Is Rooney indispensable?

Sunday, 16/10/2011

by Amit Mistry, Shoot's Man United blogger

One of the biggest football stories that has everyone talking is the three-match ban that has been handed to Wayne Rooney after his display of violent conduct against Montenegro.

This will lead to Rooney missing out on the group stage matches of the Euro 2012 championships. And if England fail to progress from this stage, then Rooney will definitely miss out on an entire tournament.

So this has sparked the argument as to whether to include Rooney in the squad at all?

Most likely is that Capello will select four strikers, and if Rooney is included in that pack, then that leaves only three strikers available for the opening games.

Despite this disadvantage, Wayne Rooney is the best player England has, and is the only ‘world-class’ striker on the books. Whether he scores goals or not, his mere presence on the pitch strikes fear into the eyes of the opponents.
His temperament has always been an issue and it is not the first time it has landed him in trouble.

His sending off in the 2006 World Cup had cost England the tournament, as they crashed out on penalties against Portugal. Last year, his telecasted outburst after the game against Algeria had alienated himself from the fans. But without this passion and aggression in his game, would he be the same player that we know and admire?

Would he still track back across the whole pitch just to win the ball back for the team? And would he strike the ball with such venom that goalkeepers cannot handle?

We’ve seen for United that he is absolutely vital to their success. When he is not in the side, they struggle as see this season against Stoke and FC Basel. Although Rooney was omitted from the starting line-up against Liverpool because of the shock of the ban, I believe it would have been a different result if Rooney has started in this game instead of Welbeck.

But at Manchester United, no one player is bigger than the club and we have witnesses some of United’s biggest names depart from Old Trafford because Sir Alex stands by this conviction. David Beckham, Ruud Van Nistelrooy, Dwight Yorke were all shipped off and United have demonstrated that they can move on.

We even saw last year that Rooney was on the cusp of leaving United after contract negotiations had broken down, and even Sir Alex was resignated to Rooney’s impending departure at that time.

Another question that one has to ask is whether there is a worthy or credible replacement for the talismanic striker. Danny Welbeck and Daniel Sturridge have been scoring goals this season for their clubs, but they are still very young and it would be too much to ask of them to carry such a heavy burden.

Andy Carroll has that presence and strength, but lacks Champions League experience. Bobby Zamora, Darren Bent and Jermain Defoe are more experienced but I am not convinced they can have the same impact as Rooney.

Even Michael Owen’s name has been thrown into the hat. When he is fit and playing regularly, he has the ability to score goals as he did at his peak in his Liverpool days. But now a peripheral player in his 30s, he is unlikely to make the trip to Poland and the Ukraine. Even in his Real Madrid days, Fabio was not Owen’s biggest fan, so a call-up to the England squad now would be long shot.

If I was Capello, I would take Rooney to the Euro Championships. He can make that difference to the side and will help to rejuvenate the squad should England progress from the group stages. The ban may also be a blessing in disguise has this will allow him a much needed break after a long and strenuous season with United. He would return to the team more refreshed and will be eager to contribute to the cause.

As for United, the club will be able to move on when Rooney’s time is up at Old Trafford. But for now, Rooney is indispensable and it would be incredibly difficult to see United win any silverware when he is not in the starting line-up. 

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