Andy Gray discusses Rooney and Man Utd

I've been inundated with questions from my followers on Twitter asking for my views on this ongoing Wayne Rooney saga. Apologies for not being able to answer all of them individually but here are my thoughts based on the questions I've seen so far...

Let me start by saying I was massively surprised by what came out of the Wayne Rooney camp this week. Not that he said he wanted to leave - I've been in football long enough to know that there are many reasons why footballers want to leave a club. These include: wanting more money, falling out with the manager, wanting to play more games or a desire to win more trophies.

The latter of course was the main reason Rooney gave for not wishing to extend his contract this week and in normal circumstances you can't blame a player for being ambitious. But hang on a minute, this is Manchester United we're talking about here! The most successful club in England over the two decades I've been doing this job and the epitome of consistency, achievement and...ambition.

This is the club who has the biggest stadium in the country bar Wembley, a fanbase around the world that doesn't stop growing and a football organisation that sets the standards in terms of training facilities, academies, matchday hospitality and virtually anything else you care to mention.

Okay, Wayne is right in that the club haven't spent lavishly in the transfer market over the last couple of seasons but bar the bottomless pit of money that is Manchester City, who else in this country has? And yes, players like Carlos Tevez and Cristiano Ronaldo are playing elsewhere these days, both have been magnificent this season for their new clubs and they haven't been replaced by players of a similar quality.

But the young man should have a little more faith in people like David Gill and Sir Alex Ferguson who have seen it all before and guided Manchester United to endless trophies over the years. United still have a squad strong enough to win any competition they're in and just because no big signings were made this summer, it doesn't mean money won't be available for a big-money move next year. Sometimes in football you need to be patient and Sir Alex will spend the money when he thinks the time is right.

It seems to me Wayne has some sort of agenda and really does want to move on. We heard the manager talking about coveting cows in someone else's field this week and whereas I don't expect him to get any invitations to be the next poet laureate just yet, I know exactly what he was saying. The bright lights of Real Madrid, Barcelona or Chelsea may seem like a better prospect right now but you never know how these things turn out.

There's more to moving clubs than first meets the eye. Not only do you have to adapt to life in a different city and potentially learn a new language, you have to get used to a new system, a new manager and just a different way of doing things. And my point about all this is that it doesn't work out as often as it does. You'll do well to find a club where things as done as professionally and meticulously as they are at Old Trafford so I certainly hope Wayne knows what he's doing.

It's pretty obvious there are only four clubs where he could end up if he is to be sold. I don't think he'll fancy a move to Italy and with all due respect to France and Germany, I can't see that he'd see a move there as a step in the right direction. That leaves Chelsea, Manchester City, Barcelona and Real Madrid to fight for his services and, if pressed to pick one, I'd lean towards Real.

Barcelona have plenty of options in the forward areas and are a settled bunch, a move to City could have too many repercussions on a personal level, whilst a move to London may not be his preferred choice, which would rule out Chelsea. Rooney's partnership with Cristiano Ronaldo was one of the finest this country has seen in recent years and Jose Mourinho, a big Rooney fan, may be keen to reunite them, but we'll have to wait and see. I'm just surprised that both club and player have let it get to this stage.

Do you agree with Andy? Let him know what you think by following him on Twitter

Published: 22 Oct 2010

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