Strange End to Rooney Saga As Striker Pens 5 Year Deal

In a bizarre twist to the tumultuous saga that has been Wayne Rooney's contract negotiations, yesterday the striker signed a 5 year contract less than 48 hours after seemingly confirming his exit.

His concerns about the ambition of the club don't seem to be backed up by his actions. Would a man really concerned about the club give notice of his intention to leave just 2 days before the start of the season, publicly contradict his manager over his injury status, leak news of a rift between player and manager and then give his riposte to Ferguson's statement a mere 2 hours before a Champions League tie he wasn't even involved in?

It's highly unlikely this wasn't about Manchester United at all. The most likely explanation is that this was a negotiating tactic that backfired spectacularly. His new contract has been reported to be anything between £180,000 and £250,000 when image rights are accounted for. Whichever number is correct, to get it Rooney has had to sacrifice his image and status among swathes of fans, and not just limited to those who crowd into Old Trafford every week.

The headlines have been overwhelmingly against Rooney, and few fans of any club jumped to his defence. Now that he's signed he will undoubtedly win back some of his support, but he could well find himself coming in for a tough time if he doesn't pick up his form. After all, he launched his criticisms of the squad from the weakest point he's been at in his professional career. It's difficult to be lectured by someone who's been as woefully inept as Rooney has been this year.

But back to that turnaround. What exactly was it that caused him to sign his name? A promise to be able to leave shortly a la Ronaldo, huge wodges of cash, or if we believe his version of events, assurances about the future? What assurances can possibly have been made? Rumours suggest a call from Joel Glazer came in, but if he doesn't believe his manager, why would that make the difference? The Glazers, just as Gill and Ferguson have repeatedly stated that United have the cash to spend. Joel Glazer wasn't breaking any silence, he was simply restating his position. Months away from the transfer window, and one Ferguson has been historically reluctant to spend in, it seems unlikely Rooney was let in on any prospective deals. The ambition angle simply doesn't add up.

An ankle injury inflicted by Paul Scholes will keep Rooney out for the next three weeks, and it will be interesting to see the reception he gets on his return. With any luck, Hernandez and Berbatov will have piled on the goals in his absence to keep United's unbeaten streak going and close the gap on Chelsea. Should they both keep form, Rooney may well find himself restricted to the bench. The sight of a £250,000 a week substitute would be an interesting one indeed.

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Nani Looks To Continued Improvement

With the Charity Shield only days away, Portuguese winger Nani shared his optimism that he can carry on into this season the way he ended the last.

"I feel more confident in this club," he said.

"I realise where I am and I know I am doing well.

"I am helping my team win games and important points and now I know I am very important for my team.

"Everyone is excited with me because they didn't know if I could be the player everyone expected. Now everyone starts to believe I can be a very good player."

With plenty of comparisons made to a certain Cristiano Ronaldo, it's hoped that Nani can follow the former number 7's development from a youth with equal parts brilliance and ineffectiveness, to one of the premier players on the world stage. Whilst Nani doesn't need to become a World Player of the Year finalist to be a success, he most certainly needs to build on the previous season, and that, it seems, is what he's targeting.

"Hopefully I can do much better than last season. I am working very hard on that and I am confident.

"People saw a different player last season because I worked hard every day.

"I improved a lot but there is a lot to learn yet and I hope to start this season better than the last."

After an indifferent at best start to the previous season, a better beginning is certainly required if Nani wishes to keep him place in the side. He's come a long way, but the journey isn't over yet. He has the potential to establish himself as a first choice player for United, so let's hope that it isn't unfulfilled. He's lived in the shadow of Ronaldo for too long, so it's time to step out and make his own mark. This could well be Nani's year.

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Back...Again!

Christ, some crazy things happened since we disappeared last December. Paul Scholes was given 2 hours to decide if he wanted to go to the World Cup so said no, whereas Emile Heskey was given 2 years and said yes. Emile Heskey then retired from international duty, perhaps thinking Scholes had it right all along. Germany cost me £160 with an inept performance when it really mattered, and Ronaldo became a dad! Most strange of all though, Nani remembered that he was a professional footballer.

So yes, crazy times! With any luck, this season will be a rollercoaster ride like the last, but with that elusive 19th title and 4th European Cup. A 12th FA Cup would always be nice as well. Just as long as we don't come up against Leeds! You can take a look at the United Lounge end of season awards here, to see what the UL members considered to be the best and worst of 2009/10.

One last thing, last season, good things were predicted of Antonio Valencia in this very blog. So whilst it's been a while since he signed, and he's made his mark in the pre-season tour, let's all welcome Javier Hernández, also known as Chicharito. Like Valencia, not the most obvious target, but reminiscent of a 1998 Michael Owen, he might well keep the 2010 version out of the side. He looked very good with Macheda, so who knows, perhaps we've found the partnership of the future?

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