Source: Team_Talk
Fergie questions agents' role
Sir Alex Ferguson has questioned the influence agents have on players in the game following the recent saga involving Wayne Rooney.[LNB] England international Rooney appeared set to leave Old Trafford when Ferguson revealed early last week that the 25-year-old had intimated he would not be signing a new contract.[LNB]However, on Friday, Rooney performed a remarkable U-turn by agreeing a bumper new deal which ties him to the Premier League giants until 2015.[LNB]The role of Rooney's representatives in the issue has been questioned and Ferguson believes the agents may now wield too much power.[LNB]Big change[LNB]When asked if privately he always thought Rooney would stay, the United boss told Sky Sports: "Not necessarily no, because although you know the player you don't know his agent.[LNB]"Agents live in their pockets nowadays and for some reason they have an influence on the players which I think is a big change in the game as far as I'm concerned."[LNB]However, Ferguson revealed he was not surprised by how the situation unfolded, commenting: "I don't think it's any different from any important times when important players are running around towards the end of their contract.[LNB]"It's a fact of life today we've got with agents and the type of agents we've got nowadays. You expect all these things.[LNB]"I wasn't surprised to be honest with you. You have to manage round that and I think we've done it well."[LNB]Prior to signing his new deal, Rooney had issued a statement which questioned United's ambitions for the future, but Ferguson has stressed he is building a new team to challenge for honours.[LNB]He continued: "At the end of the day, I'm in charge of that and if anyone has any doubts about Alex Ferguson's ambition there's something wrong there.[LNB]"I've been here for 24 years and the longer I'm here the more expectation there is regarding me and I'm well aware that if we're not doing well there's a tremendous amount of criticism too, as well as credit when you're winning things.[LNB]"We build teams, we've been doing it for years now. We know how to build teams and we've always had a foundation of young players who develop at the club who replace the older players as they go along and in three years' time you'll see a different United."
