Rooney believes that he has four to six years ahead of him for England.

Stand aside Rooney we have no end of replacements lining up.

If only the same could be said of Centre halves and ball winning midfielders.

 

Hopefully he's the only person involved with England who thinks that. Got to go.

 

It's time to finally start afresh. And I'm not sure I'd want to keep picking Rooney.

Lets build a young side for the Euro's and then by 2018 they'll be in their pomp.

 

apparently Gerrard is about to retire from international football.

 

I thought Rooney was our best player in the Uruguay game. He's England's all time top goal scorer in competitive internationals. I don't think he's anywhere near the same level as the likes of Ronaldo, Messi and Suarez, but England haven't got a Ronaldo, a Messi or a Suarez, we've just got Wayne Rooney and imho he's by far our best option playing off a central striker. If we find someone better, fair enough, play them, but I don't think we have.

 

It's just easy to slag him off. The problem is when he burst on the scene 10 years ago everyone thought he was going to be at the level you mentioned. He's not made it there but that doesn't mean he's **** like people are saying.

Our best player, the only one in that XI that if he became available properly the top clubs in the World would want to sign.

 

6 months more like, play the young un's, get stones and caulker in with luke shaw

 

You're absolutely right, it is easy to slag him off. That's because he was shocking against Italy and poor against Uruguay, and for all his goal scoring exploits he never turns up for a world cup.

 

I hope so, and not before time either.

 

Unless there are drastic changes in attitude within the FA the likes of Rooney will continue to be first names on the team sheet.

 

We're all disappointed he hasn't quite reached the level we thought possible after breaking onto the scene for Everton and in the Euros when he was unstoppable. Like people have said, he's no Ronaldo or Messi but then, no other players are at that level either or have been since Maradona.

Personally I think it's physical deficiencies that have let him down. His natural frame means he takes a little longer to get properly fit and he's had to adapt his game from a up front powerhouse to a deep lying forward due to lacking half a yard of pace. It's certainly not from lack of effort or heart, he's always been a grafter.

All that said, he's still comfortably England's best player. Did a job for the side against Italy and was a few inches away from a hattrick against Uruguay (and our best performer) He'll also go down as one of the greatest England forwards of all time, for his goal record alone. So I don't understand the ire he attracts and the suggestion of dropping him forever is the absolute definition of cutting your nose off to spite your face.

 

One goal in tournament football hardly ranks him as an all time great. He's good against the weaker nations but ineffective against the better teams once we qualify.

 

He retired from it half way through the first half of the first match. ...

 

That's a fair comment. But the same could be said about the rest of the England players. Or the England team in general.

I'm not trying to pretend Rooney is anything he's not, he certainly has let himself down at tournaments. But my point is that he's currently our best player. Nobody has suggested anyone who would perform better than him over the next couple of years if we dropped him.

 

I'm not saying he's no good. Had his finishing been just a tad better we could have got points out of both games. He was in there to miss the chances though, and I do believe (as a striker) he's about the best we've got. But it comes back to what is best for England and the 'team' in my opinion. We should pick players who'll perform well as a unit. For far too long now we've picked players based on how good they are individually. Case in point would be Wayne, out on the left. Or previous to that, Scholes on the wing to accommodate Gerrard/Lampard.

I'd like to see us pick a group of young players to fit a certain system and for us to stick with that group (around 20 lads) throughout the next qualifying campaign come what may. We are light up front though, after Sturridge, so I've no qualms with sticking with Rooney. But I prefer a three man attack of Walcott, Sturridge and Sterling going forwards. Sheer pace. Get Barkley and Huddlestone central, with the Ox just ahead of them; Stonesy has to be in there at centre half, but with who? And for me, not being biased or owt, I'd give Trippier a go at right back. Shaw at left back. Hart to retain the keepers gloves.

Looks more exciting a line up than having to watch Wayne, Glen, Phil and Stevie for another two to four years.

 

Stones will be playing with Steven Caulker at club level so why not for England ?

 

I certainly won't be jumping to the defence of any of the squad, I agree with you that they've all been very poor. Rooney hasn't been our worst player but he seems to be first name on the team-sheet; played at all costs and I just don't think he is good enough to be given that kind of status.

 

When has an England team ever shown up for a World Cup post 1990?

Christiano Ronaldo has been poor in most tournaments. Same for Messi. Suppose they're ****, too?

PS - he was by far our best player against Uruguay.

 

The team should be built around him.
Englan have conceded 4 goals so far and scored 2 in this tournament. 3 goals conceded from crosses in to the box, 2 goals scored one by Rooney and 1 assisted by Rooney.
He is played out of position and everyone still expects.
Lampards not had a look in especially 1st game when we needed experiance in the 2nd half, but Lallana was put on and basically did nothing,same in the 2nd game.
Gerrard is given the holding role but he cant play it.Michael Carrick would have been ideal in this tournament the way England set up but he wasnt taken.

Defensively we are terrible,theres no leader back there,no Sol or JT. Do England have a center half like those 2,at the moment no,maybe stonesy can be that man.
Baines and Johnson,great going forward BUT cannot defend for there lives.
There lies the problems now the FA has to sort it. Changing managers isnt going to help,just like it hasnt helped BFC.

 

It's time to stop believing the hype. Put the crack pipe down and stop comparing Rooney to Ronaldo and Messi.