So the breaking news is out: Wayne Rooney has indicated to Sir Alex Ferguson that he wants to leave Manchester United. And after that, there is no turning back.
Ferguson has left the door open for Rooney to change his mind - a clear sign he is a valuable asset that United would prefer to keep - but, really, Ferguson would not have publicly announced Rooney's feelings if he reckoned there was a realistic chance he would have a change of heart. And Ferguson has not got many of these wrong over his 24 years at United.
I'm not going to pretend, as a United fan, that I am not disappointed by the news. Rooney was far and away our best player last season. He is still, perhaps alongside Gerrard and Joe Cole, one of the most naturally gifted players England has. But I am not as crushed as one might expect. Losing Ronaldo was more of a bitter pill to swallow.
For Rooney is a player off-form. His first touch throughout the World Cup and into this season, highlighted once more against West Brom on Saturday, has been awful, and his influence on the team's play minimal. But great players, as Rooney undoubtedly is, get over bad patches of form, don't they?
I'm sure Rooney will resurrect his career. He is, after all, only 24. Most players - on average - reach their peak around 26/27. So surely United would be mad to let him go.
Contrary to Phil McNulty (who I'm probably mad to argue with), I think Rooney has become a liability. As Ferguson said today, the United fans on Saturday were, stuck at 2-2 with the Baggies, chanting for Rooney to be introduced: "it put pressure on the team and it didn't do any good for the team." And, as Ferguson is well aware, the team is what matters.
Beckham in 2002 had become as big as United, perhaps even the game of football, and was as much of a celebrity as sportsman. Ferguson sold him off for a 'bargain' £24 million. He was past his best (but still a fantastic player at the time) but, more, he had to go for dressing-room harmony. His departure saw the likes of Giggs, Solskjaer, Fletcher and - eventually - a young Cristiano Ronaldo step out of his shadow. It took the team several seasons to adjust to his absence, such was his worth to them, but they came out stronger.
Roy Keane. The heartbeat of the midfield. Made some comments that Ferguson did not like - Keane was trying to take over his spot (so it seemed). Gone. We can look back to the likes of Paul Ince and Andrei Kanchelskis, as players whose egos saw them dumped by the manager.
Ruud van Nistelrooy is perhaps a case more akin to Rooney's. While not going as far as to contradict his manager, Ruud did seem dissatisfied with some decisions. And like Beckham before him and Ronaldo and now Rooney after him, the Dutch striker became the main hope of the fans (myself included). But United, at this point, were not an effective team. Summer of 2006, van Nistelrooy is sold. Summer of 2007, United have won the league, playing a fluid attractive game using the pace and power of Rooney, Ronaldo, Saha and Giggs, ably fed by Carrick and Scholes.
Rooney is one player. Fans and - crucially - teammates cannot look to him to carry the team through. That is what happened last year, and it ended - by United's high standards - in failure. Having one player who has a great season is hugely helpful, but 11 or 18 men playing to a high standard is immeasurably better. Chelsea won the league last year because most of their key players were on top form when it mattered. Drogba was the star, but he was capably supported by Lampard, Anelka, Malouda, Essien, Ashley Cole...
My recommendation? Offload Rooney before his value plummets even more than it is now bound to do. Where he goes is no real concern to me, as long as it isn't to those noisy neighbours in blue. But get £20-30 million for him (I'm assuming he regains some form; at the moment I wouldn't pay £2 million for him!). Then use that money wisely.
United have a good core of strikers. Berbatov has started this season brilliantly and Hernandez has devastating pace and an instinct for goal. Owen is still a handy option for some games. The jury is out on Macheda and Welbeck, but they've generally performed when given the chance - time will tell.
What United need is what they've needed since Ronaldo left - an attack-minded midfielder with the skill, creativity and desire to drive the whole team forward and create chances for Berbatov, Hernandez, Owen, etc to gobble up. I would love for the rumours linking United with Wesley Sneijder to be true. He is the sort of player to add spark, creative genius, pizzazz. Look at what Rafael van der Vaart has done for Tottenham.
Scholes and Giggs have only a few seasons left at the most. They will be missed more than Rooney. They live and breathe United. They have kept their talking on the pitch, so are adored by Ferguson. Their passion for the game is rare, and United will have to spend big to come close to replacing that. Oh, and getting a goalkeeper when van der Sar also goes to collect his bus pass.
Why does Rooney need United? Because he needs Ferguson. The managerial master has sculpted Rooney from talented teenage prodigy into world-class star. With star status has come media attention. And Rooney is no master of PR.
What makes Ferguson a great manager is - like Arsene Wenger - he will back his players to the hilt. If they agree to adopt the United philosophy of winning with style and work-rate, he will defend his players no matter what the press and other managers hurl at them.
And Rooney needs that. Off-form and in the news for all the wrong reasons, he is becoming a scapegoat for England's incompetence. He can got to Madrid, or Man City. Nowhere will he get the same level of support.
Ferguson's interview with manutd.com is hugely revealing:
"I said to him, ‘Just remember one thing: respect this club.’ I don’t want any nonsense from you, respect your club... we’ve done everything we can for Wayne Rooney, since the minute he’s come to the club. We’ve always been there as a harbour for him. Any time he’s been in trouble, the advice we’ve given him... But you do that for your players, not just Wayne Rooney. That’s Manchester United. This is a club which bases all its history and its tradition on the loyalty and trust between managers and players and the club. That goes back to the days of Sir Matt. That’s what it’s founded on. Wayne’s been a beneficiary of this help, just as Ryan Giggs, Paul Scholes and all the players have been. That’s what we’re there for."
That stinks of feeling let down; more than that, betrayed. Ferguson has clearly been hurt by the Rooney farce.
The reference to "Sir Matt" is an interesting one. Sir Matt Busby, manager, mentor and father-figure to George Best, among others. Now Rooney cannot hope to have the natural ability and flair Best had, but the situation is similar. Talented player, who becomes a celebrity and can't handle it. The manager - Ferguson and Busby - protects his player as far as he can, even if it jeopardises his own integrity. Then master and apprentice part ways. Best's career went down the plug-hole. It would be a great shame if Rooney's went the same way, but it is not an impossibility.
When, not if, Rooney leaves United, the club will continue. They have recovered from losing better players than Rooney. Yes, the club is vulnerable now, but evolving and meeting new challenges is what United are about.
Club, manager and player will suffer from this whole affair. But if one of them is to come out the winner, it won't be Rooney.
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