Despite the uproar outside and the loud protests from the fans, Manchester United never took action against Rooney.
Rooney must have informed Manchester United before holding his birthday party, and his reason was perfectly legitimate. Otherwise, he could never have booked the restaurant and bar in advance. It was just that no one had expected Manchester United to be thrashed by their local rivals again on their home turf.
Sometimes, that was simply how things went.
Rooney was in a difficult position too. He had finally managed to celebrate his birthday, with the restaurant, bar, and entertainment all arranged and the guests invited, only to suffer such a humiliating defeat at that exact moment. Canceling would cost him face as well as a considerable sum of money; not canceling meant being hounded by the media and fans. He was caught between a rock and a hard place.
Manchester United, meanwhile, chose to handle the matter quietly, neither punishing him nor making any statement.
Ferguson was in a difficult position too.
After the match, the media caught him taking the coaching staff out for drinks. His twenty-fifth anniversary as Manchester United manager was just around the corner, and suffering such a humiliating defeat at this time naturally left Ferguson deeply frustrated.
Of course, the fans were not wrong either.
They had bought tickets to watch the match and supported the club and its players day in and day out. If you lost this badly, who else were they supposed to curse?
Rooney, you were earning such a high salary. The club had spent so much money to keep you back then. Now that you could not lead the team to victory, you naturally had to bear responsibility. It was only right that you take the abuse.
To some extent, at least