"Fergie's spoiled Rooney"

[Will]

I couldn't be bothered reading all this, but see what you think! It's from an Everton fanzine.

"Our Wayne" Is Better Than Yours.
I am still haunted by Wayne Rooney. Even now, sitting in my exile in the rust-belt of the Midwest, his short Everton career boomerangs back into my mind again and again. I was there in the Park End the day Wayne scored that goal. Sat there, in what - looking back - felt like a Royal box seat for Rooney's coming-of-age - I wasn't sure exactly what I was witnessing. Was Wayne going to be another false dawn like Danny Cadamarteri, the dreadlocked 17-year-old who came into the world of football feet first and hit the ground running, like a precocious young chess champ seemingly intent on playing a pickup game of speed chess with the Grand Masters.

We all remember what happened the day Rooney came on against a bulletproof Arsenal side. Little snapshots flicker back into my memory. Wayne's goal; looping over Seaman like a vandal's brick, a Krakatoan eruption at Goodison, my dad letting off a minute long ecstatic scream at the final whistle, and listening to the feverish hoarse voices at the train station talking about "our Wayne". The rest of this fairy-tale remains unwritten; Wayne didn't go on to drag us into a golden age, instead he left for Old Trafford. But as long as I live in the U.S. - 3,300 miles away and sheltered from his successes with Man Utd - Wayne will occupy a strange limbo in my heart. Everton were of course compensated with millions of pounds for letting him leave, but the Wayne I knew, the bullish mercurial street-fighter, I wouldn't swap him for a wilderness of millions.

No matter how much dirt emerges about Wayne Rooney, no matter how much the Scouse genius runs roughshod over his "Once a Blue, always a Blue" oath of fealty with obnoxious and hypocritical badge kissing, I will always regard him as a footballing God.

To get over Rooney's departure to Old Trafford, I treated the new version of him as a different player - and it wasn't to hard to do. Sir Alex Ferguson has straitjacketed some of his wilder tendencies, turning his feral flair and atavistic aggression into the more controlled player he wanted him to be. Whilst at Goodison, Rooney notched up 15 goals in 67 appearances, a record that - on the face of it - is inferior to his goalscoring rate at United, where he has scored 52 goals in 124 league appearances, but that isn't taking into account Moyes' softly softly approach. Of those 67 games for Everton, 27 of them were as a substitute, and the Everton side of that time doesn't hold a torch to the current United squad.

When watching Wayne now you see an awe-inspiring and excellent player; but I think that he could have become even better. The early Rooney - bursting past defenders, ruthlessly direct and blinkered, known to taunt defenders by putting his hands on his hips in mock boredom, who like a belligerent matchmaker, never ceased to revel in introducing the ball to the back of the net - won't be seen at Old Trafford.

Say what you want about your Wayne, but OUR Wayne had it all and in many ways was uncoachable. The glorious trajectory predicted by many for Rooney hasn't quite panned out and although he is the jewel in England's crown, he is overshadowed by others such as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Kaka, players who should have been his peers in the high altitude world of top class football.

Even Wayne's performances for England have suffered since he moved to Manchester. As an Everton player, Rooney scored nine goals in 17 games for England - but now he is playing under Sir Alex, his tally for England is a far more modest five goals in 25 games. Reading through the match reports during his time with Everton, you are struck by the fact that he was lauded by the press for his finishing and "killer instinct" - two things that have been removed in the lobotomised talents of the United version of Rooney.

Sir Alex Ferguson got it very right when trying to coach out Cristiano Ronaldo's showboating flair, but he got it wrong with Wayne, as the young Scouser's direct early self was more akin to the Brazilian Ronaldo at Barcelona - a footballing egomaniac, and a lighting rod for every attack - attributes that no longer are present in Rooney.

Manchester United's millions bought a star, but by separating Rooney from his boyhood club, they never got the legend.

[Esox Lucius]

the sad bastard, get over it. still the same player.

[Numeric]

innit :lol:

Rooney's gotten older and so his game has developed

[Aratron]

his pace has gone innit

[Eddowion]

Still a great player for Utd. Like so many others he suffers from "Three Lions Syndrome"

[Microdot]

can I have those 2 minutes of my life back now please?

[Aratron]

when iw atch him play in man utd shirt he seems to have no confidence.
he seems to fawn upon Ronaldo.
Damn he used to be a better player than that cunt.

[DJ RE:HAB]

Typical Blue Nose.

Get Over it..

Anyhow he did have some valid points in there. Striker Wise Rooney was better than @ Everton easily.

[Richierush]

i think he is bang on the mark,he.s definatly more of a team player an more controlled now,an personally id rather watch the younger wayne rooney,agressive,cocky,direct,i remember rooney runnin at players head on with speed you dont see it any more,for england its worse an i know that the one man up front role doesnt suit him makes it worse,but u look at him at euro 04 he was awsome an exciting,it gone that now.Still a brillliant player but he has definaly lost something

[Richierush]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_QqbKFvAFg

a little look at rooney of old,the arsenal goal probably reminds me of the young version,not his first goal for everton but the one where he runs at pace straight at the arsenal defence

[Microdot]

it's got alot more to do with injury than being at a better club tbh.
some players are never the same after breaking their metatarsal. Beckham being the obvious example.
Rooney's first season at Utd was phenomenal. It's since his most recent foot break that he's appeared to be less combative.
He's still the best english footballer in our lifetime and one of the top 3 players in the prem this season.
The article is a big bag of shite when all said and done.

[Insomnia]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_QqbKFvAFg

a little look at rooney of old,the arsenal goal probably reminds me of the young version,not his first goal for everton but the one where he runs at pace straight at the arsenal defence

Wont forget that goal man, was a peach like....

[davemoore]

to be honest i didnt read it but my opinions are rooney isnt scoring as many but has been injured at the end of the day ronaldo just takes the oppertunitys and rooney doesnt really see much of the ball and i have noticed he does go back more this season to defend when needed

[Will]

Rooney's a bit like Park I think, in that they get into good positions, but aren't very clinical in front of goal.

[Will]

can I have those 2 minutes of my life back now please?

Well I did say I couldn't be bothered to read it!

[davemoore]

are you having me on !! rooney can e so clinical and dangorous infront of goal when ever he scores its normaly from a second touch attempt or a self worked goal i havent seen ji sung park play any where near the standerd of rooney this season .
he just is sourounded in a team with awsome abilities strengh and confidence still hate the dirty mancs tho

[Frank Dogshit]

he was crap today...kept losing his rag and samba had him well tucked away

[Microdot]

he was crap today...kept losing his rag and samba had him well tucked away

Frankly Frank that's bollocks. rooney had a good game. shouldn't have lost his rag so easy though. proper chink in his armour is that. some poor finishing from him and everyone else today too.

[Will]

are you having me on !! rooney can e so clinical and dangorous infront of goal when ever he scores its normaly from a second touch attempt or a self worked goal i havent seen ji sung park play any where near the standerd of rooney this season .
he just is sourounded in a team with awsome abilities strengh and confidence still hate the dirty mancs tho

Can be... Just look at how many chances he misses.

[DJ RE:HAB]

it's got alot more to do with injury than being at a better club tbh.
some players are never the same after breaking their metatarsal. Beckham being the obvious example.
Rooney's first season at Utd was phenomenal. It's since his most recent foot break that he's appeared to be less combative.
He's still the best english footballer in our lifetime and one of the top 3 players in the prem this season.
The article is a big bag of shite when all said and done.

I think saying hes the best english footballer in our lifetime is bit extreme mate.

hes still only young as are most of us on here, and rooney still has the potential to become the best english footballer in our lifetime to waste his talent...

That last statement you have made there is you just talking out your ass i reckon..

I would say Owen still has rooney in his back pocket for English Footballers...

And hes knocking them away again for fun now, something rooney isnt.. And Owens been crocked more times..