The only place to be

What I would love to see, wherever he goes, is a concerted effort from the guy to get in great shape. He can't do what Ashley Cole does in the off-season because of his body type, but if it was contractually stipulated that he get his ass in the best possible shape then it would do him a world of good. People sometimes forget that he's spent about 9 years at United too. In that time he's been shifted around to accomodate other players to the extent that I think he just feels a little undervalued (which is insane for someone who earns so much, but it happens in all walks of life). But there seems to be this myth about him that's built up over the years, and one that I've probably bought into as much as anyone. People seem to think he hasn't fulfilled his potential, yet he still has a fantastic record. What we're looking at here is him approaching his second chapter. If he gets a fresh start then it's entirely up to him how he's remembered because he has so much talent, but he just has to apply it. I think everyone here supporting this deal is looking at the possibility of a rejuvenated, reinvigorated, in-shape Rooney arriving on a (relatively) bargain price. He's a fighter who doesn't disappear in big games and he'll have something to prove if United decide to sell him. We might not buy him but would you want us to have to play against him if that happens?

I'll give you a choice. I can either say he's scored 50 goals over the last two seasons or that last season he scored 27 goals in 34 league games. Which one sounds more like he's been shit for the past two seasons? For that striker who will DEFINITELY be very good for us? There isn't one.

It's possible. The problem then is having a team with both him and Luiz in it....Two marauding centre-halves is going to give half the crowd heart-attacks. I also think that Ake is going to face the same issue in the next couple of seasons.

Too many mistakes. Couldn't disagree more and I've watched him a fair few times this season and know people who go to Watford week in and week out. But we'll just have to agree to disagree on that one.

So he has a bad game and he's now in the wrong position? He's a great passer of the ball. He always has been and he's one of those players who more often than not puts players into better positions. That entire Watford performance was pretty poor last night and they looked completely directionless, but Nat had a bad one too. They all looked like they were still in shock from the last game which can happen to teams who finish third in that league. But that doesn't change my view of him. He's a fairly unique player right now who has the ability to sit and pull the strings from a deeper position or drive the team forward in a more advanced/box-to-box role. Last night he didn't seem to have any particular instructions, at times going forward at will and leaving gaps. I think something that perhaps get overlooked is that Zola might just be a very average manager, and that's fine because he was a brilliant player. Turning Julian Dicks inside and out doesn't mean he'll be the next Sacchi. Hey a dig at me....I'll re-write my comment though in the hopes that it gets through this time. I said he could be a bolter for that squad if he comes in and has a good season because at the moment he is capable of doing things that very few English players can do. His competition for that deep midfield role are players like Rodwell, Barry and Jones, so there's plenty of opportunity for a wildcard to come in and win a spot.

Good point. He is overly ugly. It's a point that usually doesn't get raised enough when assessing football players but shaggability is an important factor. Why it isn't a metric on whoscored, opta, fifa or footie manager I don't know. Now Ian Walker....there was a fine looking young man. Blonde flowing locks and model good looks. Really we should be trying to emulate the Spice Boys period of mid-90s Liverpool if we want to be a success going forward.

Yes but SWP turned out great because he wasn't overweight. I think it's fair to acknowledge that Rooney isn't coming off his best season and that he needs a fresh start. He's been at United for 9 years and been marginalised on occasion yet still produced some amazing seasons. I think in the right environment under the right coach he can absolutely get back to his 30+ goal a season form of 12 months ago.

He's also proven in the Champions League isn't he? I know it's easy to make shitty jokes that lack substance but let's not go overboard eh? Lewandowski has to be in the discussion because he has had two amazing seasons in the Bundesliga. Rooney also has to be in the discussion though because he is a proven quality striker who could also fit into our team.

Good luck to him. Porto, Atletico, Monaco....make that money and never get found out.

He might be. He might also be the guy who has scored 30+ goals in the last two seasons when he was played primarily as a striker. He's apparently considerably cheaper than Cavani and Falcao whilst being roughly the same age as those two. He's looked like he's lacked motivation for a while now and a change in environment could reinvigorate him. As for being a Chelsea striker, I would've thought we need a striker who doesn't just score goals but helps other players to score goals. Yet you've suggested Falcao. I look at Rooney and I see how he makes Hazard and Mata better players. I look at Falcao this season and he's only made Falcao look good so why should we play at least £10 million more for a player who is roughly the same age and has ZERO experience in the Premier League and about HALF the Champions League experience of Rooney?

Where would you like to play a player who has scored 100 goals over the last four seasons?

You weren't alone in having a moment of fear. I felt sick for a bit when the links to Mourinho started coming out. Everyone needs a bit of a meltdown every now and then.

How is he finished as a player? He's had a tough season where he's been played out of position because of the signing of Van Persie. Yes he's only scored 16 goals but do you know what happened the last time he scored 16 goals (and people wrote him off)? He went and scored 34 goals the next season. That's 27 goals in 34 ENGLISH PREMIER LEAGUE matches. But we should sign a world class forward? Who? Falcao is 27 years old and his record this year - 27 goals in 32 matches. He also has 1 assist which is just 9 less than Rooney this season.

Blah blah blah....Must win.....Blah blah blah....strong team.....blah blah blah.....just end the season now....blah blah. Sorry, but is anyone just about as fed up of the same fucking shit as I am. I'm not going to write what I think this match will end because it could be depressing, nor am I going to try and guess the team because beyond Ba and Cech it could be literally anyone. It would be nice if for the first time this season that we took a chance to end this crap though. I don't care how it happens, I just want us to put some of this shit to bed. I want to enjoy at least one moment this season.

Despite all the shit that's going on this season, this guy's progression has been an amazing bright spot. He's approaching Zola-levels of play when it comes to his ability to take any ball, control it, beat the first man and then pass it to a player in a way that puts them in the best position to take it forward. What really impressed me yesterday was a moment in the first-half when he tracked back about 40 yards to tackle Holtby on the edge of our box, and then brought the ball forward himself. He's such a hard-worker and that's something that wasn't nearly as prevalent at the start of the season. He provides a directness that we simply don't have anywhere else on the pitch and he's already one of our most important players. I just want this season over so I can start looking forward to what this guy can do next season.

Changing my mind slightly. He's the same age as Falcao, but the price is roughly half. He's proven in the Premier League and I think he really needs a change of environment to try and regain that enthusiasm that he once had. An invigorated Rooney under Mourinho could be a different beast from the one of the last few seasons (where he still managed to score 100 goals in 4 years). Plus he's more versatile than any other option in that he can drop back into the number 10 spot and maybe take some of the pressure off of Mata, which also allows us to play with either Lukaku or Ba up-front. But there's a lot of ifs and buts involved. I still think he needs to work on his fitness (a summer under Rui Faria might do him the world of good) but it's easy to forget that he's still one of the best players around on his day and if we can offload Torres then £25 million is a decent price considering Van Persie went for roughly the same price last year.

http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/sport/football/clubs/manchesterunited/article3759033.ece David Moyes will be named as the new manager of Manchester United in the next 24 hours. The Barclays Premier League champions have agreed to appoint the Everton manager as Sir Alex Ferguson’s replacement at Old Trafford.

Wenger? I suppose Moyes brought through Rooney....Rodwell....Barkley....Vaughn....Gosling

Having a coffee with a friend and we both had a moment of sadness....or something like that. A definite sense of loss, not of him in particular but simply an era of our lives. The guy's been manager of the behemoth that is Man United for most of my life and so many moments are tied up with him. That avatar of mine (<---) is one of my earliest highlights of supporting Chelsea. Getting one over that United team meant so much that season, and we did it twice. Then I had my first tears as a Chelsea supporter in the Cup Final the same year. Then there's all the other battles over the years, some great, some dreadful. I'm not going to be too deferent to him or eulogise him before his time, but he has been a constant presence in English football for almost three decades and it's going to be weird next season when he isn't around. All those little things you associate with him, whether you liked or loathed them, were at least predictable even going back to last Sunday when Luiz had his little laugh. Yes it was great to see, but you also wanted to see what Fergie's reaction to it would be. So whilst I'm glad he's off and United enter this period of transition, next season is going to feel like it's lacking something that it's had since I've been following football. Anyway, back to reading the United fans' reactions.

Or Phil Neville. He's been hanging around the England setup and is off in the summer, apparently to look at a coaching role. He could be the Robbie Di Matteo to Moyes's AVB. Also the use of the word 'amicably' in dealing with the new coach's club doesn't exactly sound like Florentino Perez. If Moyes goes then I guarantee he will go with Kenwright's blessing and if that is the case then his last game is against us.

Just deviating slightly from the panicking, but let's just go back to yesterday when the sun was shining, the birds were tweeting and Mourinho was coming back to the Bridge.... You've got to think he's secretly (or not so secretly) delighted that one of his main competitors is leaving. Sure he'll miss the battles but if he's looking to stay for the long-term and build something big, then what more could he ask for? There's going to be a massive whole in English football and he could dominate for as long as he wants. Now....I'm not saying anything is certain either way and I'm certainly not going to put the mockers on, but this could be as big a day for us as it is for United.

I was agreeing with you that Moyes seems to be the favourite.

Sky Sports News just said he was in pole position. Money was going on him before this story broke, then it shifted to Mourinho as the 'less-informed' punters got money down and now more money has gone on Moyes as his price drifted.

Mark Kleinman ‏@MarkKleinmanSky8m My #MUFC source also tells me club's board has been in talks with Fergie's successor for some time. Rules out neither Moyes nor Mourinho. Details Mark Kleinman ‏@MarkKleinmanSky19m Manchester United source tells me Sir Alex Ferguson's successor will be announced within days but has to resign from current role first... Details Moyes is out of contract at the end of the season so can resign without consequence - in fact he'd go with Kenwright's blessing and their season is over in a couple of weeks. Mourinho's contract situation is well-documented and there are millions of pounds at stake. He also has the Copa Del Ray final in 9 days against Atletico.

Personally I didn't like some of his comments where he seemed to take a bit of credit for our success last season, suggesting that we were in the competitions when he left so he must've been doing something right. He conveniently forgets we were 3-1 down after the first leg against Napoli and had to play a replay in the FA Cup.