Rooney hating...

[Stanley]

Well they only play 4 more games than us, and as i said the difference ain't a winter break.So it's as stanley said it's the mentality ie hoofball. Thing is to me the champions league is the problem, that should be re-set as a knockout over 2 legs like it used to be. This is what is played around the world and is being credited with giving other countries superior skills to us Futsal
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Futsal Apparently it is getting more popular here, and i think could be the answer, it also uses a smaller ball and is what Messi grew up playing.

Agree Dave...

[QPRDave]

Nice one Stanley i saw something about this a month ago maybe but couldn't remember the name of it, it's exactly what is missing from our game, good vid

[winalotto]

Just goes to show you cant miss 4/5 weeks and just turn up and play at the highest level, no-where near match sharp , first touch was heavy and he looked a yard off pace, you can train all you like, match fitness can only be gained by mins on the pitch. England always end up relying on a unfit player in a tournament, should have been on the bench last night after playing 5 days ago, but that would never happen to Rooney.

[Bluehoop]

Just goes to show you cant miss 4/5 weeks and just turn up and play at the highest level, no-where near match sharp , first touch was heavy and he looked a yard off pace, you can train all you like, match fitness can only be gained by mins on the pitch. England always end up relying on a unfit player in a tournament, should have been on the bench last night after playing 5 days ago, but that would never happen to Rooney.

Exactly this. I believe a 100% fit Rooney is as good as we've got, maybe not World Class but certainly a high class player. Well less than 100% as he was last night and against Ukraine, he is not worth his place and would have been better suited to a spot on the bench. The problem is of course, if he had not started (either game) and we had got beaten, the hacks would have blamed Hodgson for not picking our main "match winner".

The team were given no hope of making it past the group stages without him and indeed, some suggested we only beat Ukraine because he played whereas I believe if we had started with a fit striker in his place we would have seen more of the ball and been a more mobile unit and beaten Ukraine more easily. Once we qualified Rooney was made out to be the saviour of the Nation whereas, if he had been banned for the whole group stage and we had been forced to play without him, we may have been a better team.

Therefore, I blame the FA for that hypocritical appeal of his suspension and FIFA of course for reducing it to 2 matches.

[Stanley]

It wasn't just Rooney.

We just weren't at the races (not even near it) - it was men against boys, we were given a footballing lesson and put firmly back in our place.

[Connell10]

well i think rooney is world class when he is match fit!

[paulmason]

well i think rooney is world class when he is match fit!

When was the last time he was world class for England ?

[stainrodisalegend]

People get on Rooney's back because there is so much ridiculous hype about him (OK, hardly his fault). Every time he gets on the ball the commentators virtually cream themselves - just before he losses the ball or blasts it over the bar. At his best (almost always for Man U) he is a very good player (though not remotely in Ronaldo's class) but he is notoriously slow to come back from injuries and hasn't done it at a major championship for england for years. We prob wd have been a lot more effective with two honest toilers like carroll and defoe. that said, its all picking over details because we wd have been stuffed with whatever team we put out. you saw the gulf in class the way one of those italians just flicked in that penalty - no england player wd have the confidence on the ball to do something like that.

[winalotto]

No football for 5 weeks, and then thrust in as our only hope, played the whole game against Ukraine and looked well short and then expected to play a top level game 5 nights later and be fine for one run out, No chance.England do this time and time again in finals, Beckham, Owen, and now Rooney , don't work does it?

[Norths]

No football for 5 weeks, and then thrust in as our only hope, played the whole game against Ukraine and looked well short and then expected to play a top level game 5 nights later and be fine for one run out, No chance.England do this time and time again in finals, Beckham, Owen, and now Rooney , don't work does it?

We didnt exactly do shite in the first 2 games without him. Ok it wasnt great football but at least we went out there with a bit of fight and looked more of a team.

Once Rooney came back it all changed.

[winalotto]

We didnt exactly do shite in the first 2 games without him. Ok it wasnt great football but at least we went out there with a bit of fight and looked more of a team.

Once Rooney came back it all changed.

He is a sort of player who cant just turn up with his boots and play after a lay off, just look at him , always carries a bit of weight and needs time to regain his sharpness , should have been on the bench last night and come on as a sub.

[Stanley]

When was the last time he was world class for England ?

We covered that earlier on in the thread Paul.

[QPRSCLART]

Rooney had an absolute nightmare yesterday, should have been subbed. The Italians had more men in midfield and ran the game through Pirlo as a deep lying playmaker. As the second striker it was Rooney's role to stick to Pirlo and restrain him, which he failed miserably at. why do you think Joe Hart was shouting at Rooney to get on his man? That was our downfall, we let Pirlo dictate the game, and Rooney had an IMMENSE part in that

Its unfair to solely blame Rooney, as our whole team is unable to retain possession or move 5 yards and find space. But he had a shocker. Cant recall the last time he was 'world class' for England. One of the overrated players in football. NEVER does it against the big boys, or when it really matters.

[superhoop67]

anther John Barnes ,never produced club form for his country

[vblockranger]

We have no world class players and havent for many years. Just someone needs to tell the media to stop building them up for a fall.