Rooney’s England woes…again
UEFA confirmed this Thursday that Wayne Rooney will miss the opening three matches of Euro 2012 in Poland and Ukraine following a red card in England’s final qualifying game away to Montenegro.
After bursting onto the international scene in the European Championships in Portugal 2004, Rooney hasn’t been able to emulate that predatory instinct as a striker at any of the following major tournaments. Be it injury, fitness or form, Rooney hasn’t found that spark where he found it so easy seven years ago; scoring four goals in four games, becoming the competitions’ youngest ever goal scorer at the age of 18.
The 2006 World Cup followed two years later where England yet again fell at the quarter-final stage, yet again to Portugal on penalties as they did in 2004. Rooney broke one of the infamous metatarsal bones in his right foot playing against Chelsea in April 2006 and faced a desperate fitness test to try and get him fit for the approaching World Cup. The hopes of the nation laid on an oxygen tent used to rehabilitate Rooney as quickly as possible. He managed to make it to Germany and play in the group games against Trinidad and Tobago and Sweden but was never really back to full match fitness. Another quarter-final beckoned against Portugal with all eyes on Rooney in the hope he could produce a match-winning performance. Instead he got himself sent off for stamping on Ricardo Cavalho and with a little help from his then Manchester United team mate Cristiano Ronaldo, some might say. England eventually lost on penalties and would have to wait another two years until the next one. Or would they?
The 2008 European Championships came and went as England watched from the side lines after a dismal qualifying stage saw them fail to progress to a major tournament since the 1994 World Cup. Another major tournament went missing for Rooney where he would be unable to play against Europe’s top international sides and produce the form he did so effortlessly back in 2004. Spain were triumphant in an entertaining tournament, watched by miserable England fans in their homes and not in Austria or Switzerland. Rooney had the small consolation of winning the Champions League in Moscow previous to Euro 2008 which would have helped soften the blow of international disappointment.
2010 saw the much anticipated World Cup in South Africa with many of us believing this was England’s time to conquer the world again. The likes of Spain, Germany and Argentina were tough opposition but England would be able to end 44 years of hurt, wouldn’t they? What really happened was far more disappointing and frustrating than anyone could have predicted. The ‘golden generation’ failed to produce at a major tournament yet again and Rooney had now failed to score in the last 2 World Cup competitions. After a dismal 0-0 draw to Algeria, England were booed off the pitch, sparking Rooney to retaliate. "Nice to see your home fans boo you, that's loyal supporters." Rooney later apologised for his comments but did nothing to improve his and England’s poor performances, who were knocked out in the last 16 stage in an embarrassing 4-1 loss to rivals Germany. Maybe the pressure was too much for Rooney? The hopes of a nation practically lay on his shoulders as England’s best player. But excuses were dismissed and disappointment followed, leading to many questions being raised about the squad and for the first time under Fabio Capello’s reign, the management of that squad.
A relatively successful qualifying stage saw England win their group and progress to Poland and Ukraine for the Euro finals in June next year. This could, though, potentially be played without England's talismanic striker Wayne Rooney. The 25 year-old has been handed a three match ban and will miss the group stages making him only eligible to play in the until the quarter-finals, should England progress that far. UEFA's decision to give Rooney the three game ban came on Thursday following his straight red card away to Montenegro on the 7th October for kicking an opposition player in the leg. "Today's (Thursday's) decision was taken in relation to the red card shown to Rooney for assault after 74 minutes of England's final Group G game, the 2-2 draw with Montenegro in Podgorica. The striker will now be suspended from playing in his country's next three UEFA national competition matches for which he would be eligible."
As another major tournament could go begging for Rooney England will have to search for his temporary replacement during those group stage matches in the finals. A list of England's available firepower can be found in the article 'Euro 2012 - England's Squad' where the obvious contenders such as Darren Bent are reviewed but also of the strikers that find themselves on the fringes of the squad. From Bobby Zamora to Michael Owen we have covered each striker in contention for a seat on that plane to Poland no matter how small their chances and how they can challenge others for their name on the team sheet.
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