14 Aug 2013 12:42:46
"Could the old mastermind of the mind games be playing the game of his life from the director's box? Is the Wayne Rooney saga all an elaborate mind game to fool Chelsea?

Traffic was a nightmare on the way home from work yesterday evening. As I sat in congestion listening to the agitated drivers around me honk their horns in a futile gesture I decided instead to relax and listen to the radio.

The sports news came on and Roy Hodgson was talking about Wayne Rooney. I claimed, as the last season reached its climax, as so many others did too, that Wayne Rooney had sealed his fate at Old Trafford and was heading on a one way trajectory towards the exit doors.

Popular opinion is that this scenario is the only one that can and will play out. But then I got to thinking. It seems awfully disingenuous of Sir Alex to leave the club, on one hand recommend Moyes to take his place, and yet on the other hand create a distracting mess around Wayne Rooney that for all intents and purposes is overshadowing preseason as well as the new managers first weeks in charge.

It's a headache he didn't need and one that Fergie seemed to engineer as the season drew its last breaths.

And that's when it hit me, a revelation, and the proverbial lightning bolt. Could Fergie, instead of giving the new man in charge a drama and a problem he neither wants or needs, be actually giving him the best start a manager could ever want, especially when taking up the reins of a club like United?

Hear me out. Towards the end of the season Sir Alex takes Wayne Rooney into his confidence and let's him know that he's retiring and that Moyes will be taking his place.

Probably a clandestine meeting with Fergie, Moyes, Rooney, maybe even the likes of Giggs in attendance. I haven't yet worked out if Hodgson was also privy to the hatching of a masterplan but I'll work through the scenario that played out in my head, which potentially played out in the corridors of power at Old Trafford.

So, Sir Alex asks Rooney to take part in a ruse. He tells him that he's going to engineer a situation whereby it appears that he has lost all faith and confidence in his number 10, there'll be talk of a transfer request. The new manager will be announced, the fact that it's Moyes will further add to the speculation that Wayne's future at the club is uncertain, perhaps even untenable.

He instructs Moyes to set the bait and see who bites, and who better than the newly appointed Chelsea boss?

He knows the media will be hooked on the story, imagine Manchester United losing their former golden boy to Chelsea, it's unthinkable, but it has captured the attention of the press, of Mourinho and it seems that in all likelihood it could and possibly will happen. The dance plays out over the summer, Wayne isn't picked for club games but is fit enough for selection for England? Roy says he's fit to play and is able to separate club from country. It only adds fuel to the fact that his lack of club selection is because he's on his way out and United just haven't had the right offer.

Meanwhile, over a bottle of vintage red wine, Fergie is working alongside the new Chairman to do a deal for Cristiano Ronaldo, the whole Fabregas pursuit has just been another smokescreen designed to give United's rivals cause for celebration as it falls through. They see a United team that's about to lose Rooney, hasn't strengthened their squad, has failed to land their one and only high profile target and, on top of that haven't had great results in preseason.

Moyes' first season almost looks destined for anything but greatness, the United faithful fear a mediocre season and being pipped for league places by their closest rivals. Through it all the United hierarchy, and Wayne Rooney, behind closed doors, are very confident and comfortable.

Their coup of the century, the greatest mind game ever played by the master and his new apprentice will soon be realised, when Ronaldo once again dons the number 7 shirt and lines out to defend the title and challenge for so much more with Van Persie and Rooney alongside him in attack.

If this wildly speculative hypothesis is correct then David Moyes will forever be in the debt of Sir Alex, not just for putting him where he is, but for providing the most amazing foundation for a winning team, while embarrassing the press and Mourinho in the process, for they didn't see it coming.

And Fergie? He loves the club too much not to exercise some Machiavellian brilliance when it's needed the most."

The Moon.

1.) 14 Aug 2013
That would be the ultimate long game ruse mate. Unlikely, but how good would that be? Haha.

2.) 14 Aug 2013
I read this earlier. i'd like to think it's true.

3.) 14 Aug 2013
I dearly hope this is the truth, but somehow I don't think this being the case.

4.) 14 Aug 2013
Have thought the same myself but didn't have the balls to post it! Fair play moon.

5.) 14 Aug 2013
I found it online, interesting to say the least.

The Moon.

6.) 14 Aug 2013
You must have had the widow down in the traffic and enhaled to much fumes! thanks for giving me a laugh.

7.) 14 Aug 2013
Moon

You should write a book with that imagination of yours.Epic absolutely epic.

I would absolutely love for this to more than mear fantasy I really would. I would litterally be over th moon (pardon the pun)


We'd still need a midfielder like fellaini but other than that we'd practically walk the league and the champions league final is a likely destination.

8.) 14 Aug 2013
Does this story end with a cold pint in the Winchester as we wait for it all to blow over?

9.) 14 Aug 2013
Alex Ferguson, thw ultinate godfather of the premier league. If anyobe can pull it off, its SAF

Mick

10.) 14 Aug 2013
That was awesome. I was gripped to every word. If only.

You could get a script writing job for Ennerdale based on that!

11.) 14 Aug 2013
Lol I hope so mate but highly unlikely!

How can you explain wayne's poor body language toward the end of the season as part of the ruse? Like I said, would be quality if TRUE but can't see it

Hb

12.) 14 Aug 2013
It could work if betting odds was in play against man utd, people will make a killing right now as chelski and man city are favourites.

Donny

13.) 14 Aug 2013
One problem:Why would Rooney Consent to putting his already fractured relationship with the fans on the chopping block?

BornIntoIt

14.) 14 Aug 2013
14 Aug 2013 14:26:28
There was a theory about rooney's so called tantrum 2 years ago too that it could have been also engineered by saf to force glazer to spend some more dough and that ronney was getting better wages anyway

Mickey

15.) 14 Aug 2013
Haha I've thought something along the same lines but its never been anything more than a thought. I mean why would Fergie say right at the end of his reign 'Wayne's asked for a transfer' making the hard job of taking over the biggest managerial position in the world even harder? SAF loves the club way too much to go do something as silly as that without bloody good reason behind it, so maybe?

Ozwald

16.) 14 Aug 2013
Moon, great post by the way!

Ozwald

17.) 14 Aug 2013
Nice imagination but even SAF would've struggled to get SG to play a role by faking WR "Confiding in him.".

Ben

18.) 14 Aug 2013
I think the eds have engineered the whole thing, let's be honest it's the only thing that has been keeping the United site going through this transfer window
Jred

19.) 14 Aug 2013
Moon

This ranks alongside the Ronaldo rumour posted last week where RM got a share of the increase in our share price.

20.) 14 Aug 2013
Guys, I didn't write it. I copied it from a blog.

I don't really think its plausible but I found it very interesting to read.

The Moon.

21.) 14 Aug 2013
I definitely wouldn't rule out the chance of a 'double bluff', good post Moon. Interesting.