Rooney did OK last night, did seem to feel the need to put his stamp on the band, just got on with it, granted it was San Marino and it will be different in a high pressure game but all you can do is what you are asked and he did that well enough. Bagged a brace to boot. Gonna wash my mouth out with whiskey now.
He just went out and did it. I like to take the pish as much as anyone but c'mon, its your national side. Aren't you supposed ot back them and forget rivalry. Probably part of the reason why the team sucks at finals. Club bleeds over into country. It might have an impact on his conduct, if hodgson thinks this will help lessen the tools madness and keep him ON the pitch if he plans to include him then it makes sense to try tame the beast There are worse picks I guess though there are better ones but Hodgson probably made the right call as low risk as it was
Yes he really put mighty San Marino to the sword...very impressive. They even made Carrick and Wellbeck look good.
Not bitter but its hardly something to get excited about. If you can't look good against a team like that then you might as well give up. If Rooney or Wellbeck get two between them on Tuesday then fair enough. But let's face it its a ridiculous match up and you do have to wonder if San Marino should even be playing in games like this. When was the last time you saw 86% possession. I think a league 2 team would have provided sterner opposition.
Rooney did alright and was involved in most build ups (other than Hart, Jags & Cahill,who wasn't?) but against SM it should be expected. Its not against sides like SM that we need him to perform. The general quality of all the players is good enough to beat sides like that. When is Rooney going to play like that against a half decent nation? When is he going to perform for England like he does for Man Utd? When is he going to stand up an say he is in the same bracket as the worlds top players? These all perform at International level. Rooneys not done it since he was a teenager in Euro 2004 in Portugal!!!
So never then Its been the same with Gerrard over the years although he was played out of position to accommodate others too Edit: Is that why he played well yesterday then? Because Carrick, Cleverley and Welbeck were around him?
To be honest, Rooney linked up nicely with Cleverly, Welbeck and Ox (can we please stop being positive about Carrick who was, without doubt, the worst player on the pitch in an England shirt). I think last night showed the type of players we should be starting and the type of players we should be dropping. Certain players just work well together and it's about working as a team, rather than a group of individual talent (yes, this refers to the golden era of Lamps/Becks/Gerrard etc etc).
maybe. I didnt watch it but there tends to be so many players in the england squad who play like they dont know who each other is so might be. Funnily enough the last time england were a team was when Liverpool had a large number of regulars in the team. Germany game, 5-1 being the best example.
Carrick was ok, and god knows how Welbeck got MOTM, Rooney and Cleverley were the 2 best players on the pitch, also OX and Baines worked well on the left.
For me, Baines should start ahead of Cole who gets picked more by reputation than by form. Cole's still a quality player, but Baines is playing better lately, will be playing for longer and seems to make more of an impact on the game the last few times he's played for England. Top top player Baines.
