WORLD CUP QUALIFIER JURY STILL OUT ON ROO
Is Wayne still man for the job? We’re none the wiser after this BIG MATCH VERDICT
Tew. eurk: @peoplesport WEMBLEY wanted to know the truth about Wayne Rooney.
This unforgiving court of national public opinion needed answers.
They wondered if England’s most experienced player could still cut it on an international stage, whether he has a future in midfield, or even if he is of any further use to Jose Mourinho. Questions, questions, questions. While Manchester United’s boss has at least made up his own mind by dropping the striker- cum- wannabemidfielder, interim boss Gareth Southgate stood squarely behind his man.
Controversy
Let’s face it, this wasn’t the week to add to the controversy swirling around England’s national team by omitting a player who has scored more goals for his country than anyone else.
And Southgate was never going to do anything but follow the party line. It was easier to let sleeping Roos lie.
The captain received a mixed reception from the crowd when his name was read out beforehand. But most were willing to give a man who has been such a wonderful servant to his country a chance to prove he is still capable.
So while a staggering turn-out of more than 81,000 looked for clues as to whether the skipper’s star had finally faded, the truth was that it was difficult to pass judgement. Actually, it was impossible. This wasn’t an international match in the truest sense of the word.
Any sporting event is supposed to have at its heart an element of competition.
For it to have any real meaning, the outcome should be in doubt. Joe Hart staying in Turin to wash his hair and England playing without a keeper might have placed this in jeopardy. Yep, that would have evened it up. This was little more than a training ground exercise for the players with the Three Lions playing keep- ball for 90 minutes.
And a player who has scaled the heights with arguably the world’s biggest club and clocked up more than a century of caps for England is capable of sailing through that with the minimum of fuss.
Rooney may be turning 31 this month. But he would not have looked out of place had he been 41. Fifty-one may be pushing it a touch. Not by much though.
Malta were at the level of an average National League side.
And United’s man may be short of confidence, but if he wanted to play himself back into Mourinho’s thoughts then an exhibition match was a good way to do it.
He hardly wasted a pass. But then he was under no real pressure.
In fact, going into the final third of this insipid fare Rooney had touched the ball as many times as anyone on the pitch.
But he had not done so once in Malta’s penalty area.
For a man who thrives on scoring goals, who used to revel in the sight of the ball hitting the net, it speaks plenty about where Rooney is at the moment.
He cannot trust himself even to get into the positions to score any longer.
Booing
It took until the final minute for us to get a glimpse of whether the love affair with Rooney is over.
But even that was inconclusive. He shanked a cross behind the goal and a small chorus of booing rang out.
In fairness, the crowd was frustrated. Rooney should have been on the front foot. England should have been out of sight. They booed again before the end. At no one in particular.
Has the nation fallen out of love with England’s skipper? Questions, questions, questions. And sadly against opposition like this, we are all no closer to finding the answers.