Manchester United fans have been expressing their anger at the difference between the media's treatment of Wayne Rooney following his exploits at a wedding in November and reports of Roberto Firmino's performance against Stoke after being charged with drink driving.
On Christmas Eve Firmino was pulled over by police and charged with drink driving. He is due to appear in court on January 31st. This placed his participation in Liverpool's home Premier League game against Stoke on Tuesday in doubt, only for Firmino to play and score his team's second goal in a 4-1 victory.
Jurgen Klopp told reporters that he hadn't considered dropping the Brazilian for the game, saying that Firmino was "the best man in training" and so warranted his place in the side despite any off-field misdemeanours.
In the aftermath of the Stoke game, a bone of contention amongst some fans of Manchester United has been the way Firmino has been treated in the tabloid media compared with how Wayne Rooney was slated for his (legal) drinking exploits after England's World Cup qualification victory over Scotland. Rooney was featured in an 'exclusive' spread in the Sun that carried details of Rooney being "almost too drunk to stand" at a stranger's wedding inside the England team hotel. On the other hand Firmino seems to have gotten off lightly, with the back page of the 'Mirror' reading 'The Drinks Are On Me'.
And Manchester United fans aren't best pleased with the contrast in how the two stories have been covered.
Rooney drinking wine in hotel bar on a day off.
Firmino caught drink driving.
A tale of two headlines. Enough said. #mufc pic.twitter.com/94mp0ZaDjk— Paddy Galloway (@PaddyG96) December 28, 2016
Do you remember the headlines about Wayne Rooney having wine in a hotel during a day off? Firmino gets done drink driving.... 🤔 pic.twitter.com/0HNQQyxXcs
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) December 28, 2016
What Firmino did was infinitely more serious than what Rooney did. Klopp should be getting lashed too for picking him, but isn't. https://t.co/F5KL4O5pqQ
— Jonathan O'Brien (@obrien_jonathan) December 29, 2016
Paul Morrissey of 101greatgoals.com had an interesting take on the situation.
Rooney regarded as an all-too familiar chav of Irish stock who needs to be taken down a peg; Firmino is an exotic & nonthreatening Brazilian pic.twitter.com/P5g6P5TNE5
— Paul Morrissey (@Paul_Morrissey) December 29, 2016
