Man, I don't know, I'm just parroting what Sir Alex said in his autobiography.

2/17/2014 7:48:26 PM

So a player who has spent 10 years at the club and is on the verge of breaking the premier league and Manchester United's goal record is a mercenary now? So laughable. Why doesn't Rooney deserve this contract? All the stats that Americans love so much and the performances on the pitch clearly indicate Rooney deserves to be considered one of the best players in the world and deserves to be paid like one. Rooney the player is worth 250K, Rooney the brand is easily worth another 50K a week more.

The problem with ribs and aimorris is the fact that you refuse to see the other side. My argument is pragmatic, United and Rooney both stand to gain from this. Rooney isn't just a player he is a brand and is likely to end his career as the Premier League's best striker. Not too long ago Rooney was considered the 3rd best player in the world. Ronaldo & Messi make more than Rooney even after his new contract. Why isn't it outrageous to give Ronaldo that kind of money?

Also yes United do still produce players. Januzaj, Welbeck, Evans, Rafael, Fletcher, and Cleverely are all academy players who have gotten significant time. Out of those 6 only 4 are worth it and one is probably done after the prolonged injury.

The fact is people will use anything to criticize United, simply because they want to and are presented with a rare occasion to do so.

2/17/2014 10:09:00 PM

Quote :

"Rooney isn't just a player he is a brand and is likely to end his career as the Premier League's best striker."

lol

2/17/2014 10:56:45 PM

i cant decide if wazza is the internet's most well-formed troll or if he really feels this way

i think every single post of his can be followed by the "u mad?" gif

2/17/2014 10:58:39 PM

^^
I mean, that wasn't a ridiculous statement at all. I don't get why Rooney is hated in popular culture. Guy's a beast...

^
If he's the internet's most well formed troll, why would be 'trolling' some obscure PL thread on a Wolfpack site?

[Edited on February 17, 2014 at 11:07 PM. Reason : ]

2/17/2014 11:05:35 PM

I hate to wade into this debate, but these are inarguable facts:


Rooney will be the top English striker in terms of goals scored by the end of his career. To argue show not only bias, but idiocy

Rooney will be the England captain after Gerrard retires - no question in my mind. There's not another player on that team good enough

Rooney will be the next United captain - it's obvious as hell



Now, the next points, from my personal opinions

I don't think 300k a week is a smart investment, but that's on football on the whole. I don't think these guys should be making that much money, period. A few years ago we were talking about 120k-150k being stupid money. This is REALLY stupid money, but such is the economic trend.

You can't solely pin that on Rooney, or United. If the market will bear it, it becomes the new norm. I suppose the best thing about this is that if anyone in England were worth 300k, it has to be Rooney.

Like wazza has said, he's pretty much part of the United brand. Ignore the cries of wantaway - he's never come out publicly and said that he's wanted to leave. Couple that with the facts I listed out above, and it's no surprise that he's about to be on that kind of money.

That also doesn't mean he'll be the last. Expect to see Özil, Aguero, Hazard, etc renegotiate for something that high (assuming they stick around, you never know anymore). Rooney's just the first of many. He shouldn't be mocked for that. It's not a situation like with Torres where he's broken a record and is producing fuck-all on the field to show for it.

[Edited on February 18, 2014 at 8:39 AM. Reason : .]

2/18/2014 8:39:35 AM

^ I cannot argue with most of that, honestly. I think we're all talking about different things though. I'm mostly talking about the length of the contract and how he'll be paid as one of the league's top players in 5 years. He's evolving into a different player than the "top English striker" in history he's been and I'm not sure at that position, he's enough of a difference maker to justify the wages.

Is it just a reward for being a United legend/brand? Maybe that's how they see it and maybe they're right. It's not our money and if they can pay it, more power to them. I just think if you're willing to pay Rooney 300k, it's going to really affect how you have to pay other players in the future so I hope they're ready for it.

Quote :

"I suppose the best thing about this is that if anyone in England were worth 300k, it has to be Rooney. "

I'm not sure I agree with that but I guess it doesn't matter because I agree with you that Hazard, Aguero, and others will follow shortly.

Quote :

"The problem with ribs and aimorris is the fact that you refuse to see the other side. My argument is pragmatic, United and Rooney both stand to gain from this. Rooney isn't just a player he is a brand and is likely to end his career as the Premier League's best striker. Not too long ago Rooney was considered the 3rd best player in the world. Ronaldo & Messi make more than Rooney even after his new contract. Why isn't it outrageous to give Ronaldo that kind of money? "

I do see the other side. I know Rooney is a good player and an important figure for United. I just don't think he's worth that kind of money for 5 more years. "Not too long ago" isn't right now and it certainly isn't the future. Rooney will never be considered the 3rd best player in the world again so that's why he shouldn't be given that kind of money, in my opinion.

[Edited on February 18, 2014 at 9:09 AM. Reason : .]

2/18/2014 8:58:05 AM

^ I can agree with most of that. I guess most of this was directed towards Ribs really. That's football these days though isn't it? I do agree maybe it shouldn't have been a 5 year contract. Make it a 3 year contract with an add on year or something. There is a risk involved in that too. Then you have to give Rooney a new contract after 3 years if he is playing just as well. I think United have gambled now rather than waiting to have to renegotiate when salaries are undoubtedly going to be higher....

2/18/2014 10:43:52 AM

Quote :

"I'm not sure I agree with that but I guess it doesn't matter because I agree with you that Hazard, Aguero, and others will follow shortly."

What I meant is that you're also accommodating the "English tax"

Consider it like this: Elite player base salary (Now ~225k because of the market) + Captaincy (~35k) + Country Captaincy (~15k) + English Tax (some overinflated figure)

When you break it down that way, it's not hard to understand why Rooney would be the first 300k player.



And really, even with those numbers, it doesn't mean that Rooney is unmoveable after 3 years. United will be able to renegotiate his contract, extending it by a year or two and amortizing that salary over a longer period by lowering the weekly pay rate. It happens all the time.

2/18/2014 8:29:23 PM

true true

2/18/2014 8:46:28 PM

http://www.theguardian.com/football/blog/2014/feb/19/manchester-united-wayne-rooney-70m-contract

wazza, i'm looking for your comment on here. what username do you use for Guardian commenting?

Quote :

"Supporters are supposed to be reassured by this commitment to stability, though even the most loyal can see that at best it is over-conservative and at worst simply irrational. "

Paul Wilson does not read Thewolfweb.com

[Edited on February 19, 2014 at 12:22 PM. Reason : .]

2/19/2014 12:20:07 PM

wazza's gotten into your head lulzz

2/19/2014 12:29:22 PM

haha. My point on Rooney's new contract has already been made here, no need to reiterate. As someone who has watched Rooney since the day he announced himself with a hat trick in the champions league I don't feel anything of the probability that Rooney is likely to end his career as the clubs highest scorer if he signs. One thing you can't fault Rooney for is the desire and passion. He has shown it time and again and never more so than right now.

This is modern football, players are often ill-advised and much too oriented to the present to think about what the future holds. Zlatan is one of my favorite players but he is hardly the modicum of loyalty now is he? Rooney' indiscretions have been forgiven. He could have been booed when Mourinho came sniffing but his name was sung for 90 minutes at Old Trafford when Chelsea came in.

Before ribs or even aimorris points it out, yes this stance is hypocritical when I berate Man City. However, the biggest problem I have with City isn't that they are rich but that they are allowed to write off $100 million without personal liability. If City can organically spent $100 million then I would have been completely fine with it. They haven't though, any other club would have been in administration with the losses they have posted. City's losses could fuel a small economy for years.

2/19/2014 1:46:35 PM

anyone have a stream for arsenal?

2/19/2014 3:02:43 PM

Your stance is hypocritical.

2/19/2014 3:22:51 PM

AC Milan - Liverpool, August 2nd. Just bought tickets.

Tickets are stupid expensive but fuck it. If United can afford Kroos, I can go to a meaningless preseason friendly for $75/ticket.

2/20/2014 2:22:17 PM

is there a pre-sale code?

2/20/2014 4:13:44 PM

yeah, it's ICC2014

2/20/2014 4:17:58 PM

^^^
Thanks, will avoid Charlotte that weekend.

2/20/2014 4:30:42 PM

Tempted to buy tix to that United v Inter match




to watch Vidic play against us

2/20/2014 6:08:45 PM

bought 4 tickets today. lower level Liverpool FC Fan Zone. I'll be there with 3 Pool fans. amazing how many facebook messages i got from "friends" wanting my presale code.

2/20/2014 9:36:12 PM

how much were those? I opted for the 200 level

2/20/2014 9:40:17 PM

$100

we're in the corner, 137 i think.

2/20/2014 9:40:59 PM

I got 3 in section 225 for ~$70 a piece. A little pricey, but who knows if I will ever get to watch these teams play live again?

I just hope Suarez, Gerrard, Balotelli and the like will be over their post-World Cup rest by then.

Quote :

"is there a pre-sale code?"

PSLVIP works too.

[Edited on February 20, 2014 at 9:50 PM. Reason : code]

2/20/2014 9:48:21 PM

did they ever give an explanation as to why it became ACM instead of City?

2/20/2014 9:52:09 PM

well City is playing them at Yankee Stadium, which makes more sense with the City/Yankees MLS connection. Guess they had to work out those details.

2/20/2014 9:55:34 PM

Torres you diving twat

2/22/2014 9:33:47 AM

Barkley is trying his hardest to hand Chelsea this... shocking.

[Edited on February 22, 2014 at 9:38 AM. Reason : Champions]

2/22/2014 9:35:56 AM

At least that asshole didn't get a touch.

[Edited on February 22, 2014 at 9:40 AM. Reason : Also ramires needs a good leg break]

2/22/2014 9:39:11 AM

gross


Howard should have done better there

not a bad result to get more space for 4th though

[Edited on February 22, 2014 at 9:49 AM. Reason : LFC]

2/22/2014 9:41:15 AM

Arsenal is sharp but wow is Sunderland bad.

Looking like Arsenal needs to beat Chelsea at home to have a chance...

2/22/2014 10:44:37 AM

that Rosicky goal

2/22/2014 10:58:12 AM

Finally, an away win in 2014

2/22/2014 2:36:47 PM

Thanks for coming Swansea

[Edited on February 23, 2014 at 8:57 AM. Reason : I'm an asshole.]

2/23/2014 8:34:52 AM

NEVER IN DOUBT

2/23/2014 10:26:08 AM

We really need to keep pace after everybody won this week.

2/23/2014 10:45:37 AM

oops

2/23/2014 12:52:49 PM

CANARIES

2/23/2014 1:09:47 PM

lol Spurs

2/23/2014 1:27:12 PM

lololol spuds



we comin for you

2/23/2014 2:05:03 PM

Quote :

"And the United boss said: “It isn’t always the best teams that get to the final in Europe. Liverpool in 2005 gives us hope, but in any cup competition you always have a chance. “I knew it was going to be a hard competition before it started. Bayern Munich, Barcelona, Real Madrid and PSG are all top clubs.”"

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/manchester-united-can-do-liverpool-3173084

2/23/2014 5:45:15 PM

^
the coach of Manchester United regards his team as an underdog

I don't like Manchester United, but that actually makes me sad...that's the first aspect of Man U's decline that's actually made me sad

[Edited on February 23, 2014 at 9:40 PM. Reason : also, he can suck a big fat dick for disparaging Liverpool's 2005 triumph]

2/23/2014 9:37:47 PM

Love the fight in the small dog that is David Moyes! Get in!!

[Edited on February 23, 2014 at 10:01 PM. Reason : ]

2/23/2014 9:55:49 PM

lol. 1 bad year after 20 and its all of a sudden a decline! Also what Moyes said isn't far from the truth. His team hasn't played well this year. Liverpool in 2005 were just as bad in the premier league (if not worse) but somehow found the way to win the champions league. Its not a slight on liverpool at all, its the truth. Also that doesn't mean United will win the champions league this year either. Probably far from it but clearly the quality to do it is there, the form isn't. Lots of luck can win you the champions league as Chelsea and Liverpool have proven.

2/24/2014 9:00:02 PM

^
I understand where Moyes (and you) are coming from, even with this statement

Quote :

"It isn’t always the best teams that get to the final in Europe. Liverpool in 2005 gives us hope"

but I chose to interpret it as saying "Liverpool weren't better than Juventus, Chelsea and Milan," which they clearly were, so it irked me. I'm looking forward to seeing Man U bomb out at the quarter finals or hopefully earlier, just because, I dunno, it'll be nice for a change.

also, Man U ARE in a decline...they fucking suck, haven't you noticed? It's just so painfully clear, watching this year's team, how important Sir Alex Ferguson was to this organization. All the Man U fans seem so sure that United will bounce back and aren't going anywhere, but I'm not so certain. If your team sucks and your coach sucks, and you don't have the legendary pedigree of Real Madrid, Bayern Munich or AC Milan (which Man U don't, frankly; they were very, very, very good, but not for all that long, comparatively) bouncing back isn't guaranteed.

2/24/2014 9:45:58 PM

Quote :

"but clearly the quality to do it is there"

lol

2/24/2014 10:07:44 PM

Quote :

"also, Man U ARE in a decline...they fucking suck, haven't you noticed? It's just so painfully clear, watching this year's team"

We suck based just on your sheer willpower to say so

Also, we are NOW an elite European team. No escaping that fact.

^
I'll let wazza bite the troll too, but you can't have it both ways. We're either a quality side that Moyes has 'screwed up', or we were not quality in the first place and Moyesy needs time. Which one is it yeah?

[Edited on February 24, 2014 at 10:33 PM. Reason : ]

2/24/2014 10:29:21 PM

lol god damn

2/24/2014 10:38:45 PM

Ribs inducing the mad for a change

2/24/2014 10:40:23 PM

^^^
no, Man U suck objectively...they're mediocre as balls, and it's laughable for them to consider them elites (by any standard) based on current form.

whether they're long-term elites is another question; but they haven't been elite long enough to establish a permanent claim to the title. look at Ajax: they were good as shit for a very long time, but they might never win the Champions League again. I repeat, you do not enjoy the undying, unquenchably elite status that Real Madrid, Bayern Munich, or AC Milan have.


[Edited on February 24, 2014 at 10:41 PM. Reason : rgerg]

2/24/2014 10:40:47 PM