So, Wayne Rooney has declared his intention to walk out on Manchester United after having serious differences with manager Sir Alex Ferguson. I find this story extremely fascinating because it’s ultimately a power struggle between two egos, Rooney and Ferguson. As manager, Ferguson has every right to bench Rooney during previous weeks because of his poor form, supposed injury and his mind not being in the right place due to the allegations in the newspapers about his sexual indiscretions. But Rooney feels he has been wronged, claims he was never injured and obviously feels he’s had enough of Ferguson.

Without knowing exactly what happened behind-the-scenes at Manchester United, the story sounds to me like Wayne Rooney is using Sir Alex Ferguson as a scapegoat for his poor form. When faced with adversity which has resulted in his form being significantly under par, Rooney has reportedly decided to quit United and deflect the “blame” on Ferguson instead of taking it on himself and admitting that the reason for his poor form on the pitch is self-imposed.

Not only is it a power struggle between Rooney and Ferguson, but it’s also a stand-off between player and manager. In today’s world of football, players often feel they have more rights and power to make changes even when they’re under contract. And they can sometimes force issues such as being sold when in previous times they couldn’t. Rooney could refuse to play which may reduce his value, so it’s important for United that Rooney stays fit, both mentally and physically, and that if he leaves he does so when his value is at its peak.

Wayne Rooney is that type of player. One of the best in the world. A game changer. A man who can, at his peak, score at the highest level.

My fear, however, is that Rooney is believing his hype too much and that he feels he should have the right to play with Real Madrid, Chelsea, Barcelona or Manchester City, a club that would pay him a ungodly amount of money each week. He has the potential to play at that level but he hasn’t been in that zone for several months now at Manchester United.

Ultimately I side with Ferguson in this debacle. Sure, Fergie has had similar spats in the past which drove Beckham, Ronaldo, van Nistelrooy, Keane and others away. But in this instance, I believe Ferguson has been doing what he should be doing which is protecting the player, and dropping him when his form has been under-par. Ferguson has also dropped Rooney from the starting line-up for disciplinary reasons, as we believe is what happened during this past weekend’s match against West Bromwich Albion. Plus, most importantly, Ferguson is Rooney’s boss. He understands what is best for the club and Rooney should respect that. Since it appears that Rooney does not, then Rooney appears to have taken the childlike approach of fleeing and blaming everything on Ferguson instead of himself.

What do you think? Do you side with Ferguson or Rooney? Share your opinions in the comments section below. And vote here to tell us where you think Rooney will end up in January’s transfer window:

[polldaddy poll=3942831]