I think SAF summarised Rooney perfectly when he said: "Would an inform Rooney be taken off?" No, is the answer.
It's a mixture of form and fitness and you can understand why SAF dropped him for the Madrid game and taken him off during games. Rooney's not an athlete like Ronaldo or Messi, he's always been a strong, chunky (mean that in the nicest way) and fearsome individual so he should have known his own body to know that he would have to work hard to maintain his fitness in the off-season. It seems he didn't do that in time for the start of the season and RVP was always going to be leading the line so he had to be ready to compete.
Form wise, he's been shunted around and it's something SAF has done even to accomodate Ronaldo because to his credit, Rooney will play anywhere and doesn't moan about it.
It's difficult to know why he has put in a transfer request. Does he want a new challenge? A move to another club just to refresh his mind and a new start? We don't really know but the fact it's his second transfer request shows he's not happy....AGAIN.
I'm not fussed if we keep him or let him go. All I ask is that if he stays, then we don't give him the same money he is now, the ball is in our court unlike 2010.