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What Now For Wayne Rooney After A Spectacular U-Turn?

Most of you have been left completely shell-shocked, flabbergasted and utterly speechless by today’s announcement that Wayne Rooney has signed a new five-year contract, just days after declaring his unequivocal intention to leave Old Trafford.

But what has changed so much in the last few days? Have Manchester United suddenly found some ambition? Has his monetary demands been met? Or did the Old Trafford hierarchy give him some kind of ultimatum? The answers are anyone’s guess.

After a weekend of speculation Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a perfect theatrical performance during his press conference prior to the Champions League tie with Bursaspor, not that I am for one moment accusing the great man of lying, but more of unscrupulous stagecraft as he sculpted the on looking journalists with consummate ease. The ball was firmly in Rooney’s court.

Then came the retort, timed to perfection just two hours before the match. Part of the statement read, “I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances I was seeking about the future squad,”
“I then told him that I would not be signing a new contract.”

So he may not have said he was going to leave but he was hardly going to play for nothing when his contract expired, plus the clear implication that the current group of players are incapable of challenging for trophies in the future, whether you agree or not with the sentiment, he is attacking the ability of team mates and fellow professionals.

Patrice Evra was one of the first members of the squad to react, saying: “If one player does not trust the other players, that player should not play.” While Nemanja Vidic, stated, “It is not good for the players and not good for the team.”

The fans made their feelings known during the game, banners proclaiming ‘who’s the whore now Wayne?’ And ‘Coleen forgave you, we wont,’ were very much apparent at Old Trafford.

A more hostile approach was taken by a number of supporters who appeared outside the striker’s house displaying a ‘Sign for City and your dead’ banner.

But then on Friday afternoon the tragedy turned into a fantasy and then reality as the announcement was made that Wayne Rooney had signed a new five-year deal with Manchester United.

Shocked, surprised, astonished, astounded and a tiny bit disgusted. That was after making sure I had read correctly.

Why though have the fans been put through the wringer over the past few days? He didn’t want to be at the club. What has changed?

Has he been given the wage rise he requested? Or is this maybe a ploy to increase his market value with a ‘gentlemen’s agreement’ much like the case of Cristiano Ronaldo… play for the season and we will offload you in the summer. Something reeks.

He will have alienated colleagues, the manager and fans, to get a better deal? Surely not. He put at risk his family for a wage rise? Only a buffoon would do such a thing.

I for one will take a while to warm to Mr Rooney when he puts on the red of Manchester United again, as I’m sure many of you will also. But he has apologised (according to Ferguson) and realised he made a mistake, and in time lets hope he can prove that he really does love this club as he claims.