Gary Neville's Comments

Neville:

"Our country love it, creating a drama around one player.
"I've never known there not be an obsession around one player,"
"It was Gascoigne from 1996 to 1998, Beckham from 2000 to 2006. From 2006, it was Rooney and Beckham. Now it's Rooney to 2014.
"Unfortunately - or fortunately, because he is a big player - this time it's Wayne Rooney."



This to me sums up everything that is wrong with the England set up, the them and us attitude doesn't help to create a positive environment within the England camp.

Maybe they should embrace what the fans think as they are the only people who can influence what we see, get off you high horse Neville you nonce and try and input some positive thoughts amongst the players.

He's kind of right though.

Seems to be a common theme amongst the English media to pin all hopes on one player or to constantly be on the lookout for the next messiah that will come along and single-handedly win England the World Cup. To Hodgson's credit he seems to be slowly trying to move away from that culture and is building a system and a team ethic.

Putting pressure on individual players is counter-productive and ultimately seems to lead to that player being brought crashing down to earth by the very people who sought to build him up in the first place.

I suspect it happens in Portugal with say Figo and now with Ronaldo. Probably the same in a lot of countries, I think Neville is right, it does happen its just that we won't be the only ones who do it.

Agree with Diggers.

Neymar is the poster boy for Brazil, presently, and Messi for the Argentines. Falcao probably would have been for Colombia, and Suarez for Uruguay. Drogba for the Ivory Coast etc.

He's spot on for me

There always has to be a scapegoat

I agree with his comments but is he trying to say we shouldn't say anything when he plays bad and just ignore it all?

For such a good footballer, Rooney's been poor in tournaments since 2004. No wonder we get on his back when we know he can do more.

It's only natural in any country bereft of more than a couple of decent players that pressure is placed on one player.
Happens in every sport in the UK, because collectively we aren't very good in most sports and only have a couple of stand out individuals. Rooney is simply the best of a very average lot.

I agree with him completely. The difference between us and other countries is that Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi etc etc are loved and supported, whereas we seek negativity.

Dolphin Ziggler wrote:I agree with him completely. The difference between us and other countries is that Neymar, Ronaldo, Messi etc etc are loved and supported, whereas we seek negativity.

I heard (it may not be true) that Messi is not exactly loved in Argentina? We loved Beckham, even after 98, and others like Gazza. Rooney's moaning to camera's and asking for more money from utd doesn't endear him to fans.

Olly wrote:He's spot on for me

There always has to be a scapegoat

Agree. We are just not technical or tactically good enough. They is installed in players at grassroots level.

Derbymanc wrote:I agree with his comments but is he trying to say we shouldn't say anything when he plays bad and just ignore it all?

Just ignore it all like they do with Steven Gerrard. His attempt pass just before half time nearly led to a second Italy goal but BBC didn't even mention it. They just shown the replays from when Italy had the ball. Had that been Rooney no doubt the media would have been all over it.

The trouble with the newspaper hacks is they have their favourite players, the ones they are friendly with, the ones that no doubt leak the stories and Rooney isn't one of them. They don't like this so Rooney get a bad rap. Gerrard is obvious one of the in players with the media and therefore gets away with far too much

There are some who can handle the pressure of football stardom.  Some thrive on it.... embrace it, even.

And some buckle beneath the weight of it.

In their respective countries, the likes of Neymar or Messi or Ronaldo know that they carry the bulk of the responsibility for their country's hopes and dreams in major tournaments but they adopt the mental approach that the weight of expectation goes with the territory.  It goes with the superstar status, the fabulous wealth and the adoration of almost all their countrymen.  But they have confidence in their ability.  They back themselves.  And they don't balk at the responsibility that goes with it all.

From the fans point of view, these players are allowed to have an indifferent 80 minutes because in the final ten, they'll win the game.  They can disappear from games for long periods, or make errors or have moments of petulance.  The fans don't care because they believe that when they need him to deliver, he will.  And more often than not, he does.  When the late goal is required or the penalty needs to be put away in the shoot out or a mazy dribble or pinpoint accurate pass is needed to set up a team mate for the winning goal, then cometh the hour, cometh the man.  That's what you do when you can handle the pressure.

We're English.  We're different.  We want solidity and consistency.  We want a player who will "put in a shift" and be a presence throughout. Oh yeah, and win the game, too.  Unfortunately, the English player's temperament is nothing like the Latin.  The likes of Rooney (and there have been others in the past.... it's not just him) blaze wide in front of an open goal, or fail to get their toe to the ball as it runs along the goal line.  The likes of Paul Ince or Chris Waddle or Gareth Southgate just ooze skittishness as they step up to take their kick in the shootout.  They don't fancy it.  They don't want to be there.  They're there on duty but would rather be anywhere else in the world, truth be told.   And when they miss it breaks our hearts but it doesn't surprise us.

And so we have acquired, down the years, the knowledge, nay resignation that our best players will let us down.  They lack the bottle... the mental strength.... the character to produce that goods when, in the tightest matches, doing so is the difference between victory and defeat.

Of course, we don't like it.  Of course we turn on the players who fail us.   We treat them with the brickbats that their shortcomings have earned.  Last Saturday's defeat to Italy summed it all up, really.   Balotelli had one chance and scored.  Wayne had one chance and blazed it wide.   Result..   Italy 2 England 1.   No matter that Rooney put in a perfect cross for England's goal.  That's what "world class" players are expected to do.   They're also expected to be able to at least hit the target when it matters.   That's what they're paid the big bucks for.

The disillusion of England fans hasn't occurred overnight and it isn't only Wayne Rooney that has suffered from it.   Others have gone before, and others no doubt will suffer similarly in the future

And let's not be under any illusions that Rooney is out there playing for love of his country.  Sure, every player wants to play on the biggest stage of them all.  That's a given.  But you can't help feeling that, when we get down to the bottom line, he's also there because he knows that if you want the big endorsement contracts, you gotta be a big name and you only get that by playing in World Cups.  That's where the REALLY big endorsement contracts are made.  It doesn't' matter to him if England win or lose. His agent has made sure that he gets paid either way.

It's a sad reflection, isn't it, that Wayne Rooney's best goals have been scored in adverts for computer games.  

When(if?) the blessed day comes that Wayne finally delivers for England, we'll treat him in the same way that the Cariocas adore Neymar, or the appearance of Messi brings downtown Buenos Aires to a standstill.  

But all the time he continues to let us down, whilst making it conspicuously clear that he's hoovering up a fat wad of dosh in the process, then the scorn and derision heaped upon him will be richly deserved.

Neymar hasnt really done any delivering for Brazil yet, though. Ronaldo hasnt for Portugal beyond the odd game. But these players aren't mercilessly blamed. Lets not forget that Rooney reacted to our fans booing the team at a World Cup.

World class players miss chances, other countries forgive that far more readily. No other country would care that Rooney hit a duff corner whereas on here people bring it up as "look how poor he was". Its so obvious to anyone that it was just an anomaly moment, caused likely by the pitch which notably blew beneath his strike. We're a moany country, it gives us great gallows humour but also sees us jump to attack.

Ronaldo is very rarely poor for Portugal in big tournaments, plus he cried during the 2004 Euro finals. It might have been a decade ago, but it sticks with fans. That tells fans he cares. Also, deep down, I think Porras know their side isn't exactly bringing rockets to the scientists, (i mean they nearly lost to Equatorial Guinea without Ronaldo) so they appreciate Ronaldo, who genuinely gives the kitchen sink and bath tub in Portugal colours

I think you could say much the same of Rooney.

I certainly have some sympathy with what Nev the Red is saying - Rooney had some good moments in the Italy game (there was a good run and shot just wide as well as the assist), and nearly scored the equaliser with the shot where he missed the near post with the keeper going the wrong way. It wasn't though an outstanding performance - first half he did struggle to get back to cover the Italian right back breaking forward.

However, he was not at fault for the second goal - he'd switched to the central role and Welbeck was playing on the left. Danny did what he so often does, and committed to pressuring the ball well up in the Italian half but this time got beaten by the speed of the pass, leaving the two on one against Baines. Add in Gerrard's inability to get across and cover and Cahill losing Balotelli in the box and it all added up.

For me, the one problem the Italy game showed is that our two 'defensive' midfield players simply aren't that good at defending - Henderson is an athletic box-to-box player and Gerrard is now primarily a passer from deep. They simply didn't as a pair have the ability or legs to cover the width of the pitch.

My solution, and this somewhat overcomes the where to play Rooney question as well would be to drop Welbeck and play Wilshere on the left of a midfield 3 (with Gerrard central and Henderson right), and letting Rooney and Sterling have a fairly free role behind Sturridge. Width comes from the full backs and from Rooney or Sterling as they see fit

Well, Dummy Half, that is a rather forensic analysis of what was, after all, a very simple equation: Score goals and you win games.

I can't help but come back to the Balotelli goal and why it sums up the difference between their Give A Damn and ours. Balotelli had the nous to pull away to the back post, an area he could see was vacant and would have Cahill struggling to back pedal to cover. The winger could see what Balotelli was doing and simply delivered a half decent cross. Nothing brilliant. No genius involved. Basic football, that's all, and it's all that was needed.

Wayne, on the other hand, didn't have the wit to look where he was placing the ball for the corner. If the corner quadrant was cutting up and unsound, all he had to do was stamp it down before placing the ball. Again, a simple thing to do. If he didn't notice it, why not..? Simple attention to a bit of minor detail. It doesn't take much.

As for his run and shot with the goalkeeper going the wrong way, well, that again shows either lack of nous or genuine quality in the player. With the goalkeeper going the wrong way, all that's needed is an accurate placement, not trying to take the skin off the ball. He blasted it when blasting wasn't needed. As you say, the keeper is going the wrong way. He's already beaten. Just get it on target, Wayne, for Chrissake..!! But no. That's not in Wayne's temperament, is it..?

And "temperament" is probably what I would use if I had to sum him up in one word. I might put "lack of" in front of that if I were allowed three.

I don't know if he really is only interested in the money and sees international football as a necessary evil, in order to obtain big endorsement contracts. Only he knows that. But at the end of the day, the record doesn't lie. A player of his reputation and (alleged) abilities simply isn't cutting the mustard for England and it shows.

A bit unfair to compare two players on two very different chances, Lion.

I love this dissecting of the Rooney corner. Every other country would have laughed it off as one of those things. Not us, it has to be a sign of a bigger fault

Not really a bigger fault but it shouldn't be happening with one of best players. 4L's summed it up perfectly in that he should have noticed an issue with the pitch.

Unfortunately I think maybe the pressures getting to him but I do think he should played in his best position (centre) to really show us what we can do. You can't lambast him when he's not in his preferred position and he's been struggling a bit.

There's myriad reasons why he won't have. I'd be more concerned with the people who took corners and hit the first defender.

That's a problem as well Dolph, it doesn't mean we should ignore the basic fact that he should have done a lot better with 'that' corner