Mahrez plea to cut and run is just a cheap shot
Southgate needs a leader
HOW many captains does a team need? Eddie Jones picked two for England’s rugby match with the Barbarians last week, England’s hockey team now has three — England’s footballers do not even have one. Jones’ selection of Chris Robshaw and George Ford as co-captains may prove a temporary measure, but Bobby Crutchley, coach of England’s hockey team, has committed to three captains to replace Barry Middleton. No doubt the speed of modern hockey, with roll-on, roll-off substitutions and elite players performing in bursts of five to seven minutes, means a single captain spends too much time off the field. Southgate’s decision not to pick a permanent replacement for Wayne Rooney (below) is more problematic because it seems a purely political stance. To announce a new captain would as good as confirm the end of Rooney’s international career and perhaps Southgate doesn’t want to be so brutal — or still harbours hope that Rooney may return to form and play for England again. He is right to indicate that a move to China or the United States could force his hand, though. Major League Soccer does not attract players in their prime and while that is not true of China, the standard of the league remains open to question. This season, only one of China’s four AFC Champions League entrants won their group, and another was eliminated in the qualifying play-offs. The season before, two were removed at the group stage, another two in the quarter-finals. Still a work in progress, China may have an ordinary league with a sprinkling of star performers. Factoring in a draining travel schedule and a season that lies dormant at times when England could have big games, it would be a gamble to rely on Rooney maintaining his performance levels. The appeal of China to Rooney, of course, is plain. He would be England’s trailblazer. He could never be as big, or important, as David Beckham was in America, but China remains virgin terrain. No major English footballer has made an impact in China. Whether the appetite is there to pay Rooney what he thinks he is worth, however, is also open to question. Those who know the market insist the interest is not as strong as is speculated. Either way, it will come to a head this summer, at which point Southgate must make his mind up. It is understandable that he shows respect; not that he leaves England rudderless, long-term. He may not need three captains, or two; but he does need one.