[Archived] How Good Is Rooney?

[Drummer Boy]

I had the privilege of watching him play for England against Turkey in the Euro qualifier and against France in the tournament and was converted by the sheer presence he has on the field and his intelligent, skilful and powerful playing. I even found myself breaking my own personal code and not turning over when Man. Utd. were on telly last week - awesome.

He's not Alan Shearer, Bobby Charlton, Paul Gascoigne or any of the others with whom he's been compared - he's Wayne Rooney and has the potential to be the best English footballer of all time. Whereas Gascoigne blew it because of his own temperament, Rooney seems better planted and both of his managers are of the right ilk to help him cope with the hyperbole surrounding him and he seems inclined to listen - unlike Gascoigne or Shearer.

From an English perspective, let's hope he realises that potential over the next 5 years or so - from a local perspective, let's hope it's with a different club.

As an aside, for our older members, my Dad reckons the last Englishman with such a combination of skill, football intelligence, power and temperament to appear was Duncan Edwards - can anybody verify this?

[RoverDrake]

Rooney= Ugly gimp who gets lucky now and again.

[Drummer Boy]

Rooney= Ugly gimp who gets lucky now and again.

Nice one

[RoverDrake]

Well I just don't like the guy (along with countless other footballers).

I can't really believe the exceptional hype footballers get for really showing a bit of talent at a very simplistic sport.

Plus the guy just looks like your typical braindead juvenile who enjoys old whores.

[Anti Euro Smiths Fan]

We've got years of this ridiculous hysteria ahead of us.

I agree Paul.

Rooney is obviously hugely talented, but the hysteria surrounding him has got out of hand recently.

Take a look at his goalscoring record for Everton - 15 Premiership goals in 67 appearances. Last season, between September and December, he had a run of thirteen consecutive matches without a goal.

I discovered in my research on Rooney that he actually had more yellow cards than goals at Goodison Park. He had 20 bookings and a sending off during his time at Everton - a poor disciplinary record for a striker.

He my be a fine player, but he's not a fine human being though, in my view.

I lost respect for him when he decided to have a sordid encounter with a dreadful whore. It was offensive to every decent person in the land for Rooney to behave like that.

I'm referring of course to his decision to join Man United - the morally corrupt merchandising organisation that represent everything that's wrong with our beautiful game.

Rooney's liaisons with prostitutes didn't concern me all that much - apart from thinking that he was naive, especially when signing autographs in the waiting room of a brothel. It was his decision to go to Old Trafford which offended me - the ruthless way he turned his back on Everton to join a club that every decent football fan in the country loathes.

Fans of Wayne Rooney would argue that he was merely being ambitious and that it was natural for him to want to go to Man United. I would argue that Rooney has now twice betrayed the people of Merseyside.

Firstly, his ill advised decision to give a series of exclusive interviews to The Sun caused understandable hurt and anger in Liverpool. Surely every Scouser, whether an Everton fan or a Liverpool one, would know how much the Sun is despised for it's coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy.

The second betrayal of course, for a born and bred Scouser like himself, was to join the one club, Man United, that unites both the blue and red half of Merseyside in their loathing. It was a betrayal of his upbringing, as well as being a kick in the teeth for the city of Liverpool as a whole.

Meanwhile Paul Stretford, Rooney's controversial agent, could now face perjury charges after being caught lying in court at the trial of three men he accused of blackmailing him.

Stretford, pictured below behind Wayne and his girlfriend, made false statements while giving evidence last week.

Stretford was adamant in court that he had not represented Wayne Rooney before December 2002. This turned out to be false. Two documents which were subsequently disclosed show that Stretford poached the striker in September 2002.

Wayne Rooney was viewed as a "cash cow" by Stretford, who poached him, the court heard.

Defence barrister Lord Carlile told the court: "Mr Stretford was desperate to get Wayne Rooney as his client because he knew he could milk the cow. If a solicitor was doing that, he would be struck off without a moment's hesitation."

"There is an issue in this case about Paul Stretford's many interests in Wayne Rooney and the ruthless way in which he approached those interests."

One of the defendants who walked free, said outside court:

"Paul Stretford maintains that he is the ethical football agent. This trial has shown that he is a manipulative and dishonest man who will stop at nothing to enrich himself."

[speeeeeeedie]

I don't think that much of what Rooney does is his fault. He is still young, ambitious and proved that he can be one of the best on the world stage already.

Unfortunately due to his cash cow status he will constantly have hanger's on, family, friends and unscrupulous folks trying to get what they can out of him for their own gain. Stretford proved this and no doubt others will follow. Footballers tend to invite this upon themselves by having everything done for them to begin with making it easy for exploitation.

As for turning his back on his own people by signing for Man U I find this argument lame. By Everton getting £25 million for someone who cost nothing represents a huge investment in a club that is in dire financial straits. If anything his transfer money has gone some way to strengthening Everton's long term stability therefore helping the club.

Now and again I get the impression that some on this board have underlying feelings of complacency and resentment toward success. People should not have ambition, move upward or better themsleves. Rooney shouldn't leave Everton because it's his home town club. Rubbish. If he is to fulfill his potential he cannot spend his career at Everton, they do not challenge for top honours or play in Europe every year. It will make him a better player.

[AlanK]

I love watching Rooney. Its the main reason I`m watching tonights game in Azerbywhatsit.

What club he plays for is of no concern to me although I do feel that with Fergie`s record of bringing youngsters through the game it can only benefit England.

I don`t care what scousers think, what happens in our Wayne`s private life and I certainly don`t give a damn about his agents affairs.

Just give the lad the ball.

[adopted scouser]

Well I just don't like the guy (along with countless other footballers).

I can't really believe the exceptional hype footballers get for really showing a bit of talent at a very simplistic sport.

Plus the guy just looks like your typical braindead juvenile who enjoys old whores.

Is this the kind of post designed to engineer a response ? Or are you just thick ?

[Manchester Blue]

I'm afraid he's just thick AS so it's best just to ignore him like most of us have started to do about his sad little rants about Matteo.

[adopted scouser]

I love watching Rooney. Its the main reason I`m watching tonights game in Azerbywhatsit.

What club he plays for is of no concern to me although I do feel that with Fergie`s record of bringing youngsters through the game it can only benefit England.

I don`t care what scousers think, what happens in our Wayne`s private life and I certainly don`t give a damn about his agents affairs.

Just give the lad the ball.

Here Here Alan. It's how he plays footie that counts.

[adopted scouser]

I'm afraid he's just thick AS so it's best just to ignore him like most of us have started to do about his sad little rants about Matteo.

Fair enough MB !

**goes misty eyed**

Walkden. Last time I was there I closed a little cinema over a shopping centre.......

[trueblue]

Sorry folks, but I'm in the camp of Rooney haters.. He's greedy with the ball (don't try and tell me he's a goal-scorer and ALL goal-scorers are greedy with the ball - they aint ! look at Shearer !)

How many of you on here condemned Dunny for 'believing his own press'.. but are now raving about Rooney ??

[92er]

He's 18. He is not the finished product.He has a lot to learn.

If he does succeed in achieving his potential he could be excellent.

[Scotty]

Rooney could well be the best English player ever. He's already one of the best we've got at the moment and he's only 18. He doesn't rely on pace either so he could play just as effectively well into his 30's.

If the likes of AESF give over with their ridiculous, jealous Daily Mail hatchet jobs the kid might just win England something.

[broadsword]

I lost respect for him when he decided to have a sordid encounter with a dreadful whore.

How do you know she was dreadful?

And in any case, why are we meant to respect footballers? Personally, I don't show them any more respect than I'd show to anyone else.

[Rovermatt]

We've got years of this ridiculous hysteria ahead of us.

I lost respect for him when he decided to have a sordid encounter with a dreadful whore. It was offensive to every decent person in the land for Rooney to behave like that.

I'm referring of course to his decision to join Man United - the morally corrupt merchandising organisation that represent everything that's wrong with our beautiful game.

Rooney's liaisons with prostitutes didn't concern me all that much - apart from thinking that he was naive, especially when signing autographs in the waiting room of a brothel. It was his decision to go to Old Trafford which offended me - the ruthless way he turned his back on Everton to join a club that every decent football fan in the country loathes.

Fans of Wayne Rooney would argue that he was merely being ambitious and that it was natural for him to want to go to Man United. I would argue that Rooney has now twice betrayed the people of Merseyside.

Firstly, his ill advised decision to give a series of exclusive interviews to The Sun caused understandable hurt and anger in Liverpool. Surely every Scouser, whether an Everton fan or a Liverpool one, would know how much the Sun is despised for it's coverage of the Hillsborough tragedy.

The second betrayal of course, for a born and bred Scouser like himself, was to join the one club, Man United, that unites both the blue and red half of Merseyside in their loathing. It was a betrayal of his upbringing, as well as being a kick in the teeth for the city of Liverpool as a whole.

I agree with all of that...but what a player Rooney is. It's just a pity he plays for United.

[Radagast]

I won't. Rooney has no obligation as a Scouser to sign or not sign for any club. I've got no loving for United of course, but this sort of city vs city attitude is pathetic.

[broadsword]

"it was a betrayal of his upbringing"?!

Oh please spare us, what a drama queen!

A footballers' first allegiance is to themselves, and they will want to be as successful as possible, just because he left Everton doesn't mean he's not a fan anymore. I doubt his transfer caused anything but happiness in his family.

AESF, you seem to have this perception of football as harking back to days of old when knights were bold and dragons were nervous. Your dramatic and emotive prose would be better suited to a boddice-busting shag-fest of a book, rather than a discussion about a lad who plays football for a living.

Edited October 14, 2004 by Bryan

[Hughesy]

Rooney is good, but not as good as he believes!

He is far too greedy, which i believe is down to all the hype about him.

He needs to nuckle down and understand that he isnt the complete player until he learns to pass the ball more

[Flopsy]

Also he got completely marked out of the game last night. Needs to learn - however the boy is quality, shame we turned Everton down when he was 15/16 - although GS would have probably played him at left back

[M-K]

shame we turned Everton down when he was 15/16

Huh? Was that around the time we refused to take Ronaldinho on loan?

[frosty]

Sorry folks, but I'm in the camp of Rooney haters.. He's greedy with the ball (don't try and tell me he's a goal-scorer and ALL goal-scorers are greedy with the ball - they aint ! look at Shearer !)

How many of you on here condemned Dunny for 'believing his own press'.. but are now raving about Rooney ??

Me too. I agree with everything you are saying, TrueBlue.

[blue phil]

Also he got completely marked out of the game last night. Needs to learn

Eh ! Which game did you watch then Flopsy ? I reckon he had an excellent game and probably covered about twice as much ground as anyone else on the pitch . Superb player .

True Blue - you mentioned Dunny the Waster and the Real Deal Rooney in the same sentence . Don't do it again !!

[92er]

The summariser on Radio 5 thought he struggled with man to man marking, but he also thought it was the first time he had come across this.

[trueblue]

True Blue - you mentioned Dunny the Waster and the Real Deal Rooney in the same sentence . Don't do it again !!

Real Deal Rooney ???????

The only thing he's the 'real deal' of is Shrek look-alikes !

As far as mentioning Dunny and Rooney in the same sentence, if that sentence is about players believing their own press and being big-headed about it.. then I will !