Slipperduke
The Camden Cad
Thank goodness that someone has finally said it. Fabio Capello's denunciation of Wayne Rooney as, "a crazy man," might be the best thing that has ever happened to him. A humiliating public dressing down for the lack of discipline that still prevents him from being a truly 'world class' player. The only question now, is whether or not the hot-headed frontman will take it on board.
Capello rounded on Rooney during a training session, reportedly saying, "What were you doing punching the corner flag? You're a crazy man, a crazy man." I wonder if Sir Alex Ferguson, who resolutely defends his players in public, has ever done that?
I grow weary of the repeated mantra that Rooney's short fuse is somehow vital to his game. It's nonsense. Scoring goals is vital to his game. The intelligent and unselfish running that created so much space for Cristiano Ronaldo last season, that's vital to his game. Stamping on the testicles of his opponent and leaving his country reduced to ten men in a World Cup quarter-final is not. Neither is throwing a hissy-fit about the positioning of a free-kick. The best players know how to channel their aggression to stop it costing their team dearly.
Rooney is arguably my favourite England player. You know that whatever the scoreline, whatever the situation, he'll always give everything to the cause. You get the impression that he'd play like that even if it was 3-on-3 on the beach and you'd been drinking all afternoon. There's nothing wrong with commitment, but there is an awful lot wrong with stupidity. Last weekend could have been even worse for Manchester United. In Scotland in 1997, Dean Windass received three red cards in a single game, two of them coming after full-time. He was dismissed first for a heavy challenge, then hit with two more red cards for the abuse he shouted in the referee's face and for the tantrum he threw when he eventually left the pitch. That could quite easily have happened to Rooney.
And how wonderful is it to finally have a national manager prepared to take his players on and shake up their delusions of grandeur? England's biggest problem has always been their over-inflated sense of superiority, but a few home truths and a strict regime seems to be putting an end to all of that. The English Premier League might be the biggest in the world, but its international dominance has had no knock-on effect on the Three Lions. They've been underachieving for too long.
You won't find Capello referring to his players as 'JT' or 'Stevie Gee' like his predecessor. You won't see him giggling his way through an over-familiar training session, full of back-slapping and schoolboy japes. Capello is a leader and demands the respect of his players. With this passionate and public telling-off, he'll certainly get it. Rooney needs to learn that there is a fine line between whole-hearted commitment and unrestrained raging red mist. Thankfully, someone has finally pointed it out to him.
Capello rounded on Rooney during a training session, reportedly saying, "What were you doing punching the corner flag? You're a crazy man, a crazy man." I wonder if Sir Alex Ferguson, who resolutely defends his players in public, has ever done that?
I grow weary of the repeated mantra that Rooney's short fuse is somehow vital to his game. It's nonsense. Scoring goals is vital to his game. The intelligent and unselfish running that created so much space for Cristiano Ronaldo last season, that's vital to his game. Stamping on the testicles of his opponent and leaving his country reduced to ten men in a World Cup quarter-final is not. Neither is throwing a hissy-fit about the positioning of a free-kick. The best players know how to channel their aggression to stop it costing their team dearly.
Rooney is arguably my favourite England player. You know that whatever the scoreline, whatever the situation, he'll always give everything to the cause. You get the impression that he'd play like that even if it was 3-on-3 on the beach and you'd been drinking all afternoon. There's nothing wrong with commitment, but there is an awful lot wrong with stupidity. Last weekend could have been even worse for Manchester United. In Scotland in 1997, Dean Windass received three red cards in a single game, two of them coming after full-time. He was dismissed first for a heavy challenge, then hit with two more red cards for the abuse he shouted in the referee's face and for the tantrum he threw when he eventually left the pitch. That could quite easily have happened to Rooney.
And how wonderful is it to finally have a national manager prepared to take his players on and shake up their delusions of grandeur? England's biggest problem has always been their over-inflated sense of superiority, but a few home truths and a strict regime seems to be putting an end to all of that. The English Premier League might be the biggest in the world, but its international dominance has had no knock-on effect on the Three Lions. They've been underachieving for too long.
You won't find Capello referring to his players as 'JT' or 'Stevie Gee' like his predecessor. You won't see him giggling his way through an over-familiar training session, full of back-slapping and schoolboy japes. Capello is a leader and demands the respect of his players. With this passionate and public telling-off, he'll certainly get it. Rooney needs to learn that there is a fine line between whole-hearted commitment and unrestrained raging red mist. Thankfully, someone has finally pointed it out to him.