Having since tied down his errant striker to a long term contract and negotiated three points from a tricky assignment to Stoke City, it seems remarkable that just a week ago Sir Alex Ferguson was tasked with sorting out a potentially generation defining moment for the club.
Last Tuesday the press-pack scented blood as Ferguson arrived to field questions about the rumours Wayne Rooney wanted away from Old Trafford. After arriving stage left from behind a red curtain, the Scot delivered an exemplary performance of meticulous calculation and propaganda to get completely his own way. Preparing for the serenity of a League Cup tie against Wolves tonight, reinforces the adage that a week is a long time in football, especially at Manchester United.
Disagreements with his main men are nothing new for the Scot, who has overseen the departures of a number of the Stretford End’s favourite sons, however, this time it was different, and for perhaps the first time during Ferguson’s tenure, it appeared the timing and nature of the transfer was out of his control.
What made the Rooney situation unique was his public declaration that he believed United could no longer attract the world’s best players, and therefore match his own ambitions. The carefully manicured statement produced on behalf of Rooney was a damning indictment of the current status of Manchester United, and raised further questions of the Glazer's ownership, but also the integrity of Ferguson himself, who has constantly belittled stories he has no money to spend. As well as trying to change the mindset of a player who had his mind set, Ferguson had to combine this with once again ridiculing suggestions United are entering a period of deep recession, and painting a picture to both player and punters that all is well aboard the good ship Manchester United.
Had Ferguson got this wrong and Rooney had left, it would have been a critical severance for a club who have been a constant amongst Europe’s absolute elite. After having two of their star turns prized away in the last few seasons, with an ageing squad and lingering doubts over the financial capacity to rebuild it, the lure of Manchester United so irresistible in the past would start to look very resistible to the world’s top players Rooney was preaching about. The departure of the England striker could very easily have sparked a disastrous decline for the Reds.
Quite how Ferguson ended up managing it with such little fuss is a testament to the power and control he overwhelmingly exudes over the whole of one of footballs biggest institutions. However, the manner in which their manager selflessly acted on behalf of the whole club, served as an ominous reminder to the Red Army as to what happens when he does decide to call it a day? Despite the abilities of Messrs Rooney and Ronaldo - or anyone else that’s used the exit doors before Ferguson – they have been replaceable, indirectly or directly, but the same cannot be said for when the omnipotent one needs replacing himself.
When considering potential suitors, there isn’t many that spring to mind that could have achieved what Ferguson did last week. Sparking from one incident, he was wise and weathered enough to hold the prying media off at arm’s length, rebuff Rooney’s suggestions there were problems with the clubs ambition, shift the entire animosity of the supporters from off the club and onto the player, before thrashing out complex contract negotiations in a day, and then exonerating his player from all blame by implying his agent was at fault for the whole affair in the first place. Genius.
Not needing to replace Rooney was a masterstroke; replacing Ferguson will require a miracle.
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