Guardian and Observer Editorial
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2 The Guardian | Saturday July 1 2006 World Cup England v Portugal Story so far Day 23 Trojan Rooney needs to be selfish Group A Group B and start getting among the goals Friday June 9 Munich 64,950 Saturday June 10 Frankfurt 48,000 Germany 4 Costa Rica 2 England 1 Paraguay 0 Friday June 9 Gelsenkirchen 53,000 Saturday June 10 Dortmund 65,000 Kevin McCarra Gelsenkirchen eventual 4–1 defeat by Denmark in Copen- Poland 0 Ecuador 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 Sweden 0 hagen, but there was a sheer outrage over Wednesday June 14 Dortmund 65,000 Thursday June 15 Nuremberg 41,000 the course of events that provoked Germany 1 Poland 0 England 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 There might be just one task that can test Rooney to score. Too few others had that Thursday June 15 Hamburg 55,000 Thursday June 15 Berlin 72,000 Wayne Rooney to the limit on a football kind of reaction to the embarrassment. Ecuador 3 Costa Rica 0 Sweden 1 Paraguay 0 field. His head will swim at the very idea Eriksson might, in general, be grateful if Tuesday June 20 Berlin 72,000 Tuesday June 20 Kaiserslautern 46,000 that he must do a great deal less, yet so the attacker went on being passionately Ecuador 0 Germany 3 Paraguay 2 Trinidad & Tobago 0 long as England wish to use him as a lone determined. Tuesday June 20 Hanover 43,000 Tuesday June 20 Cologne 43,000 striker the 20-year-old needs to have a Rooney has already been on the scene Costa Rica 1 Poland 2 Sweden 2 England 2 strict range of ambitions today. While the for quite a while, but he is still unfinished. astonishment never diminishes at the The likeliest guess is he will settle down P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts ability and the appetite to devour a game, as, in the best possible sense, a demonic Germany 330082+69 England 321052+37 that is not what his country wants. No10, tapping his imagination to open Ecuador 320153+26 Sweden 312032+15 He has to stick closer to the areas from defences for others and his own intensity Poland 310224-23 Paraguay 310222 03 which he might score. The obligation is to keep his own total of goals ticking over. Costa Rica 300339-60 Trinidad & Tobago 301204-41 solely on him now that Michael Owen has There is a natural desire to avoid returned home and Sven-Goran Eriksson confining a free and bullish spirit. Arsène Group C Group D appears to have ruled that the beanpole Wenger defined Rooney’s attitude pre- Peter Crouch is best in small doses, as a cisely: “I’m coming to sort you out.” It will Saturday June 10 Hamburg 49,480 Sunday June 11 Nuremberg 41,000 substitute. The introduction of Theo Wal- be crucial for England, all the same, that Argentina 2 Ivory Coast 1 Mexico 3 Iran 1 cott has not even been feasible. Wayne Rooney goes through his paces the aggression is poured into a narrower Sunday June 11 Leipzig 37,216 Sunday June 11 Cologne 45,000 With all that in mind, Rooney, the man for today’s quarter-final with Portugal channel today. With no one else in attack, Serbia & Montenegro 0 Holland 1 Angola 0 Portugal 1 who can do anything, has to pack away Rooney cannot roam so much and must Friday June 16 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 Friday June 16 Hanover 43,000 some of his skills. It is no longer a mere be available to take passes and bring the Argentina 6 Serbia & Montenegro 0 Mexico 0 Angola 0 curiosity that there have been no goals by vidualistic and prolific. Everton’s manager midfield towards him. Friday June 16 Stuttgart 52,000 Saturday June 17 Frankfurt 48,000 him for England in a competitive match David Moyes must have scowled at the That did not happen often enough Holland 2 Ivory Coast 1 Portugal 2 Iran 0 since Euro 2004. Facing Portugal in Gel- statistic for season 2003-04 that showed against Ecuador last weekend, although Wednesday June 21 Frankfurt 48,000 Wednesday June 21 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 senkirchen, the odds against England’s the prodigy dividing 18 goals equally the tendency of the rest of the side to Holland 0 Argentina 0 Portugal 2 Mexico 1 survival will rise steeply if he cannot put between club and country. clump long balls and demand he chase Wednesday June 21 Munich 66,000 Wednesday June 21 Leipzig 38,000 a stop to that trend. It was never conceivable that Rooney them was no help either. Without any Ivory Coast 3 Serbia & Montenegro 2 Iran 1 Angola 1 Rooney is certainly not the sort of cre- could go on being so productive for Eriks- partner in Gelsenkirchen, Rooney will also ative footballer who thinks it crude to son. No opponents can stifle him totally, have to get himself into more orthodox P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts score. His goals, though, tend to be spec- but many developed notions of how to positions in the goalmouth because there Argentina 321081+77 Portugal 330051+49 tacular. The four he hit at Euro 2004 were hinder the forward. This season he has will be a limit to the number of occasions Holland 321031+27 Mexico 311143+14 the principal source of all the euphoria found the net just a couple of times for on which, say, Frank Lampard or Steven Ivory Coast 310256-13 Angola 302112-12 that swept over supporters that summer. England in friendlies. One was an oppor- Gerrard can get there. Serbia & Montenegro 3003210-80 Iran 301226-41 Of those, the header against Switzerland tunity that came to him during the victory In the process Rooney must put him- was the sole example of a humdrum finish over Argentina when a deflection followed self in the right area and depend on oth- Group E Group F by him. by a David Beckham header dropped the ers to find him. For a footballer with the There was a spell in which Rooney, ball in his path. confidence to attempt everything single- Monday June 12 Gelsenkirchen 52,000 Monday June 12 Kaiserslautern 46,000 scoring nine times in his first 16 appear- The other was much more characteris- handed, that will be one of the most USA 0 Czech Republic 3 Australia 3 Japan 1 ances with England, could be both indi- tic. England were already doomed in the severe challenges of his evolving career. Monday June 12 Hanover 43,000 Tuesday June 13 Berlin 72,000 Italy 2 Ghana 0 Brazil 1 Croatia 0 Saturday June 17 Cologne 45,000 Sunday June 18 Nuremberg 41,000 Czech Republic 0 Ghana 2 Japan 0 Croatia 0 David Pleat’s chalkboard Saturday June 17 Kaiserslautern 46,000 Sunday June 18 Munich 66,000 Italy 1 USA 1 Brazil 2 Australia 0 Hargreaves can spoil the supply line through Figo Thursday June 22 Hamburg 50,000 Thursday June 22 Dortmund 65,000 Czech Republic 0 Italy 2 Japan 1 Brazil 4 Thursday June 22 Nuremberg 41,000 Thursday June 22 Stuttgart 52,000 Ghana 2 USA 1 Croatia 2 Australia 2 Romantics will tell you that the best right-back, loves to tear upfield and join quickly to give us width on the outside form of defence is attack and we would in quickly on the counter and he has of our wide man on Miguel’s side of the P W D L F A GD Pts P W D L F A GD Pts all like to believe that. But, in the proved himself a real threat going pitch. Speed on the counter is the key — Italy 321051+47 Brazil 330071+69 summer heat of Gelsenkirchen today, forward. But his defending is suspect. with quick passing and pace, with and Ghana 320143+16 Australia 311155 04 the reality is that Portugal are likely to Three times I have seen him challenge without the ball, from the middle third. Czech Republic 310234-13 Croatia 302123-12 enjoy superior possession, so England attackers while poorly balanced and Scolari is an excellent tactician and USA 301226-41 Japan 301227-51 must attempt to catch them on the concede free-kicks. will be aware that Miguel’s desire to counter and, if they are to do that, there We need to penetrate better down spring forward leaves the side exposed Group G Group H are two areas in which they must thrive. that flank and create a pressure point. but I would be very surprised if he tells First of all they must stop the supply Wayne Rooney must make the runs that his full-back to rein in his instincts. On Tuesday June 13 Frankfurt 48,000 Wednesday June 14 Leipzig 43,000 line to Luis Figo if, as expected, he plays Thierry Henry makes at Arsenal, drifting their other flank Nuno Valente just sits South Korea 2 Togo 1 Spain 4 Ukraine 0 loosely around the Portuguese lone out from centre to the left. That way he and will make sure England do not Tuesday June 13 Stuttgart 52,000 Wednesday June 14 Munich 66,000 striker, Pauleta. The Internazionale can exploit the space Miguel vacates. advance too far, although Gary Neville France 0 Switzerland 0 Tunisia 2 Saudi Arabia 2 veteran is sure to show his class and, Similarly Ashley Cole must support has a great responsibility to support Sunday June 18 Leipzig 43,000 Monday June 19 Hamburg 50,000 with his acceleration fading, he is best David Beckham, offering the captain a France 1 South Korea 1 Saudi Arabia 0 Ukraine 4 suited to that central role these days.