Why Rooney MUST go to the world cup!!

[Flashman]

<shakes head>

You English types just set yourselves up for it don't you?

This is all going to end in tears.

I think it's pretty balanced on here between those who think we can win it, and those who think we can't. I fall into the latter (with or without a fit Rooney) I base this on past records, we've had good squads in the past and managed to bottle it, I see no reason why that should change this time. If we make the semi's we'll have had a good WC in my view, and if we win it I'll be the first to hold my hands up, but I can't see it meself, Brazil all the way.

 

[Termite Man]

England have a chance to win it with or without Rooney , it's unlikely but it's still possible !

 

[JKKne]

What's different this year that was different at 2002?

Nothing

Semi-Finals in 1990..England have hardly been breaking down the barriers. On the basis of 1966, former winners Uruguay should have as much chance

 

[jammer]

england have no chance of winning the world cup..
rooney whether he plays or not will not be match fit,owen is unfit and unlikey to make an impact either,but the expierence of getting a team through the quarters and semis is what is against england.

 

[Genghis Cohen]

Apparently he's going, injured or otherwise.

 

[souljacker]

<conspiracy mode>
Do you really think Nike will let the FA leave Rooney behind?
</conspiracy mode>

 

[JKKne]

<conspiracy mode>
Do you really think Nike will let the FA leave Rooney behind?
</conspiracy mode>

No...

600/1 on Ronald McDonald starting up front too

 

[tom_craggs]

england have no chance of winning the world cup..
rooney whether he plays or not will not be match fit,owen is unfit and unlikey to make an impact either,but the expierence of getting a team through the quarters and semis is what is against england.

This is just a stupid comment. Of course England have a chance of winning the world cup. Enyone in the competition has a chance of winning it. I would clearly rate Brazil's and Argentina's chances higher, but Brazil have generally been poor at European world cups and I cannot think of a better European team than England at the moment (with or without Rooney).

 

[tangerinedream]

The stage is clearly set for Big John Murphy

Clearly

 

[Sunray]

Owens goals....?

I can't see Owen scoring any goals to be fair, he's totally unfit. Ain't played proper for ages, he might tap one in against Trinidad if he's lucky but anything further, its anyones guess.

Darren Bent deserves to go, i hope Owens still injured.

No thats really stupid, Owen is still Englands most proven goal scorer. He get's 1/2 a chance and he's gonna make the keeper work. He's got 2 months of training to get fit.

While Rooney is a loss, its still not certain he's out and we have 2 proven goal scorers in the midfield. Lampard and Gerrard are in the top 5 scorers. Both of which have scored more goals than Rooney this season.

http://www.soccer-stats.com/divisions/all_top_scorers.asp?divno=1

 

[stavros]

You can be a great player by playing internationals and for your club. Legends are created in the World Cup.

Legends are created at the World Cup but none of Best, Puskas, di Stefano, Matthews, Plantini, Weah and Van Basten are best known for their exploits there if they played in it at all.

 

[jcsd]

What's different this year that was different at 2002?

Nothing

Semi-Finals in 1990..England have hardly been breaking down the barriers. On the basis of 1966, former winners Uruguay should have as much chance

Going into 2002 there was a number of teams with stronger squads than ENlgand, going into 2006 we've got a stronger squad than any team excpet Brazil.

Of course in 1998, 2002, 1990, 1986, we had reasonable chances of winning it, except for 1998 we went out to the eventual winners and all 4 games are games we could of and in some cases should of won. It was only luck and in 2002 a lack of self-belief that stopped us.

As I said earlier a lot of the naysayers simply don't have a clue about international football, the strength of the England squad automatically makes them one of the favourites.

Yes I'd say Brazil have a stronger chance and the chance of England winning as it is for anyone, Brazil included, is less than 50%, but it's ridculous to say that one of the pre-tournament favourites can't win it.

Much of this of course depends on Rooney and Owen, who I'm guessing will both go, bu tthey proably won't be both 100% fit by the opening game.

 

[fela fan]

What happened to the peace and love, maaaaan?

Typical bitter bigoted view of the expat. Argentina are packed full of class and if you think that anybody needs to teach the english how to cheat, you ain't been watching the premiership!

Not in football. You don't win football in that manner.

And you can keep your own bigotry and attitudes towards 'expats' (which i'm not one of by the way) to yourself you rude fucker. And at the same time learn to read properly. I did not say there was no cheating in england. I just said argentina and italy are the most cheating.

You kindly show me how i'm wrong with that? You ever watched them play in world cups? It seems not coz if you have done you'd not be able to refute my statement. Assuming you bother to read it properly the second time around.

 

[fela fan]

Going into 2002 there was a number of teams with stronger squads than ENlgand, going into 2006 we've got a stronger squad than any team excpet Brazil.

Of course in 1998, 2002, 1990, 1986, we had reasonable chances of winning it, except for 1998 we went out to the eventual winners and all 4 games are games we could of and in some cases should of won. It was only luck and in 2002 a lack of self-belief that stopped us.

As I said earlier a lot of the naysayers simply don't have a clue about international football, the strength of the England squad automatically makes them one of the favourites.

Yes I'd say Brazil have a stronger chance and the chance of England winning as it is for anyone, Brazil included, is less than 50%, but it's ridculous to say that one of the pre-tournament favourites can't win it.

Much of this of course depends on Rooney and Owen, who I'm guessing will both go, bu tthey proably won't be both 100% fit by the opening game.

Nice to see a sensible post on this thread! It's interesting how many ex-european stars have made england their favourite or second favourite to win the cup.

As for the bullshit that we cannot win it without rooney, but we can with him, typical english tabloid drivel. But what may well do us in, yet again, is our media. If they hype this rooney story too much (and they will), then their usual game of heaping huge amounts of pressure on the england players will lead us to freezing in the big game. We've done that in every world cup i can remember except 1990.

Our press are the single biggest factor in us not winning world cups. Here we are with the strongest squad of players i've ever known, one of the strongest in this world cup, and folk are going on about us not being able to win it if rooney's not in our team.

Talk about bullshit. I think it's actually part of our mentality, and maybe we simply don't deserve to win the thing.

 

[Jo/Joe]

Even Gerrard has admitted our chances are slim without him. It's a fact, Rooney transforms any team. England will struggle to beat the likes of Argentia or Brazil without him.

 

[JKKne]

Its probably a damning representation of us but Owen and Rooney apart, I don't see any of England's strikers as 'world-class'

Say what you like about Owen's fitness but come the 92nd minute and England get a gilt edged chance if you put Crouch, Defoe, Bent or anyone else in front of it...I'd out a mortgage on Owen finishing it. Even if he plays the late Shearer role, he's always going to take 2 defenders away, have someone to do the running for him and he'll pop 'em away. No bother

 

[tangerinedream]

Was Toto Schillachi considered 'world class' before Italia 90? He did the job didn't he?

If they're not fit it's not the end of the world. Well, certainly Rooney is a much bigger loss than Owen anyway.

 

[JKKne]

If they're not fit it's not the end of the world. Well, certainly Rooney is a much bigger loss than Owen anyway.

My biggest worry with England is the way everyone is so easily dismissive of Argentina and Brazil, and to a lesser extent and somewhat understandably...Germany

As if England have a divine right to have a clear path to the finals

I've no idea why, but I really fancy Spain to do well

 

[Sunray]

My biggest worry with England is the way everyone is so easily dismissive of Argentina and Brazil, and to a lesser extent and somewhat understandably...Germany

As if England have a divine right to have a clear path to the finals

I've no idea why, but I really fancy Spain to do well

So do the Spanish, every single time. They will do what they always do, nothing.

 

[JKKne]

So do the Spanish, every single time. They will do what they always do, nothing.

And England?

Heroic Quarter-Finalists?

 

[jammer]

rule out the germans at your peril.

 

[JKKne]

rule out the germans at your peril.

Your counting on home advantage?

I don't think their squad is that impressive this year

 

[Leon]

Gee there's a lot of rubbish on this thread. For example, how much of a numpty do you have to be to think England with a fit Rooney have no chance of winning?

I mean durrrrrr - we're one of the favourites, look a damn good team with him and are clearly, yes CLEARLY in there with the best chance for years. Since 1990 at least.

Just because we haven't won anything for ages it means nothing. This World Cup is going to be about the quality of the teams NOW. Not historically how good we've been.

Saying that, losing Rooney is obviously THE worst thing that could possibly happen. It is a nightmare and personally I don't think I've ever felt more aggrieved at a player's injury. Without him we still have a chance, but I don't think we will win it. No way.

So for that reason I think he has to go. Logic would suggest otherwise, yes it could be a waste of position and turn out to be a disaster if there's more injuries, but in short England WILL NOT WIN without him.

He has to go.

Now for the first time in my life I think I'm going to consider praying.

 

[JKKne]

We're always one of the favourites

Its a given thing isn't it

Its not that different to 2002 and Euro 04

 

[Leon]

We're always one of the favourites

Its a given thing isn't it

Its not that different to 2002 and Euro 04

No. We're always the favourites in this country because people put money for patriotic reasons and the odds go down. As soon as you go outside UK the rest of the footballing world is much more realistic.

This time round the rest of the world thinks we're one of the favourites too - because we have a good team.

 

[fela fan]

No. We're always the favourites in this country because people put money for patriotic reasons and the odds go down. As soon as you go outside UK the rest of the footballing world is much more realistic.

This time round the rest of the world thinks we're one of the favourites too - because we have a good team.

We have an excellent squad of players, and we have a sacked manager in charge.

And the media have nowhere to go in terms of further damage.

I think we'll win it.

 

[zed]

We have an excellent squad of players, and we have a sacked manager in charge.

And the media have nowhere to go in terms of further damage.

I think we'll win it.

LOL

England are, and always have been, a team of footballers that bottle it when it really matters. Just look back over the past 20 years.

Rooney is the special, 'once in a generation' type of player that gives them a chance to win, irrespective of how flakey the others get under pressure. Owen too. He has bottle as well. Without one or the other they have practically no chance. With neither of them, they might as well not bother turning up.

Without Owen and Rooney I think they'll struggle to get out of the group.

And yes ...I am English. And yes ....I hope I am wrong.

 

[Jo/Joe]

I don't think there are so many bottlers in this team, I think the Chelsea lads are up for it. Rooney is the other of course. The team has a new spirit because of them.

 

[The Unseen]

I'm inclined to disagree with the above comment.

Northern Ireland won't fade away from my memory, or Denmark.

When Lampards not in Blue, he can easily bottle it. Only consistant man we have is Rooney!

 

[jcsd]

I think our chances do decrease without Rooney, but not a signifcantly as people think, we're not like Ukriane and Shevchenko, we still have an amzing array of quality players, even without Rooney there's only 4 at the absolute max teams that cna match us man for man.

In past World Cups often all that's stopped us is getting that little bit of good luck that all tournamnet winners need.

As for you can't discount the Germans, it's true in that the host team has generally exceeded expectations, often by quite a way. At the meomnt GEramny are very ordinary side and they're also a side that's in crisis after soem very heavy criticism from within Germany. They're in an easy group, but once they get out, they're knockout round matches will be tough. If they were to win the World Cup they'd probably be the worst team to do so since the 30's.