26 Jun 2012

Newcastle legend blasts: LFC star should be "bloody angry" about this. Agree?

Liverpool striker Andy Carroll scored an excellent goal against Sweden in the Euro 2012 group stage, but found himself dropped to the bench for the crunch game against the Ukraine, with Roy Hodgson preferring to go with overrated England flop Wayne Rooney. Carroll often suffered the same treatment last season under Kenny Dalglish, and according to Newcastle legend Malcolm Macdonald, the 35m man has every right to feel aggrieved.

Speaking to Wales Online, Macdonald admitted that he 'worries for Carroll', after all the 'verbal knocks' he's taken, and argued that when he does something well - like scoring against Sweden - he should be 'rewarded' for it, not dumped on the bench again:

“You have got someone of such outstanding physical power and height, who knows how to use it. So what happens? He’s left out of the next game and his confidence is given a serious knock. He must have felt, ‘What the hell do I have to do to become an England regular?’ It wasn’t a tap-in but a towering header that I would have been proud to have scored. I would have been bloody angry to be left out of the next game"

I may not be the greatest fan of Carroll, but if an attacking player scores a goal, they should always (IMO) start the next game without fail, unless it would be tactical suicide to include them.

Carroll was dropped for the ridiculously over-hyped Wayne Rooney, a player McDonald believes is 'very far' from World Class:

"He [Rooney} shouldn’t have played ahead of Carroll. When I hear the words ‘world class’ I say he [Rooney] is not. In fact, he’s way off being world class. Don’t start calling players world-beaters when they are far from it. It was Rooney’s first tournament goal since Euro 2004. That’s eight years".

What did Rooney do to deserve an immediate recall to the starting XI? Why change a winning team? Like so many other England managers before him, Hodgson gave in to player power, something that he admitted to in his post-Ukraine press conference:

"If I did leave him [Rooney] out, all hell might break loose in the dressing room"

If Hodgson allows player power to dictate his decisions then England are doomed for the rest of his reign. The fact is, Rooney has done nothing of note for England except get sent off at crucial times, yet he's still an automatic starter.

As for Carroll, Rooney's failure at Euro 2012 - his third straight tournament flop - will hopefully have a negative effect on the way the press and public perceive him, which could work in Carroll's favour by the time the World Cup comes around.

Not that I'm suggesting Carroll is the answer (!) - If it was down to me, Peter Crouch - who has a superb goalscoring record for England - would've been chosen ahead of him in the Euro 2012 squad, but if it's a choice between Carroll and Rooney, I'll take Carroll every day of the week**

** This view may or may not be influenced by my pathological aversion to Rooney, Man United, or both ;-)

Jaimie Kanwar


77 comments:

  1. Neil B Patterson12:36 pm, June 26, 2012

    Do we believe Roy that it was player power he was scared of? In reality it was far more likely the press outcry he was fearful of. Unlucky England, that's what you get if you appoint a tactically inept, yes man with an archaic take on the game as your national team manager. Good luck in 2014 lol! 
    http://itsallinthegameblog.wordpress.com/

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  2. While I agree Carroll deserves his chance due to his confidence performance but even me being LFC fan would go for Rooney instead. Carroll needs to consistently perform good in domestic season in order to gain regular place in England XI. He haven't been good whole season but only in patches. I might swap Welbeck for him. Ideally if Lampard wasn't injured I would have player Gerrard as second striker and Lampard in place of Gerrard. 

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  3. I agree, rooney is a Club player nothing else. He can'nt stand in any international game or competition. He is simply a club level player because there he plays alongside world class footballers. who gave him helping hand 

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  4. carroll or rooney???? let me think.....one gets picked every game by the best manager ever,scores regular for the best team in the country over the past five years or so,will probably end up breaking the goal scoring record for club and country....the other cant even get a regular game for a team that finished mid-table....mmmmmm

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  5. but that seemingly is the same old story, what logic was it to put all there eggs in wayne rooneys basket when he hadn't any game experience coming into the tournament, looked rusty in the first game but still built there attack around him  for the quarters. asking him to drop back and support the midfield? he looked lethargic for that game and didnt contributed 0    

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  6. A disgrace to award Rooney an England jersey.

    He strolled around the pitch, watching opponents with the ball and calmly walking past them without even standing in the way, let alone the thought of putting in a tackle and making it harder for them.

    Rooney is a disgrace; and giving him a place in the England squad ahead of any of the younger players is testament to where England will be in competitions to follow! NOWHERE!
     

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  7. quite clear you have something against rooney. your argument is poor to say the least. the hodgson comments seem to be taken out of context, and used to stregthen your 'argument'. ive read your blogs on more than one occasion and whenever rooney is involved, you more often than not try to make your personal feelings out to be more in the publics interest. its clear you should not be writing a blog about football, as you dont know anything about football.

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  8. what i would say is simple because england cannot and will not pass the ball but this is a long term problem which needs to be fixed but we are not shite therefore i drunkenly believe that we should play 433 with people like crouch and carroll with gerrard in the hole and three completely defensive mids who can deliver a ball which would suit milner down to the ground.  what do you think?

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  9. Gerrard in the hole is certainly preferable to CM (for England), but three defensive midfielders?  England are defensive enough already.  And Milner? Should be a squad player at best and should never again be a starter.

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  10. carroll is nothing more than a donkey wearing a football jersey.

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  11. right so because he does well for his club in the first half of the season hes a guaranteed starter for England even though the goal against Ukraine was his first tournament goal since his first ever tournament in 2004 he (Rooney) looked unfit and out of form just like the other united player Ashley Young. to drop a player who makes 1 start and scores a thumping header and won every header he went for in that start bossed the Sweden defense all match deserves to be dropped for a player who had barely touched a ball in months??? Your wrong the last time England chose players form over reputation they won the damn tournament as 66 proved when Hurst was chosen get your biased glasses off and talk some sense for a change

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  12. why cant you reply to my comment eh? ill ask you again, whats with all the rooney comments? his 'overrated'? Jaimie K 

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  13. I don't waste my time replying to people who can't debate without making snide remarks.

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  14. who made snide remarks?

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  15. England dont have footballer world class ,you have to admit the reality.

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  16. I reckon Utd`s boss my have had a few words with
    them ,something like remember who pays your wages. 
    So do not overextend yourselves,i want you back here
    fit and well for the new campaign.Glen Johnson & Stevie
    were superb gave everything they had.

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  17. anyone with half a brain would take rooney over carroll any day of the week....only deluded liverpool fans would say otherwise.....but they also say liverpool are still a top club!!!
    "Its our year"

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  18. Yeah right....halfwit

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  19. Redderthebetter1:52 pm, June 26, 2012

    Here we go again, technically outclassed, dated system which got England over run in midfield and too much dependence on Rooney the so called superstar. Rooney should have been brought off and Wellbeck stayed on when Carroll was introduced but no, Roy caved in too the backlash he would have got from the Press. Players = Form not reputation and once again the wheels came off. It should never have got to penalties and England looked awful. Until we wake up and smell the coffee the story will not change. Possession and how to retain it is the key as Italy and Spain proved. How Knackered did the Team look at the end after chasing shadows since half time. England have no world class players and until the ethos of the game in this country changes it will remain so.

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  20. @Diskobiskit54 i think you`ve taken one too many of your namesake..your brain is fried...ha ha

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  21. Roll on the circus that is lfc.This year will be yer year.ha ha

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  22. Rooney should never have started (although he is far better than Carroll and would take him any day if he weren't a Blue) as he hasn't good enough at international level to be a first choice starter all the time but Carroll has barely done anything in his club career to be angry or expect anything at international level. Its the lads first England tournament, I expect he isn't that fussed about the pecking order just yet, instead learning from the experience. I would have gone Crouch, Welbeck, Bent (when fit), Holt or Sturridge instead of Carroll. 

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  23. Caroll might not be a great player but with long pass hoofing tactics Hodgson was playing, Carroll would have been more suitable striker instead of either Rooney or Welbeck. 

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  24. read his comments policy and you'll understand :-)

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  25. England were defensive and very good at it.  Why do people think that it was going to be different, you chose Hodgson as the manager.  I would be very worried as to why he didn't change his tactics when you were totaly played off the park.  If he had realised that his team couldn't pass the ball why didn't he just put Carrol on and pump ball to him?

    Players seem to get into the England team on reputation not on merit and until that changes I can't see any change.

    I find it amazing that with all the top class players England have at their disposal they play so dismally.

    I think Benitez would have been a better choice(not sure if he was in the running) as he would have picked the players that were going to fit into a system and they certanly would have been prepared for change.

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  26. This is the first time ever ive agreed with a post on here...

    Wayne is soo overrated my mind boggles how he get's to be called 'world class' to be world class you have to prove yourself on the world stage. I have not seen him do anything good in a major international tournament for England apart from get sent off.

    Andy and Wellbeck should have started against Ukraine and Italy. That header Rooney missed against Ukraine would have been in the back of the net had big Andy got on to it, the scrappy goal Wayne scored was because of the goalkeepers error who couldn't hold on to Gerrards cross.

    Andy would have given the Italian defence a tough time then what Wazza did.

    Woy needs to play the players on merit not because of they're name.

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  27. i have actually said it before Andy Carroll was not included to the Euro squad because of his dominant performance for Liverpool last season. Neither was that other big flop called Downing. Love the fact that they try but they are not at that level yet. If there were more viable options for Hodgson to choose from these guys would not have even gotten a sniff of National team football this summer.  Liverpool fans of-course are pleased that there players are included on the squad. If they are the best England has to offer then the national team is in trouble. As a long suffering Liverpool fan i know only too well what troubles the club has had. Lack of consistent strong performances in front goal has plagued us.  Carroll hadn't earned the right to start before Rooney. Rooney had a better season than Andy so he had every right to start. Chirag you hit right on the spot. Not a real hard decision for Roy to have made really

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  28. He's absolutely right about Rooney not being world class.

    When you think of world-class strikers/forwards - Messi, Ronaldo, Van Persie, Aguero etc - they'd all keep Rooney out of any team.

    As for Carroll, yes he scored and put in a decent display against Sweden but let's not kid ourselves that he would have done any better against Italy than Rooney did. 

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  29. Bang on Chib, even if Rooney is not world class he is right now 10 times the player Carroll is. Downing and Hendo should come back and show what they have to offer at club level first and should not be selected just coz of the badge of Liverpool. 

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  30. I'm a LFC
    fan. Unfortunately, Rooney is far better than Carroll in most departments.  His use of the ball is superb.  Very high game IQ.  Last year I saw a CL game where Manu was
    ahead and time-killing.  Ferg directed
    Rooney to drop to play Scholes Roll and I was most impressed with his vision
    and long range passing - I thought-damn-he is just like Scholesy.  We will see him in this roll in due time at
    Manu-this will extend his career once his youthful legs go a bit.  // He usually makes the players around him
    better-can actually keep the ball higher up the field under pressure.  Its easy to say now that Woy got it wrong a
    bit, but can you blame him.  Rooney
    possesses that rare quality to make that game changing play.  Even if he was semi-fit; you just don't know
    when he is going to turn it on.  Yes he
    didn't look sharp, but this kind of player always has the chance to win a game
    with that one play or one chip or cross. 
    I felt Woy took a gamble to try to sneak past Italy and also let Rooney gain
    match fitness hopefully peaking as progressing.  I hate looking at the little bast-rd when they
    zoom in but when from afar the understanding of space and passing ability is
    hard not to enjoy.  IMO Carroll should
    have played from start v Italy
    since we knew it was not going to be a possession on a string game for Eng.  Playing Carroll up high (no. 9) would have
    created a target man-he does have the capability to play off of even against
    big defenders.  Eng would have had more
    set plays to use and could have nik'd a goal; which is what I read Woys tactics
    were anyhow all tourny - compact, defend w discipline first, org and counter or
    set play against more technical sides (aka most teams).  Would have liked to have seen following adj.  Parker off once spent.  SG drops to his spot now tired but will play
    more positional and can spray. Rooney in front of SG with Welbeck or Young in
    hole to play off AC.  Downing could have
    done defending winger roll well enough plus serve long to AC. End result is
    Rooney does not fit up top for Eng as tactics are better suited for AC. 

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  31. JK IMO Gerrard is no longer capable of "playing in the hole" the years of carrying Liverpool have taken there toll on him

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  32. Love how C Ronaldo has taken 30 shots on his own where the England team only managed 29 in 4 games. Hilarious!

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  33. Blimey, Jay. You Ok?

    For the first time ever I actually liked one of your articles..... ;D

    Although he's obviously a superior player to Carroll, Rooney shouldn't have gone for the simple reason he was banned for the first two games and players need to 'grow' into a tournament (if you understand what I mean). When England needed him, he wasn't ready.

    Cue: "but he scored against the Ukraine" comebacks.


    The thing that worried me was Parker going off because he was 'tired', and Gerrard getting cramp.

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  34. Good point about growing into the tournament. Like Gerrard, Lampard et al, Rooney is another remnant of the failed 'golden generation'; these players are tainted by international failure, and the sooner they're all dumped, the better. If it was down to me, all the following players would be permanently exiled from the England squad:

    * Gerrard, Rooney, Lampard, Terry, Cole, Ferdinand, Milner, Barry, Defoe, Downing, Parker.

    These players have been consistent failures for England - what is going to change over the next 2-4 years?

    The next generation needs to be blooded now, and if the FA/Hodgson had any balls, they'd dump all the aforementioned players and start promoting youngsters.

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  35. And rooney? Looking at his performances he's not much more.

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  36. but has NEVER done it at international level! world class my arse!

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  37. so donkey playing along side shrek eh? would all you mancs please tell me what rooney has done at international level to justify persisting with him? he very obviously can't cut it at this level!

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  38. Really Chan? I am not supporting Man U by sticking up for Rooney i  realize that Liverpool  fans take an oath that they will hate Man U till the day they die. I just to understand you are you saying that Crouch , Holt , and Welbeck are better than Rooney? If i remember right Crouch did had not featured in many games for England leading up to the Euro's. He has not been used consistently since the world cup in 2006 in Germany by the previous England manager.

     Bent I feel deserved a berth on the England squad if he were fit.

     Holt also has a reason to be aggrieved. Could be that Roy prefers younger players. Holt is 31 or there abouts. He had a solid season for Norwich.

    Danny Welbeck just like Carroll has only played in his first senior tournament for England.  For both players it a learning experience nothing else. If England was serious about winning they should have used a more experience striker up front but since Holt was not chosen nor was Bent to partner up with Rooney the results speak for themselves.  

    Rooney is seen Chan as not good enough to have started yet no body outscores him season after season in his club team. i don't know who Andy has scored more goals than in  Liverpool. There is slim pickings for top class strikers in the England set up which is why we saw the inclusion of Welbeck and Carroll. This exercise can be a bit of national experience for two possible world cup team members in 2014.

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  39. his size would have, Italian's hate big tall strikers, did you watch the Croatia game? they gave the Italian defence a tough time with all the crosses coming in

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  40. redheart - the fault therefore lies with hodgson for playing pathetic tactics. rooney has far more to his game than the donkey.

    molby - I agree, rooney's overrated. a very good club player, not world-class. but carroll is truly awful, embarrassing and doesn't even look premiership standard......

    steve mccauley - unfortunately he's the best we've got at the mo. problem is whenever he comes back after a break, albeit injury or ban, it takes him about 5 games to get back into the pace of things ( for united or england ), then he scores loads of goals, then he has another break again ( injury or ban ), and the cycle repeats itself.

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  41. He`s played in and scored in champs league semi-finals and finals,which is a higher level than international level,he`s one of the first names on the teamsheet for one of the best teams in world football,picked by the best manager the world has ever seen,yet some no mark on a football forum doesnt rate him.....who`s opinion should I trust??

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  42. to say they hate big strikers is a bit of a ropey old cliche isn't it? he won a few balls against them but he was never going to change the game.

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  43. I said 'instead of CARROLL'. Nowhere in there (the quote I gave in the first sentence of this very post (thought I'd clarify as you seem to get carried away)) does it say Rooney. Just because I said the word 'Rooney' in my first sentence doesn't mean he automatically applies to every single forthcoming facet of my post. Jeez, talk about getting 1000000 from 1 + 1.  In that part of the post, I was talking about Carroll, not Rooney. I didn't 'say' explicitly that I would take any of those strikers over Rooney, nor did I 'say' they were better than Rooney. The bulk of my post was about Carroll's selection. Thanks for all the effort in that reply though and your attempt to intepret my post, but bless, with all due respect, it was for nothing I'm afraid as it simply doesn't relate to what I was getting at. 

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  44. you would take out cole, parker and gerrard? arguably the 3 best things to come out of this tournament? 

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  45. well personally, i thought carroll & welbeck did enough against sweden to keep their place! shrek may well be the best option in general, but for this specific tournament he was NOT the best option, proved by his totally inept performance against ukraine! he was very obviously well off the pace and how anybody thought he was going to drastically improve sufficiently to face much higher quality opposition is beyond me! for all woy's good points, THAT was his big mistake!

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  46. Without hesitation. They are not the future, and those three will not lead England to international glory. At the World Cup, Gerrard will be 34; Parker and Cole 33; it's not really about age - look at Pirlo - it's about impact, and this generation of England players are international failures. They've had their chance - time to give different players a chance now.

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  47. to be fair, parker's only come to the fore in the last couple of years, so for him to labelled as a 'consistent failure' is unfair. if you were to remove them, who is good enough to replace them? you cant bring in players that aint as good as the ones your taking out or as experienced

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  48. ...and has never managed to do anything good for his country in major competitions. Rooney was the worst performer on the pitch for the quarter finals. May be he need to have two strikers to play alongside him as he is comfortable having two partners on bed.

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  49. anyone who thinks a player should just walk back into a side, displacing either of two strikers that both scored in a previous winning game has absolutely no clue about football and should nt make any comments about such matters, the game is beyond you, find something else to do, I include Roy in that!

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  50. how true least the man has the balls to come out and say it. roy just like all the other managers in the last 14 years or so, no bollox.
    down hill from the sweden game. id of taken downing over young all day long. and defo over welbeck, who does nothing apart from a lucky little back heal and hes all of a sudden the nuts. its a joke.
    wats the connection ????????????????
    i wonder eh...............................................gutless roy a big manc fan for starters

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  51. rooney " englands pele" hahahahahahahahahahaha, what a joke!!!! the only thing rooney has in common with the truly great footballer, is their interest in oap's.

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  52. Why not use a more scientific approach to pick players... Why not consider a model that judges how that player ranks on an international stage?

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  53. joe hart and steven gerrard are world class

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  54. he needs the right service 

    if andy was born Croatian he would of got 10 goals  in the group stage because they cant stop crossing in to the box

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  55. wast that againsy otelul golati

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  56. cue in hart oxlade-chamberlain walcott henderson caroll sturidge jones smalling and welbeck walker and kelly
    i would still keep gerrard because he is a born leader and he might have the same impact as pirlo IF hogdson uses him right because if you saw the game against ukraine thats what he was doing
               

               hart
    jones  smalling  kelly  walker
    oxlade henderson gerrard sturidge
              carroll welbeck

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  57. Agree with u!!! LOL That makes a change.
    Rooney is the 'only' world class player we have the media say- what a load of balls!!!
    Look at Portugal, they don't have the same calibre players we do, but Ronaldo produced when it mattered, Greece.. Who have they got? But showed passion and determination, Denmark- nobody gave them a chance but Bendtner stood up to be counted.. Any of the lesser teams who only had maybe only one player to depend on but usually those talismans have given it all they got.
    We played okay 1st two games, then Rooney walks in, yeah he scored but he was crap! Every tournament of note he is put on a pedestal but doesn't produce! Ashley Young, only moved to Man Utd, okay start then injured for 6 months, and didn't do anything worth mentioning, 1st season in a while they couldn't get past Qualifying stages of Champions League, yet he gets picked and someone like Oxlade gets dropped even though he performed... Welbeck, was crap in under 21 championships, done jack shit in Premiership and gets picked...
    Problem is when Rooney plays midfielders and other players feel obliged to look for him, expecting him to produce but he never does, whereas maybe had they taken a limitless responsibility themselves, We may have done better... Rooney doesn't show a desire to play for England, people like him and Terry think they ARE England... Anyway why didn't Hodgson take Adam Johnson instead of Downing, Why drop Carroll when the whole world knew Italy would have struggled aerially?
    Why didn't Leighton Baines come on considering he's been very adept all season and excellent at penaltys? And Jermaine Defoe, given opportunities he would score, he's done better than Rooney and would have tormented the Italians!!!!
    Personally I would have gone for a 4-1-3-2 formation...
    Hart
    Johnson. Terry. Lescott. Cole

    Phil Jones

    Oxlade-Ch Gerrard. Adam Johnson

    J. Defoe

    Andy Carroll.

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  58. As an example and being an LFC fan I say compare Suarez and Rooney, automatically people will say Rooney scored far more goals last season... But people who watch the game will know every game and every time Suarez gets the ball there is an air of expectancy, there is excitement and a buzz... Not with Rooney, Suarez was pivotal in everything LFC DID, Rooney wasn't for the Mancs .. Suarez has produced ALWAYS for Uruguay, can't say Rooney done same for England, Unfortunately LFC had too many journeymen - imagine if the Mancs had Suarez, they would have had the Premiership sewn up by the end of March.
    Synopsis, Rooney really isn't all that... Nor is RVPersie,no chance he'll repeat his success of last season, took him a decade to achieve that!

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  59. Proof, if it were ever needed, that Hodgson is a coward and ill suited to top level management.

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  60. Come on. Manure world class?? The only reason manure wins games in PL is helping hand from Fergies Association. They can't do it in Europe.

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  61. Well said Bash, the other issue you have to look at is that Portugal, Spain and Germany better for trusting in youth whilst England, Greece and Italy have ageing squads, which explains current form.  Suarez is 'world-class' no doubt, but pple forget that Rooney has 'never' performed at major tournaments at all, the 2nd reason is that English players cannot go out of the country to compete in other leagues, youngsters should be assisted in getting loan-moves and monitored.  Over-reliance on these old players is too much, Theo, Alex-C, and Carrol were benched for Young,Milner and Rooney which proved the biggest mistake by Woy.  England has to do a Germany, drop all the current players [with a few exceptions] and look for new, young players in both the EPL, Championship and League 1, filter the current Under-21s, use them for friendlies to assess their play, the years of the 'golden generation' is done and a new one should be ushered in. 

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  62. Dont you dare have a go at Andy Carroll, or Stevie Gerrard, the cheek of some people. Your a joke mate, only for gerrard we wouldn`t have even got through the group stages, and Rooney would not have scored his goal only for a brilliant display of skill by Stevie G, Your no LFC supporter your a "joke" Andy Carroll, looked more likely to score than any other forward within the England team. Ashley Young, was a complete failure and anyone who says different is delusional Downing couldn`t have been that poor. The best England Goal of the tournement was scored and created by LFC players so that says it all. Johnsons last ditch challengers also kept us in the competition in the group stages so anybody who wants too have a go at my teams players need too have a look at the rest of the English players? and be honest it wasin`t LFC players who let the team down. I agree Andy Carroll should have been on the team sheet to start against the Italians, Although i think Danny Welbeck his a good young player, he should have been the one too come off the bench if needed as a substitute, and in my opinion Wallcott, should have started instead of Young and Chamberlaine, should have also started instead of Millner.

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  63. lets be totally honest here Rooney did not look interested,& when Carroll came on all he did was barrage into anyone & everyone being a liverpool fan i think as a player he has little or no technical flair about him ,Defoe was a better option,time for Roy to wield the axe & get rid of big reputations.the best players for England clearly was veteran Gerrard.& johnson.

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  64. Did you read my last two lines? I didn't have a go at Stevie G. He is just the best. I said if Lampard wasn't injured I would play him in place of Gerrard and get Gerrard forward as second striker behind Rooney. Please read, understand and then comment. 

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  65. Glad you brought this up Jamie, it was very interesting after the Sweden game where the pundits were discussing if Rooney should be put straight back into the side potentially disrupting the teams momentum and confidence etc and to his credit it was MARTINEZ who actually stuck his neck on the line and said that he would stick with the same side a la Walcott Carroll and Wellbeck.

    Roy Keane and i think Viera were both quick to state that NO he should deffo be played from the start and went on to explain why....IMO that was a pivotal point in Englands progression in the tournament, i felt at the time that Martinez was spot on, Roy fcuked it up by bowing to PUBLIC pressure and lets face it the HYPE re Rooney just before he came back into the side was grossly and embarrassingly OTT, unleash the beast...etc from the BBC....FCUKING IDIOTS!!!

    Carroll outshone Rooney this tournament, held up the ball well, brought other players into the game....scored a cracking goal....looked a constant threat..etc..

    England will not progress as a national side until they deal with the big ego's a la Rooney and Terry....bring in the youth and if they perform better than the "proven" players they let them keep their place....THAT would send out the message to all and sundry that they have to work bloody hard like everyone else to make it for the national team, Roy made a big mistake, but it is what England deserve because when the BBC sen out such messages re Roonery it is hardly surprising that the manager bows to it....

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  66.  They are consistent both for club and country.

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  67. twice the player lazy brainless welbeck is, and more of a threat than rooney was in any of his 2 (given) games. as for ashley young i just cant stop laughing how bad he is........., he actually gets straight up after hes actually been propperly fouled (which aint often)
    think about your drab players before spouting off on here

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  68. rooney 8 years ago...............yes 8 years ago !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    how old was carroll ?????????
    he who laughs last..................................

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  69. you are smu as well as clueless. if hes not playing  crap (rooney) he looks like hes gona get sent off.
    obviously to used to getting away with murder playing for united

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  70. england need a propper decent manager. untill they do we will always be a quarter final team at very best. ive not seen an england team or squad as good as those of 1986-90-96 and 98 in my life time. less so called world class players but ( team ) they were pretty good and could of gone to the finals maybe.
    rooney debate is, roys fault for picking him and clearly not match fit enough, then starts him again. you could see then we were doomed. carroll is the man on form, regardless who is best on there day.
    all good teams play to there strengths stoke or united whoever.
    roy f#cked up simple as that, down hill from sweden, the man has no bottle. chamberlaine was a breath of fresh air, then you dont see him again !!! i feel for the people who spend there hard earned money to go and follow england only to be let down by an incompetent manager or a thug like rooney getting sent off.....................lol.
    had to get that one in !!

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  71. I actually feel embarrassed watching Carroll. It's absurd - this is a man who earns a fortune for having no talent whatsoever - but I actually feel sorry for him. The only thing I can say about him is he's probably better than the new Emile Hesekey i.e. Welbeck. Dear God! Why does England have such dreadful players? As for Milner...a Sunday league mediocrity. Rooney - hugely overrated and nowhere near world class. Not even close.

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  72. Neither does Rooney. But, of course, is there anything Rooney does know something about? As a teacher I can say that when you look at the class and see a face like Wayne's, you think 'Oh God! He's not the sharpest tool in the box, is he?'

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  73. Sure, Rooney is fine for sidefooting over the line against Swansea or Norwich or QPR after the others have done the work. But against top class defenders he is completely out of his depth. This has been demonstrated over and over again and for certain will be demonstrated many more times. Besides, when playing for England he doesn't have the benefit of an English ref as he does when playing for United. In short, he's mediocre. As for Carroll....he's a total embarrassment. So is the new Emile Heskey i.e. Welbeck.

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  74. Maybe because we rely on Suarez much more than Manure do on Rooney, which is not a good thing. We rely on Suarez for most of our attacking play in the last third, whereas they don't have to or nor do they need to rely on Rooney as the likes of Valencia, Nani and Young create and score. Its like when people compare Gerrard and Scholes, and go on about how Gerrard has stood out more, well that is because we relied on him much more heavily than Manure did with Scholes as their midfield was so good whereas Gerrard has played most of his career in a mediocre team. I'd rather have a team full of good players, instead of a team full of two/three good players joined by a load of rubbish as proven by the lack of league title in the last two decades. Suarez is overrated and put up on a pedestal despite his finishing being absolute cack. You'd think he was like Maradona last season and led us title glory with the way the likes of you hype him up. He has proven bugger all outside a mediocre Dutch league, yet somehow we should be rating him above two strikers who actually have been doing the business in the league. More closer to Afonso Alves than Van Basten at the moment is Suarez, in terms of Dutch league exports.

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  75. Jones and Gerrard in central midfield = fail

    Jones is tactically way off the mark in his development, very sloppy. If he was Brazilian, he would have been getting slaughtered like David Luiz was. Overrated big time at the moment. He was a huge reason why Manure got done in Basle, he had no clue how to plug the hole in central midfield. Add Gerrard in the mix, potential central midfield nightmare   

    Young was England's best player in terms of international form before the Euros, so it was a justified decision to start with him in the Euros initially. But should have been dropped by the third game when it was clear he wasn't going to play no matter what in this tournament. Secondly, don't be a drama queen, Young wasn't out injured for 6 months and got a pretty impressive number of assists and goals that Young got last season, despite being injured.

    I was quite impressed with Danny Welbeck last season from the bits I saw but certainly doesn't suit Hodgson's tactics as Welbeck is not the sort of player you want for a defensive-minded tactic as he prefers to link up play with support around him and pass-n-move style tactics, instead of players miles away. Better off going with Carroll, not because he is better (he isn't, in my view) but because he is more 'appropriate'

    Got no sympathy for Adam Johnson at all, he is a bench warmer at City, serves him right.

    Oxlade barely did anything last season. You complain about pedestal, yet the likes of you and the media have done the same with Oxlade. Odd consistency. Started a mere 6 league games and yet somehow he 'performed', yeh alright mate(!) 

    Hype hypocrisy at its very best, from you.

    Your post is full of inconsistencies, double standards and hypocrisy. 

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