Why Is Wayne Rooney so Unpopular and Unloved Among Manchester United Fans?
In the coming months, it is highly likely Wayne Rooney will overtake Sir Bobby Charlton to become Manchester United’s leading goal scorer of all time.
Rooney needs just four more goals to dislodge Charlton and his total of 249 goals from the top of the list.
This is a record that has remained unbeaten since Charlton brought his playing career at Old Trafford to an end in 1973.
So it would naturally be assumed Rooney is being lauded by Manchester United’s fans, for over the last 12 years, his goals have helped bring the club five Premier League titles, a Champions League, two League Cups, a Club World Cup and, in May, an FA Cup.
But Rooney’s relationship with United’s fans is more complicated than that, and it has never been more strained.
On Twitter, I recently posed the simple question, "How do United fans feel about Wayne Rooney?" Look away, Wayne, because the response was overwhelmingly negative.
On the brink of immortality, why has Rooney become so unloved and unpopular among United’s legion of fans?
The above opinions represent those of many of the United fans who responded, as they believe Rooney doesn’t deserve a place in United’s starting XI.
There is a growing resentment aimed at the player because since 2013, under managers David Moyes, Louis van Gaal and now Jose Mourinho, he has appeared to be immune from being dropped.
No matter how poor his form becomes, he remains in the team.
The issue of Rooney’s position is likely to reach a head this season, for his presence in the team appears to be hurting others. And according to some fans, it has become obvious.
He is no longer an orthodox striker, for that is the domain of faster or more prolific attackers in Zlatan Ibrahimovic, Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial.
So Mourinho is using him as a No. 10, but so far, the United captain hasn’t impressed there, where many fans believe it would be better to deploy either Juan Mata or Henrikh Mkhitaryan.
To accommodate Rooney as a No. 10, Mourinho has been setting up his sides in a 4-2-3-1 formation. But this means playing Paul Pogba in the midfield two, a position that is clearly not conducive to getting the best out of his immense talent.
Pogba would be better served in a 4-3-3 formation, in which he could play on the left side of a midfield three, possibly alongside Ander Herrera and Morgan Schneiderlin, the same position in which he built his reputation at Juventus.
To get the best out of their record £89 million investment, Rooney might be the player Mourinho has to sacrifice.
If the No. 10 position doesn’t exist anymore, and Mourinho has ruled out ever playing Rooney in midfield, there is no longer room for him.
The above tweet speaks for many United fans who have watched Rooney’s obvious decline in the three years since Sir Alex Ferguson retired.
Ferguson prided himself on spotting when a player had reached his peak, and if he had stayed beyond the summer of 2013, it is highly unlikely Rooney would still be at Old Trafford.
In My Autobiography, released a few months after his retirement, Ferguson wrote about his belief that Rooney was "struggling to get by people" and had "lost some of his old thirst" (h/t Owen Gibson of the Guardian).
There is a feeling among United fans that without an authoritative and decisive manager, Rooney has been indulged by Ferguson's successors and allowed to survive.
Amid so much change and uncertainty, Mourinho's predecessors have lacked the gumption to make the hard decision to banish Rooney.
The truth is Rooney’s relationship with United’s fans has never recovered from his decision to ask for a transfer from the club in October 2010. He is the unforgiven.
The rage that saw United fans unfurl banners at the time asking “Who’s the whore now, Wayne?” has never truly disappeared.
It is possibly why United fans are less patient with Rooney. He wanted to get away back then; they want it to happen now.
It is unfair because even club legends such as the beloved George Best walked out of the club before he was 27, and Eric Cantona asked to leave Old Trafford while serving his infamous nine-month ban in 1995.
But Rooney stands alone as a player who asked to leave and has never rid himself of the stigma.
There are, however, supporters who still acknowledge his contribution to United and believe he remains vital to the team this season.
He may have reached his peak, but he still often brings presence, a goal threat and a drive to this United side.
Rooney is judged by a different standard; his mistakes are seized upon, and his goals and continuing influence are conveniently overlooked.
It was only four months ago when Rooney’s driving run dragged United back into the FA Cup final against Crystal Palace and saw them grasp a crucial late equaliser.
His run to the byline created the chance for Rashford to score United's late winner against Hull City at the end of August.
Winning the FA Cup meant Rooney had completed his domestic set of medals at United, and in terms of his cold statistics, he can be compared to anyone in United’s history. But the feeling among fans is he has never managed to thrill them in the same way Best, Cantona and Ryan Giggs did.
Rooney is living proof you can score as many goals as possible but that fans will judge you on how you make them feel.
It seems somewhat unfair Cristiano Ronaldo’s name is still sung by United fans seven years after he left for Real Madrid but that Rooney is unlikely to be held in the same affection as the Portuguese winger when he leaves.
The player who stayed is scorned; the player who left is celebrated. Familiarity certainly breeds contempt.
In the aftermath of United's 3-1 defeat at Watford on Sunday, social media simmered with resentment toward Rooney, who was once again cast as the scapegoat for another underwhelming team performance.
A consensus has emerged among United fans that this has to be Rooney’s final season at Old Trafford. He is getting older, slower and doesn’t deserve his place in the team.
The day when Rooney leaves United looks like it is drawing closer, and when it finally happens, he will certainly be respected but probably not as loved or revered as he deserves to be.
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