McLaren blames Rooney

[Guest Kev]

Sportsmail

 

 

The first cracks in Steve McClaren?s reign as England coach appeared as it emerged that he had a major dressing-room row with Wayne Rooney after the 0-0 draw in Israel.

Sportsmail can reveal that a furious McClaren told Rooney he was under-performing and claimed the striker has failed to deliver since Euro 2004.

 

Rooney, who has not scored a competitive goal for his country since they beat Croatia in Portugal nearly three years ago, snapped back at McClaren and threw his kit across the dressing room in disgust. The Manchester United striker told McClaren that he was not the only player in the team responsible for scoring goals.

 

Rooney was still seething as he left the pitch following an angry exchange with Israel defender Tal Ben Haim during a match that leaves England struggling to qualify for the Euro 2008 finals.

 

The pair were both booked following the second-half incident and Rooney had to be restrained by skipper John Terry from entering the Israel dressing room to confront the Bolton defender.

 

Rooney was one of several England players who performed poorly on Saturday evening and the national team?s latest disappointing result has raised the stakes for McClaren.

 

The coach failed to acknowledge the supporters who travelled to Tel Aviv at the final whistle and headed straight for the tunnel.

 

Some of England?s players had planned a night out in the Israeli capital but those plans were scrapped by McClaren after they failed to secure the three points they badly needed. The coach confirmed after the game: ?They?ll be in this evening.?

 

There are also concerns about McClaren?s relationship with assistant manager Terry Venables. The pair appear to have contrasting football philosophies which are taking them in separate directions.

 

England remain third in Group E but have slipped further behind Croatia and Russia, who each won on Saturday.

 

McClaren?s side have scored only once in their last five matches and although they are expected to beat Andorra in Barcelona on Wednesday evening, the team are short of confidence.

 

Midfielder Frank Lampard admitted: ?We have to take it as a group problem but we try to score goals from everywhere.

 

?I think we?re at that patch where it?s not coming at the moment. There?s only one thing we can do about it and that means we can?t moan or point fingers but just work hard to get out of it.

 

?It?s a disappointing record when you look at the players we have, but we have to put it right against Andorra. We?re realistic and we know there?s a lot of work to be done. We have to win a big proportion of our games from now on, if not every game from now on.?

 

England?s players were jeered by their own supporters as they left the field but there were no complaints.

 

Steven Gerrard added: ?It?s understandable that the fans booed us. That happens in football. We aren?t winning games we should be winning. As an experienced player I?ve got to take it on the chin. Of course it hurts, it?s not nice.

 

?We owe these fans, as they travel all over the place paying good money and they want to see goals. They want to see us beat the likes of Israel and Macedonia and we?re not doing that at the minute.

 

?It doesn?t look easy to qualify at the moment but a few victories can soon make that table look a lot different.

 

?It feels like a defeat right now but if we start performing we can turn it round. There was already pressure on us. We were third before this game and we haven?t got the win we wanted, so there?s even more pressure on us. As a footballer you?ve got to deal with that and take the criticism of the supporters.?

 

The result brought criticism from former England stars. Ex-skipper Alan Shearer said: ?It was very disappointing and very frustrating and we have problems. We?re not seeing the same players in England shirts as we do when they?re playing for their clubs.

 

?The pressure is massive and the players are simply not performing. Confidence is low because we haven?t scored or won for a while and we lacked spark up front.?

 

Former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes said: ?Expectations have to be more realistic: we?re not the best team in the world and we?re not the best team in Europe.

 

?Teams like Spain or Portugal could have broken down Israel with the way they set up but that?s not the way we play.?

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

Former Liverpool and England winger John Barnes said: ?Expectations have to be more realistic: we?re not the best team in the world and we?re not the best team in Europe. ?Teams like Spain or Portugal could have broken down Israel with the way they set up but that?s not the way we play.?

 

 

That's spot on, but muppet english fans can't see that.

 

 

As for Rooney, he's over hyped. What is his goals per game ratio?

[Redkop]

McLaren doesn't have the tactical nous for playing in Europe, he only knows tactics from 'small' clubs in the PL.

[John am Rhein]

McLaren is an utterly disastrous choice of manager.

 

But has there ever been a wider gulf in perceived and actual ability of a group of players - not least, apparently, from the players themselves?

 

Over-hyped players + 3rd rate manager = Sh*te

[Bailo]

Can't imagine Rooney doing any of that to Ferguson. Needs a long rest from the England team IMO, get him down a peg or two.

[DanielS]

McLaren is an utterly disastrous choice of manager.

 

But has there ever been a wider gulf in perceived and actual ability of a group of players - not least, apparently, from the players themselves?

 

Over-hyped players + 3rd rate manager = Sh*te

 

There are 11 English players who could win Euro 2008, but they just aren't in the squad / starting line up.

[ManxRed]

Anyone care to guess how many swear words Rooney used in his reply to Second Choice?

 

We all know how he talks to referees, wonder how he phrased his feelings to the manager?

 

He needs to be dropped for a few games.

[John am Rhein]

There are 11 English players who could win Euro 2008, but they just aren't in the squad / starting line up.

 

Who are they then?

 

Anyone care to guess how many swear words Rooney used in his reply to Second Choice?

 

We all know how he talks to referees, wonder how he phrased his feelings to the manager?

 

He needs to be dropped for a few games.

 

Maybe he'll get kudos for articulating the thoughts of a violently disgruntled nation?

[ManxRed]

Yeah, but we can say that about/to Second Choice. He's not our boss.

[John am Rhein]

He's not Rooney's boss either (except on these occasional waste-of-time trips). He just a dentally challenged clown in a blazer.

[ManxRed]

He gets to pick the team though.

 

Or so we're led to believe!

[DanielS]

Who are they then?

 

Most of the current squad + Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch and Michael Owen.

Before you reply, I'll ask you now if Greece had a better team than anyone else in 2004? I haven't said England have the best 11 - just a good enough list of players to get to a final of a European competition and win it.

[Knox_Harrington]

Most of the current squad + Gary Neville, Ashley Cole, Joe Cole, Peter Crouch and Michael Owen.

Before you reply, I'll ask you now if Greece had a better team than anyone else in 2004? I haven't said England have the best 11 - just a good enough list of players to get to a final of a European competition and win it.

I'd agree with that and think if you add players like Barton, Nolan and Parker there's genuine options available to any England manager to chop and change. The problem is no one seems to use them well enough.

[Ostrich Man]

According to 5live yesterday, Wayne took the criticisms on board and didnt argue back.

[Knox_Harrington]

According to 5live yesterday, Wayne took the criticisms on board and didnt argue back.

According to me Rooney is one stagnating mofo.

[Cobs]

According to 5live yesterday, Wayne took the criticisms on board and didnt argue back.

 

According to me Rooney is one stagnating mofo.

just badly out of form and suffering from not being Utd's main man this season, imo.

[Guest Anders Honoré]

That's spot on, but muppet english fans can't see that.

 

It's toss. Spain are fourth placed in their group and portugal placed third.

[Cobs]

That's spot on, but muppet english fans can't see that.

bolllocks

[Ostrich Man]

 

thats what they said.

[Cobs]

 

thats what they said.

oh, i believe you

 

just amused at the very idea of it

[Leo No.8]

McLaren is an utterly disastrous choice of manager.

 

But has there ever been a wider gulf in perceived and actual ability of a group of players - not least, apparently, from the players themselves?

 

Over-hyped players + 3rd rate manager = Sh*te

 

I agree about the manager - but if the players England have at their disposal aren't that good, how the hell do English teams which are based on a bedrock of English players (Liverpool: Carragher, Gerrard, Crouch. Chelsea: Lampard, Terry, A.Cole, J.Cole. Man Utd: Neville, Ferdinand, Rooney, Carrick) perform so well in European club competition then?

 

There are consistantly more English teams in the last 8 in Europe now than from any other country - it stands to reason the English players in those teams (largely the key players) are good enough. The value of our players in the club market would be as high as that of any international squad in the game, you can't just ignore that (regardless of inflated English transfer prices).

 

The main problem is they don't really give a f*ck and haven't got a manager capable of making them give a f*ck, or if he can't do that shipping them out for someone who does. Also players are picked on reputation and accomodated in positions they aren't familar with just so that they can play, not how they fit into the team. They aren't dropped for poor performance either.

 

McClaren is the worst choice of England manager ever and was always going to be, the FA people who chose him should be sacked along with him.

[Knox_Harrington]

just badly out of form and suffering from not being Utd's main man this season, imo.

Don't think he's on any sort of development curve - remains inconsistantly mercurial and hasn't bossed a game for some time. Is little in comparison to Owen at the same age (and I know everyone will say "different position, different player" but it isn't that different) and shows real problems when up against an intelligent defence.

[Leo No.8]

Don't think he's on any sort of development curve - remains inconsistantly mercurial and hasn't bossed a game for some time. Is little in comparison to Owen at the same age (and I know everyone will say "different position, different player" but it isn't that different) and shows real problems when up against an intelligent defence.

 

Rooney's a flat track bully these days, capable of scoring spectacular chips against poor opposition but struggles against well organised defences.

 

As with many wonderkid forwards, the true test of their longevity at the summit of the game is how well they react to losing of a yard or two of pace after a couple of injuries.

 

Myself I don't think Rooney will ever be the same player he was in Euro 2004 - he was genuinely fast then which coupled with his football brain and skills made him unstoppable. Now if you mark him tightly and don't give him too much space he's definitely stoppable - he's nowhere near as mobile as he was as a youngster.

[Eskimo]

Shrek's record in the CL is just as bad innit?

[Ramón Benítez Hernández]

bolllocks

 

Ok, England are ace.