Whilst most of us wallow in our ill fortune at Rooney`s ban some have incredibly questioned whether he should be taken to Euro 2012 at all. It`s amazing that people can despair at Uefa`s decision yet still consider the possibility of getting rid of Rooney all together. Rooney holds the key for England, ban or no ban and we can only hope he follows the examples of Robben and Arshavin, both of whom missed the beginning of major tournaments but then shone. The dearth of genuinely world class players within the England squad means we have no choice to take the rough with the smooth when it comes to Rooney.
Our reliance on Rooney was always a perilous game to play, and many ex footballers have criticised England`s belief and faith that one star man can inspire us to glory. They feel a change of philosophy is needed at grass roots level so we can truly build a team that’s biggest asset is the collective rather than hope for a Maradona-esque messiah. One can only cast envious looks at our Spanish counterparts who have at least six players of Rooney`s calibre if not better (Xavi, Iniesta, Silva, Fabregas, Villa, Torres, in case you were wondering). Alas this is not the situation we find ourselves in.
Fabio Capello will attempt to find the best possible replacement striker for Rooney in the remaining games before Euro 2012, with the game against Spain the first opportunity. There are plenty of contenders; unfortunately none of them inspire any real hope. Things are made further difficult when you consider Gerrard and Wilshere; the only other players who England could turn to take over Rooney`s mantle as England`s most influential player, have their own problems.
Gerrard has just returned from a lengthy injury and now must search for his old form, whilst Wilshere is facing an extended spell on the sidelines. England must pray for a relatively easy group to limit the potential impact of Rooney`s absence, even then qualification is not guaranteed as the Three Lions can make hard work of even the simplest tasks.
When Rooney stated he wanted to be as good as Lionel Messi we all laughed in the acknowledgement that the Barcelona man was on another planet ability wise to Rooney. However Rooney could do a lot worse than look at how the Argentinean retains his ice cool composure even after being kicked up and down the turf and try and emulate his remarkable restraint.
So there you have it people; Wayne Rooney, a man whose rough exterior belies his complicated nature. A volatile, unpredictable person whose fiery passion can create and destroy. A man who can send the fans into ecstasy one moment then push then into the lakes of despair the next. Reading the last few lines you could be forgiven for thinking I was describing a romantic hero from a Jane Austen novel, but its only Wayne Rooney. Rooney the liability, who unfortunately happens to be our finest talent and our key hope of winning our first major trophy since 1966.
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.