Daily Talk Forum

Crouch relishes Rooney pairing
Wednesday October 4, 2006

Peter Crouch is confident that he can form an effective partnership with Wayne Rooney ahead of England's Euro 2008 qualifiers against Macedonia and Croatia.

"If we're given the chance to play together I think it will work well; we've played together in training. Wayne likes to drop deep and that gives me opportunities to get in the box," said Crouch speaking at England's press conference today.

Rooney has been suspended for England's last three games, and Crouch believes the Manchester United player can make an impact on his return against Macedonia at Old Trafford on Saturday: "At times it's nice to get away and get a fresh start. He has looked lively in training and I'm sure he will be right come the game."

Article continues
The Liverpool striker has enjoyed a great start to his international career, scoring 11 in 14 internationals - admittedly against the likes of Andorra and Jamaica - and believes he can continue his form in England's qualifiers: "Any time I walk out on the pitch for England and feel like I am going to do well and score. I am very confident," he said.

England top their qualifying group after wins against Andorra and Macedonia, but Crouch acknowledges that Wednesday's away game in Croatia will be his side's toughest challenge so far: "Croatia is going to be a difficult game. It's not a nice place to go, but we've coped in the past. If a team's going to attack us it's a more enjoyable for the team and for the fans. It's massively important, we want to qualify and qualify as soon as possible. But they are difficult games; Croatia have got a great record at home, but we have got some good players and I'm sure we will cope well."

Crouch had to suppress a smile when a Croatian journalist said that many Croats thought that stopping England meant stopping Crouch. However, the striker said that although it was a compliment every England player was capable of winning the game.

Earlier, Stewart Downing said a system with him playing wide on the left and Steven Gerrard on the right is an effective one: "We have got to use the width to make sure we stretch the team. He is a top player Steven, he has got that much ability. He can play in so many positions; on the right, in the middle, on the left, at right-back. He has done really well on the right."

Jermaine Jenas was the only member of the England squad to miss training today, after picking up a slight knee injury yesterday. However, he is expected to resume training tomorrow.

guardian.co.uk

Rooney’s magic touches fail to produce winning trick
The doubters will have a field day as the Manchester United striker was unable to have a decisive impact on the stale team around him. But was he to blame?
THEY will have loved this, the naysayers and knee-jerk merchants who want us to believe the risible fallacy that Wayne Rooney is a burnt-out talent. Again he did not score, once more he was short on magic, best of all he was even substituted when his country cried out for saviours.

Redemption seemed to arrive after 66 minutes when the No 9 took down Peter Crouch’s pass and, in a moment of gorgeous balance, shifted his body into position to shoot. A volley was delivered, appropriately fierce. Yet Jane Nikoloski, one of Macedonia’s several heroes, saved wonderfully from spitting range. It was not Wayne’s day. It hasn’t been for a while.

But heroes who thrill us consistently deserve the payback of faith. Rooney was a great player at 5pm yesterday and he remained a great player when he trudged off the field, replaced by Jermaine Defoe, at around half past six.

Newspapers have whipped up scare stories down the decades and the idea of Rooney in crisis should be taken no more seriously than as an example of this dire tradition. It would be disingenuous to pretend his Manchester United performances have been as expected in 2006/7 but he did begin with a stellar 90 minutes versus Fulham before having to sit out three and a half weeks. He has played five times since returning versus Celtic, a span which constitutes more a dimple than a ‘ slump.’ Sir Alex Ferguson exaggerated when arguing Rooney had played “just four times in six months” but only slightly:

Celtic was Rooney’s sixth appearance in four and a half months and third full 90 minutes. He needs games.

What of his ‘bad England run’? Critics keep saying how Rooney hasn’t scored for his country since Euro 2004. The sequence is limited to competitive games – thereby ignoring two quite brilliant goals in away friendlies versus Argentina and Denmark. It includes the World Cup where, until his red card against Portugal, his contribution was heroic given he was making a record-breaking recovery from a broken foot. The other matches involved, until yesterday, were seven World Cup qualifiers: look back through the reports and you’ll find that in two of those Rooney hit the post and in another, against Northern Ireland, he virtually did score, forcing an own goal from Chris Baird with a dazzling run and cross. In three games of the sequence observers made Rooney undisputed man-of-the-match. He played so well against Poland twelve months ago Zico likened him to Pele and Glenn Hoddle to Maradona. So there it is: Rooney’s ‘decline’. The hysteria must make the Boy Wonder wonder.

His first touch was magisterial, a cupping of the ball with his instep as Ledley King’s long pass dropped out of the air. Rooney stopped and, as red shirted Macedonians rushed to him like fire engines, he placed his sole on the ball and rolled it into space, so he had time to lay it off. Next he beat a man out on the left and crossed for Peter Crouch to so nearly enjoy a clear header at goal. The first “Roo-ney!” chants resounded. He’d been playing for four minutes.

Yet it proved hard to make the truly decisive impact that he craved. Three centre backs closed ranks around Rooney and Crouch. Goce Sedloski, Sheffield Wednesday’s forgot import but a staunch captain for Macedonia, proved as much Rooney’s jailer as man-marker. Michael Carrick and Frank Lampard were too deep for their passing to open up positions for their forwards and the ball only flowed down England’s middle when Rooney himself dropped deep to collect it, turn, and open up the extra dimensions. He never stopped looking for it and – just as throughout his fallow patch, never hid.

He’s 21 in 16 days. Whether that coming of age will bring a cooling of his temper must be doubtful (Roy Keane got well into his 30s before the red cards began to stop) but what’s certain is Rooney will be tested more than other players. They watched the World Cup in Macedonia too. When Ilco Naumoski, the visitors’ left midfielder, brought the ball out of his own box Rooney hared across to close him down and leapt into his sliding tackle impetuously early. Naumoski had plenty of time to avoid his opponent – indeed Rooney was actually getting back up as the Macedonian arrived – but instead swooned dramatically over Rooney’s body. Thankfully Dr Markus Merk maintained perspective and diagnosed no worse than a foul.

But this wasn’t a day when emotion undermined England’s No9. A dire team performance did. Rooney may not have reached the heights but his contribution level was higher than most colleagues. When Velice Sumulikoski threatened with a free kick it was Rooney who hared out to charge it down.

The cape and superman costume is only at the dry cleaners. It has not been given away.