Question for aussie

Don't worry, it's not Blades or Wednesday related.

Don't know with the clock you run on whether you watched the WC live or not. But I'll be brave and go out on a limb here - you replace Klose or Higuain with Wayne Rooney and whichever team he is in wins the WC in the 90 minutes.

He'd bury the chances Higuain had and would have caused the Argentinean CBs and Mascherano ample problems and made more room for the runners than Klose did.


You, and plenty others, have been harsh on Rooney - with some fans and journos going way overboard. But in all honesty if you were managing both teams tonight would Rooney have been a starter and do you think he would have made the difference?

First off I don't think I've been that harsh on Rooney, I think & have said he's the best striker England have got, I just don't think he's world class, he's never yet turned up to a big tournament...maybe it's just the England team in general & in another team say like Germany he would shine, who knows, I think Paul Scholes may be right when he says he thinks Rooney might have peaked early, same way as Michael Owen did.

As for him making a difference tonight I don't know, Klose has scored more goals than anyone else at the World Cup so would Rooney be a better option than him, it's a tough call, I would tend to pick Rooney all the time for England just because I believe he's the best we've got but for these two teams tonight I'm not sure I would.

His debut tournament in 2004 was the one tournament he did shine in - but you're correct, on the whole he has underperformed. But he's underperformed in England teams not set out in the best way for attacking play.

I honestly think Rooney walks into pretty much any national football team and he plays and performs in those two teams tonight.


As an Englishman I'm frustrated watching that final. I probably sound crazy but I don't see player for a player that much of a difference between England and Germany. They just get the details right, utilise their pace, tactically dictate the match - things there is no reason we shouldn't be able to do if the infrastructure and organisation is in place.

It was as open a tournament as there has ever been and we've absolutely ballsed it up. As I said, frustrating.

"As an Englishman I'm frustrated watching that final. I probably sound crazy but I don't see player for a player that much of a difference between England and Germany."


I've always thought that about Germany, we should be as good as them but as you say it's the details, the tactics or the mind set, it doesn't matter how bad some German teams have been in qualifying or friendlies they seem to always turn up when it counts.

I don't see player for a player that much of a difference between England and Germany.

Katch

How many English players made most people's 'Team Of the Tournament'?
How many English players play abroad?
There is no way that we are in the same class.
How many goals did we score? And the Germans?
As a team and as individuals we are simply not in the same class as the best players in the world. That is why we were 25-1 for the tournament and Germany were 7-1.

Hansen said our players would walk into any international team before the tournament and he has lost his job as a result.