What next for Wayne Rooney??

What does this mean for England’s captain. Is this beginning of the end for the skipper or merely a tactical ploy giving Southgate’s comments regarding the Slovenian midfield. Nevertheless the signs are ominous for Rooney. Yes, on paper whatever starting 11 Southgate picks they should be more than capable and some of beating the likes of Slovenia.

Rooney’s performance against Malta hardly set the qualifying group alight but there were times where he was trying to force the issue rather than letting his natural ability takeover, with all due respect to Malta they were hardly coming to Wembley to set the footballing world’s pulse racing with a once in a lifetime performance.

With Eric Dier presumably coming in for Rooney to play the deeper lying midfield role alongside stand in skipper Jordan Henderson does this mean Rooney’s days as a makeshift midfielder are over before they’ve even started. Lacklustre at times against the minnows of Malta you would of thought Rooney would feel no pressure and simply play his normal game. But then what is his normal game these days? I think even Rooney would struggle to answer this question.

As Rooney is now 31 his best days are definitely not behind him by all means but it’s hard to see him maintaining a level sufficient enough to warrant a starting berth in the current England set up, Jose Mourinho has benched the all action striker for the last few games also favouring the likes of Marcus Rashford. One cannot disagree with the special one’s decision to drop Rooney especially as young Rashford has warranted his place as of late with some very very impressive performances and all importantly as most strikers are judged on he has hit the net on a good few occasions.

Would Wayne Rooney be a shoe in for the all important Scotland game on remembrance day in front of a packed 90,000 Wembley stadium? Yes, no, maybe? Given his international experience for big games then it’s a definite, after all Gareth Southgate has maintained that Rooney will remain as his captain. Going on current form and ability to make that something happen out of nothing attribute then it’s a no. The likes of Rashford, Kane (when back from injury) and possibly even Sturridge are ahead of him in a centre forward role, likewise Jordan Henderson and Eric Dier in centre midfield position.

Rooney himself has said that he was shocked and saddened by the reaction of the crowd during the Malta game. Amidst the boo’s and heckles from the crowd Saturday evening, Rooney himself needs to just concentrate on his football and not try to be our version of playing the “Pirlo role”. That’s not really Rooney’s game and doesn’t have nowhere near the elegance and finesse to strut around the pitch like the unflustered peacock Pirlo is.

The Jury is out on Wayne Rooney and whether his place in the England starting 11 is in jeopardy or he’s undroppable? Either way football fans up and down the country will have their own opinions and views on him and will make interesting reading and discussions amongst fans travelling to Ljubljana for England’s qualifier against Slovenia.

Sponge7