By Myles Palmer
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THIS IS a big moment in English football.
In the future, we will look back on this day, this moment, as a turning point.
ROO TO MAN U for £27 million.
It’s a big opportunity for Rooney – and a big opportunity for Man United.
Rooney is the real deal – a better player than Cantona, a much better player than Beckham.
He is joining Man United at a time when they need to be more compact, more accurate, more penetrating.
In 2003-2004, Arsenal were by far the best team in England.
This season, Arsenal are more athletic, more prolific, more exciting.
And the gap between the champions and Man United looks wider than ever before.
I don’t think Man United without Rooney could have really challenged Arsenal this season, even with Ruud and Rio back and fit and playing well.
In football, as in rock music, the real fun lies in major talent and the chance to work with major talent and nourish it and build round it.
However, we talk about Rooney’s talent so much that we forget about his POSITION.
Since Sacchi-Capello-Graham, since 4-4-2 power football, since midfield was turned into a warzone by Albertini, Desailly, Schwarz, Vieira, Petit and others, playmaking midfield generals have been stifled, squeezed out, kicked out.
So the creativity in top teams tends to come from the flanks, or from half-strikers like Beardsley, Roberto Baggio, Cantona, Bergkamp, Zola, Totti and Sheringham.
Once, playmakers and midfield generals created from the middle third.
Now they create from the thirty yard line, forward into the penalty area.
Those half-strikers made goals, scored goals and gave shape to the players around them.
THE POSITION IS VERY IMPORTANT !
It’s a tough role that requires vision, stamina and flair.
ROONEY has those qualities in abundance.
In those areas, in the last 30 yards, he is devastating.
He might have been able, in two years time, to make a bad Everton team good.
He will be 19 in October and even at that age he can make a good Man United team great.
Wayne Rooney is a very powerful craftsman who can make other players look good because his choice of pass is uncanny.
He can turn games upside down in two seconds.
Sir Alex has signed a £40 million player for £20 million.
ENGLAND WILL BEAT Austria on Saturday night, but Sven will need a convincing win in Poland to help him claw back lost credibility.
Without Rooney, England are not very good.
We have heard so much about Joe Cole’s potential in the last four years.
I’m not a fan, but I wish him well.
Lets hope Joe makes one goal and scores another and has a blinder in Poland as well.
Maybe Jose Mourinho is the coach he has needed.
He has terrific talent, but the end product has been missing.
Joe Cole’s final ball and his shooting have been abysmal.
Maybe Mourinho can turn an eye-catching player into a productive player.
September 2nd 2004.