Who would agree that Rooney is now a thing of the past in terms of England ? Woy sez he´ll stick by an injured, out of form Rooney which means he´ll get picked (so long he´s fit to play) for Euro 16. We have younger & better players than him. He´s done imo.
Hard to tell. Utd's players have virtually all played below their level this season, for the most part. Rooney's done enough to make the squad, but his starting place should be up for grabs.
I'd agree with PNP. Still a very good player, if not quite what he once was. But for Woy to automatically start him whenever he's fit is getting ridiculous. He should have to merit his place, like everybody else. Having said this, I would still say that we have as strong a group of young English talent now as we've had in many years. As I've said many times before, my preference would be to give them their head and let them grow as a team.
I think he has a valuable role to play in the squad. That Alli sitter, Fatboy would not have missed that. He is a good option off the bench and when the game needs slowing down and suffocating then his experience is important.
Should definitely be in the squad, but unless he comes back and scores a hatful of goals in the last 6/7 games and Kane/vardy/Sturridge do nothing then shouldn't be starting.
I think he should be dropped. England have never done well, in the big tournaments, with Rooney starting in the first XI, and I cannot see that anything is every going to change. Bringing him back will be a backwards step for England. The trouble is, that Rooney is neither an out and out striker, nor an attacking midfielder - he's a forward who likes to play deep - and to accommodate that, England has to change its style to suit Rooney. To me, that's too great a trade-off for a player who isn't truly World Class. It would be fine if Rooney scored more of the goals that mattered, but he doesn't. Much better, to drop him, and to set a full team of XI players to play as a full team, rather than setting up the whole team to make one (not very good) player look good.
He should be in the squad, but I don't think he's starting XI material at the moment. Kane, Vardy and Welbeck all look far more exciting.
He's nailed on to be in the squad and will probably start the first game (1/10 and 1/3 respectively if you fancy a bet on it). However, I'd rather avoid the whole circus and not have him there. He's nowhere near our best 9 (Kane, Vardy, Sturridge all better now) and nowhere near our best 10 either (Alli, Barkley). If the plan is to play 4-3-3 I don't see how he can fit at all. Too slow, unfit and too big an ego for my liking.
A belief (misguided IMO) that his experience and pedigree is worth something. In fairness, my suggested fifth striker was Defoe as impact sub.
We'd be stupid to not have him in the squad. He does have qualities but I just wish he wouldn't start. He hasn't merited a start and this young group of players is doing well - we need to go with youth not someone who has repeatedly done nothing when it counts. However, there is a chance that he may yet do something useful. The problem is he's captain so its hard to drop him and its unlikely Roy will man up and make a big call and drop him. The same things has happened years after year. When it counts the coach always goes to big names over form - like the Lampards, Gerrard's, Rooney's, Joe Cole's despite them not really working out. The squad looks more promising than anything since 2000-2003 though. Quietly optimistic that if we stick with youth and quick football then we can cause some real problems.
Alli is the future of England, and every manager, from Roy onwards, will build the squad around him. He is, undoubtedly, the best attacking midfielder we've had since Scholes. But, unlike Scholes, Alli doesn't fcuk it up when he looks after his defensive duties. Scholes was always a loose cannon at that. Kane is, by far, our best striker. Despite Pixie's monumental wum fcuk-up on that score, he's proven that in two seasons. But, actually, he'd already proved it conclusively at U21 level.
I wouldn't take Rooney to the Euros. I don't see the point when there are very good other options. Sturridge is the best striker England have so should be in the squad but as he's rarely fit (although I suspect he will play through the "pain" for England when he's not prepared to for Liverpool) he can't be completely relied on. Kane and Vardy pick themselves and then there's the choice of many for the 4th place striker spot. Carroll provides a very different option and has proven effective for England but he's also made of glass. Defoe may be past it but he's always got a goal in him. Welbeck offers pace, power, versatility but poor finishing. Even if Woy takes 5 strikers I'm not sure there is a place for Rooney. As it goes though, I think it's in midfield that England could prosper compared to previous years as international football is largely won through midfield control and domination. HIAG once again shows his scratch the surface understanding of football by criticising Scholes's defensive contributions. Undoubtedly the best English midfielder of his generation, and lauded by the likes of Zidane, Xavi and Iniesta, Scholes was more often than not played out of position by England to accommodate Lampard and Gerrard who spent a decade running into each other and leaving gaping holes for astute opposition midfielders to exploit (which is why England always lost when they came up against a decent side). Scholes' defensive duties in the middle of the pitch weren't called upon much when he was stuck out on the left wing or on the bench. It's been an English tradition to waste their best talent. The same happened with Hoddle. Carrick is another one England wasted to keep Gerrard and Lampard happy. He wasn't as Hollywood or free scoring as that pair but there's a reason why he always played when fit under Fergie. His midfield partners came and went but Fergie stuck with Carrick. Fergie knew and United prospered as a result! Pick your most effective midfield combination not just the best players. Nice essay.
I think that applies generally. As Leicester and Spurs have shown so effectively this season, this is a team game. It s not about how many star names you have on your side, if they can't or won't play as a team.
I think in a number of title winning seasons United didn't necessarily have the best players but they had the best manager, the best attitude and the best system (the latter two being the result of having the best manager). In 2007/8 United won the PL and CL. Two key players in midfield for the best side in Europe were Hargreaves and Carrick. For England's disastrous 2008 qualifying campaign they were very much understudies to Gerrard and Lampard. Nonsensical when you think about it! The last England manager to display any balls was Hoddle, it's a shame he was also slightly mad. Since then they've all been cowards. It would be funny if Woy, a manager who has been ridiculed ever since being appointed, turned out to be the one to show some guts, although he's fortunate that the Lampard and Gerrard situation was taken out of his hands.
Even in this thread people have said "X is better", so why should he go? Kane, Vardy, Welbeck, Sturridge are all arguably better than him at the moment, though Sturridge is due an injury in the next month. Woy will stick with 1 up top for the euros (even though we just beat the world champions with 2 up front), so unless hes taking 5 forwards, i don't see how he can fit in. Rooney will be picked when hes still recovering from injury and will probably start the first match not at 100% because Woy is too weak of a manager to drop him.
Wether anyone likes it or not...Rooney will be going. I do believe his experience, however useless we may deem it as fans, is important. Yeah he hasn't done anything of real note in tournament football. the mentor role would be his, it would be his job to say things like '"The gaffer says we got to be in bed by 9 like" "It's fantastic weather today lads, let's go and play some golf like" These kind of things come with being familiar. This new bunch need this, so they can concentrate on playing football. So I think he should go and rightly so.
