FIFA WORLD CUP FOOTBALL 2010 – Will the Manchester United Rooney please stand-up?
Wayne Rooney is the name that each English football fan is looking forwards to in South Africa 2010. Who is revered as the pride of the nation, Rooney was in the most lethal form in the start of his young career. Wayne bagged 34 goals in all competitions with Manchester United this season, only to prove that he is still worth it. He clearly filled the void left by Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez as they exited Old Trafford with big cash transfers to Real Madrid and neighbours Manchester City respectively. Rooney was perhaps feared by all defenders and goal keepers, whether it was the rock-solid defence of A.C. Milan or any Premier League teams. Coming from a sensational season at Manchester United, Rooney looked to add his name to the immortal legends of the FIFA World Cup, and given the form he was in, it looked easily achievable.
But, what happened? Where is the real Wayne Rooney? Can the real Wayne Rooney please stand-up? Is this the same man who barely got a few touches in the game against the USA? Or is this the man who failed to make an impact in a stale mate against the low lying Algerians? Is the player in the number 10 jersey for England a ghost of the illustrious Wayne Rooney?
Perhaps he is. Rooney failed to do anything in both the matches he played for his team in the World Cup. Apart from his signature back passes and a few unjustified out-of-the-box tries, Rooney failed to inspire his team for which he is so famous for. England may just be in “Roo-ins” as shown by the “Write the Future” advert by Nike. If he fails for another time, Rooney may become the trailer trash that the advert depicted, once the cruel and vindictive fans and English media are done with him.
Rooney says he’s pretty confident that England will manage all three points against Slovenia. He may need to give it another thought as Slovenia have been pretty impressive thus far, defeating Algeria and drawing 2-2 with USA in a match they should’ve won. Rooney was left frustrated when his own English fans booed him after the stale mate against Algeria, and has since apologised to them after his outburst. Rooney is perhaps feeling the pressure and expectations put on his two shoulders by the English fans and media of being the main man who is expected to deliver in South Africa 2010 have become too hot to handle. One thing is for sure, he needs to get his head straight and do what he is famous for; score goals.
But all is not lost in England’s campaign and a comeback may just be on the horizon for Capello’s XI. Perhaps England needs to change their mix in what may be their final match of the tournament. USA is breathing down their necks, with their match against Algeria. Slovenia has proved to be a formidable opponent, and would not be an easy team to beat. England would perhaps need to introduce the class and quality of Joe Cole, with Gerrard playing an attacking midfield role. Crouch needs to start for this crucial game, as his aerial ability and team play may just be the factor needed to bring Slovenia down. Barry failed to impress against Algeria, and Lampard barely had a few touches. Lampard, however, needs to push further up the field, and unleash his formidable right foot to perhaps find the back of the net.
Former Liverpool and England star John Barnes felt that Rooney was feeling the pressure of being the main man. He said, “If Wayne doesn’t have a good game then the whole team suffers. Teams such as Brazil, Argentina and Spain put the system ahead of the individual and this seems to work much better”. This may be perhaps the biggest reason why Rooney has failed to perform at such an important stage - too many expectations on one man. Lampard and Gerrard both deserve equal responsibility after having played the previous two World Cups. Both players have failed to deliver till date for England.
Rooney would also be thwarted by his second-rate performance. His personal goals of perhaps winning the Golden Boot, and deliver the coveted trophy to his nation may be in remnants after failing to perhaps. He would be hoping to score, or perhaps assist in order for his team to qualify. What the English team needs to realise is to work together, forget about the historic rivalries between Chelsea, United or Liverpool and do it for England as a whole. The real Wayne Rooney may just come of the tunnel in the Nelson Mandela stadium as he wears all red for his nation. It would take just that spark produced by Rooney that would make all the difference and catapult England into the next round.
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