So....

Does this mean Rooney will start playing better?

The State of Football

A year ago I pointed out how the media loves to blow up – or just make up – a football club's off-field problems when they are having a tough time on the pitch, specifically in the case of Portsmouth. The crisis club mantle thus far this season undoubtably falls to Liverpool but thunderclouds loom over Old Trafford.

Last year having lost arguably two of their best players in Ronaldo and Tevez, United failed to capture a fourth successive and overall a nineteenth league title, both unaccomplished feats in English football. Off the field the owners refinanced their enormous debts, kick starting the anti-Glazer “Green & Gold” movement and a highly publicized, but failed, attempt from a group of wealthy United fans, the Red Knights, to purchase the club.

On the surface consolation was found in the that United finished only one point behind champions Chelsea, a league cup title and the belief they would most likely have progressed further in the Champions League if not for an ankle injury to Wayne Rooney. In truth the injury to Rooney revealed how much the club relied on the striker in the first place. The old guard of Giggs and Scholes performed brilliantly, but by the end of the season even United fans knew changes were necessary if United were to keep up with big spending Chelsea and Manchester City.

Unfortunately for United supporters the changes this season haven't come in the expected, or desired, manner. Star player Rooney had a terrible World Cup, endured a tabloid scandal and appeared to have a loss of form until recent developments regarding his desire to leave United turned a bad situation into a potential disaster. Since the subject has already been turned inside out by anyone who has ever pretended to be a journalist, I'll try to keep things simple and present as many facts as possible.

1. The Player

As we've all read this week, Rooney wants to leave United due to concerns over the club's ability to challenge for top honors. While this is certainly believable, it's most likely a PR angle to shift the blame from himself and his Mr. Ten Percent to the club, ensuring he looks good in the papers and in the fan's eyes – espcially the anti-Glazer demographic. Even though it's true that United are not in the condition to win trophies as they were upon his arrival in 2004, it's impossible to discount the fact that he, and his agent, would stand to make a lot more money if he left than if he stayed. In fact, upon his arrival from Everton, Arsenal had just gone a whole season unbeaten and Roman Ambramovich had already begun spending silly money at Chelsea, a situation, football wise, not completely different than today. The difference then? Fiances.

2. The Club

Prior to Wayne Rooney's arrival at United the club had spent 99 million pounds on five big purchases from 1998-2002. These included Dwight Yorke, Jaap Stam, Juan Sebastian Veron, Rio Ferdinand and Ruud Van Nistelrooy. The final three of those purchases came between 2001 and 2002 and cost 76 million pounds. United were the transfer market bullies, having no English competition anywhere close to them. But in 2003 Ambramovich bought Chelsea and began his own spending spree. Still United managed to secure Rooney a year later for 27 million pounds, a world record fee for a teenager.

In 2005 the Glazers took over United, but spending stayed pretty much the same, 92 million pounds on 5 players from the take over until the summer of 2008. Then came America's financial crash, crippling the Glazer's non-United investments. Since America's recession United have spent 32 million pounds on four major purchases. No paltry sum, but it pales in comparison to previous spending and in light of Cristiano Ronaldo's 80 million pound move to Real Madrid.

The club has long claimed for the past two years that it has money spend, especially in regards to the massive Ronaldo transfer fee, but that in the current market prices have been overinflated. The fact is this never stopped United before. Previously whenever United relinquished control of the league title they spent big. In 1995 they broke the English transfer record for Andy Cole at 7 million pounds. In 1998 they purchased Jaap Stam and Dwight Yorke for 22 million pounds. In 2002, just one year after purchasing Veron for 28 million and breaking the English transfer record again, they spent 29 million pounds for Rio Ferdinand. And in 2004 they bought Rooney.

Since 2005, when the Glazer's took over the club, United have not broken the English transfer record nor splashed out in the same way to regain the league title. The 30 million pounds spent on Berbatov showed United could still throw their weight around the market, but once the US stock market crashed the club immediately took the line that the transfer market was overinflated and their policy was to spend on youth. Their oldest transfer since Berbatov's move, Michael Owen's free transfer not included, was Antonio Valencia, 24 years old when he arrived last year.

This doesn't even include all the details regarding the enormity of United's debt. On the basic face of the matter, United's behavior in the transfer market proves they are not in the same position to win trophies as they were when Rooney arrived.

3. The Manager

Finally, Sir Alex. Even rival fans would most likely begrudge Sir Alex the title of genius. He's won it all and then done it again, but on the back of a lot of money. Even before he won a title he broke the transfer record to bring in Gary Pallister. Of course Rooney isn't the first player Ferguson has bumped heads with and he managed the club to titles even after seminal figures like Ince, Stam, Beckham, Van Nistelrooy and Keane wanted away. But again, he achieved his success by spending a lot of money.

It should be noted that Ferguson has never patched things up with a player once they want away or he's had enough of them. He benched Ince, Beckham and Van Nistelrooy in a similar manner to Rooney and, in the end, it was only a matter of time before they left the club. Of course in each case he denied a rift with the player.

His own press conference earlier this week, like Rooney's, was a PR exercise in blame shifting. In Ferguson's eyes, he is Manchester United. What he does makes or breaks the teams performances. If he speaks out against the Glazers there will be internal turmoil, endless speculation, upset supporters and possibly boycotts. He won't do anything to damage the unity and belief at the club. So of course it's no surprise he takes the club's line that they have money to spend. He says he doesn't know why Rooney wants to leave and yet Rooney's statement says his representatives were clear in asking about United's intentions to remain a potent force in the transfer market. Then again Rooney said he wasn't injured and Ferguson has outlined that he was.

When it comes down to it, both Ferguson and Rooney have lied. Ferguson to protect the club and Rooney to protect himself. Normally most fans would side with Ferguson for protecting the club, but in this case, with the poor management of the Glazers its hard to understand him. Speaking to Sky TV he laughed off the question of whether he could guide United to further trophies. There's no doubt Manchester United pre-recession could rise back up, but given their clear inability to purchase world class talent, it seems more unlikely that United will win major honors with the Glazers as owners.

***

Ian Holloway made headlines today for claiming “football should look at itself” and “The game is wrong. The people in charge of the game are wrong. They are so wrong this is frightening.” While he was referring to Rooney and the Bosman ruling the message really should have been about football ownership.

It's nothing new that the clubs with the most money win the most trophies. For the most part the league table at the end of a season matches the amount of money that clubs spend on their wages. This is the way football has been since it became professional. But the problem is the amount of money involved now and the attitude towards this amount of money. The issue of club ownership and fiscal responsibility needs to be resolved immediately.

Since the inception of the Premier League we've seen the collapse of Leeds and Portsmouth and close calls with West Ham, Newcastle and Liverpool. United are tinkering on the edge and it wouldn't come as any surprise if their collapse finally signaled the start of some serious legislation on the matter of ownership, debts and club spending.