In the space of six minutes and 847 words, Sir Alex Ferguson brought an end to Wayne Rooney’s United career. If the assembled media that crammed into Old Trafford shortly after 2pm yesterday were expecting Ferguson to pull the shutters up, they were in for a surprise.
Still, it was hard to leave with anything but the overwhelming feeling that the walls are caving in on the United manager’s empire.
With a tone of resignation in his voice – revealing Rooney wouldn’t sign a new contract – he looked a defeated man.
And it was perhaps the body language of this fiercest of warriors that was the most significant thing to come out of yesterday’s momentous press conference.
Rarely has Ferguson looked more like his 68 years. Never has he looked so helpless – a heart-broken parent, reluctantly washing his hands of a wayward son.
And of all his battles at Old Trafford down the years, none will have hurt as much as this.
There is now no way back for Rooney.
Betrayal
In revealing that the England striker had told him as far back as August 14 that he would not be extending his contract beyond the 18 months that remained, he effectively threw Rooney to the wolves.
The last act of a dying emperor? Possibly. But in accepting defeat, it was the only course of action left available to him.
The question now is whether Rooney will ever wear the red of United again? How can he?
As fiercely loyal as United supporters are, the one thing they cannot forgive is betrayal.
And that is exactly how the 24-year-old’s actions in recent days will be perceived. Ferguson has made sure of that.
By revealing that the player’s mind was made up in the summer, he has pre-empted any suggestion there has been some kind of row between the two.
By insisting that the door will remain open to his talisman, he has made it clear he is fully prepared to let bygones be bygones.
And by pleading with him to honour and respect the traditions of the club, he has tugged at the heart-strings of every fan that holds United sacred.
Decline
Fergie is now facing up to the fact that the last genuine superstar of his United empire is set to leave – more than likely as early as January.
He will leave behind him an ageing and, in parts, ordinary squad. A club that is losing cash hand over fist – despite being one of the biggest money making machines in the history of sport – and a fanbase so disenfranchised that season tickets were boycotted in the summer.
Make no mistake – this is a club in crisis. And it will take more than the Old Trafford PR machine to make anyone think otherwise.
Which is no doubt why United brought out the biggest of big guns to address the masses when they were crying out for comfort. Only Ferguson has the gravitas to appease supporters at times like this – but there was nothing in his statement to make anyone believe United are anything other than a club in decline.
Seemingly incapable of attracting the world’s best players due to the crippling debts amassed by US owners, the Glazers, all evidence is that they can’t keep hold of them either.
Since winning the Champions League in 2008, United fans have watched Cristiano Ronaldo, Carlos Tevez and Gerard Pique head through the exit door.
Now Rooney – the one man they thought unsellable – is set to follow. Ferguson’s statement smacked of damage limitation, rather than offering a solution.
Test
As he said, he’s done all he could. Under his guidance Rooney matured into a genuinely world-class talent. Three Premier League titles and a Champions League were the sort of honours he sought when leaving boyhood idols, Everton, for Old Trafford in 2004.
It looked like a match made in heaven. Rooney was the Paul Gascoigne that Fergie never had.
But just like Gazza, “Wazza” appears to be cursed with a self-destructive streak.
Be it verbally lashing out at England fans during the World Cup or late nights out upon his return – the signs were that
Ferguson was beginning to lose control of his star player.
Allegations of sex with prostitutes were typically stone-walled by the manager, who sought to protect him from the glare of the media, the abuse of opposition fans. But once Rooney publicly confronted his manager while on England duty – embarrassing him by rubbishing Ferguson’s claims that he is struggling with an ankle injury – there was no way back.
It is a road well-trodden by Ferguson, who has always maintained that no one individual is bigger than the club.
It is an assertion that is set to be tested to the limit.
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Is this the end of the empire?
October 20, 2010
Comments
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Unless Fergie takes a walk it will be!
Don't be silly - we need Sir Alex more now than ever
Ferguson supped with the devil when he sided with the Glazers. Unfortunately for him, he did not make sure he had a long enough spoon. I admire Ferguson's management skills and will forever remain grateful for all the thrilling, passionate and enjoyable times he has delivered for all United fans. Sadly his legacy will be forever stained by his supine compliance with the carpetbaggers.
You can just see Luke Skywalker flying in shooting his missile,and the darkside empires death star just exploding,Ive a funny feeling yous may struggle to get a europa league place,Frelleh here to help,you look at all your options.
U-N-I-T-E-D feeder club for man city
With a nick nack paddy wack give a do a bone
Rooney's agents on the phone!!!
It has been a great 20 years and would have never predicted what was going to happen to our club back at the start of 1990.
But alas it has come crashing down because of the greed of the owners and the banks which has profited so well from the Glaziers.
A sad end to the biggest and greatest club on the planet.
Nothing lasts forever , and I can see us being a top 6 team-no better- very shortly if no money is spent. If Rooney said give me 200 k net or im off then hes an idiot after all United have done for him - If he has politely pointed out the squad is aging, there are at least 5 players - Anderson park, obertan, gibson and oshea who are poor and to compete we will need 4 quality replacements , allied to the talent of cleverly and pogba and 2or 3 of the other youngsters then I think he is within his rights to be concerned if the answer was that there will be no money spent on established players . Expect more to follow him out -Nani -possibly if no replacements come in , and lets face it we dont have 100 mill to spend.
No it isn't...but SAF would be within his rights to throw in the towel, Rooney's behaviour has been despicable and shows a utter lack of respect for both the club & SAF. He has left us in an impossible position with only 18 months left on his contract and should never be allowed to wear the red shirt again!
Knee jerk reaction.
Yes!
The end of this empire has already begun before this latest saga was even a twinkle.
End of an empire, no.
End of an era, maybe.
Every five years or so Fergie has tinkered with the team and we have won things. Who knows if we will win the league this season but end of an empire, do me a favour. I think there is still a lot of mileage in this great club of ours yet.
It's siege mentality time again folks, time to rally the troops and prepare to sing your heart out for the lads (except for Danny, in his case, the valiums in the cupboard).
Tickety,tickety,TOCK......
Seem to remember the same statement at the end of the Law' Best & Charlton years...please remind us of the outcome would you,,,but I would like to say thank you to the owner's & senior management at MU for their outstanding assistance in attempting to sink this great club...try telling the truth for once,it is supposed to "free you".sorry to say this but SAF must take a portion of the blame in this.
What a sad state of affairs. I cannot see Rooney playing for Manchester United again, come to think of it he has not played for United this season.
Can't wait to hear what Stretford says are the reason for Rooney doing an about face and wanting to leave.
No empire stands forever. However, it doesn´t have to come crashing down on top of us. Glazers out and Red Knights in within 2 years and we will climb back to the top where we belong.
What a ridiculous headline! Talk about sensationist!
We'll go through a period of adjsutment and transition, but our precious club will bounce back.
Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manchester United. Crisis Club Manche...
...sorry, i just like saying it.
Is this the end of the Empire? No! Well not yet anyway.It all depends on the next 2 transfer windows. Who we sign to replace VDS, Scholes, Giggs, Rooney? If we sign say Stekelenburg, Defour, Rodwell, Bale, Aguero, players of that ilk then we will continue to challange and win major honours for years to come.But if we sign the likes of your Diouf's, Obertan's, Park's etc...then we could have to wait 5+ years to be at the top again.
I do belive if Rooney goes (Madrid) then we WILL sign Top class/World class players.When Ronaldo went we signed Antonio Valencia for £17m and tried to sign Karim Benzema for £30m.So he wanted to sign the best young talent around at the time.And i belive Fergie will do the same again, but on a larger scale.We know he likes Aguero, Bale, Defour, Rodwell and that he has been looking at Stekelenburg.The next 2 transfer windows are massive for us.We can not get it wrong.
I would also say though that we MAKE SUPERSTARS.So if Rooney leaves then other superstars will be born.But lets just see who we sign and what we end up achieving this season first.
What an excellent article and a darn good read.Epsecially the paragraph below
Make no mistake – this is a club in crisis. And it will take more than the Old Trafford PR machine to make anyone think otherwise
This is the start of the end
Is this the end of the empire? Certainly if the robbing Americans remain owners then yes. And who is not to say that come the inevitable cash collapse, that it's not the end of United? Even during the lean years of the 1970s and 1980s United could outbid any of its national rivals to land some of the best players. Cash wasn't an issue then, poor management was. Now, we have Fergie desperately working against a financial rot that even he is powerless to alter. What next, Fergie out of the door? These are desperate times for the reds.
"It is a road well-trodden by Ferguson, who has always maintained that no one individual is bigger than the club."
Unless that person is named Ferguson.
I wouldnt like to be in a lifeboat with you james, you really are a doom and gloom merchant arnt you.
If rooney goes, as is very likely now, the january transfer window is going to be critical,
We can forget all about the Prem and CL ,if we dont buy some real quality.
Benzema, Steven Defour and get Tom Cleverely back.
What do you all think?
.
Utd have had all their success by not buying the top players but by creating them. We also don't stand in the way of players who want to leave. Ronaldo's boyhood dreams was to play for Real and we honoured that and Pique wanted to return to Spain so we let him. It's a measure of the size and success of the club that we get so much media attention when we don't win the league every season or a player leaves that the headlines are all about our club being in a crisis and without fail the same hacks are praising Fergie months later for creating another world star and winning yet another trophy. Utd sells papers like no other team and the media love us for it. As Fergie says this is just a blip which we will deal with in our usual way of winning leagues and cups. Players come and go and the trophies still keep coming. It's just the way it is.
Frelleh here to help lads,why dont The Haglen bruvs and Boyleh get some sort of ,protest song going,times are hard and we need to start scraping the bottom of the barrel.Or why not get a weigh in for that statue outside owed trafford,i hear leads price has gone frow the roof.