From the Cheap Seats

I was at the Manchester United vs Wigan Athletic game yesterday. Usually, it's a nothing fixture that United win with ease, as was the case. Yet an extra edge was added by the media build up around the re-appearance of Wayne Rooney in a red shirt for the first time since his contract antics.

When his name was read out as a substitute pre-game, there were audible jeers. When Rooney finally got into the game, it was to a mix of more of them and some chanting his name. My personal stance has been to always get behind the player when you're at the game, and save the criticisms for the pub.

This time, I did have the strong feeling that the supporters who booed Rooney need to get a bit of a grip. Sure, it's never nice when your best player decides he wants to leave, but examine the reasons he came out last month and stated he wants to leave:

a) Wayne Rooney wants to win medals and feels his current club aren't in a position to do so.

and/or

b) Wayne Rooney (and his agent) wants more money.

Essentially, the main reasons he came to United in the first place, back in 2003. And this was when he was leaving the club he'd supported as a kid growing up in Liverpool - loyalty would not appear to be behind personal glory in his list of character traits

Not that I'll condemn him for it. It's common enough in players these days, with the likes of Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes (both of whom could easily have engineered transfers to a big Italian or Spanish club at their peaks) being a dying breed with their wish to play for the club they grew up with.

If, and it's a big 'if', point (a) was the true core of Rooney's discontent, then it's an understandable one. United are still reliant on several players the wrong side of 30 and building a squad able to challenge for the top honours in the next five years - when Rooney should be hitting his peak - will need heavy investment. Money it would appear the club don't have. Wayne has a limited amount of time left to play at the top level (ten years absolute tops, you would think) - can we criticise him for wanting to use his rare talents in winning prizes?

That he was pacified into signing a new contract opens up other questions. What were the assurances, or was it just about the cash? If it was just a matter of earning another £80,000 a week, then supporters may well be disappointed, but they shouldn't be surprised. The 'Glory Game' of the likes of Busby, Blanchflower and Shankly is long gone, to be replaced by something far more of the times we live in. I read a comment on a message board regarding Chelsea fans booing their team off the pitch after a defeat by Sunderland, despite their team being the reigning champions, holders of the FA Cup and still top of the league. "Clubs have turned supporters into customers - they didn't get the 'product' they paid a lot of money for, so they boo." Such is modern football.