Taxi for Wayne Rooney – to Paris Saint-Germain

Would you have him back? Selling Fellaini might make it more realistic.

For the record, I would welcome him back. Moyes needs another striker to ruin.

More like taxi to ASFC! (Accrington Stanley FC the way he's playing).

There's the small matter of his 250,000pw salary, could we even afford half of that?

I personally wouldn't want him back. I think we could do better with something young and energetic with no baggage (and I'm not just talking about Coleen!).

'He needs to be playing with better players', they said; 'Under Alex Ferguson's wing,' they said.

Well, I'm sorry, but what the fuck happened??? He was a much better player at Everton in my opinion. Ferguson still doesn't know where the fuck to play him and he's still scoring goals. He's played in 7 different positions this year including the bench.

I'm waiting for the media to admit that they got it wrong.

Have him back? With that hair?

I would love him to come back but I don't see it happening – wages and the fact he may not want to are big reasons.

I wouldn't want him at the end of his career though, a la Gazza and Ginola, he would have to be able to contribute to the team.

Having said all that, the press are making up a story and who knows he may end up staying with MU until he finishes playing the game.

We don't see him beating four men?

True but...we don't see ANYONE do that (well ok, maybe Messi.. occasionally)

I watched Utd-Real the other night and apart from maybe Ronaldo, neither side had anyone who attempted to dribble past even one man.

Rooney scores goals, he sees things before others do and his passing and his team ethic are fantastic.

As to 'would you have him at Everton?'

In a fucking heartbeat.

(yeah I know, badge-kissing, "Once a blue" etc blah - couldn't give a fuck about all that dafty stuff).

He could have been a Ronaldo or Messi, who were no better at 18. But unlike the Portuguese guy (look at me being the big man not celebrating against my old club - LOOK AT ME!) he, as I said above, became part of the machine.

Ronaldo never did as he was told, remained an individual relying on his skill, and became all the better for it. Rooney is simply very very good. But he's not on that level and a different type of player to when with us. And its a shame for football.

Its all been coached out of him!

I for one think that this will be a super fit. A natural coming together of cultures. Je vous souhalte la bienvenue Wayne.

COULD have?

Beyond dispute is..

They're ALL fucking great footballers.

They ALL earn vast fortunes each week and will live in luxury for ever.

They ALL play for world-famous successful teams.

They are ALL huge names in world football.

Split hairs by all means, but none of it will persuade me that Rooney is anything other than a truly great player.

As for him becoming 'part of the machine' I agree 100%.

But 'the machine' is the team and that is why I personally would choose Rooney over Ronaldo every time.

Great as Ronaldo is, in my opinion he has always played for FC Ronaldo.

As for 'it' all having been 'coached out of him' - caucasian PLEASE!

Ronaldo and Messi are with Cruyff, Eusebio, Beckenbaur, Platini, Zidane, Di Stafano, Best etc.

Rooney is a level below involving a thousand footballers. Great but not as great.

Rooney hasn't even ever been the best player in a current Man Utd team.

When I first saw him, and during his time at everton, I thought he would be one of the top 3 players in the world. He has never fulfilled that potential in my mind - whether thats because he moved too young and his development was rushed, or whether he just found his level, or something else, I don't know.

He's proven to be one of england's best players, and a top 10 player in the premiership - but there have always been a handful of players in the premiership who are better each season (e.g. henry, gerrard, lampard, drogba, ronaldo, rvp, etc etc), . So how someone can put him in the top few in the world is beyond me.

2005-06 4th equal (with 2 others)
2006-07 4th
2007-08 Not even in top 10
2008-09 6th equal (with 5 others)
2009-10 2nd
2010-11 Not even in top 10
2011-12 2nd

Run your contract down, fill your bank account, and get back home.

There's the small matter of his 250,000pw salary, could we even afford half of that?
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No, end of discussion.

They ARE are they?

Good try - written with the confidence one might use to state a fact.

What a shame it's just an opinion and therefore no more or less valid than my view re Ronaldo/Rooney.

And as my view is just an opinion (TOO!) pointless (surely) us getting involved with..

"He was better"

"No HE was"

"No HEEEE was"

My initial post (125) was simply agreeing with Paul Ellam that Rooney is a great footballer - which he undoubtedly is.

That simple really.

Jeremy - same applies.

You could spend all night copying and pasting from google and compiling your little Sky-style stats lists and I'll still think of Rooney as a great player and would still (given the choice) prefer him to Ronaldo.

(but please carry on, I'm not saying don't give us more lists, you do what you want).

As I said - I truly believed Rooney was going to be one of the best in the world. I remember when an entire nation relied on him during a tournament and when he got injured, all hope was lost. I don't think any team has relied on him like that since (as they might say, ronaldo, messi, etc).

It's more a disappointment to me, rather than my own belief that I am right. As you say, still a good footballer, still one of the best around.

Well you got your wish, he IS one of the best in the world.

If he stays at Utd for a couple more seasons, he'll undoubtedly be their greatest scorer ever.

Plus he still has a chance of being England's top scorer..ever.

He's won multiple titles, cups, CL etc for one of the world's top 5 (possibly 3) sides

Ffs, how good would he have to be to be 'one of the best in the world'?

You printed your goal stats to show how others were 'better'.

Well I remember he went past George Best's goals tally at Utd - does that mean he's better than Best?

I don't think so by the way, but according to your stats/reasoning he is.

I would agree that Rooney is a really top notch footballer but in the current generation he is not up there with Messi or Ronaldo. I don't need stats to tell me that it is just there to see. Yes Ronaldo is a bit of a self obsessed knob but he is fucking brilliant.

"Does that mean he's better than Best?... I don't think so by the way, but according to your stats/reasoning he is."

I never mentioned, compared, nor reasoned, best. I provided no stats about Best (nor indeed any stats outside the last 10 years). I only compared players from the same era, playing at the same time, against each other.

So how you can suppose that "according to my reasoning/me/my stats" Rooney is better than Best is, quite frankly, ridiculous.. And just a little bit pointless. And just weakens your overall argument. You're better than that.

Behave yourself!

I think if you consider them on their own, and the rest of football as it stands, Rooney would be in the elite group at the top, standing next to Buffon, Fat Frank, and Drogba.

The comment 'I don't doubt that Rooney is a great player' is not – or, as you would say, NOT the same as 'Rooney is undoubtedly a great player'! You don't need me to explain how they differ.

Much as I respect your wit, intelligence and contrarian spirit, you don't half talk yourself into some strange corners at times! It's hardly hair splitting to draw a distinction between Messi and Rooney, is it? You nutter.

You have nailed it. In every generation there are stellar talents, currently there are two who stand along Zidane, Van Basten, Maradona, Cruyff, Beckenbauer, Best, Pele ( not an exhaustive list)
Then you get the next level of great players Totti, Raul, Drogba,Giggs,Baresi,Etc.
And then you get really good players which is the category Rooney falls in to.

We all thought he would have been in the stellar category 8 years ago but in reality it has never happened.

Eugene, yes - no one's opinion is more valid but then if it was as simple as that why would you be debating on TW?

Rooney has many equals, but Messi and Ronaldo are out on their own. Its as obvious as Mirallas being a better winger than Idan Tal.

And a massive let down at international level.

Even though he will probably be our all-time top scorer.

I just expected so much more of him after Euro 2004.

I would certainly love to have Rooney back because after Alan Ball he is the most effective Everton player I have ever seen.

Yes I see your point - well if you INSIST - my opinions more valid than yours.

That's that sorted (by the way, do you have a list of Rooney's 'many equals'?)

Graham (217) - as I say, all opinion, mine happens to differ from yours on 'Ronaldo or Rooney?'

(I also think Pele and Maradonna were a level above Van Basten, again no proof they were, just my opinion)

Jeremy (222/223) - let's go through this.

You printed a load of stats to make a point, which was...

"..there have always been a handful of players in the premiership who are better each season (e.g. henry, gerrard, lampard, drogba, ronaldo, rvp, etc etc), . So how someone can put him in the top few in the world is beyond me".

And your 'proof' that each season they were 'better' than Rooney, was your list of goal-stats (fact: you gave NO other reason for 'better').

Others scored more, so they were better - simple.

Am I right so far?

(clue - hell yes!)

So, to illustrate how weak I thought this (your) reasoning, I informed you Rooney had scored more goals than George Best and asked you if you thought he was better than Best?

Incredibly, your response is to cry foul and 'different era' and do a full Vicky Pollard 'yeah but no but.."

Well you can whine and deflect and tell me to 'behave yourself' all you like.

The EXACT same 'logic' (most goals scored) that led you to - "So how someone can put him in the top few in the world is beyond me" - allows me to ask you "if Rooney has scored more than George Best, is he better?".

Let me be honest, the stats (and stats generally) imo are wank - they only tell half the story regarding how good or bad a 'footballer' a player is.

If you want to throw stats in, fine but don't get all eggy when you get one thrown back.

Kev (226) - Thank you Clarence Darrow.

Finally - to one and all.

Ok, cards on the table - here is what I think of the majority of the 'Rooney's not so great' arguments and stats.

Despite (inevitable) protestations, they are arguments I believe that are clouded by hatred.

He kissed their badge, he shat on us, the little twat, the little Judas et etc.

I HONESTLY think he is a world class player, not as good as Messi, but I would have him in my team before Ronaldo who, brilliant though he is, imo plays for himself.

Feel free to grrrrr - I'm off to bed.

Hello Andy,

I think Rooney has reached his plateau, not a great deal more to come there (just my opinion).

"Is consistently very good better than occasionally great?"

It's a good question and one tough to answer. There's probably only one player that's been both (little Lionel!).

I never had the pleasure of seeing Best or Ball play, so I can only go with what I know from those who have and the TV. There is one critiscm of Best I've heard a couple of times and it is that he did his best (pardon the pun) work late in the game when the bigger heavy boys were starting to fade.

From what I've heard about Ball he was your ultimate "never give in" terrier, but very talented with it. I've heard nothing but praise for him (even from the older reds I know).

Eugene what would like your mum to make you Tea or Coffee, Remember this (yours):

"Robert's mam - "Would you like a cup of tea son?"

Robert - "TEA!!!!!!!!!!???????????

No I would NOT like a cup of tea.

And why would I not like a cup of tea?

Well let's burst your 'would you like tea?' bubble shall we you dreamer.

BECAUSE I PREFER COFFEE!!!!!???!!!!!!????

YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE A CLUE DO YOU MAM!!!!!!???"

Etc blah."

You actually posted that above - WTF?

You're a drama queen possibly?

Rooney is a very difficult player to pigeon-hole as he has not really played as an out and out striker for a long time now. Still weighs in with a shed-load of goals by most peoples reckoning, but above all else he is about helping the team to succeed.

Has his faults, but if he engineers a move back to Goodison before he is past it I will be happy to see him back as I think it likely he will make our team better as well.

I'm not of an age to remember Best playing and have only seen the usual clips but as with any player before someone's time you get an ear for their reputation when they're talked of by friends, family and experts etc.

Best of course never went to the world cup and that's where Pele and Maradona made their name. Maybe he'd be up there, but was he definitely a cut above the level of Platini or Zico?

I don't know how much longevity comes into it or whether you just edit the best bits. Gazza was the best English player I've seen, but then the majority of his career was one big fat what-could-have-been.

And achievement doesn't come into it. Not so much in this era especially when you get the cards loaded in certain clubs favour. Giggs, a legend of a player on account of longevity and accomplishment, but not for me included on that 2nd tier of quality. In fact his individuality when younger, drifting past 4 players, disappeared like Rooney's as he was immersed into team play at OT.

The great players redefine what it is to be a footballer and Best and co did that. Not Rooney.

He should run down the contract with united, come back to Everton and play with the blue passion that runs through his blood. I am sure he could get by on £80 grand a week.

Imagine having Rooney playing against the Red Shite?< He would be on fire no more surrender and lie down tactics.

ps: I bet he is a secret reader on Toffeeweb.
"Go on, Wayne, you know you want to..."

If he's a secret ToffeeWeb reader then he will be an Everton legend this time next year.

If Kenwright had half the showbiz nous he's credited with he'd bust his arse to get Rooney back. The last thing SAF wants is Rooney going to a current CL (or probable CL side – Spurs, anyone, if Bale fucks off?) and coming back to bite him on the arse.

I have to agree with you, mate, he is not really in the Ronaldo, Messi league and I would not want him back at Everton... Not because of the circumstances of his departure, but, if he was to make a unlikely return to us, he would cost the club too much; something that, in our financial position, would be detrimental to us.

However, I have to agree with a lot of others with regards to him having something coached out of him at Man Utd. He was a a raw individual talent when he was a EFC and England benefited from that during the Euros but, when he left us, I honestly believe he lost that special something; still a great player though.

Like Eugene, I have a hunch that some of the crap on here trying endlessly to bring WR down a peg or two or three or four or five is rooted in his leaving, his kissing the badge, the tee-shirt (the meaning of which is still true but handily manipulated in certain hands), and a completely misconceived sense of what we and he might have become if he stayed: why ask a brilliant Physics PhD student to work at say Reading University rather than say Cambridge University?

I also agree that WR has not developed as much as I expected under SAF's wing. Mind you, it's only downhill after that debut!!! That all said, he is without any shadow of a doubt the most important and the most talented English-born Prem player of the last five years or so. There is no contest and perhaps that says something about Anglo-footie: holds splitting sides, 4th best in the world, oh Lordy.

What is he, remind me? Off the cuff, he's 27 right? Whether at Manure or elsewhere, he is about to peak, to come into his prime; watch. He's grown up a lot in five years or so but my real deep fear is that he will always have a mood problem. He may well come back to us one day, but not as a washed-up Gascoigne, please not that.

Rooney works his arse off for Man Utd, speak to their fans (the ones who can speak English). He is constantly played in different positions but he is always very professional and very dedicated to the cause. On his day, he can be a glowing example. Off his day, well ....

Nothing but respect for Wayne Rooney, a great footie player and a great Evertonian.

I remember being on the edge of my seat every time he got the ball, nearly everything he did was a positive forward attacking move, either a shot or a fantastic forward pass or a blistering run at the opposing defence. The Rooney I see now very rarely attempts to beat a man or have a run at the defence and the majority of his passes seem to be safe backwards or sidewards passes, keeping it simple and not really exerting himself.

He seems to have lost the hunger and the fight he once had, perhaps he has lost the love of the game and now that he has won everything he seems to be just playing for the money now.

I think of the Rooney of Euro 2004 carrying the England team and his debut for Man utd scoring a hatrick in the CL, he was far more exciting than even Messi now IMO.

Moyes gets blamed for ruining strikers but to me SAF has ruined Rooney taking advantage of his versatility and willingness to sacrifice himself for the team.

I also think breaking his foot twice might have had something to do with it. Both times he broke his foot he was running with the ball trying to beat a man, perhaps he felt in order to prolong his career and avoid further injury to his foot he would be best to keep things simple and avoid running at defenders.

I was hoping he would break the England and Man Utd goal scoring records and then come back to Everton on a free at the end of his contract but if he goes to PSG on a 5 year contract I cant see him ever returning to Everton. I think he want to come back to Everton by the way he is always mixing with the Everton players when on England duty. I think if he returned to Everton it might reignite his love and hunger for the game.

He wants Rooney to model himself on Giggs rather than Best.

Don't know how true it is because even at 60% he's as good as anyone we've got.

There again he was worth £50 million to us.

Pity Bill only got £10 million down and the rest in installments and Phil Neville.

Hand on heart, who would you take: Van Persie or Rooney? Saurez, the li'l rat, is much better than Rooney. He didn't score for England in how many years? He is that good, the manager doesn't start him for the biggest game of the season. Fergie is no mug when it comes to letting players go at the right time (something Moyes could learn).

I also believe he lost something when he went to Man Utd. I believe they bulked him up and he lost that extra burst of pace that all top top players have. Rooney or Ronaldo — you're having a laugh mate.

Rooney needed a much loser rein than he was afforded at Utd in order to develop in the same way that Messi has. He needed much more scope to do his own thing and to develop in his own way.....he was good enough to be allowed that opportunity and if he'd been allowed it he would, in my view, have been up there with the Messi's and Ronaldo's instead of one rung below as he is now.

Like we in England do with most of our footballing prospects, Rooney has been wasted like so many before him who looked for a spell like being able to take on the football world and win, but losing out in the end.

I don't know much about Rooney personally but I've heard that he is still Everton mad and that he looks out for our results as soon as he has finished playing. I hear his little lad is also being brought up an Everton fan. I'm sure if United are looking to get rid then unless Barcelona or Madrid come calling then from a personal perspective, Everton would be top of his wish list. the two big stumbling blocks would be the transfer fee and wages.

Regarding the transfer fee, I think letting Fellaini go either as a swap deal or for a huge transfer fee would be the only way this could happen. I think the £25M being talked about as Rooney's value is around the figure I would expect Everton to recoup for Fellaini given his age and potential.

This leaves the wages. Now I know we could never afford £250k per week but how about £120k per week? It is still a ridiculous amount of money, enough to see him and his family secure for a lifetime over a four-year contract and surely money cannot be his motivation anymore? I'm sure If Moyes told the senior players he was going to break the wage structure to bring in a world class forward they would understand.

Sorted! But I could see his agent causing trouble as a move to PSG would no doubt be more lucrative for him, whoever he is.

Still, it's an interesting idea that Ferguson, so to speak, anti-developed Rooney! He coached him out of his prime skills and replaced them with ordinary proficiencies. Let's just say that is the case: it follows that DM should say to Barkely "Go out and shine, you crazy diamond!" rather than "Forget the balls skills, lad, you need to put in some extra work on your throw ins".

Imagine Rooney and Barkely in the same side - "Rooney to Barkely... Barkely to Rooney... goal!" (Repeat until double figures are reached, then bring on Neville to hold on to the lead.)

He had adapted his game to fit into the model Fergie wants... "average player"? I think you need to go to SpecSavers – I've never heard so much shit spouted about a player that has won more medals than the Everton squad put together!!

But be careful mate, are you certain that Oviedo has not won shitloads of medals in Costa Rica? I also have it on pretty good authority that a certain 13-year-old by the name of Leon Osman won a winners medal in the Parbold and District Nine-Year-Olds Cup. Be careful before you say things, Chris: look before you leap, mate.

Terrific as Messi is, let's flip him with Wayne the last 5 years and both are used the same way they've been at their own clubs. You think Messi's goal tally might drop? And add Messi now in the EPL and Rooney in La Targeta Practicia Liga. Who here doesn't believe Wayne wouldn't be banging in 50 goals a season, while still doing all the little things he does that makes his team better?

A fabulous player. I wish he was back in blue right now.

Yet he's only 10 or so goals off Charlton's record.

For that reason, we can forget about seeing any ambition, or players like Rooney, this side of 2020. Now where's me season ticket renewal form?

It's a shame really, our average attendance is more than Spurs this season, and look at the football they are treated to.

I also admire the fact that he never gave the national media the satisfaction of destroying him.

It may be provincial paranoia, but I believe they had this working-class Scouse kid pegged as 'trouble,' from the moment he put in a football shirt, and were rubbing their hands.

They expected him to be the next Gazza - great in the pitch, fucked-up, tabloid fodder off it.

Then you get patronising pundits talking about 'temperament,' and commentators telling him he needs to 'calm-down,' and avoid the 'red mist.'

Bottom line: All the middle-class, London-centric media have on him is a bit of shagging-around and 'jokes,' about how ugly he (apparently) is.

His footballing record speaks for itself; And that's all they have to talk about. Good on him.

I've spent 22 years working in film & television, and abhor the fact that most portrayals of "Scouse," are the easy prejudices: Ugly, lazy, grating, inarticulate (Nb: "erm...you know...like..etc, blah) orange-faced, work-shy criminal bag-heads, or even worse......'funny.'

I've seen only a very few positive examples in my time; It is institutional; a pervasive (and persuasive) reinforcing regional xenophobia.

He's only got 2 years left on his contract and It wouldn't surprise me if he either ran his contract down, or came close to running his contact down, before moving back to Goodison, and Fergie can give him all the hair drier treatment he wants, Rooney won't bat an eyelid, because he's a tough nut who doesn't really give a shit !!

Speaking of time well-spent. Lucas Matthyisse!! About to finally jump into the big-time. Look out for him. Marciano at 140 lbs. he just breaks their body down.