FIFA World Cup 2014 - GROUP D [Uruguay, Costa Rica, England, Italy - 14/19/20/24 June] **spoilers**

The talk of Rooney moving central into role Sterling's played against Italy is worrying. Why would you move your best player away from what is likely his best role at the tournament to accommodate a player who was rubbish? I'll be annoyed if Roy misplaces his balls and crumbles.
 
this_is_gav said:
The talk of Rooney moving central into role Sterling's played against Italy is worrying. Why would you move your best player away from what is likely his best role at the tournament to accommodate a player who was rubbish? I'll be annoyed if Roy misplaces his balls and crumbles.
Click to expand...

Why would you not play sterling in the position he's played most of the season, especially when he actually created one chance in the game and no assists. Whats most worrying is people think that beating a couple of people and creating nothing makes you the star player. I think he would create more in the position he's been playing naturally for his club most of the season. I think he does too which is why he is saying he would be happy to swap roles and not just say he's happy to let the manager pick the team and he's happy to play where ever he's picked.

Edit

Actually I think it will take more balls on Roys part to swap them. Reason being everyone is happy with how the team played in the main and think Sterling did a wonderful job. If he drops Rooney for a left side player and we go out I think he will get away with it and keep his job because everyone I speak to seems to be happy that young players have ran at people. Yet if he swaps and we still go out, I think that's a bigger gamble and one that costs him his job.
 
Last edited:
dannyjo22 said:
Actually I think it will take more balls on Roys part to swap them. Reason being everyone is happy with how the team played in the main and think Sterling did a wonderful job. If he drops Rooney for a left side player and we go out I think he will get away with it and keep his job because everyone I speak to seems to be happy that young players have ran at people. Yet if he swaps and we still go out, I think that's a bigger gamble and one that costs him his job.
Click to expand...

Hence what I was saying earlier about linking Gerrard, Sterling and Sturridge up more when the chances to play that out came up instead of what they were doing which was basically feeding the ball back into their failing to work plan with Rooney instead of trying to push the chance that had opened up on the other side.

I can understand not doing that earlier in the game but towards the end they just needed to try anything.
 
That's too deep a role for Sterling, needs to be further forward to make a difference. I'd probably also have Henderson switched with Gerrard, he's got the legs and stamina over him.
 
anything I don't mind said:


I added the guy at work team i mentioned earlier to the website i didn't see was used above.

What do you think about that 11?
Click to expand...

I don't know, I think Stirling Moss is a bit old to start him down the wing, fast as hell in his day though, makes Sterling look damn slow by comparison.... :p

As for the rest of the line up, Milner, no, Shaw, maybe. My idea of Baines ahead of Cole would be no different to Baines ahead of Shaw, would give us a very strong left side offensively and defensively.

Play the same side as against Italy but drop Rooney, push Baines forward and drop Shaw in behind him.

Robbo said:
Uruguay captain Diego Lugano is out of the match tomorrow, good news for us.
Click to expand...

Not good, he's a walking penalty/red card, although also a cheat and capable of winning penalties but overall he's a filthy git that a good ref would send off most games. He can be excellent defensively but makes enough mistakes that he ends up cheating. I think with the likes of Sturridge/Sterling's movement that Lugano would help us no end in that defence.
 
Might as well just play Sterling where Rooney is because Rooney will spend 90% of the match alongside the midfield leaving Sturridge isolated.
 
Last edited:
drunkenmaster said:
Not good, he's a walking penalty/red card, although also a cheat and capable of winning penalties but overall he's a filthy git that a good ref would send off most games. He can be excellent defensively but makes enough mistakes that he ends up cheating. I think with the likes of Sturridge/Sterling's movement that Lugano would help us no end in that defence.
Click to expand...

Yes, he's not great, but I'm under the impression that his replacement (whoever it may be) will be significantly worse. Hopefully. :p
 
Ayahuasca said:
We're singing for England, In-ger-land!
Click to expand...

I hadn't heard that song for nigh on twenty years, the Italia 90 tournament was the first World Cup I watched as a kid so it brought back a lot of memories! (the song is even worse than I remembered though :p )

 
mmj_uk said:
Might as well just play Sterling where Rooney is because Rooney will spend 90% of the match alongside the midfield leaving Sturridge isolated.
Click to expand...

I just see no place for Rooney, would much prefer to have a 4-3-3 with Henderson and maybe Lampard pushing forward to support Sturridge with Sterling and I'd still be happier with Baines out wide than Welbeck, than waste Rooney in the middle.

Put in a real creative midfielder who will do the job 10 times better than Rooney, there is simply no argument to be made for Rooney to start anywhere centrally, there are better strikers, better ACM's, better CM's.

I'd start Lambert alongside Sturridge before Rooney in the formation shown a few posts up as again would be better suited to the role.

Rooney playing is like Spain playing Xavi, or Brazil playing Paulinho, stupid managers picking a player on reputation rather actual suitability for the team.

Rooney was brilliant at times earlier in his career and would fully deserve a chance even if he didn't perform, but he's done nothing lately to show he's in such form that he should be starting. He used to be very good, and yet even then didn't perform for England, he isn't remotely as good any more and is even worse for England.
 
The one benefit to playing rooney is that opposing teams still think he is good and they tend to try and mark him out the game and close him down quickly which can have an impact even if he fluffs basic chances and corners.



This is more what he was trying to say, with Gerrard and Rooney playing deep but still playing 4-4-2 and trying to utilise the wings by pushing sterling and welbeck in to a more forward midfield position. With milne and shaw both capable of pushing up and putting some crosses in without going too far forward out of position.
 
Last edited:
Rooney just needs a world cup goal in him and he'll flourish, just like any previous world class players, when the confidence is gone it's hard to perform as the pressure just build and builds. Look at Casillas, arguably one of the best keepers ever and can't even catch a ball lately. Alonso completely fluffing passes as well as one of the best in the world at it. I hope Wayne starts and silences his critics tonight.
 
It sounds like Rooney will be playing directly behind Sturridge, with Welbeck and Sterling out wide.

I think a lot of the stick Rooney gets is unfair (but not all of it), he tries to play 3 roles at once and it doesn't really work too well against decent teams. He's got to stay higher up the pitch and focus on attacking, so when we get the ball he's in an ideal position to affect the game.

He still has some of that explosive side to his game but we don't see it very often, I really hope we see an improvement from him tonight and he has a great game. If he's playing badly at half time he needs to be subbed. :(
 
Lets just hope Godin doesn't play a blinder because on his day he's as good as anyone at CB. Saying that Italy's defence is one of the strongest in the competition and Rooney found pockets of space in behind that once or twice so as above he needs to stay in an attacking position so more of those opportunities arise.
 
Robbo said:
It sounds like Rooney will be playing directly behind Sturridge, with Welbeck and Sterling out wide.

I think a lot of the stick Rooney gets is unfair (but not all of it), he tries to play 3 roles at once and it doesn't really work too well against decent teams. He's got to stay higher up the pitch and focus on attacking, so when we get the ball he's in an ideal position to affect the game.

He still has some of that explosive side to his game but we don't see it very often, I really hope we see an improvement from him tonight and he has a great game. If he's playing badly at half time he needs to be subbed. :(
Click to expand...

He does deserve the criticism though. He can be explosive and attack well, but he actively chooses not to and that is fully worth every bit of criticism he gets. if he got a role and played that role alone he'd be better and the teams he played on would be better.

I still think it's this simple, he want's to be Messi/Ronaldo/Zidane, these are guys that are seen as beyond say the other fatter Ronaldo, a great player but just a finisher. It's ego, he's not good enough but thinks he is so constantly tries to play outside of his limits.

Also don't forget he's also basically blackmailed his club into massive salary increases as he's been getting worse while also publicly criticising fans for basically not thinking he's the bestest ever.

There is pressure on him, but he put it on himself by both trying to be a player he's not and insisting the club treats him better and gives him more money. If he focused on his game, and wasn't holding his club to ransom to get pay parity with Ronaldo/Messi, then he wouldn't be judged by the same measure. He has basically asked everyone to judge him as a 300k indispensable player.... and it's not helped him.
 
I don't disagree DM, he's not done himself any favours though I do think he's been easily led by his agent who seems a bit of a dodgy guy. He's not the brightest chap around.

I'd love him to smash one in the top corner right away tonight, it'll get people off his back and probably help the team too. If we can get Rooney some confidence he can be a crucial player for the rest of the tournament.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom