Blackpool manager Ian Holloway blasts Wayne Rooney
Highflying Blackpool's Manager, Ian Holloway has lambasted Wayne Rooney and the football’s governing bodies for the way Rooney is forcing his way out of Manchester United.
Holloway’s comments echoed those of previous managers who too have been the victim of players using their power to force a move to other clubs.
"I've got big problems with the people running football. They are so wrong, it's frightening," Holloway said. "I think the game is in trouble and you cannot have the Bosman ruling they've got at the moment."
The Bosman ruling allows a player over the age of 24 to leave the club at the end of his contract for free. In this case, Wayne Rooney’s current contract expires in the summer of 2012 when he would be able to walk out of the club for nothing. Manchester
United had paid 27m pounds to Everton when he was only 18 and this could be a huge blow both on the field and in financial terms.
An impassioned Holloway added, "Manchester United have helped Wayne Rooney's career massively on and off the field. The manager, the club itself has invested in him. They bought him for massive amounts of money as a young man and they're helping him blossom
into the player that he is. He's one of the best centre-forwards in the world. And if he sees his contract out, he's going to be able to walk out of there for nothing. That's the people at the very top of the game's fault."
"What if he sits there for 18 months, throws tantrums, doesn't try, doesn't play, and someone's already said to him, 'We'll take you and we'll pay you some of that money we should have paid Manchester United because you can walk out on a free'? Do you want
to sign a person like that? Do you want to play for a club that says that to you? How do we know it hasn't already happened? The game is wrong", maintained Blackpool's manager.
"If Alex Ferguson is being bullied by a player and his agent, how wrong is the game? When are Fifa and Uefa going to listen to the people who are involved in the game? They say it's not fair on the player. Rubbish! The player has had his wages every week.
They bought him, they worked with him, he belongs to them. It's so obvious. The world should change if it's wrong and football should look at itself. I'm looking at Alex Ferguson and thinking: 'What a magnificent manager'. Yet Wayne Rooney or his agent can
now manufacture a situation like this."
Further to the concern of Holloway, there is a feeling in the United camp that if they fail to sell Rooney in the upcoming January transfer window, he could invoke the article 17 of Fifa’s transfer rules, which is Webster ruling.
Under the Webster ruling, Rooney can buy out the last year of his contract for a mere 5m pound, which is equivalent of his annual salary, plus a small compensation fee. This would mean a huge loss for Manchester United who value Wayne in the region of 40m
pounds. However, the player's stance that he wants to leave and with it the associated problems of player's power, Manchester United could be forced to accept a fee a lot less than that.
Meanwhile, former Manchester skipper and current Sunderland manager, Steve Bruce, who has also played under Sir Alex ferguson, has found it "strange" and "unbelievable" that Wayne Rooney could dare question ambitions of Manchester United.
"I remember in 1995 when Fergie sold Paul Ince, Andrei Kanchelskis and Mark Hughes, we all scratched our heads and thought, 'Wow, what's this?' Bruce said.
"The introduction of David Beckham, Paul Scholes, the Nevilles and Nicky Butt produced a dynasty for 10, 15 years which hauled in trophy after trophy, so I would never, ever question their ambition, that's for certain."
Nevertheless, one thing is certain that players have immense power in today’s game. We have already seen players like Javier Mascherano and Charles N’Zogbia use their power.
Mascherano was able to force a move for half the amount (17m pounds) that Liverpool valued him at. It’s likely that this time it will be Manchester United who will have to accept an amount which would undermine their value of the player.
Tags: