I am not part of the ludicrous group of fools calling for Wayne Rooney to be left out of England's squad for Euro 2012. Whether he receives a one, two or three game ban is irrelevant - he is simply too talented and too important to be left at home, whatever mangled state of mind or innate lack of temperament he possesses.
It is currently only a one game ban hanging over the Manchester United forward's head following his red card in Montenegro last night. However, there is a fair chance this may be increased to two or even three matches if you consider the nature of the offence, as four years ago a precedent was set.
In a similar scenario to Rooney, Andrei Arshavin was banned for two matches after being needlessly sent off in Russia's final Euro 2008 qualifying match in Andorra. However, in a bizarre twist of fate, this suspension appeared, actually, to provide the then Zenit St Petersburg star with the hunger and the platform to perform quite brilliantly in the final group game of the tournament (versus Sweden) and enabled him to build up some fantastic momentum in the knock out stages while other players and teams tired.
In the end, in face, the little Russians' performances in Austria and Switzerland meant he was one of the stars of the tournament and dramatically elevated his status on the world stage (just a shame he doesn't show the same commitment and desire to the cause at the Emirates these days).
There are other examples that support such a hypothesis. Zinadine Zidane sat out three matches for stamping on an opponent in the 1998 World Cup, but ended up being the French hero come the final in Paris. Ronaldinho was sent off in the World Cup quarter final against England for 'doing' Danny Mills (who can blame him really?) in 2002, but was a vital player come the final.
More recently, there was also Italy's Daniele De Rossi and his brutal assault on the USA's Brian McBride during the 2006 World Cup. The Roma star was banned for four matches for violent conduct following the group match - only to come on and score a crucial shoot out penalty in the final.
These are all truly symbolic examples of people going from hero to zero in the space of days, but the common theme... All three of these players eventually helped their countries' end victorious, so it is certainly not the end of the world for 'our Wayne'.
I am not predicting that the former Everton star will have the same impact next summer in Eastern Europe. But he is one player in a squad of 23, and with the talent he possesses, he is well worth the risk. In addition, his form this season appears to suggest he is back to his best, and he may even be (say it quietly) approaching his peak.
But there are other issues that now need addressing within the England camp. Does Rooney feature in England's warm up matches and is there any point? This could well depend on the severity of the punishment, but should Fabio Capello go with say - Darren Bent and Andy Carroll as a pair?
Can the Italian experiment with Danny Wellbeck and Jermaine Defoe, or perhaps go with a Bent and Wellbeck partnership? Such a pairing will certainly have pace, but is there enough guile? Could Capello even be so bold and attempt to implement fringe players such as a revitalised Peter Crouch and an in-form Daniel Sturridge into the starting line up?
These kind of tough, reputation defining decisions are what the former Real Madrid boss is paid six millions pounds at year to do. Hopefully now, we can finally observe the Italian fully demonstrate his worth without the services of his most prized asset.
To some extent, Rooney's suspension may even be a blessing in disguise. Capello has often been accused of having no plan B - but now it is imperative he does have. 'What is the next best option if Rooney is not firing' now becomes 'what is the next best option?' If Rooney doesn't feature in two or perhaps even all three of the group matches in Poland and Ukraine, can the fit again Steven Gerrard play the "Rooney' role behind the striker? Does it mean that England can now have Jack Wilshere and Gerrard (providing they are both fit) in the same side?
In addition, the loss of Rooney removes a headache that Capello would probably have had to treat. Crucially, the manager can now play a defensive midfielder alongside the two playmakers instead of having to try and juggle the old 'Gerrard-Lampard' chestnut of accomodating two wonderfully gifted players in central midfield without any protection behind. In this formation, without Rooney, Gerrard can play further forward, while Scott Parker or Gareth Barry (who appear to be Capello's first choices as the defensive midfielders) can screen in front of the back four. This is especially significant as Frank Lampard now appears to be nothing more than a squad player at best. The Chelsea star will be 34 come the finals, and England really do now need to look to the future generation.
Ashley Young, Wilshere, Stewart Downing and Theo Walcott are all options that should be nurtured and cherished, but what of Gerrard you may ask? Well, the 31 year old is two years younger than Lampard and is still good enough and young enough to figure come June. However, whether or not the Liverpool skipper should still be considered for Brazil in 2014 depends on the state of his body and his hunger. But surely that has to be a discussion for after the finals and for the new manager to decide on. For now, the Liverpool talisman simply has to be in the side.
There are some critics who will argue that Rooney's record at major tournaments makes his loss less of a negative than many pundits may claim. But let's not forget his brilliant Euro 2004 tournament in Portugal as a teenager, where he scored four goals in three games. At the 2006 World Cup in Germany, meanwhile, he was not fully fit - through no fault of his own, it must be said. But he was only 20 at the time and desperate to play, so you can't question his commitment to the England cause, despite what the press and some fans may claim today.
In South Africa last year, Rooney was very poor, but we all know the reasons why - and while there is not much of a defence for what Rooney did yesterday, it was perhaps understandable considering the stress he was under. Perhaps he should have been more honest about his frame of mind before the game, but you certainly can't blame Capello for this, and Rooney is certainly not the first high profile player to act foolishly in a big game on more than one occasion.
Some of the world's greatest players lose their heads at the most inappropriate moments - but it's this unpredictability which makes these individuals so stunningly brilliant. Rooney, who is 26 this month, still has time on his side to prove he is up their with the very best of all time.
Memories can hark back to Spain 1982, when a certain Diego Maradona was dismissed in the group stages for an appalling challenge on Batista against Brazil. Zindane Zidane - such a timid figure off the pitch, is one of the few players to be sent off in two World Cup's, and both times for violent conduct. We all know what happened in the 2006 final, and who can possibly claim that he didn't let France down? But do most of us care? No. He was a supreme player and as close to a football artist as I have seen.
As Englishman, we just have to hope that Rooney learns from this. In 2006, he didn't have to suffer the misery of sitting out the semi final as England were knocked out on penalties against Portugal anyway, following his sending off. This time, perhaps, having to suffer the indignity of watching his nation begin their European Championships campaign without him will hopefully increase his desire and enable him to harness his anger as to make sure he does not do something similar again.
In addition, the absence of Rooney during the opening stages may also dampen down expectations back home, and may be just the fillet that England need to prove the critics wrong and have a decent tournament. Capello will surely have learnt from the mistakes he made in South Africa, and he must now fully realise that English men are not Italians.
Although we can do without mimicking the Rugby lads' behaviour down under this autumn, we can at least hope that the players are in the right frame of mind to give as good as they've got. And with the quality England have at their disposal, and with the luck of suspensions and injuries going in their favour, you never know what could happen.
However, one thing is for sure. England have no chance of going all the way, without a certain 25 year old LIverpudlian in their ranks.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment