Sweet success
WAYNE Rooney says if Manchester United wins the current Premier League campaign, it would be one of the club’s greatest triumphs ever.
Even though United have won with “kids”, done the Treble, seen off Abramovich’s Roman empire, outlasted Arsene Wenger’s brilliance, and, before all that, conquered Europe in spite of the terrible tragedy of Munich 1958, Rooney still has a point – which, let’s face it, he rarely does.
For the wonderful footballer that he is, and for the excellent service he has granted Manchester United – bar that episode his agent cooked up about him leaving – Rooney is rarely one to go to if you’re looking for insightful sound bites.
On the surface, too, it seems pretty stupid to place this season up there among United’s collection of momentous achievements, especially with everyone going on and on about how we ain’t seeing a vintage United right now.
Knocked out in the group stages of the Champions League, completely outplayed in the Europa League round of 16, and not making the quarter-finals of any of the four cup competitions they took part in – that’s pretty tragic for a club of United’s stature.
Against a backdrop of such under-achievement, a Premier League trophy – which would be won with many a mediocre performance, and against equally underperforming rivals – would seem more like a consolation prize to some.
But I kinda-sorta have to agree with Rooney, taking into account what’s happened not just in this season, but the last few.
In the past, talk about United’s successes have always come with the caveat that they were big spenders. They bought success, and success bought more money; which as a United fan, I’d have to admit is rather true.
From Bryan Robson to Andy Cole to Juan Sebastian Veron (all three were British record signings), United have consistently been one of the biggest players in the transfer market over the last few decades.
Now, though, United are not just facing one club with seemingly unlimited resources, they are facing two, and possibly three if you consider Tottenham Hotspur. They sasay staying on top is harder than getting tigetting there, but to get back up there hhaving been pushed down is probably aprobably even harder.
First, Chelsea came along, and ssuddenly Manchester wasn’t the cchoice destination in England for tthe world’s best anymore. Michael Essien, Arjen Robben, Didier Drogba, Joe Cole, Damien Duff and John Obi Mikel were just some of the players who spurned United’s advances at the time.
When United managed to finally get back on top – thanks in no