mourinho phased him out brilliantly. Definitely the time for him to move on, just a tad saddening to see that chapter closed. Maybe that's just me.

 

[zzeezzy]

Point of interest ..... Do you consider Best a club legend?

Think hard on that because you're in danger of sounding stupidly ridiculous if you hold Rooney upto one set of standards and the WAY worst Best for what he did at various stages to Utd, his teammates and supporters to a completely different set of standards.

And I don't want to get into a debate on Best. Just I'm presuming if you don't consider Rooney a legend then you wouldn't Best either.

Best is another one in the 'great tier' for me, not a 'legend'. A lot of people would consider him a legend the same way they consider Rooney a legend. Because of what he did on the pitch, but like I explained with Rooney, there is more to a legend than simply just that for me.

 

[Scouseinthehouse]

Is it because he is English I wonder? .....

Conversely, I wonder with a lot of Utd dicks currently doing a history re-write all over social media to decry Rooney, if the fact that he's from Croxteth plays a big part in their B/S?