We have struggled for a proper left footed left winger for years, everyone who has played there including Gerrard and Rooney have been ****e. I don't think its just a Rooney problem, its a problem position and has been for years.
Who... Our only 'world class' player .... A man who England can't do without!? As for 'not being his fault' .... Baines didn't know where to go as he had 2 players running at him most of the game whilst Rooney strolled around looking lost. It's a game of opinions marra
But again that's playing baines out of position, can he play left wing, I have no idea. And hmm Cole didn't get a look in for Chelsea until very late in the season, I just don't think he could have picked him, an international for England should be playing week in week out for his club even if he has been great in the past.
The last 20 minutes was the worst England have played for a long time, and against an average Italian team minus Borini !. The battle is on now and it will be against Uraguay and Suarez.
I don't have re-runs to study but if I remember right the Italian second came as a result of our lost possession and de Rossi reacted quicker than anyone; what is the point of having an attacking player specifically wide left then give him a defensive job to do first?
Basic rules of playing on the wing, if there full back goes forward you track him so your full back isn't doubled up on. It happened time and time again. We need a strong manager who isnt afraid to axe Rooney. He should play just behind Sturridge or not at all.
Personally I loath Wayne Pubehead. Never was, never will be world class. Plus he's thick as pig ****.
Baines had a shocker because there was no one in front of him, Rooney should have been there but always on walkabout. I saw him helping back a few times.
Rooney is a good player at international level, nothing more. If he was treated as such, that would be fine, but why we bend over backwards to accommodate the gormless plank is beyond me.
Last time we had a decent left footed player in midfield was when McManaman was playing. Can't believe he retired in 2005 while Giggs is still going. They're roughly the same age. Anyway... on more pleasant note I think Hendo was really good for England the other day. I never really thought Hendo was special in any way but he was our best player I thought. Real engine, tidy.. miles ahead of Gerrard...whom I feels legs have pretty much gone unless he's got 4 guys doing the running for him...something that doesn't work on international level. And yeah, Baines had a shocker. Ok Rooney didn't help him but Baines didn't have a clue what he was supposed to do. He didn't seem to know who his man was. Leaving Cashley home wasn't smart. Honestly had Cashley been on the bench...we could have thrown him on with Baines in front and shut it right down. Baines should be Left Winger in the england team to begin with, he plays that far up the pitch for everton anyway.
Rooney didn't have a great game by any standards, his assist was world class by any standards but that was his only contribution. My feelings are that if Hodgson is adamant on this set up, Rooney shouldn't be playing, he's not a ****ing winger so play him in the 9/10 role or drop him, stop making him the scapegoat. He's the best player England have and the team should be built to his strengths, not the 2nd best striker or the pacey midfielder. The fact is, the media will rant, rave and party about Sturridge and Sterling, they'll get all the plaudits but after 3 games, we are going home. That's a dead cert. It's Roy Hodgson's fault, he's perished as England manager, the team has managed to evolve in terms of personnel but it's same old predictable England. Leighton Baines is ****ing shocking by the way, Ashley Cole never gets turned inside out by bang average wingers, Baines bottled it on the big stage. I predicted the Rooney scapegoat scenario weeks back, it was inevitable.
For me, simply swapping Sterling & Rooney would have made a big difference. I can see that Rooney is being picked out here, like you say Baines was shocking, Gerrard even worse, but the English way is to vilify the best you have. It'll never change, sadly.
And should mate. Sterling was excellent in the role he played, but he is a weapon with his pace down the channels, that in itself would make space for Rooney in the number 10 role. People will always slate Rooney because he's Rooney, regardless of what anyone says, he IS our best player. He's not Ronaldo, or Messi, or Pirlo, but he is our biggest single matchwinner.
Sure, we gotta work with what we have, but the shape should be right and Rooney is no winger that's for sure. Sterling is alright out wide and I guess that makes Wellbeck excess baggage unless he wants to go wide left which I doubt he does. I don't really understand the squad. We're playing 3 strikers but we've taken along a bunch of offensive minded midfielders in Lallana, Ox, Wilshere, Barkley etc. Seems impossible to make substitutions during the match without massively changing where on the pitch we're trying to outnumber the opposition and how we play. For me Roy takes the blame for saturday. The system didn't work at all past the first ten minutes when the italians got a grip of what was going on.
