Jose Mourinho’s arrival at Manchester United will have many players quaking their boots. The hefty contracts afforded to Manchester United’s players could be swept away from under their feet as Mourinho forces them towards the door.
Wayne Rooney, however, is not a player you will see many touting for a swift exit. The club captain and England scapegoat will surely be pivotal in Mourinho’s Manchester United dynasty, won’t he?!
Well, perhaps not. His European Championship disappointment is fresh in the memory and Jose Mourinho has shown little sign of blunting down his ruthless edge that has made him such a worldwide success over the course of his managerial career.
The tabloid press will be hunting for the latest transfer rumour and many members of the Manchester United squad – that failed to reach the top four last season – will be hoping their individual nugget of gossip doesn’t come to fruition.
Rooney’s might just be the one that comes true. Here are five reasons why…
Killing streak
Ruthlessness is synonymous with Jose Mourinho.
The Portuguese ego-crazed maniac thrives off taking control and demonstrating his power at a football club. He wants to be the main man and will not take any players who he perceives to be surplus to requirements.
Not to say Rooney is at that stage just yet, but it sure is tricky to see where he fits in the current squad.
Arrival of the ego
Zlatan Ibrahimovic, aside from all the naff branding, is a wonderful centre-forward. However, it is not all about the on-pitch action with him, his own domineering ego is half the deal.
His performances will be entertaining, sure, but he might just cause a few dressing room clashes with his outlandish comments.
If Rooney is to be a central striker in Mourinho’s United team, he’ll have to manoeuvre his way past one of the most egotistical footballers in the world.
Arrival of the ego II
It’s not just about Zlatan’s ego at Manchester United, Jose Mourinho’s monstrous self-worth comes with it’s own consequences for the clubs he manages.
Mourinho has often made it a self-set task to take down one of the biggest players at a club when he arrives. It was the popular Juan Mata at Chelsea and the ageing Iker Casillas at Real Madrid, could it be Wayne Rooney this time around?
It may seem unlikely, but Mourinho hasn’t spoken like a man who has huge faith in his skipper.
That young thing
It’s easy to forget about a youngster during all the big money excitement, isn’t it?
Well, do you all remember that fella Marcus Rashford? He’s still around and could well be yet another player who could be scuffling with Wayne Rooney for a starting role at Manchester United.
If long-term planning even enters Mourinho’s mind, that’s a no-brainer.
Ill-defined
From a six, back to a nine, to playing somewhere in between, Wayne Rooney has no defined position as a footballer any more.
If his future is in midfield, it can’t possibly be under Mourinho. That idea has been shunned.
If he wants to become a forward once again, he has to pip both Ibrahimovic and Rashford to a starting spot. That’s tricky.
It all leaves Rooney’s future seeming a bit up in the air…
