Rooney situation exposes shame of Glazers' reign

Arsenal and Chelsea win in Europe, but it could only really be one man dominating the headlines. The majority of the media are taking the line that Sir Alex Ferguson inferred in his press conference that Wayne Rooney had let him and Manchester United down. Ferguson looked a broken man when confirming Rooney wants to leave Old Trafford and the Daily Telegraph’s Henry Winter feels the leverage takeover of the club by the Glazer family is starting to bite.

"They think it's all over. The toxic tennis between Manchester United and Wayne Rooney has intensified spectacularly with Sir Alex Ferguson's strong volleys but it's an end-game of two halves. One ball, in fact more a hand grenade from Ferguson, is in Rooney's court. Another has landed in the Glazers' court.

If Rooney looks intent on leaving, believing United lack ambition, worrying about what life at Old Trafford holds with Paul Scholes and Ryan Giggs winding down, and with Ferguson's own long-term plans in doubt, the Glazers must act quickly to prove to Ferguson they can still compete. Don't hold your breath.

Anyone with an ounce of understanding of Ferguson's DNA knows he is a fighter and so any talk of empires crumbling remains premature. We have been down this road before with United and Ferguson, predictions of eras ending proving ill-founded but this is undoubtedly the greatest crisis the Scot has faced since 1990.

What was remarkable on Tuesday was Ferguson's frankness as he juggled demolishing Rooney's character with a verbal baseball bat and holding out an olive branch. This was Ferguson unplugged, sounding ready for war as well as peace.

He also looked betrayed and bemused, his usually prickly mask dropping as he mused soulfully on how much United had done for Rooney. He listed the trophies, the atmosphere, the pastoral care, stopping only short of requesting Rooney to consider "what have the Romans ever done for us''.

Another ankle injury precludes the striker's involvement against Bursaspor tonight when Ferguson will hope for a strong reaction from his dressing-room. The reaction from the Old Trafford faithful is guaranteed: there will be a wall of sound for Ferguson almost visceral in its intensity.

Once again, he's holding the club together. Once again, he's trying to build a trophy-winning side in an age of debt brought on by the unloved Glazers.

Rooney's contract saga has become an unintentional part of the green-and-gold movement.

To lose one star like Cristiano Ronaldo could be considered a misfortune. To lose another in Rooney looks more than carelessness; it looks like the dread hand of debt holding United and Ferguson back.

The shame of the Glazers' regime is now fully exposed.

It is not known how familiar Rooney is with UEFA's plans for financial fair play but now is the moment to make huge wage claims.

Michel Platini's rules will encourage clubs to temper their largesse to players or risk expulsion from Europe. Rooney wants to ensure his ticket to ride on what could be the last gravy-train.

Unless the Glazers respond like responsible owners, United risk being left on the platform."