Manchester United’s all-time highest goalscorer, Wayne Rooney has admitted that the Premier League club could afford to allow Paul Pogba and Cristiano Ronaldo to move on.
Rooney’s verdict on Paul Pogba
Wayne Rooney who played for Manchester United between 2004 and 2017 noted that Paul Pogba has not made the kind of impact expected from him when the Premier League club decided to pay Juventus €105 million to bring him back to the club on August 9, 2016.
Recall that Pogba first joined the club in 2009 as a teenager. He stayed in the club’s youth team and the reserve team until July 1, 2011, before he decided to join Juventus on a free transfer.
The 29-year-old French midfielder made 178 appearances in all competitions for Juventus in which he scored 34 goals and provided 40 assists. Manchester United were so impressed with his performance that they had to do everything possible to bring him back to the Premier League.
Since he returned to the club in 2016, Paul Pogba who helped France to win the 2018 FIFA World Cup, has made 230 appearances in all competitions in which he scored 39 goals and provided 51 assists.
Since last season, Manchester United have been trying to renew his stay at the Premier League side but Pogba who reportedly earns around £290,000 per week at United is reportedly demanding almost twice his current salary. But United are not willing to pay that much.
Though reports are claiming that there is still a possibility that Pogba would renew his stay at United, the fact that his current contract with United will expire on June 30, 2022, is making it look almost impossible for Pogba to stay beyond this coming summer.
Amid the back and forth between Pogba and Manchester United, Wayne Rooney wants the 29-year-old Frenchman to move on.
The 36-year-old retired football icon who is now the coach of Derby County said he used to watch Pogba play for France’s national team and the Frenchman plays better for his country than he plays for United which means that United is not the place for him.
“I think it’s got to a point where it’s probably better for him to move on. If Paul is honest with himself, he probably hasn’t had the impact he’d have liked since he returned to Manchester United,” Wayne Rooney told Sky Sports.
“I watch him for France and he’s a completely different player. The ability, vision, and control of the game are always there for France. It hasn’t quite worked at United for him, and there are a few players they need to let go of.”
🗣 “If I’m choosing from one of them two, I’d go Pochettino.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 4, 2022
Wayne Rooney backs Mauricio Pochettino over Erik ten Hag as Man United’s next manager pic.twitter.com/eJc02heD1i
Rooney’s take on Cristiano Ronaldo
Wayne Rooney played alongside Cristiano Ronaldo at Manchester United between 2004 and 2009. Ronaldo who is now 37-year-old left him at United in 2009 and joined Real Madrid.
After nine successful years at Real Madrid, Ronaldo joined Juventus for three seasons before he decided to return to Manchester United in August 2021.
Initially, when Ronaldo returned to Manchester United, most football enthusiasts thought the 5 time Ballon d’Or winner could help Manchester United become titles contenders again.
Though he has scored 18 goals for United in all competitions and he is currently the club’s highest goalscorer this season, Ronaldo was not able to help United to win any major title this season.
Things have gotten so bad that Manchester United’s chances of making the Premier League’s top four have grown very slim after a series of inconsistent results. Currently, the club is occupying the 7th spot with 51 points in 30 games, three points away from 4th placed Tottenham Hotspur.
Due to how poor Manchester United have been since Ronaldo returned to the club, there have been speculations that Ronaldo whose contract with United will expire on June 30, 2023, is considering his future at the club.
While commenting on Ronaldo’s future at United, Wayne Rooney admitted that Ronaldo is still a goal threat but Manchester United need more than that.
“He (Ronaldo) has scored important goals early on in the season in the Champions League and he’s scored the hat-trick against Tottenham but I think if you’re looking towards the future of the club, you have to go with younger, hungry players to lift United over the next two or three years”, Wayne Rooney told Sky Sports.
“Cristiano is getting on a bit and he’s certainly not the player he was when he was in his 20s and that happens. He’s a goal threat but I think during the rest of the game, they need more.”
🗣 “He’s a goal threat but the rest of the game they need more, they need young hungry players.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 4, 2022
Wayne Rooney doesn’t feel that signing Cristiano Ronaldo has worked out for Manchester United pic.twitter.com/fElNwiYEh1
Wayne Rooney gives the reason why Manchester United need Mauricio Pochettino more than Erik ten Hag
At the end of the 2021-2022 season, coach Ralf Rangnick will cease to be the coach of Manchester United. Hence, the club has started making efforts to get a permanent coach ahead of the 2022-2023 season.
United have interviewed the current coach of Ajax, Erik ten Hag for the job and the coach has not ruled out the possibility of joining United. Also, Manchester United have shown interest in appointing the current coach of Paris Saint Germain Mauricio Pochettino who has coached Tottenham Hotspur in the past.
If Wayne Rooney has the final say, he would go for Mauricio Pochettino because he has the background experience of coaching in the Premier League.
Rooney said: “I think Pochettino has done it in the Premier League. He knows the Premier League and at Tottenham, he brought a lot of players through. He did it at Southampton as well.
“If I’m choosing from one of the two, that’s who I’d choose. He would need to be given time to place his blueprint on the club and the team. If you give him time, I think he’d do well.”
🗣 “If I’m choosing from one of them two, I’d go Pochettino.”
— Football Daily (@footballdaily) April 4, 2022
Wayne Rooney backs Mauricio Pochettino over Erik ten Hag as Man United’s next manager pic.twitter.com/eJc02heD1i
