Manchester United: An unforgettable week!

It’s been a very mixed and emotional week for me and my fellow United fans. The emotional roller-coaster begin a few weeks ago when a certain Robin van Persie, who had not won a single league title in English football, scored a hat-trick to clinch title number 20 for Manchester United, thereby claiming his first league title after a long wait. United’s #20 helped the Red Devils clinch their 20th title in English football. The following week, van Persie returned to his former club as a champion, receiving the Guard of Honour from his ex-colleagues. Sir Alex Ferguson had created yet another title winning team. The defeat to the noisy neighbours last season was a very bitter pill, and the gaffer and his team responded in the perfect fashion. Everything looked to be going according to the plan. No one was prepared to face what was coming up next. Out of nowhere, reports emerged that a huge announcement was imminent from the United camp, and the speculation was that Sir Alex was calling it a day. Many of them dismissed this as just rumours and were not ready to accept it. I was one of them. I was adamant that this is just another ploy to destabilize the club. Twitter went crazy with this news. I read the tweets, ignored them and went to sleep.

The next morning, the club finally confirmed the news. Sir Alex Ferguson was indeed retiring. The world came to a standstill for me. I went blank, and literally had tears in my eyes. We all feared this day would eventually come, but I surely wasn’t ready for this so early. I hoped for it to be just a nightmare, but it wasn’t to be. The face of Manchester United, the symbol of Manchester United and the soul of Manchester United was indeed stepping down. From the joy of winning the 20th title, everything came crashing down. Tributes were flowing in from all over the footballing world celebrating the achievements of Fergie. At the same time, there was disbelief and sadness spread all over upon hearing this news. We all expected Ferguson to carry on for at least a couple of years more. I’ve been following Manchester United for a long time and Sir Alex has been the face of this club. His passion and love for the club is beyond imagination. I’ve trusted his every decision. I’ve believed in every team he’s put out. He taught us to believe that it’s not over until the final whistle. United games would never be the same without the old man chewing gum on the sidelines, screaming instructions at his players, giving a mouthful to the officials and pointing towards his watch. He won’t be there celebrating the goals like a kid with his support staff. I cannot imagine that sight at all.

As if this wasn’t bad enough, reports emerged that Rooney had put in a transfer request for the second time in two years. There were no confirmed reports from the club or the player, but the media was pretty confident of the story and was all over the internet. This was too much to take in for a fan like me. There were plenty of United fans who turned against Roo and hurled abuses at him and his family via social media. There was a lot of hatred for him due to his actions. Personally, I hate to go against my own players. It’s important to be critical of them, but I feel it’s wrong to hate them. There was outrage amongst the fans because Rooney never denied these rumours, and instead published a statement clarifying his Twitter bio misconceptions. Moreover, he never publicly acknowledged Sir Alex’s contribution and influence after he had announced his retirement. People wanted him out of the team. Rooney wasn’t involved in the match day squad for Sir Alex’s final home game against Swansea. In what was an emotional and a farewell game for Sir Alex, you would’ve thought Rooney would play. But Ferguson confirmed post-match that Rooney had indeed put in a transfer request and wasn’t in the right frame of mind to play. This proved to be the final nail in the coffin for the fans.

I would hate to see Rooney leave. Agreed he has been below par since he put in the transfer request a couple of years back, but he’s often the driving force in the team. His commitment and effort cannot be questioned, although he does tend to be inconsistent. He’s forced to sacrifice his usual playing position to accommodate other players. He’s been forced to play on the left wing, right wing and even in central midfield and he’s done it with minimum fuss. I feel that his doubts over United’s ambition played a role in the club spending big during transfer windows. United strengthened their squad with valuable additions. The irony is that it’s those new players who’re keeping Rooney out of the team now. It has come to bite him in the back. He’s been substituted quite a few times this season, and he has only himself to blame. Ferguson has every right to keep him out if he’s under-performing. And I feel that it should motivate him to get back into the playing XI. Sadly, that’s not how it panned out for Roo, and he instead opted to move out. But the abuse from the fans and the hatred is totally uncalled for. You cannot just overlook his contributions and achievements for United. He’s been a very important player for United all these years and deserves as much credit as the others. Many times, when the team looked out of ideas, it was Rooney who pulled the strings together and got the job done. There have been occasions this season where he’s just not turned up, but that’s no reason for such hatred. At the moment, he’s certainly one of the best, if not the best, English players. He certainly has the talent and quality and any team would be more than happy to have him in their squad. He has scored some vital goals for United and is edging closer to becoming United’s all time top-scorer.

I’m not defending Rooney’s actions here. After all these years, you would think that he’s matured and become sensible. But people don’t always turn out the way we expect them to. The whole situation could’ve been handled in a much better way. The least he could do for his manager was bid him a farewell by playing in the final home game. Ferguson has always stood by Rooney and supported him in public whenever Roo has found himself in trouble. At the same time, he also has the policy of ‘my way or the highway’. No player is bigger than the club and Ferguson has never been shy to point this out. There have been numerous occasions where top players have fallen prey to this policy. Keane, Ruud and Beckham were all forced out of the club due to their run-ins with the gaffer. Although Ferguson won’t be in charge next season, Rooney does have issues with United’s future manager David Moyes. They didn’t part in good terms when Rooney was sold to United. And the arrival of Moyes could further be a reason for Rooney’s departure.

I want him to stay, but I have a feeling Rooney might be done with his career at Old Trafford, despite the club having denied his request. Even if he decides to extend his stay here, it would take a lot to convince the fans and have them by his side. He needs to improve his performances. The only way he can prove himself is if he sets his mind straight. There’s no point in keeping him if he’s not interested in staying. I would be very sad to see him go. It’s strange how people always hang on to the wrongs and overlook the rights. As a player, I like him a lot. I always thought he was made for Manchester United, right from the day I saw him debut for the Red Devils. He’s at the perfect place; with a title winning club, and champion team-mates. He has made mistakes. He’ll face the consequences and I’m sure he’ll regret it. But if his mind is elsewhere, then it’s in the interest of both the parties to let him go. No player is bigger than the club. He still has two years on his contract. United would definitely demand a high fee and, furthermore, it’s vital to bring in an able replacement. His departure will free a huge chunk of wages which can be put to better use.

Scholes also announced his retirement for the second time and to be honest, I wasn’t surprised. And he bowed in typical fashion. Simple and quiet.

However, this week is about Sir Alex Ferguson and I’ll end this piece with him. I’ve spent the last few days watching montages and various compilations of the gaffer. His speech was such a heart-warming one. The part where he tells the fans – “your job now is to stand by our new manager” brought tears to my eye and I’m pretty sure everyone else shares the same sentiment. It’s really hard to believe that this day has indeed come. Thank you Sir Alex Ferguson for making the impossible dream possible. Thank you for putting out title-winning teams season after season. Thank you for making us fall in love with Manchester United. It’s not often that you’re so attached to someone you haven’t met in your lifetime and probably would never meet. Thank you Boss, and goodbye! You’ll be missed!