Is bonus money the way to go?

The FA may be asking Vincent Tan to explain his bonus offer , but maybe the Cardiff owner has a point - even if he has no idea what he is doing or saying most of the time.

Premier League players (more than most other leagues) are getting paid ridiculous amounts of money to play and not necessarily perform. Wayne Rooney is reportedly getting 300,000 pounds a week for the next 5 years, and what does he have to do for it? Nothing. I'm sure there is some legal language in there that says he has to play in 50% of games or show up for training, but what incentive is there for him to really do well now?

Yes, it gives other players the incentive to do well and hopefully get a contract even half as big as Wayne's, but shouldn't players have to work a little harder for their money?

These players do get appearance bonuses, goal bonuses, clean sheets, assists, and other add-ons, but shouldn't they be made to work a little harder for the basic money they earn?

The Cardiff players can't solely be blamed for them being bottom of the league, but they should shoulder some more of the blame, and you have to hit them where it hurts - in the wallet. Because there is no loyalty to teams anymore, players jump ship as soon as the going gets tough. Maybe they should be forced to stay a season if the team is relegated, or forfit some of their pay - I know it would never happen, but clubs can't fire players for underachieving.

I don't know a solution, but Vincent Tan does at least open the discussion. Players should have to work a little harder for their money - especially as someone like Wayne Rooney now wakes up every morning 15,000 pounds richer - because that's what he earns every night while sleeping.

It's even harder to like Rooney now

Wayne Rooney can play, there's no doubt about that. Is he in the same conversation as Messi, Ronaldo or Zlatan? Not in a million years. And even if he was, he just comes across as the type of guy that you'd struggle to really like, yet alone love as a footballer.

Does he deserve almost half a million dollars a week? No, no-one does, but that's a different argument.

Rooney comes across as a petulant, spoiled kid who thinks he's bigger than everyone. He can say he didn't ask to leave Manchester United, but he probably did. Fergie has no real reason to lie. And now David Moyes knows he desperately needs him to try and rebuild Manchester United around. Wayne and his agent held all the cards, as you can just imagine Jose Mourinho buying him just to spite United and their board. He wants to be the main man, and believes everyone should treat him that way.

The same with England. He mocked the fans for booing him and the England team after the 0-0 draw with Algeria at the World Cup in 2010. He doesn't care about what people think, paying to bang 50 year-old grandmothers while married proves that.

But as I said, Wayne can play. His performances for England in Euro 2004 were fantastic, some of his goals are the best I've ever seen, and he's won just about every domestic honor a player can win.

Yet, there's a look in his eye as he signs that huge contract. He's got everything he ever dreamed of. He obviously cares about winning, making money and being a big shot, but you don't sense he really connects with real life. Maybe he never had to experience that as he made his professional debut at 16 - yeah, you can say he had a tough time growing up in Liverpool, but who doesn't have a tough life growing up?

It's unlikely he'll ever play for another club team and will go down as a United 'legend' as he'll no doubt be their record all-time scorer (something he's likely to be with England too), but I'd bet most fans - United and otherwise - will never rate him as a great of the game. It's not because he's not talented, he's just very hard to like.  

Rooney and Robin are still no Ronnie Rosenthal

Manchester United for 4-2 yesterday in the Champions League, but apart from some dubious refereeing decisions and some shambolic goalkeeping, there were a couple of awful misses.

Wayne 'Mr. Loyalty' Rooney scored his 200th goal for United, but also managed to do a Torres, rounding the keeper and somehow missing the target from a few yards. Was he shooting or passing? Who cares, he earns a  fortune and can't pass it into an empty net from 4 yards? Maybe the Robocop headband blinded him.

Then there's Robin van Persie. Don't tell me it was an amazing volley to put them 2-1 up. Good technique, but the goalie was scared of the ball. You're the keeper. Use you hands, don't push the ball into the net. Chocolate wrists? No, just shit goalkeeping.

And that's before I mention van Persie's miss. It came at him fast is the excuse. He was 3 yards out with an open goal and it came off his heel. Imagine either one of these chances would have had an impact on the game. Imagine Wayne was playing for his country - all grannys would refuse to sleep with him, and the nation would have petitioned for his wife to be banned from Primark, forever.

But every miss from that close always reminds me of Ronnie Rosenthal - not sure why, it's just a classic miss.