A few years ago, United were making at least the semi finals of the CL year on year. That is obviously where we want to return to right? We can at least all agree on that? We're not all aiming to be battling Liverpool for 4th place for the next decade?
That is where Real Madrid currently operate. When we get there, we're going to be meeting them a lot more often than once a decade. Especially if we sell them our best players.
Liverpool are our historic rivals, but in reality are an irrelevance at the top level of European football.
They've had players of the calibre of Suarez, Alonso, Torres, Macherano and Gerrard over the past decade and still achieved feck all. In terms of damage caused by selling a top player to a rival, Liverpool are far less worrying to me than Real Madrid.
As I've said before, if Rooney came out tomorrow, said he was missing his home city and wanted to sign for Liverpool we would all rightly tell him to feck off.
We would however, be open to the idea of selling him back to Everton if it was a truly personal decision.
All I've ever said is that we should consider selling our brightest talent to Real Madrid, Barcelona or Bayern Munich in the same manner. If he needs to go home, and is willing to turn down huge money, then go back to Atletico with all of our blessing. But you can't go to Real.
That is not slavery, it's not imprisonment, it's not spiteful or vengeful. It's just looking out for our club.