England manager Roy Hodgson declared that Wayne Rooney is indispensable to the England squad.
It’s not often you find football fans questioning the place of their country’s captain in the starting line-up. However, such has been the case with England over the past 6 months. Rooney’s transition from striker to midfielder has become a topic much discussed and debated. As Manchester United fans have come to realize, Wayne Rooney is no longer the threat he was in front of goal 5 years ago.
According to a report in The Guardian, Roy Hodgson insisted that his squad will play with style in Euro 2016. The England manager was irritated by questions regarding Rooney’s place in the squad as he stressed that the 30-year-old is key to his plans for England in the European Championships. Hodgson said that it is a “good problem” to have so many striking options at his disposal with Kane, Vardy, Rashford and Sturridge also vying for a spot in the starting XI.
Hodgson and co still trying to find right formation for the Euros
But as the saying goes, too many cooks spoil the broth. Roy Hodgson, after the game against Portugal, defended his decision to try and implement a diamond formation. The England manager felt he was satisfied with the effort the team had put in to make it work. However, Harry Kane agreed that England found it hard to implement the diamond formation against Portugal. Kane was drifting too much towards the left to exploit the wide areas, but it did not work.
“We’d been working on it in training, trying different systems, and we went with the diamond but they made it difficult when they went down to 10 men,” he added. “They really dropped off and shut up the middle of the pitch. Jamie and I felt we had to go a bit wider to get the ball and in hindsight, maybe we should have stayed a bit closer together.”
It is important that Roy doesn’t try too much with the England squad just before the big tournament in France. It could lead to confusion among the players as they try and get used to their role as well as the roles of their teammates.
It’s been 50 years since the Three Lions landed a major trophy on the international arena and the hope is that this new generation can end the decades of disappointment and deliver what the fans crave for.
Wayne Rooney and his experience is the key
Wayne Rooney, by his own admission, realizes that with his lack of pace and acceleration, he has to find ways to keep being useful to the team. A key figure like Rooney is essential to lead the troops when the team needs motivation and inspiration. The England striker has scored 52 times for his country in 111 games and is the all-time leading goal scorer for England. He also ranks 4th in the all-time most capped players for his country. Such experience and track record cannot be undermined and overlooked as England are going through a phase where a wave of young and exciting footballers like Dele Alli, Ross Barkley and John Stones are coming through the ranks to establish the next generation of England superstars.
With a right blend of experience and youthful exuberance, Hodgson believes he can take this England squad deep into the tournament and maybe even cause a few upsets as well.
