The highlights here featured Kane and Rooney only - a good goal creating pass and a good shot from Rooney as well as the pen. No idea how entertaining or not they were, but 24 points from 8 games and 26-3 goal protocol is very convincing. The football map in Europe is changing. The finals will have some surprise teams. Austria beat Sweden 4-1 in Sweden, and looked pretty good.
Spain, France and Germany up next in friendlies. Before this qualifying tournament you would have thought that was as testing as it got, but I have no idea which are the really good teams now.
It's a shame about the negative comments, but I feel quite proud to say that I was there. An historic moment in English football whatever the circumstances. Well done Rooney. It's not his fault. He turns up and has to play whatever is put in front of him and takes his goals in whatever shape or form that they happen to occur. It's a fantastic feat regardless.
Well done Wayne, 50 international goals is exceptional, especially in the England of the past decade. I feel he has suffered from playing under England managers that lacked vision and would often employ the wrong tactics and formations to get the best out of him. Imagine what a better all-round player he'd have been under Venables. With the pace we now have with Sterling, Walcott, Sturridge etc I think Rooney's best position would be attacking central midfield, he has great vision and can pick a pass plus his scoring instinct would make him a far more dangerous player to the opposition...
It is. Fair play to Rooney. Top all time scorer for England is a great achievement. Now to catch Keano
A mark of a great player is his ability to deliver on the big stage. Rooney has failed dismally for England on that count thus far.
Everyone could see that he should of been dropped from the team at the last World Cup. Woy was not strong enough and played him out of position. Terry Venables would of dropped him instantly. A manager who always wanted the best player in the role he demanded.
The team that won the World Cup in 1966 was greater than the sum of its parts. This one isn't. TBH, Rooney beating Charltons record IS a great achievement but he is still a tosser.
Agreed. Although he took euro 2004 by storm till he was injured. A combination of injuries and self inflicted personal problems have been to blame rather than any lack of ability imo. Rooney has always needed to be on a run of games to be at his best. That's why he often struggles (by his standards) at the start of seasons or when returning from injury.
I've heard the platitudes but I wonder what Sir Bobby Charlton really thinks at losing his record to Rooney...
Another thing to take into consideration is that since he exploded on to the scene as a teenager he has played an exceptional number of games and the expectation levels have always been that much higher for him, I believe he has passed his peak early as a result of that and a more withdrawn role would suit his style better and make best use of his vision. Those who say Venables would have dropped him are wrong, I believe he would have built the team around him as Venables always seemed to find the best players to work a system from...
I'll tell you what he thinks. He thinks "Why has this lucky scouse bastard got access to hair weave technology that wasn't even dreamt of in the days of my epic comb over, trailing in the wind behind me like the tail of a comet?" That's what he thinks. Charlton only scored 5 goals at major tournaments as well, just like Rooney.
https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.ne...=82f040de8d258d3c058cf66cc3fa9afa&oe=56643997 They didn't have European Championships in Charlton's time, though. Edit: Yes they did I don't seem to recall England taking part though.
I'd forgotten about the hair thing. Charlton seemed to be held in universally high regard, whereas Rooney...less so, but then, his career is not over so let's hope
1968 Italy. Only 4 teams got through the qualifying. Now that's what I call rigorous, unlike the 24 this time, which even Greg Dyke alluded to as 'easy'. England, Italy, USSR and Yugoslavia. We lost 1-0 to Yugoslavia in round one (or semi final if you like) and beat USSR 2-1 (Charlton scoring) in the 3rd place play off. Italy won, after beating USSR by a coin toss in the semi final. Qualification was 7 group of 4 and one of 3, only winners got through, played home and away, as were the quarter finals, leading to a tiny and short 'final tournament'. So it was a proper achievement to get there. The Home Championships over 2 seasons formed our group and we beat Spain in the quarters. I wonder why we don't go on about this one like our other semi final appearances?
He said that if he was being honest he was disappointed at losing the record but glad it was a Man U man that got it. Was just comparing Rooney's stats to Keane's. Rooney has 50 goals in 107 apps which works out at 0.467 goals per game. Keane is 67 in 142 which is 0.472 goals per game. Practically identical. So if Rooney keeps going at this rate, in six years time when he reaches 35 and presuming he's still playing he'll be near 70 goals also, which would give the next up and coming striker an almost unobtainable record to beat. Funnily enough given the sh1t Rooney gets from the England fans, Irish fans were asked in a survey to rank their best 11 and Keane didn't even feature! Even though he's scored over 3 times as many goals as anyone else! (I wouldn't have him in my team either)
