The Manchester United supporters were sent into an emotional tailspin after learning that Wayne Rooney wants to leave, but Sir Alex Ferguson delivered a message that we all must follow.
His concise, but yet effective message to the supporters was that they have to “trust” Manchester United.
It seems like such an obvious statement, but emotions sometime get the best of people and make them do things that they normally would not do, so it is imperative that they do not lose sight or trust in the overall goals of the manager and the club.
What the United boss needs right now is our faith that he will turn this unfortunate circumstance into a positive learning experience for the club – just like has done throughout his 24-year managerial career.
This is not the first time that Sir Alex has had to deal with a disgruntled player in some sort of way – and it certainly will not be the last time, either.
Sir Alex has a proven track record – securing a meager 34 trophies during his time at United – so the supporters have no reason not to trust him and the decisions that he is about to make.
Ferguson said to Rooney, “Just remember one thing: respect and honor this club,” and this is the exact message that needs to be reiterated to all of the adoring supporters as well.
All clubs go through a bad spell now and again, but with the unity of the supporters, the players and the club as a whole then that blip will be short-lived and everyone can move on.
However, the opposite can rain true as well, because if one of the missing links is broken and disgruntled then the club will either come to a standstill or even worse – take a few steps back and slide into the relegation zone.
Look at one of Manchester United’s fiercest rivals, Liverpool, and their players have let their off-the-field issues effect their performances on the pitch.
Whether Rooney has respected the club – and its never-judging supporters remains to be seen, because his half-committed, mediocre performances and creating a stir in the dressing room has been unsettling and could very well be the reason why United has been sputtering this season.
When a club has a cloud of uncertainty and doubt hanging over them, they will not perform to their fullest potential, which is clearly the problem right now after six draws in their last 10 matches.
With our other off-the-field issues, we need to make sure that we are fully behind Sir Alex and all of the decisions he makes involving the club.
The success that Sir Alex has brought has ultimately led to the one thing that is going to be lacking from the supporters: patience.
The Gaffer needs the supporters to be patient, because United are about to enter a period of transition, because now he not only has to replace Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs, but also find a suitable long-term replacement for Rooney as well, which maybe the reason why he has taken this news so hard.
Reasons
One of his best friends at the club is Wes Brown, and there have been reports lately that he is on his way out of the club as well after a bust-up with the manager on the Tour 2010.
It has been reported that the 31-year old Manchester-born defender spoke out of place and insulted Sir Alex with foul language, which is probably why he has only feature a couple of times this season.
Sir Alex has said that he does not know what has change Rooney’s mind, but it could very well be the influence of Brown or the influence of his agent, Paul Stretford.
The only other reason to why Rooney would not want to finish out his career at United is the constant harassment of the English media.
With Rooney’s reputation growing as one of the world’s best players reaching unparalleled heights, the media turned up their level of intensity by tracking his each and every move.
With that said, though, no matter where he goes – domestic or abroad, Rooney will face the constant in-your-face mentality that the media subjects pop stars with.
The final straw that could have broke Rooney’s back could be the fact that Nemanja Vidic was named the long-term United captain, which is something that Rooney definitely aspired to be.
Whatever the reason for Wayne Rooney’s decision to leave Manchester United, the supporters desperately need to affirm their full support and trust to Sir Alex Ferguson to show him that they know he has the best interests of the club at heart.
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