Real Football Man All of the Football, All of the time
After Manchester United’s success in the EFL Cup Final last Sunday all seems well at OId Trafford as the club have added a second piece of silverware this season. They are two from two from their Wembley appearances this campaign and will look to not only defend their F.A. Cup win of 2016 but also add a Europa League victory in May. One that may well be required should their desire to return to the Champions League be fulfilled.
That’s because with the Europa League offering back door entry to Europe’s top tier competition and United currently finding themselves in 6th place in the Premier League they may well need to earn the “wild card” back into a competition that they have not featured in since dropping out of the group stages last season. But the question is will their star strikers Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Wayne Rooney be there to spearhead another European adventure.
Ibrahimovic may have had his doubters at the start of the season but with each week he is silencing his critics in the best possible way. The mercurial former Swedish international was on hand to head home the winnng goal with just three minutes to go but as soon as the final whistle blew questions were already being asked as to whether Ibrahimovic would sign a contract extension for at least the next season.
That question is yet to be unanswered with interest from a number of European clubs not to mention big money moves to either Major League Soccer or the Chinese Super League and it’s there which could provide Wayne Rooney with a new home in the Summer. The record England goalscorer was courted for a move las month but with the Chinese transfer window closing that possible move never come to fruition.
But that has not left clubs in China undeterred and they will look to once again make another big money move at the end of the English season, a timeframe which would suit Manchester United better as it would be easier to source a replacement for the former Everton forward who broke Sir Bobby Charlton’s long standing club goalscoring record earlier in the year.
With Rooney’s role at the club now a dimninished one he may well feel that a move to the Far East will be the most beneficial especially for his bank balance, you have to ask yourself what else is there left to acheive for the 31 old in this country. The only slight concern would be whether or not that would mean he would lose his place in the England squad with the fact the Chinese League is not deemed a high enough standard.
Whichever way you look at it, even though United do have an embarrasment of riches in their attacking Arsenal there is every chance that their personnel could have a different look to it come August when the 2017/18 season starts in earnest.
