For the first time since 2013 Manchester United leads the table at the end of 17 rounds • So Wayne Rooney who retired from football at the end of the season played at the end, at the end of that season she won the championship • Eight years and four coaches later, the Red Devils hope to restore success
Sadio Mane vs. Marcus Rashford.
The fierce battle of England
Photography:
IPI
1 Wayne Rooney's retirement is one of those that has had time to digest them, a graded retirement.
From 2017 he left one after another Manchester United, the Premier League, the England team and the American League - until at the weekend he hung up his shoes and was appointed Derby County coach.
A modest, quiet retirement, almost emotionless.
And for so long and because of the lack of emotion it was almost possible to forget.
Forget what a great player he was, how early he started, what an amount of expectations he carried, and where he managed to get even though all eyes were on him.
Rooney was 16 years old when he bombed the goal of the "Rooney-Mania" for Arsenal in the Everton uniform.
From that moment on he embarked on a journey that many would fall on, and which he finished with five championships, a Champions Cup, the record of conquests at Manchester United (, (253 record of conquests in the England team), (59 secondary trophies, personal titles and what not. In the slalom, with a fly kick, but it is doubtful if he provided one iconic moment - Wayne Rooney Moment.
Therefore, in his retirement, Roni leaves a deceptive memory.
A player who starred in a period not his, in an era where the footballer needs a beautiful cover and not just content.
Rooney - an English brat of yesteryear - had far more deeds than Instagrams.
More bottom line than words in the air, more souvenirs than memories.
He will surely be remembered as one of the greats, but also as one who perhaps - in a different connotation, at other times or in a different environment - could have been remembered as much greater.
2 Manchester United will meet Liverpool tonight at the top after 17 rounds for the first time since, 2013 its last championship season, which included, among others, Wayne Rooney.
Liverpool were then in 12th place in the table, and neither side imagined that eight years after that would be the case.
While on the road to Liverpool to the top of English and European football, mountains of words have been written in recent years, it is interesting to try to understand how United are back at the top.
Four coaches have changed since then, dozens of players have been acquired, and now - after a little less than a decade - the Red Devils are once again looking at everyone from above.
how?
The solution to the question begins, of course, in the period, in Corona, and in the troll that European football goes through, but continues in a word that has almost become rude: patience.
After all, United had all the tools to break the tools three months ago following the Tottenham six, or a month ago with the relegation from the Champions League, but that did not happen.
Ola Gunnar Solskjaer remained, though few wanted to, and the time plus the quality staff had already done their thing.
In 2013 there were Ronny plus Robin van Persie, Rio Ferdinand and an excellent version of de Haa.
This time there are even more - Bruno, Rashford, Martial and Cabani.
You're Maguire, Bai, Van Biska and again De Hae.
The improving Pogba, from Katomini and Nemanja Matic.
United built a good team, with a lot of money, and the Norwegian got time to shape it.
Using statistics, analysts, scouts, fitness trainers, working with youngsters and meetings with former players Roy Keane and Ryan Giggs, United has straightened out to be what it is today.
Maybe not as brilliant and trained as 2013's team but good enough to try to recreate what hasn't happened since Sir Alex Ferguson left