Will Rooney be England's excuse if they don't win the World Cup?

[simonb_nyc]

This isn't my question really. But it did come up in a New York bar around 4:00 today. It was a casual conversation. Me, an American, an African (he never divulged his country) and an Irish bartender. So...who are you all going to root for in the World Cup? That was the simple question. It was the American who said "definitely not the US (too arrogant) or England." The Irish bartender said "so England has been claiming that they're going to win the World Cup but now Rooney is injured, if they don't win, they can use Rooney as an excuse and say they would have won it otherwise." Is that a valid point? Maybe. It does get England out of the press decapitation if they crash out early before Rooney is fit enough to start! Any comments?

[Big balls]

Absolute crap, I'd be very disappointed if Rooney doesn't play. If Rooney can't play, Eriksson said he might play Gerrard as an attacker and that seems more scary to me, the man has an amazing shot and is just great overall. Rooney is a good player but it's the midfield that could bring them all the way. Especially Beckham is a whole lot better than most people say (complaining about Beckham has been fashionable for a few years now but look at the Hungary game). Owen and Rooney is possibly the weakest forward pair of the top 6-7 nations

[Kung-dea]

But still, this is the perfect excuse. And even if Rooney plays a few games the excuse will still be that he was out of form due to injury.

[Agent Red]

Would be a pretty good excuse though. But if all else fails, blame the referees.

[sinner78]

This isn't my question really. But it did come up in a New York bar around 4:00 today. It was a casual conversation. Me, an American, an African (he never divulged his country) and an Irish bartender. So...who are you all going to root for in the World Cup? That was the simple question. It was the American who said "definitely not the US (too arrogant) or England." The Irish bartender said "so England has been claiming that they're going to win the World Cup but now Rooney is injured, if they don't win, they can use Rooney as an excuse and say they would have won it otherwise." Is that a valid point? Maybe. It does get England out of the press decapitation if they crash out early before Rooney is fit enough to start! Any comments?


So you've decided to do a thread dedicated to the opinion of an irish bartender!!!
Get back to world rivalries you sad little man.
hahah

every team that loses will try to find reasons why they lost .
We want rooney to be fit and not use him as an excuse .

[Colm]

This isn't my question really. But it did come up in a New York bar around 4:00 today. It was a casual conversation. Me, an American, an African (he never divulged his country) and an Irish bartender. So...who are you all going to root for in the World Cup? That was the simple question. It was the American who said "definitely not the US (too arrogant) or England." The Irish bartender said "so England has been claiming that they're going to win the World Cup but now Rooney is injured, if they don't win, they can use Rooney as an excuse and say they would have won it otherwise." Is that a valid point? Maybe. It does get England out of the press decapitation if they crash out early before Rooney is fit enough to start! Any comments?I rather have him fit and playing to give us a better chance than to use his injury as an excuse.

[roverman]

Absolute crap, I'd be very disappointed if Rooney doesn't play. If Rooney can't play, Eriksson said he might play Gerrard as an attacker and that seems more scary to me, the man has an amazing shot and is just great overall. Rooney is a good player but it's the midfield that could bring them all the way. Especially Beckham is a whole lot better than most people say (complaining about Beckham has been fashionable for a few years now but look at the Hungary game). Owen and Rooney is possibly the weakest forward pair of the top 6-7 nations


how can two of the world's top strikers be considered one of the weakest strike partnerships of the top 6 or 7 teams? are you saying for example germany have a better partnership? or portugal's is better? i certainly dont think spain do either!!!

[Crown Paints]

If we are reliant on one man to win the world cup we would have never won it anyway. So to answer your question, no, Rooney won't be used as an excuse (by me at least)

[United1]

He was injured on purpose. Call it a preemptive excuse.

[royalstilton]

Rooney doesn't really have bones in his feet. he's a cyborg. this metatarsal nonsense is such a scam.

[Big balls]

Absolute crap, I'd be very disappointed if Rooney doesn't play. If Rooney can't play, Eriksson said he might play Gerrard as an attacker and that seems more scary to me, the man has an amazing shot and is just great overall. Rooney is a good player but it's the midfield that could bring them all the way. Especially Beckham is a whole lot better than most people say (complaining about Beckham has been fashionable for a few years now but look at the Hungary game). Owen and Rooney is possibly the weakest forward pair of the top 6-7 nations


how can two of the world's top strikers be considered one of the weakest strike partnerships of the top 6 or 7 teams? are you saying for example germany have a better partnership? or portugal's is better? i certainly dont think spain do either!!!

I'll have to assume you are English. Owen isn't a world top striker, he isn't even near a top 10 list of the worlds greatest strikers. I've never said Germany has better strikers, but many nations have better strikers than Germany. All nationalism aside, I would much rather have Zlatan and Larsson over Owen and Rooney. Don't get me wrong, I think England have a very strong team that could go far, great defense, great midfield. What your two forwards will lack, the world-class midfield will make up for it.

[roverman]

I'll have to assume you are English. Owen isn't a world top striker, he isn't even near a top 10 list of the worlds greatest strikers. I've never said Germany has better strikers, but many nations have better strikers than Germany. All nationalism aside, I would much rather have Zlatan and Larsson over Owen and Rooney. Don't get me wrong, I think England have a very strong team that could go far, great defense, great midfield. What your two forwards will lack, the world-class midfield will make up for it.


well im sorry but i would take rooney over zlatan every time, i dont deny ibrahimivich is a good player but he certainly aint as good as rooney, as for owen against larsson i think they are about equal, i dont deny sweden's two forwards are class acts but england's strikers are better!!

[three lions]

Owen and Rooney are one of the best set of forwards in the World, period. Zlatan and Larsson fall well short of being in the same category.. Most knowledgable football fans agree 100%.

[Stud83]

No excuses, but I'll blame Sven. IMO England has the best defense and the best midfield in the tournament, and an easy group. Even without Rooney England should make it to quarterfinals relatively easily, and by that time (almost a full month from now) Rooney should be fully fit.

[Big balls]

Owen and Rooney are one of the best set of forwards in the World, period. Zlatan and Larsson fall well short of being in the same category.. Most knowledgable football fans agree 100%.

Larsson has proven a whole lot more this season than both Owen and Rooney. Zlatan has a crap season behind him but is 10X more technical than both Owen and Rooney

Nevermind, this is one of those times where there's absolutely no point of saying anything. I know better than to try to convince English fans that their forwards aren't among the greatest strikers in the world so we'll have to wait and see on who's right.

[three lions]

Larsson has proven a whole lot more this season than both Owen and Rooney. Zlatan has a crap season behind him but is 10X more technical than both Owen and Rooney

Nevermind, this is one of those times where there's absolutely no point of saying anything. I know better than to try to convince English fans that their forwards aren't among the greatest strikers in the world so we'll have to wait and see on who's right.

We all know that England have better players in every position, World Class players at that.. Larsson isn't a pimple on Owen's sack, and that is fact.. Rooney is "The Boy Wonder" Sheer Brilliance, make no mistake about it, you will find out on the pitch...

[roverman]

big balls, you cant possibly say zlatan is 10 times more technical than rooney, thats just nonsence!! look i really like sweden, i have always rated them as a very good team, i wish england could play as unit like they do and now they have a few stars as well but the fact remains that england's 2 strikers are better, larrson was and is a top striker but hes in his 30s, owen is still only 26 and is just as good, rooney is 20, can do things that would make your jaw drop. Did you see his goal for man utd against newcastle when he hit a volley from outside the area which flew into the top corner? what about the goal against 'boro when he chipped the ball nonchalantly over shwarzer in an fa cup game? he is probably the best young player in the world, zlatan has never been voted world young player of the year which rooney was recently!! most world football fans will tell you rooney is better and better technically!!!

[Kung-dea]

In my opinion both Rooney and Zlatan are spectacular players, and if we compare great goals it´s not really that hard to find great Zlatan-goals either so there´s really no point in bringing up specific goals, since they have both scored a lot of great ones. I do feel that Zlatan is more technical, but I wouldn´t say that he is a better player then Rooney, they are different types, and both are among the best in the world at what they do. My guess is that the award for best player in the world will be a competition between these two, ronaldinho, fabregas and leo Messi for at least the next five years or so. Truly spectacular.

When it comes to Owen it´s a completely different thing. I feel that he´s highly overrated. Sure, he was amazing a couple of years ago, but hasn´t really proven anything in later years. Owen seems to be a bigger name then player at the moment, and he really doesn´t scare me. Sure, if he gets a clean shot from within the box he will likely score, but so would anyone in the english squad, so there´s no big reason to fear him more then anyone else. The big difference to me from Owen a couple of years ago is that he constantly needs someone to deliever the chances. he´s agood striker, but he doesn´t create anything on his own, like Zlatan or Rooney does. English strikers are always good when it comes to finishing there chances, but Owen has been a shadow of his old self the last few years, and has played to little this year to be in real form. He looks a little lost in the field right now.

Larsson isn´t a spectacular player, but he´s one of the smartest players in the world, and is a master in finding and creating space. His attacking runs and the way he always works for the team makes sweden as a whole a lot better then when he´s out. He´s a quality striker, and has improved his passing-game in barca.

All in all England has a better defense and midfield, but sweden has better strikers now that rooney seems to be out. When he plays, that automaticly means more space for owen, and that makes him better as well, but when rooney is out owen is too lonely, and an easy pick for the defenders.

[Rooney87]

I am English and I will admit that every tournament we do make excuses when we get knocked of tournaments out if its not penalty shoot outs its bad refs decisions.

Rooney will be a huge loss he would walk in to any team in world football but we have other world class players. The people who way he is overrated must live on another planet. Do not forget that he is only 20 and has mush more to learn people talk like he is 25 and fat. He has been playing in the EPL since 16. I would like someone to tell me a player at 16 that has made such an impact on world football.

[ricci_89]

well, lets put it this way, if ronaldiniho was injured, and couldnt play for Brazil, i think its safe to say they would use him as an excuse :rolleyes: , im not saying this is right, but no rooney??!! seems like a pretty good excuse to me