2013 Summer Transfer Thread

[Lineker]

When is Rooney going to get to the fireworks factory??

[METALMAN]

He's hardly been a failure though, has he? He plays well more often than not, but people are always raady to jump on him whenever he has a bad game.

[stokeriño]

Yeah, but going to Chelsea would ruin him properly. It's what we do.

[brenchill]

He's hardly been a failure though, has he? He plays well more often than not, but people are always raady to jump on him whenever he has a bad game.

I wouldn't say he has been a failure, no, but he hasn't become the world beater we all expected him to be after he burst onto the scene at Euro '04. But that seems to be the theme with these hyped up English kids. Look at Joe Cole, I'd put him in a similar bracket to Rooney. He's had a good career, but just hasn't lived up to the hype.

[ChrisSteeleAteMyHamster]

Rooney was great alongside Ronaldo.

[stokeriño]

Sept 2012: Wayne Rooney on 2010's transfer request: "Sometimes as a player you make bad choices and bad decisions … sometimes you say things you shouldn't. I want to be here for the next 10 years. Just look at Giggs and Scholes … they're an example to us all. And let's be honest, where else can you go from here?"

[Rafael]

Wild, wild rumours as Flamengo will try to sign Rio Ferdinand. I think some newspaper said it would be funny because Rio would play in Rio.

Another rumour from the brazilian lands, as Atlético-MG's Bernard might be the successor for Mario Gotze at Dortmund.

Vasco are linked with Porto's Lucho González and Benfica's Pablo Aimar.

Edited May 12, 2013 by RafaelFms

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Thinking about it, while it may not be a contract ploy, it could quite probably be one to gain assurances/promises from the incoming manager - whether they be on his importance to the team or whatever. Presumably banking on the belief that Moyes won't want to start his United career by having to deal with losing a player like Rooney.

Unlikely as he asked for the transfer over two weeks ago, during a period that he had no clue what so ever that SAF was retiring and we were getting a new manager.

I'd still expect him to stay, probably getting his head sorted with time to think about everything over the summer. While I do love the guy and would be gutted if he left, I wouldn't blame Moyes/us what so ever if we decide to sell him. Doing it the first time, understandable. But doing it a second time (though this time it's apparently because of being left out of the side), is verging on crossing the line.

Maybe Moyes will come in, talk it out and get Rooney back to being near his best. Rooney's got to understand that unless he's finding form compared to what he had a few seasons back where he was sensational, he's not going to be starting every game and seeing every game out. Van Persie isn't getting dropped in his place and Kagawa has come in and offers something completely different to what Rooney does, which is only going to get bigger next season now that he's settled in at the club.

Still, I wouldn't swap an in form Rooney for many other players out there, barring a few obvious one's. Rooney's problem is that he hasn't really been in form for a while now.

Edited May 12, 2013 by JohnnyPerfect

[Adam]

Not contesting anything else you said there but do we really believe that none of Man Utd's players knew Fergie was retiring before they announced it to the public on Wednesday? I would be very surprised if that were the case.

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

They've all come out and said they didn't find out until Wednesday morning and quite a few of them were in utter shock. Based on their reactions so far I'd expect it's probably true.

[Khain]

Wild, wild rumours as Flamengo will try to sign Rio Ferdinand. I think some newspaper said it would be funny because Rio would play in Rio.

Another rumour from the brazilian lands, as Atlético-MG's Bernard might be the successor for Mario Gotze at Dortmund.

Vasco are linked with Porto's Lucho González and Benfica's Pablo Aimar.

Lucho is a done deal with Racing, stop lying Rafael :/

[Adam]

They've all come out and said they didn't find out until Wednesday morning and quite a few of them were in utter shock. Based on their reactions so far I'd expect it's probably true.

Really? I'm quite surprised in that case.

As for the Rooney debate - he is United's 4th highest goalscorer of all time. Just because he hasn't single-handedly led England to the World Cup Final I'm not buying this "he isn't a world class player" rubbish. The man is a world class player, he's one of the best forwards in the sport and he has lived up to the expectation placed on him as a youngster.

[Crybaby Bunting]

Is Kagawa even that good? I keep hearing how Fergie is wasting him on the bench when he could be in the starting line up playing a pivotal role in midfield... is it one of those cases where the less he plays the better he gets? You know, like Anderson?

[MJB]

He was great in his first three games. Then, he got injured and really struggled for four/five months but now, he's starting to get back to form and I think he'll get better next year.

[Dynamite]

If Rooneys best days are behind him, when were they exactly?

Euro 2004ish. I think you could argue he was a world class player or the level below around then and in his early seasons at United.

I'd probably say Rooney's best season was 2009-10. Ronaldo and Tevez had just left, Rooney became the 'main man' of the team and was on probably the best consistent goal-scoring run I can remember from him. He picked up an injury but Fergie still rushed him back for the second leg against Bayern even though he clearly wasn't fit, and just the fact he was on the pitch seemed to really lift the team's spirits and it helped us in going 3-0 up early on in the game. I think he scored a brace home and away against Milan in the round before that as well as being voted Player of the Year and would have won the Golden Boot if it weren't for the injury cutting his season short.. Since then he's sort of gone back from the lone striker number 9 role to switching around being a number 10, winger and occasionally a center mid. That was the only season I really remember where he was unquestionably our best player.

Edited May 12, 2013 by Dynamite

[Asuka's Gonna Kill You]

Is Kagawa even that good? I keep hearing how Fergie is wasting him on the bench when he could be in the starting line up playing a pivotal role in midfield... is it one of those cases where the less he plays the better he gets? You know, like Anderson?

Yes, he's that good. One of the best players in the Budesliga for two years running before he joined us. The injury this season halted his progression with us coupled with us not always playing him in his best position, mainly because we spent a good chunk of this season experimenting with different setup's, systems and lineups.

Got a season under his belt now and I'd expect he'll have a breakout year next season for us. I'd have him starting the majority of games.

Edited May 12, 2013 by JohnnyPerfect

[brenchill]

Rooney was great alongside Ronaldo.

I reckon I'd look great alongside Ronaldo .

[Ant]

Similar to Gazza.

[Baddar]

Kagawa definitely improved after a shaky return from injury.

It's easy to pinpoint the hat-trick against Norwich, but he was amazing in that game. I too, think he'll kick on next season.

[HailtotheYo]

Gary Hooper is supposedly a target for QPR to replace Remy when he bails.