Once again an injury to one of Englands players is gonna save Steve McClaren from making a big decision.... After McClaren stumbled onto a winning combination with the injuries to Lampard and Rooney (replaced so well by Barry and Heskey) he was saved from having to do the unthinkable by having to drop Rooney to the bence due to Heskeys injury... Now in my opinion Heskey did enough, as Barry did to keep his place in the starting 11, but I got the impression that McClaren was itching to get Lampard on the field so much so that he took off Owen and went with Rooney up front and pushed Joe Cole forward... Why not give Crouch a run with such an important game coming up, we may need him for a 20 minute cameo if we need a goal against Russia !!!!! Why put Lampard on and pack the midfield when we're 3-0 up.. it makes no sense !!!!! Its also obvious that Owen is only half the player when he plays with Rooney... after 2 superb dispalys in the 2 previous internationals Owen was never in the game yesterday... against a team so poor you would have expected to see him gat a couple... If Heskey had played yesterday you can bet he would have filled his boots. That brings me onto Rooney, no doubt he is a world class player but does he fit the system that served us so well against Russia ??? I doubt he does.. long gone is the kid who would pick the ball up on the half way line and bulldoze his way into a shooting position, no doubt a skill coached out of him by Sir Alex in a bid to make him a more all round player... He like Owen playes better with a "big man" along side him.... proof in the pudding at Man U where he's struggled for goals sinse the departure of Van Nistelrooy.... McClaren has some big decisions to make... will he make the for the good of the TEAM or to suit the prima donna individuals... and remenber he was left with egg on his face when he famously closed the door on David Beckham... now there'a a man that history proves you should never write off.. My guess is that the injury to Ashley Cole will solve one of those problems.... Expect Barry to play at Left Back and Frank Lampard to regain his place in the centre of Midfield.
Rooney's struggle for his 24 goals last season You must have a different definition of struggle to mine.
1990... David Platt and I forgot to mention the emergance of Micah Richards... Surely Gary Neville's excellent England career is over !!!!
Only 13 in the Premiership though.... So do you think thats a good return for the main striker of the champions ???? The point i'm making is that the current England team... despite how good Rooney is, plays better without him !!!
Robson was replaced in the Egypt game by Platt. But you are right he then just kept coming off the bench. Then he scored that late goal against Belgium as a sub. (england)
RE: Only 13 in the Premiership though.... Agree. England seem to play better without Rooney. Owen doesn't look totally happy next to him. The focus should be how to get the best out of Owen, he is the one with all the goals. And Rooney would be a great impact player to bring into a game.
You said "proof in the pudding at Man U where he's struggled for goals sinse the departure of Van Nistelrooy" Obviously the pudding in this case contained 24 goals. Granted he's not been on fire for england but that is down to the system england have adopted and the lack of attacking prowess of the midfield. At Man U Rooney is often the provider from the flank looking for swift support from his midfield...as he was on at least on occasion yesterday when he played a peach of a ball to Gerrard whom along with Cole made an arse of a gilt edged chance. In any case 13 goals in 21 internationals is his record
Which game was the 2nd group game? He only played the one full game didn't he? My memory isn't the greatest.
Seems we both have failing memories. http://www.rsssf.com/tables/90full.html#grf It was the Holland game.
'proof in the pudding at Man U where he's struggled for goals sinse the departure of Van Nistelrooy.... ' EH?? Wasn't last season Rooney's best season in terms of goalscoring?? I think you will find it was.
RE: I thought Robson got injured against Ireland? If you read Gazza's book Robson dropped a bed on his foot trying to tip Gazza off it when they were pissed up. He had to drop out and it was reported as hamstring problems in the press.
RE: You said his record is 13 goals in 39 games, most of which against poor opposition. i agree with cinderella here, rooney although a very good player is simply not world class and doesnt do the business often enough at national level or in champions league when it really comes to the crunch against a half decent defence. i never understood where this world beater tag came from, Euro 2004? 2 goals against a poor croatia and 2 against an even poorer switzerland and the press declared him invincible, i just never got that. When it comes to england, Owen is the man we can depend on
