We need to stop suppressing Rooney’s roar
We have learnt much about the beautiful game in the last few weeks. Aston Villa play best when they have their backs to the wall, Arsenal players haven’t been drinking their milk and Manchester United are useless without Wayne Rooney. This week Sir Alex Ferguson has told the press that he is unhappy with Rooney for playing on ‘that’ pitch at Wembley for the whole 90 minutes, the United boss even partially blaming his striker for picking up the injury which may see him miss the Champions League game.
‘It is his own enthusiasm that has caused it. His problem is that he can’t say no. I was more disappointed with Wayne. Why didn’t he come off? I can’t believe it.’ These were the words of the United manager at the weekend and I am very worried by what he had to say. The reason I am worried is because these words highlight a growing trend of the English footballing world of trying to groom Wayne and this must stop now.
First of all it was his temperament , then his consistency, then his finishing, then he wasn’t playing in the right position and now his problem is he likes playing football too much! When we all fell in love with Wayne it was because he was an unpretentious, aggressive and passionate child cloaked in a brutes body. He was brash, talented and unpredictable and this is why he is such a brilliant footballer. He is the scruffy kid in the playground with a rip in his trousers and dirt on his collar whose heart sinks when play time is over. It is this person who has brought us such stunning moments over the past few years and it is this person who can guide England to World Cup glory in South Africa.
The more the likes of Ferguson and Fabio Capello try and make him someone he is not they are not only changing him as a person but also as a player. England (and Manchester United) need Rooney to be the unpredictable genius he can be, they need him to be the enthusiastic dreamer who can’t say no, they need him to forget all the politics of friendlies and only playing 55 minutes. Some people do need to change in order to improve both in their professional game and personal lives (that golfer bloke being one of them) but others need to be left well alone and allowed to get on with what it is they do best. So forget the homework Wayne, you just go and play son.
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