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Moment of madness

Comment: 0 October 16th, 2011 by: admin
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THERE he was again, Wayne Rooney, putting his mind off the game and making one unnecessary move.

That nasty kick on a Montenegrin player that gave him a straight red card and eventually earned him a three-match ban in the Euro 2012 was the price England have to pay for advancing to the finals of Europe’s top-billed tournament next year.

As a result, Fabio Capello axed him between now and the prestigious meet, the gravity of which extends in the form of not including him in the starters’ list after his latest fiasco committed in Podgorica. And this comes starting with the next friendlies England are tackling in the build-up to next summer’s spectacle.

Not only that, the Three Lions coach warned Rooney that he may find it hard to regain his spot even after he had served his suspension.

The Italian mentor’s decision to discipline Rooney came as a surprise, not only to England followers but to Rooney himself. How could someone who is considered as the Three Lions’ main man be left out just like that?

OFF THE STARTERS’ LIST
Because of Capello’s imposed “ban’’, Rooney will not be selected in the starting roster in a vital friendly against Spain next month. He would also be left out in a scheduled tussle with Holland in February and the two warm-up fixtures that will take place between the end of the domestic season and start of the Euro 2012.

The contention of Capello is that there is a need to use England’s remaining friendly matches to build a new team which can start well in the Euro 2012. He stressed that he will test new players, a new style of playing and a new movement sans the squad’s best player.

Although Rooney apologised to Capello after the incident where he hacked his right foot on defender Miodrag Dzudovic’s calf with 17 minutes left from time, the latter was unimpressed and blamed the striker for his “silly’’ mistake that cost the victory to England who nevertheless advanced to the finals despite the draw.

That “crazy kick’’ was not surprising though. Rooney has been involved in several on-court foul-ups, among them his sending off in the 2006 World Cup quarterfinal game against Portugal, and it may have recalled his irresponsibility and act of wild discipline in the past but the way he reacted to it was a bit unexpected.

Upon being shown the marching orders, Rooney reacted calmly, accepting it without dissent and just walked away for which he was praised by German referee Wolfgang Stark. Rooney’s suspension handed by the UEFA means he won’t be seeing action in the entire group stage of the Euro 2012, a development that could hurt England badly. He, however, can still make an appeal.

Rooney’s miscue has apparently caused some rift between him and Capello as a major issue of trust between them has come to the fore.

This kind of misunderstanding must be addressed at once. Rooney has already apologised and Capello could atone for being too hasty on his decision by putting the incident behind no matter how it depicted recklessness and irresponsibility on the part of Rooney.

CAN’T BE CONTROLLED
It is impossible to control one’s emotions, specifically a striker’s like Rooney, while he is on the pitch.

And Capello, just like anyone, will not understand why such things happen during the game. We could even think of it either as Rooney’s way of releasing his emotions as a result of the arrest of his father and uncle over alleged involvement in gambling irregularities in the Scottish League hours before the game.

Capello should take a cue from England captain John Terry for saying that blunder should not detract from the fact that Rooney played a major role in helping England book a place in the finals.

Terry realised that without Rooney they would not be in their position now. Capello should have thought of this, too. Rooney may have caused anxiety and frustration in major tournaments but he can always learn from his mistakes. The Italian should not have struck Rooney off his future starting line-up and in the same breath, critics should not pin Rooney down at this juncture.

Without Rooney, the Three Lions look to be leaning more on the side of failure. Without him, they are already at a disadvantageous position even before they embark on their first assignment in next year’s European championships.

Capello may find some antidote to their present predicament by not considering Rooney at the moment but a strategy that involves his most lethal weapon is the one that would make England a serious contender in future international endeavours.
FEAR FACTOR
They may not be among the favourites to reign supreme in the continent but an England side with Rooney on the priority list still strike fear in the hearts of opponents. He is without doubt their best chance to make an impact next summer.

Their coming friendly against the Spaniards, the reigning European and World Cup champions, would definitely expose more of the problems England are facing. Whether it is on how to stay focused in the game or how to come up with a strong finish, the Three Lions would be able to size up what ails their current setup. Even with Rooney around, Spain still look hard to beat.

But time is not running out. Capello should retract on his latest judgment and bring Rooney back to the starting lineup at once. Castigating Rooney does not matter anymore. The important thing is they got the right result, they are ready to make room for improvement, and they have a shot at achieving a good result in the Euro 2012.

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