Middlesbrough vs. Manchester United: Team News, Preview, Live-Stream, TV Info
Mar 18, 2017
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Marcos Rojo of Manchester United during the EFL Cup Final match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Photo by Catherine Ivill - AMA/Getty Images)
Middlesbrough will host Manchester United at the Riverside Stadium on Sunday in their first game since sacking manager Aitor Karanka. Boro will be fighting for their right to stay in the Premier League, with the club mired in the relegation places, second from bottom and five points short of safety.
As for United, they need to win to keep their bid for a top-four finish on track. United are seventh, six points behind bitter rivals Liverpool in fourth.
However, manager Jose Mourinho's men could take full advantage of Liverpool facing third-placed Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium later on Sunday.
Before a preview and closer look at the team news, here are the schedule and viewing details.
Middlesbrough's need to win is arguably greater than United's, if only marginally. There's no denying how big a blow it would be for a club promoted last summer to fall straight out of England's top flight after it took them seven seasons to return.
STOKE ON TRENT, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Aitor Karanka, Manager of Middlesbrough walks off at half time during the Premier League match between Stoke City and Middlesbrough at Bet365 Stadium on March 4, 2017 in Stoke on Trent, England. (Photo by Alex Livesey
Boro find themselves in trouble again because of a chronic lack of goals. Middlesbrough are the lowest scorers in the Premier League, having found the net just 19 times, per the division's official website.
Boro's cause won't be helped by target man Rudy Gestede, who is likely to miss the match with a hamstring problem, according to Beya Kabelu of The Sun. The same source revealed how defenders George Friend, Daniel Ayala and Arsenal loanee Calum Chambers will also miss out.
United's chief injury concerns involve their striking department, specifically the absence of fit forwards. Both Anthony Martial and Wayne Rooney missed games against Chelsea and FC Rostov in the FA Cup UEFA Europa League respectively.
English referee Kevin Friend speaks with Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney (R) during the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Bournemouth at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on March 4, 2017.
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Mourinho provided details about Rooney's issue before the game with Rostov, per Adam Marshall of the Manchester club's official website: "Rooney is injured. He had some kick in his knee area, so he can't even come out to the pitch. He stays inside the medical department."
United's problems up front are compounded by Zlatan Ibrahimovic's suspension for his clash with defender Tyrone Mings during the 1-1 draw with Bournemouth at Old Trafford last time out in the league.
Ibrahimovic isn't the only key United figure serving a suspension. Midfielder Ander Herrera will also miss out after being handed a red card during Monday's defeat at Chelsea, according to the FA's official website. Also in midfield, Paul Pogba injured himself in the match against Rostov and could miss Sunday's game.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Ander Herrera of Manchester United celebrates victory after the EFL Cup Final match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2017 in London, England. Manchester United beat Southampton 3-
One United player who avoided suspension is defender Marcos Rojo. The Argentinian was cleared after being accused of stamping on Chelsea's Eden Hazard during the cup clash at Stamford Bridge, per Jamie Jackson of the Guardian.
Both sides could struggle for goals in what's likely to be a tight affair. Each team has ample incentive to win, but a low-scoring draw seems a likely result between two squads blunted in attack.
Wayne Rooney Reportedly No Longer Seen as England Captain by Gareth Southgate
Mar 17, 2017
LJUBLJANA, SLOVENIA - OCTOBER 11: Wayne Rooney of England walks on the pitch during the warm-up before the FIFA 2018 World Cup Qualifier Group F match between Slovenia and England at Stadion Stozice on October 11, 2016 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
England manager Gareth Southgate reportedly no longer views Wayne Rooney as the national team captain after leaving the Manchester United forward out of the squad for upcoming Three Lions fixtures.
According to the Guardian's Daniel Taylor, Rooney was omitted from the 26-man squad to face Germany and Lithuania despite telling the manager he is now fit, and the forward is "no longer seen by Gareth Southgate as the team captain."
Date
Time
Fixture
March 22
7:45 p.m. GMT
Germany vs. England (Friendly)
March 26
5 p.m. BST
England vs. Lithuania (World Cup qualifier)
Southgate said when he was caretaker England manager back in October that Rooney, 31, would remain as skipper, per BBC Sport.
However, ahead of his first game in charge since his permanent appointment, Southgate has now seemingly changed his tune, indicating Rooney will struggle even to get back in the squad given the other options available, per Taylor:
We have to look at Wayne as a No. 10, which is his predominant role. In the last two games we’ve played Dele Alli there and we’ve played Adam Lallana there. Both are playing very well, scoring and assisting for their clubs. Ross Barkley has been playing very well for his club. So there’s competition. I can’t dress it up any other way. There are some very good players and it’s a battle to get in this squad.
I don’t think he expects, if he is not playing every week for his club, to be picked in this sort of situation.
We have this thing about ‘an England captain’ but really the captain is the person who is captain in the next game, isn’t it? Or the game on the next day. I always just assume you pick a team for a game and the captain of that game is the captain.
Rooney has been involved only sparingly for United under manager Jose Mourinho in 2016-17 and has recently been sidelined through injury.
However, per Taylor, Rooney made clear to Southgate he was available for selection despite his recent problems, but the former Middlesbrough boss still decided to leave him out and praised him for his "very mature" reaction to the news.
As noted by BT Sport Football pundits Michael Owen and Owen Hargreaves, it is understandable that the veteran forward has been left out:
— Football on TNT Sports (@footballontnt) March 17, 2017
He is England's all-time record goalscorer and has had the armband since 2014 but, given his lack of game time and goals recently, it is hard to argue with his exclusion from the Three Lions squad.
Rooney's United career looks to be coming to an end with a potential return to Everton in the summer rumoured recently, per the Press Association (via the Guardian).
And his days as an England regular also look to be over given that he has been unable to make the squad despite the absence of Tottenham Hotspur's Harry Kane and Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge.
Wayne Rooney, Anthony Martial, Marcus Rashford Reportedly out vs. Chelsea
Mar 12, 2017
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 07: Marcus Rashford of Manchester United celebrates with wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial of Manchester United after scoring his first and his sides third goal during the Emirates FA Cup third round match between Manchester United and Reading at Old Trafford on January 7, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
BBC Sport reports Martial and Rooney are out due to injury, while Rashford is ill.
One of the three was expected to replace the suspended Zlatan Ibrahimovic at the striker position. Instead, manager Jose Mourinho could opt for a major tactical switch and start with a false nine.
HLN's Kristof Terreur suggested another solution, with midfielder Marouane Fellaini moving into attack:
Mourinho will have his second shot at beating former club Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and he'll be extra motivated following the 4-0 defeat earlier this season.
The Red Devils have struggled for form of late and could use a boost of momentum after the draw in the UEFA Europa League against Rostov. Chelsea are cruising to the Premier League title and enter Monday's clash rested and without major absentees.
The Blues' defensive stability has been their biggest strength this season, and facing Conte's troops without a natural striker would be a nightmare scenario for United. Mourinho's men struggle finishing chances as it is, per WhoScored.com:
We are heading toward the end of an era at Old Trafford, as Wayne Rooney is seriously thinking about his options for next season...
Manchester United vs. Bournemouth: Score, Reaction from 2017 Premier League Game
Mar 4, 2017
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - MARCH 04: Joshua King of AFC Bournemouth scores his sides first goal from the penalty spot during the Premier League match between Manchester United and AFC Bournemouth at Old Trafford on March 4, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)
Manchester United squandered the chance to move into the Premier League's top four as they could only draw 1-1 with Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.
Not for the first time this season, the Red Devils carved out numerous opportunities but failed to beat a weaker side at home, in no small part thanks to an inspired goalkeeping performance from Artur Boruc.
An action-packed opening half saw Joshua King cancel out Marcos Rojo's goal from the penalty spot before Andrew Surman was sent off just before the break amid chaotic scenes at Old Trafford.
More of the same followed as Bournemouth held on for a heroic draw, with Boruc keeping out a Zlatan Ibrahimovic penalty 20 minutes from time to add to a string of impressive stops during the game.
Both sides provided their lineups ahead of kick-off, with Wayne Rooney and Luke Shaw notably returning to United's starting XI:
A breathless start saw Rooney, Paul Pogba and Ibrahimovic all squander chances to open the scoring in the first 10 minutes before Benik Afobe slipped when one-on-one with David De Gea.
Anthony Martial then forced Boruc into two decent saves as he enjoyed almost total freedom down the left flank, and it was remarkable there was not a goal in the opening exchanges, per the Guardian's Nick Ames:
14 minutes in and it's unbelievable that this is still goalless.
United's opener eventually came in the 23rd minute through the unlikely outlet of centre-back Rojo. Antonio Valencia ended up with the ball in the right channel after a corner and blasted a delivery into the mass of bodies in the penalty area. All Rojo had to do was stick out his foot and turn the ball into the net to put United ahead, per the Manchester Evening News' Samuel Luckhurst:
Anxiety lifted. Marcos Rojo scores his first league goal and first for #mufc in over two years.
Continued United dominance followed, but it was the Cherries who earned the opportunity to equalise in the 40th minute when Phil Jones felled Marc Pugh in the penalty area.
Bournemouth were awarded a spot-kick to few complaints from the United players, and King blasted an unstoppable finish high into the top corner to level the game up.
A chaotic end to the first half then ensued. Ibrahimovic and Rooney both forced Boruc into saves before Surman was sent off for a second yellow card.
He should arguably have been joined by both Ibrahimovic and Tyrone Mings.
The Swedish forward planted an elbow into Mings' head as they rose for a corner late in the half, seemingly in retaliation to the Bournemouth defender stamping on his head seconds earlier.
Per Squawka News, it was a farcical end to an entertaining half, with referee Kevin Friend seeming to have missed two obvious red cards:
United should have been home and dry by the end of 45 minutes, given the chances they had, and there were echoes of Old Trafford performances earlier in the season when the Red Devils failed to make their dominance pay and had to settle for draws against the likes of Stoke City, Burnley and Hull City.
With their numerical disadvantage, it was inevitable that Bournemouth would sit back in the second half as they looked to claim an unlikely point, and so it proved, per Squawka Football:
Bournemouth spent 80.65% of the opening 15 minutes of the second half inside their own half.
However, despite Pogba forcing another fine save from Boruc and United's almost total domination of territory and possession, they could not find another goal in the 25 minutes after half-time, and Jose Mourinho made a triple change to try to alter his side's fortunes, per United:
70' - A triple change for #MUFC as Rashford, Fellaini and Lingard replace Rooney, Carrick and Shaw. #MUNBOU
Within seconds of the substitutions, United were awarded a penalty as the ball struck Adam Smith's arm after Pogba kept the ball in play.
Ibrahimovic stepped up and shot it low towards the corner, but Boruc got down well to keep the ball out impressively.
United continued to push forward in numbers but laboured in attack and failed to carve out any genuine chances for a winner, with Pogba failing to put home two half-chances in stoppage time.
Post-Match Reaction
Mourinho said after the match that he and his side only had themselves to blame for failing to pick up all three points, per BBC Sport's Neil Johnston:
What happened was that we played phenomenal in the first half and should have been winning 3-0 or 4-0—then it ended up 1-1. Who can I blame? Ourselves. Nobody else. We missed big chances.
In the second half we played different team with a man less. I understand their need for one point in the survival battle and they just defended to make it difficult for us. I understand that. And on top of that the goalkeeper was phenomenal.
The Portuguese manager also refused to criticise Friend and Mings, although he did hint at a ban of "three or four or five matches" for the Bournemouth player, per MUTV:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buXC3ty1K6w
On the elbowing incident, Ibrahimovic pleaded innocence, per ESPN FC's Ben Dinnery:
Zlatan: "You have the TV, you can see the images. I jump up and jump high and Mings jumps into my elbow." #MUFC
Similarly, Mings insisted he "would never do that" when questioned on whether his stamp was deliberate, per Johnston.
Wayne Rooney Rumoured to Be Everton Transfer Target After January Loan Rejected
Mar 1, 2017
Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney claps after winning the EFL (English Football League) Cup semi-final second-leg football match between Hull City and Manchester United at the KCOM Stadium in Kingston upon Hull, north east England on January 26, 2017.
/ AFP / Oli SCARFF / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Manchester United captain Wayne Rooney could be on his way back to former club Everton in the summer after it was revealed the Toffees tried to sign the icon on loan in January.
Paul Joyce of The Times reported the Merseyside club "will intensify their efforts to recruit" the player they sold to the Red Devils in 2004.
Rooney has found himself on the fringes of the United first team since the arrival of manager Jose Mourinho, and the skipper only made the bench as his team won the EFL Cup against Southampton at Wembley Stadium.
The England superstar has been linked with moves away from Old Trafford in the past, and he recently issued a statement proclaiming his immediate future to the Manchester giants following fresh speculation.
The club's official website confirmed Rooney's statement:
Despite the interest which has been shown from other clubs, for which I’m grateful, I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying at Manchester United.
I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success on four fronts.
It’s an exciting time at the club and I want to remain a part of it.
LONDON - OCTOBER 4: Wayne Rooney of Everton watches the ball during the FA Barclaycard Premiership match between Tottenham Hotspur and Everton on October 4, 2003 at White Hart Lane in London, England. Tottenham Hotspur won the match 3-0. (Photo by Clive
Rooney is no longer viewed as an essential cog in the United machine, and a switch back to his boyhood club makes sense as Everton progress in the Premier League standings.
The 31-year-old has started only eight Premier League games this season, scoring twice, according to WhoScored.com. He has appeared a further nine times from the bench as Mourinho uses the versatile attacker as a late impact option.
Simon Jones and Chris Wheeler of the Daily Mail reported Rooney was ready to leave the Theatre of Dreams as he was unhappy with his lack of opportunities in Mourinho's squad, and he was considering making a switch to China in a big-money transfer.
Rooney's return to Everton would be met with fanfare by Toffees fans as the prodigal son returns to his roots. His career at United is winding down, and it is time for the striker to find more first-team minutes in the latter part of his career.
Wayne Rooney 'Can Make Everton Stronger,' Says Ronald Koeman Amid Latest Rumours
Feb 28, 2017
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - AUGUST 02: Wayne Rooney of Everton and Manchester United in action during the Duncan Ferguson Testimonial match between Everton and Villarreal at Goodison Park on August 2, 2015 in Liverpool, England. (Photo by Clive Brunskill/Getty Images)
Everton manager Ronald Koeman has insisted Manchester United forward Wayne Rooney would be welcome back at this former club as he "can make Everton stronger."
Speculation has raged recently about the future of the 31-year-old, who has fallen down the pecking order at Old Trafford this season under Jose Mourinho.
Speaking to Sky Sports on Tuesday, Koeman voiced his belief that Rooney still has a lot to offer:
He still has two or three years in front of him to play at the highest level. What will happen at the end of the season, I do not know? In my opinion he's one of the players who can make Everton stronger than they are now.
It's all about what the players likes, what Manchester United need to do and we are not involved in that project. Every player who we feel can make the team stronger is welcome at Everton.
Ronald Koeman: "In my opinion, Wayne Rooney is one of the players who can make Everton stronger than they are now." pic.twitter.com/eHoPEcVFvF
Rooney was recently linked with a move to the Chinese Super League, although with the country's transfer window set to close on Tuesday, that switch is unlikely to materialise.
Also speaking to Sky Sports, Everton director of football Steve Walsh echoed the sentiments of the manager.
"Rooney is one of the greatest players ever to play in England," he said. "For us not to be interested in him it would be wrong. If the opportunity arose for him to come back, and it sat right with everybody, then it's something we'd look at."
The Croxteth-born striker broke the hearts of Evertonians when he left for Manchester United at the age of 18 in 2004. However, after initial anger from the Toffees fanbase, tensions have ceased, with Rooney even donning the royal-blue shirt in Duncan Ferguson's testimonial in 2015.
LONDON, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 26: Jose Mourinho Manager of Manchester United talks to Wayne Rooney of Manchester United during the EFL Cup Final match between Manchester United and Southampton at Wembley Stadium on February 26, 2017 in London, England. (Phot
Plenty of that is due to the success Rooney has enjoyed at Old Trafford, which has vindicated his decision to move at such a young age. Should the England man leave in the summer he would do so as United's all-time record goalscorer, a Champions League victor and a five-time Premier League winner.
But at the moment the United captain feels like a disposable figure, having made just eight league starts in 2016-17. Even so, Daniel Taylor of the Guardian hailed Rooney's commitment to the collective:
For all the stick he gets, Wayne Rooney's reaction to that winning goal - scored by the man who has put him out the team - says an awful lot
That's something Koeman would hope to see Rooney bring to Everton. The Dutchman has integrated a lot of young players into his XI in the likes of Ross Barkley, Romelu Lukaku, Tom Davies, Mason Holgate and Ademola Lookman; having someone of the England international's experience around the club would potentially benefit their development.
Additionally, looking at Rooney himself, perhaps a move back to his boyhood club could stir something in him in the twilight of his career.
LIVERPOOL, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 30: Romelu Lukaku of Everton (R) celebrates with team mate Ross Barkley (L) as he scores their first goal from a free kick during the Premier League match between Everton and Crystal Palace at Goodison Park on September 30,
The United man has settled into a comfort zone at Old Trafford over the last couple of years, which has been detrimental to his form. Donning the colours of his first football love and potentially firing them to future successes must be a stirring proposition.
Ell Bretland of the Daily Mail feels as though the deal would be a big statement on the part of the Toffees, too:
Would be a huge coup for Everton to sign Rooney even at 31. Certainly would benefit the squad and he's still a huge global name/brand. #EFC
The intent on the part of Everton seems to be pretty clear in regards to Rooney, and although there are question marks as to how much of an impact he can have on the pitch at 31, if any stage is going to draw the best from him again it's Goodison Park.
Although United fans have fallen out of love with Rooney recently due to a string of poor performances this season and the emergence of a new hero in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, plenty will lament the departure of a club icon should he move on at the end of the season.
Manchester United Transfer News: Moussa Dembele Targeted to Replace Wayne Rooney
Feb 25, 2017
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND - DECEMBER 29: Moussa Dembele is seen during a training session at Lennoxtown Training Centre on December 29, 2016 in Glasgow, Scotland. (Photo by Ian MacNicol/Getty Images)
Manchester United reportedly want Celtic striker Moussa Dembele to replace Wayne Rooney this summer. The Red Devils are also said to face competition from Premier League leaders Chelsea for the French attacker.
An exclusive report from Paul Hetherington of the Daily Star has revealed how United are getting ready for Rooney's anticipated departure at the end of the season. Hetherington explained how the Old Trafford club has already assembled a list of would-be replacements, with Atletico Madrid's Antoine Griezmann heading the group.
However, the report also detailed how United have been keeping tabs on Dembele: "They sent chief scout Jim Lawlor to watch him against Motherwell last weekend, when he scored his 27th goal of the season."
United may be keeping close watch, but Hetherington made clear how the competition is growing for the 20-year-old: "Chelsea were represented and Dembele, who netted twice more against Hamilton yesterday, has also been linked with Arsenal and Bayern Munich."
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - JANUARY 10: Wayne Rooney of Manchester United in action during the EFL Cup Semi-Final First Leg match between Manchester United and Hull City at Old Trafford on January 10, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Get
Rooney will likely need replacing come the end of the season despite becoming United's all-time leading goalscorer earlier this campaign. Even so, the England international is now 31 and hasn't always featured since Jose Mourinho succeeded Louis van Gaal as manager last summer.
In fact, Rooney has made just eight starts in the Premier League this term, according to WhoScored.com. Being relegated to spot duty has naturally increased speculation Rooney will move on, with a switch to the lucrative Chinese Super League most often mooted for the former Everton man.
A report from James Ducker of the Daily Telegraph recently hinted Rooney may have been sold to China before the country's transfer deadline this month. However, Rooney cooled such talk by announcing he wouldn't quit Old Trafford before this Premier League campaign concludes, per the Sun's Sam Morgan.
If Rooney is on borrowed time in Manchester, then Dembele makes sense as a possible replacement. The 20-year-old has wowed clubs across Europe with his superb displays since moving to Glasgow.
The former Fulham star has dominated across all competitions, according to Squawka Football:
Moussa Dembele has now scored 29 goals across all competitions for Celtic this season, including three hat-tricks for the club. ⚽️ pic.twitter.com/scjQE6qPBZ
More than the goals, though, Dembele's pace and linkup play are sure to appeal to United boss Mourinho. He's a strategist who loves rapid transitions in the final third between skilled attackers well-versed in striking on the break.
Of course, those are the same qualities United's own French forward, Anthony Martial, possesses. Yet Mourinho has often been reluctant to trust the 21-year-old this season.
Dembele's performances are naturally going to draw interest from the biggest clubs, but it seems more likely Mourinho will either persist with Martial or sign a more high-profile forward than Dembele to replace Rooney.
United Lead Race for Potential David De Gea Replacement
Dembele isn't the only promising young talent United are said to be monitoring. The Red Devils are also reportedly leading the race to sign AC Milan's teenage goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma, according to Steve Bates of the Sunday Mirror.
The 18-year-old Rossoneri stopper is seen as United's contingency in case incumbent No. 1 David De Gea forces a move to La Liga giants Real Madrid: "Manager Jose Mourinho is keen to make a contingency plan in case David De Gea decides he wants a return to Spain after Real Madrid's botched attempt to sign the 26-year-old keeper on summer deadline day in 2015. But Mourinho's European scouts are all over Naples-born Donnarumma, who has exploded on the scene in Serie A in dramatic style."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9xZzJ6AGOk
Bates also noted how United's neighbours Manchester City are also keen on Donnarumma, but he dubbed the men from Old Trafford "hot favourites" to land a 'keeper the club has had watched all season.
Donnarumma fits the bill as the type of player Mourinho needs to recruit in order to make United sustained winners of major trophies and titles again. The Italian is young, gifted and already looks ready to win top honours sooner rather than later in his career.
However, everything would obviously hinge on De Gea leaving. His move to the Santiago Bernabeu didn't happen in 2015, but there have been no outward signs since that De Gea is unhappy with life in Manchester.
In fact, De Gea even signed a new deal, set to run an initial four years, back in 2015. In January of this year, Daniel Cutts of the Sun reported Mourinho intends to activate the one-year extension in De Gea's contract this summer.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 11: David De Gea of Manchester United in action during the Premier League match between Manchester United and Watford at Old Trafford on February 11, 2017 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
It doesn't appear as if United are getting ready for De Gea leave England's top flight next season. If anything, signing Donnarumma is redundant for a club boasting a 26-year-old who is arguably the best in the world at his position between the sticks.
Mourinho will surely add to United's ranks this summer, but expect a more established attacker than Dembele to arrive. De Gea staying also looks likely as things stand.
Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic: A Season of Striking Contrasts
Feb 24, 2017
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 29: Wayne Rooney and Zlatan Ibrahimovic of Manchester United celebrate following their sides 1-0 victory during the UEFA Europa League group A match between Manchester United FC and FC Zorya Luhansk at Old Trafford on September 29, 2016 in Manchester, England. (Photo by Laurence Griffiths/Getty Images)
It's over. Of that, there is surely no doubt. The cheerleading is no longer audible over the sigh of resignation. Both sides of the debate are quietly packing away their banners. A statement from Wayne Rooney released on Thursday evening confirming he will not be leaving Manchester United caused barely a ripple. In a world of yachts, it was a pebble thrown in the ocean.
He's not leaving, yet.
It's now a hat-trick of times Rooney has reaffirmed his commitment to the club in 13 years at United. The first two instances—amid purported interest from Manchester City and Chelsea, respectively—were met with a veritable smorgasbord of emotion. Relief wrestled anger; vexation boxed satisfaction. Not this time.
What will hurt Rooney most is the deafening sound of silence. The noise prior to his bid to quell it was all about China, not the issue over whether United should let him leave. That's now taken as a given.
Paul Stretford may be able to make him the richest footballer in the world by engineering a move to the Far East, but if Rooney harbours any ambition of a Lazarus-like resurrection at Old Trafford, he'd better hope Jesus is a qualified football agent.
Wayne Rooney announces he’s staying at Manchester United in a statement: ‘I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying.’ pic.twitter.com/XI0hMVw2sE
To leave before the end of the season always felt counterintuitive given United play Southampton in the Football League Cup final on Sunday—and are still involved in the Europa League and FA Cup. If nothing else, with fixtures stacking up, Rooney should get more playing time than he has been afforded of late. United could have as many as 28 fixtures still left to play.
Though It's fair to say his statement implies this is a situation to be revisited in the summer.
Having started just three of United's last 20 Premier League matches and seemingly fallen behind Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Anthony Martial, Henrikh Mkhitaryan, Marcus Rashford, Juan Mata, Jesse Lingard and arguably even Marouane Fellaini in manager Jose Mourinho's thinking, it's all over bar the shouting. Except no one is shouting. The debate doesn't get heated anymore.
If he were any further down the pecking order, he'd be doing the lunchtime sandwich run. It's a good job United are unlikely to have too many inconsequential matches between now and the campaign's close, for it would be hard to watch the club's greatest-ever goalscorer being wheeled out only when it doesn't matter. Bryan Robson endured a similar fate in his final season at United, when he was only furry feet away from being mistaken for the club's mascot.
It's not this writer's view that Rooney is finished, far from it, but in terms of his time left at United, it seems superfluous to even imagine him being anything more than a reoccurring character. The best he can hope for is catching the eye enough to win a spin-off series of his own. Think Dr. Frasier Crane in Cheers.
Mourinho has said he would never "push" a legend out of the club, according to BBC Sport, perhaps in the same way Janine was adamant she never pushed Barry off that cliff in EastEnders. Given Mourinho is not famed for giving youth its head, the fact he is now claiming Rooney's chances have been reduced because he has to give Rashford playing time every single game, as reported by The Sun, is like being turned down for a date by Warren Beatty on the grounds he's not much of a ladies' man.
Football has always fetishised young players. It did with Rooney in 2002, the year he emerged with chutzpah as big as his shorts. An obsession with youth and who's new must make players at the mid-point in their careers ponder whether they are climbing the mountain or coming down the other side. For those over 30, the time it takes to transition from having a place in the team to one on the bench to one in a rocking chair on a veranda can be cruelly short.
To observe Rooney cracking a joke among fellow substitutes when his eyes betray the smile, it's hard to resist the temptation to push a hand through the television set to offer him a blanket. As Peanuts creator Charles M. Schulz once quipped: "Just remember, when you're over the hill, you begin to pick up speed."
Had Martial or Rashford usurped Rooney as Manchester United's main striker, it would have been a fast-tracked but nonetheless evolutionary process. Showing the soles of your boots to a crowd while lying prone on a canvas is never an enjoyable experience, but it's better to be knocked out by a young pretender than a fellow seasoned pro.
There's no shame in losing your place to a true great of the modern game. However, Rooney would not be human if he didn't look at Ibrahimovic and feel envious at how football's Benjamin Button has scored more than any player in English football's top flight at 35, while he feels 31 in dog years. Ibrahimovic has had the season Rooney will have daydreamed about having all summer.
In John Updike's Rabbit Redux, the novel's main character Harry "Rabbit" Angstrom muses: "What you haven't done by 30 you're not likely to do. What you have done you'll do lots more." It seems like a neat way to sum up Ibrahimovic's career.
A lot of footballers become cuter in their 30s, smarter, but very few are better. The current version of Ibrahimovic, however more impressive he is than many of us imagined, is not him at his peak. It's hard, though, to dispute that, accumulatively, he has been more effective since turning 30, which in itself makes him a fascinating outlier.
In 529 matches before 30, he scored 232 goals. After 30, he has managed 246 in 300. Prior to his landmark year, the best he had ever managed in a single season was 29 for Inter Milan in 2008/09. In the year of his 30th, he marked his final season in Italy by scoring 35 goals in 44 games before moving to PSG. In four seasons in the French capital, he never scored fewer than 30 goals, racking up an eye-watering 156 in 180 matches. Still, the step from Ligue 1 to the Premier League is huge, isn't it?
Zlatan Ibrahimovic's 91st start since the beginning of last season. A ludicrous workload for a 25-year-old, let alone 35.
When Rooney started United's first five matches of the season, he must have thought at worst he would have to share playing time with Ibrahimovic. Some say Mourinho gave his captain just enough rope. With the season now 20 games further on, Rooney has just two Premier League goals in the bank.
Ibrahimovic has 15 goals and four assists in 24 Premier League appearances. In all competitions, he has 24 goals in 37 matches. That's seven more than Martial managed as United's top goalscorer last season. The year before that, Rooney top-scored with 14. Ibrahimovic is United's first reliable goalscorer since Robin van Persie hit 30 in 2012/13.
There's something almost masochistic in Mourinho's seeming obsession not to take him off. He has played every single Premier League minute (2,160) he has been available for over 24 matches, missing only the Arsenal game through suspension. If Ibrahimovic were a horse, the RSPCA would have intervened by now.
In January last year, Jamie Carragher said Rooney had the body of a 35-year-old. In January this year, Rio Ferdinand said Rooney had the body of a 40-year-old. It must have been a hell of a year. If it was Ibrahimovic's 35-year-old body Carragher was referring to, Rooney might still be in Mourinho's team.
Rooney has always been a player who has evoked anger among those who see his overindulgence over the summer months as being nothing less than rank dereliction of professional duties. That image of him in flip-flops and a vest enjoying an oversized red lollipop the size of his head is not easily forgotten. To his detractors, it was a perfect photograph to blow up; English football at its John Bull worst.
Ibrahimovic, in contrast, brought his own personal physio, Dario Fort, with him to Manchester.
If Rooney wears the look of a man who has had a tough paper round, it's because he has. For a player accused of lacking professionalism, he's done pretty well to clock up 745 senior appearances for club and country since his debut as a precociously talented 16-year-old at Everton.
For context, when Paul Scholes retired for a second time at the age of 38, he had played 782 games. At three years younger, Ibrahimovic has managed 830. The points is, at 31, Rooney is already up there with the best in terms of longevity. Amusing as it was, the lollipop snap was little more than a crude caricature.
If it has not been a path well trodden by Rooney already, Sunday's final against Southampton could prove his road-to-Damascus moment. Having not played since February 1 due to a muscular problem, whether he will be involved at Wembley remains in the balance.
Talk of him having played his last game for United with Tuesday's Chinese Super League transfer deadline day looming large was always a little previous, given the vast amount of money involved. However, Sunday unquestionably represents his best chance of playing for United at the national stadium one last time. If he's fit and doesn't make the squad, the Chinese version of Jim White may yet still possibly combust.
The League Cup in recent times has become a competition with a moral conundrum at its heart like no other. With elite clubs in particular almost universally using the format to give playing time to young players and those on the periphery, there is invariably an uneasy dilemma posed when any of them reach the final. A manager has to decide whether to stick with those who got them there, or name his usual first-choice XI.
Sunday will almost certainly see Mourinho at his heartless best. If the Portuguese were in the racing game, he'd have any also-rans rounded up and made into glue at the end of each meeting, so the best Rooney can hope for is a place on the bench.
Ibrahimovic will start, as he always does. While it's possible to appreciate a footballer playing overseas as you might the majesty of an animal via a David Attenborough documentary, it's only when seeing them close up, in the flesh, skin and bone, that it becomes apparent you are witnessing something remarkable.
He arrived in Manchester a huge star but still something of an enigma to English crowds. While impossible to dismiss immaculate goalscoring records in Sweden, Holland, Italy, Spain and France (though plenty did), he made it easy for Anglophiles to pose the proverbial question of whether he could handle it on a cold Tuesday night in Stoke, by virtue of having scored only six goals in 22 appearances against English clubs in the Champions League.
Ibrahimovic's 30-yard bicycle kick for Sweden against England may have been an act of savage ballet Rudolf Nureyev would have been proud of, but having struggled at the European Championship last summer,doubts lingered over whether he was the quintessential flat-track bully. An old one at that.
He's a bully all right but not of the flat-track variety.
Who could have guessed a striker who scored 50 goals for Paris Saint-Germain last season could make his critics "eat their balls," as he eloquently put it, by proving a success in the Premier League?
"The criticism gives me a lot of energy, trust me. A lot of energy because they get paid to talk s--t and I get paid to play with my feet, that's how I enjoy it," he said at the turn of the year, per the Telegraph's Luke Edwards.
Zlatan was born with a plastic spoon in his mouth, and thank the Lord for it. In a closeted world where Premier League graduates are trained in the art of making a sound without saying anything, to listen to him talk feels like being privy to a private conversation. The idea of him being conceited is nonsense. His tongue is so in cheek it's a wonder it hasn't worn a hole in the side of his face.
There's no doubt he is now the leader in Manchester United's dressing room. In particular, the younger members of Mourinho's squad look as though they might be considering asking for an autograph whenever they get within a few feet of him. That was once the power Rooney held over team-mates.
Maybe he will again. Just not in Manchester.
Wayne Rooney Confirms He Will Remain with Manchester United
Feb 23, 2017
Manchester United's English striker Wayne Rooney applauds the fans following the English Premier League football match between Manchester United and Hull City at Old Trafford in Manchester, north west England, on February 1, 2017.
The match ended in a draw at 0-0. / AFP / Oli SCARFF / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or 'live' services. Online in-match use limited to 75 images, no video emulation. No use in betting, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo credit should read OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty Images)
Wayne Rooney has declared his allegiance to Manchester United, releasing a statement to confirm he will remain at Old Trafford after recent speculation about his immediate future.
The club's official website confirmed the England captain's intentions, as Rooney said he will remain in Manchester under coach Jose Mourinho.
The 31-year-old's statement read:
Despite the interest which has been shown from other clubs, for which I’m grateful, I want to end recent speculation and say that I am staying at Manchester United.
I hope I will play a full part in helping the team in its fight for success on four fronts.
It’s an exciting time at the club and I want to remain a part of it.
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND - FEBRUARY 21: Jose Mourinho, manager of Manchester United walks past Wayne Rooney during a training session ahead of the UEFA Europa League round-of-32 second leg against St Etienne at Aon Training Complex on February 21, 2017 in Man
The United legend has found himself on the edge of Mourinho's plans in recent months, losing his regular starting spot after the good form of Henrikh Mkhitaryan and Juan Mata.
The 31-year-old has started only eight Premier League games this season, scoring twice, according to WhoScored.com.
According to Simon Jones and Chris Wheeler for the Daily Mail, Rooney was ready to leave the Theatre of Dreams as he was unhappy with his lack of opportunities in Mourinho's squad.
Rooney is still young enough to regain a place in United's starting XI, but the emergence of Mkhitaryan has compromised his position as a No. 10.
The skipper's productivity has reduced after Sir Alex Ferguson retired from the Old Trafford hot seat, and Rooney does not have the pace needed to start every week for the Red Devils.
Manchester United squandered the chance to move into the Premier League's top four as they could only draw 1-1 with Bournemouth at Old Trafford on Saturday.
