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"Where’s the confidence in Wayne to say: 'You're our main player. You're our centre forward'? If he plays there, he scores goals.'' And Paul Scholes may well be right as it summed up all the conflicting emotions you felt as you watched the English display at Manaus. England’s No.10 – by far the country’s best footballer this generation has produced was accommodating positional comfort to younger prospects, even teenagers, as he struggled to make any kind of impact in what was one of the biggest games of his career.
This surely was not the way things should have gone for Wayne Rooney.
At 28, having everything to prove at the World Cup, no player who has already attained an iconic stature in Europe – never mind England - would want to be cast in a supporting role. While the Dutch contingent back Robin van Persie to lead their attack again after the terrible 2010 World Cup and Brazil handing Neymar the playmaking role despite his struggles at Barcelona, Rooney, after all he has achieved over the last decade has not done enough to earn the trust of coach Roy Hodgson.
As the debate of playing Rooney in his preferred position slowly turns into whether he should be starting at all for the Three Lions, the question remains – what exactly has he done wrong to evoke such dramatic conclusions in the past week?
A majority of English dailies decide not to lash out at the obvious defensive frailties shown by the likes of Leighton Baines and Gary Cahill, but go head on with the ‘Wayne Rooney Out’ campaign, who in all likelihood, could have ended with an assist and a goal to his name having adapted to three different positions in a 90-minute game.
What makes it even worse is how the media goes overboard in painting a picture of newly found verve and positivity in the English performance during the opening game. However, truth to be told, Hodgson’s ‘sweetest failure’ has got no points on the board – in fact, it has only made the road to qualification more difficult.
It is definitely not the first time the English media has been obsessed with their players. Whether it is the involvement of WAGs during the tournaments, leaning towards conspiracy theories on unrest in the squads, even the size of the bed that Peter Crouch gets in his hotel room – stories that are usually worth dumping in the trash often end up becoming a regular back page talking point.
Probably, it is the very same interference that has prevented the side from making any kind of statement at the World Cup for more than 2 decades.
Of course, on the other hand, there has been some constructive criticism from the press that has had its fair share of influence – the introduction of Michael Owen in the side during the ’98 campaign and David Beckham’s involvement before the heartbreak against Brazil 4 years later. However, they sure have got it wrong this time around as they target the one man they should be supporting to bring some glory back home from Brazil.
Among the four starters for England up-front in Manaus, Rooney has been the most prolific and creative attacking option for club and country since Hodgson took charge in 2012. He was the top scorer for England on the road to Brazil, scoring every 68 minutes – a goal scoring frequency matched only by his Manchester United team-mate van Persie in the European qualification pool.
As far as club form goes, the English forward has 35 goals to his name in the last two seasons and most of them have come from his preferred second-striker position. Agreed, Rooney still has to score at the World Cup finals, but he sure has earned his right to play in his preferred position for his country in Brazil.
I’m sure Hodgson and the rest of the coaching staff is well-versed with the numbers, but for once the coach might as well trust Rooney ahead of England’s crunch game against Uruguay. English fans would surely not want Hodgson to change his approach of clinging to pace and purpose in his plans. However, in what is arguably the biggest test of Hodgson’s character, Rooney is the sort of player that you cannot afford to leave on the sidelines.
Rooney on the other hand, thrives on moments like the one presented in Sao Paulo tonight. After all that has been said and done over the past few days, the least we can expect is a reaction from the forward.
Do England deserve the best of Wayne Rooney? All depends on whether the manager would want to trust his best attacker tonight and decide to let him dictate play.
What remains clear enough is there will be more tournaments to sing praises of the likes of Sterling, Barkley and Sturridge. However, England failing to provide Rooney a platform for his last hurrah would be nothing less than criminal.
