ROONEY:

'Sometimes you look in a field and you see a cow and you think it's a better cow than the one you've got'. Sir Alex Ferguson

Not since Eric Cantona came back from imposed exile after imprinting his studs on a south London lowlife, have Manchester united supporters expected so much from one whom for six months now has hardly raised a leg in anger.

After playing hide and seek in Dubai and the United States Wayne Rooney is expected to once more adorn a red shirt against Wigan Athletic at Old Trafford on November 20. To say feelings are mixed regarding their '˜White Pele' is widely under-estimating the sense of dismay, anger even at how Rooney conducted negotiations over a new five-year contract and alleged £200,000 a week. Supporters internet forums still over heat when conversations turn to the player who just a short while ago walked on the Irwell.

A fall from grace so spectacular as it is sad. Whether it be badly advised by his agent/mentor Paul Stretford (astonishingly a United fan,) or as many of red persuasion prefer to believe. Simply Rooney proving that after the supposed metamorphosis from blue eyed kid to a red bull, all was smoke and mirrors. Like leopards, Mancs tend to suggest that a Scouser can never truly change his spots.

Known facts now point to a scenario as follows. During the World Cup Wayne Rooney is tapped up by Manchester city who offer him a staggering £500,000 a week. A mere sand castle for the Ardwick sheikh. This and his night-time antics exposed by the News of the World proved sufficiently mind-blowing to cause his England performances to resemble those of Norman Wisdom in a three lions shirt.

The second-round 4-1 massacre by Germany saw the English players return home disgraced and back to endless debates regarding '˜do they care?'˜, or more likely, '˜are they good enough'? Many sought solace in sunny, foreign climes far, far away. Escaping an embittered public left quizzical at their diabolical showing. Out of sight and mind from the seething, madding crowd.

But not Wayne Rooney, his first action once back in Manchester was to inform Sir Alex Ferguson that he wanted to join a club dismissed by his manager last season as simply '˜noisy neighbours'˜. Hard faced, leaning on utter ruthlessness Rooney obviously thought as when leaving boyhood club Everton that he could just ride roughshod over anyone who stood in the way.

The naivety of youth? Maybe, but on informing Ferguson, little did he know then that his fantasy world would soon fall apart. One can only imagine sir Alex's response as Rooney expressed a wish to turn blue?

So began the Premiership season and Rooney's form remained a cause of despair for both those in the Stretford End and United's back room staff. Ferguson's persistent public defence of his once favourite son obviously a smoke screen, as behind the scenes the furore over Rooney's insistence on a move to Manchester city threatened to derail not just United's season, but possibly see the end of Sir Alex's reign.
It was a shift in power he could simply not stomach or tolerate.
Then came the farcical situation over the injury comments when Wayne Rooney broke ranks to claim there was nothing wrong with his ankle, thus undermining Sir Alex whom had stated publicly this was the possible reason for Rooneys below par performances.

The gloves came off.

Left with no option Ferguson decided to lift the lid and blow both Rooney and Stretford out into the public arena. No more in-house bickering, Ferguson declared war by throwing a verbal hand grenade in the press conference on the eve of the champions league match against Turkish side Bursaspor. With rumours already rife of a proposed transfer to Manchester City Ferguson spilled the beans and hell in all its fury erupted on Wayne Rooney.

'I met with David Gill last week and he did not give me any of the assurances i was seeking about the future squad. I n told him that i would not be signing a new contract'.

An absurd retaliatory statement in which Rooney claimed the wish to move on was because the club did not match his ambition was greeted with incredulity. None more than Ferguson who when told of the players comment replied with a wry smile and shrug of the shoulders. '˜How many trophies have I won? Thirty something'.

As for the United fans, the mere thought of Rooney in City blue was enough to send a small advance party marching en masse to Wayne Rooney's Cheshire fortress/mansion and besieging it. Attempts to talk some sense into a player they once worshipped met with expected failure when the police arrived to disperse their unhappy band. But the message for Rooney had been made clear.

Life for him and his in Manchester would become unbearable if the move to the dark side of the blue moon occurred.

And then the biggest breaking news in our fair city since Michael Marks and Thomas Spencer opened their first penny stall in Cheetham Hill. Wayne Rooney had signed a new five-year contract for Manchester United!

Cue staged 'everything is fine now' interviews on MUTV and a classic Ferguson line that came laced with understated murderous intent when he explained how '˜Wayne has apologised for his actions'!

Conspiracy theories were now respun to suggest United were simply tying up their main asset in order to sell him for a much bigger fee. For Mancunians their deep distrust of such matters reared its head. Something did not ring true, how does a situation that seemed set to tear their city apart in a bloody civil war suddenly become resolved with smiles all around and outrageous fortunes handed out to the one many United supporters now hated the sight of?

And so we arrive at the moment of Wayne Rooney's return.

like a lion stood licking it's laps as a screaming Christian is thrown into the arena, on Saturday Old Trafford awaits eagerly his appearance. There are those, no small few who now resent Rooney with a venom and have vowed never to cheer his name again.

Such has been the outpouring of emotion and accusations of treachery this may well prove a relationship beyond repair. If the '˜White Pele' roars back into form and scores a hat-trick against Wigan expect still many to doubt his worth and right to be a red devil. Woe betides he kisses the badge?

The threat of being lynched every time he steps foot outside his home means no amount of Arabian gold will ever see him ply his trade in the shadows of Bradford Road gasworks.

However in London's West End there is a Russian whose team also play in blue. Once a blue? Such is Wayne's world at the moment don't rule out a blockbusting move to Chelsea this summer, for Roman Abramovich could well provide a suitable all round get out clause for a young man who has somehow managed to turn a perfect life into a perfect storm.

This is not yet over.