Maple Lions

The Telly reports that the medical consultants who cleared Rooney to join the England squad recommend that he be held back from play until at least the Group B match against Sweden:

The Daily Telegraph has learned that Professor Angus Wallace and Professor Chris Moran, the two specialists from the Queen’s Medical Centre in Nottingham who had the final say on Rooney’s broken foot scans last Wednesday, were asked whether it would be possible to rush him back to play the game in Nuremberg.

They advised against it on the grounds that he would still not be match fit and was at risk of further injury.

Eriksson and England appear to have accepted that advice and Wallace and Moran will instead fly to the England team base in Baden Baden on Friday to check on Rooney’s fitness, with a view to him playing some part in the final Group B match against Sweden next Tuesday.

Paul Canniff

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Lurch proclaims himself cured of Disco Fever:

He explained: “It’s not about robotic dancing. It is about scoring goals and winning matches. It’s an important time for everyone now.

Ah.

(*“Thank you for your kindness, Mister Roboto!”)

Paul Canniff

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While the Daily Telegraph is cautious on the prospect of Rooney playing in next Thursday’s fixture against Trinidad & Tobago, the Guardian delivers the real goods:

Wayne Rooney’s return from injury may come even earlier than previously imagined, with Sven-Goran Eriksson contemplating playing the forward off the bench against Trinidad & Tobago in Nuremberg on Thursday. Eriksson’s hand may be forced after his youngest wunderkind, Theo Walcott, reported a calf injury yesterday, ironically after being “smashed” from behind by Wayne Rooney in training.

Walcott’s right leg had to be heavily bandaged and although he is expected to resume training tomorrow he will need close monitoring if he is to be available for Thursday’s match. Eriksson is confident that the 17-year-old Arsenal reserve will recover but the injury scare exposes the fragility of England’s squad and, in particular, the lack of choice when it comes to attackers.

Between the uncertain match fitness of Owen, pulled off after 55 minutes against Paraguay, and Lurch’s CBGB-worthy pogoing on the pitch, Sven has now truly forced his own hand thanks to betting the ranch on his Gooner debutante. And Jermain Defoe is rightly pissed:

Rooney’s successful scan last week ensured that Jermain Defoe returned home, and the Tottenham striker unleashed some inevitable barbs at Eriksson yesterday. “I don’t know why I’m not out there,” Defoe told the News of the World. “It’s a strange decision and everybody I speak to thinks so as well.

“I have never felt fitter and sharper than I was in training and believe I could have scored goals in the tournament.” Defoe was understood to have been sensational in his final training session before flying home.

Here’s hoping for better results this week.

Paul Canniff

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The Lads of Albion ground out three points in a so-so affair with a few flashes of brilliance:

Becks:

While I have no regrets over taking the mickey out of him for his penalty kicks, he displayed his traditional brilliant form in his free kicks and corners.

Lamps:

Though no goals flowed, his shots on target were powerful thumps. Better sense of aim than Steven Gerrard, who clearly muffed his GSCE in physics.

Paul Robinson:

Mister Lonely for the first half but masterful in the face of Paraguayan attacks. Beautiful moment when a high-arcing goal kick bounced off a rafter in the newly-roofed stadium.

Lurch:

How could the Frankfurt Zoo not notice that one of its agitated giraffes got loose onto a football pitch?

Stewart Downing:

“Fancy seeing you here, mate! Did you know there’s a match today?”

The current wisdom is that Rooney will keep to the benches until the second round. Crikey, we need striking power up front, the sooner the better. And young Walcott had better be practising his lobs instead of memorizing Westlife lyrics!

Other match reactions at the Beeb, Sky Sports and the Telly.

Paul Canniff

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Sven wants to play Wayne Rooney against the Swedes on June 20 - and Sir Alex is fit to be tied:

Relations between Manchester United and the Football Association faced total collapse last night following Sven-Goran Eriksson’s insistence that he might defy medical advice and play Wayne Rooney in the group stages of the World Cup.

Manchester United believe the England head coach has reneged on an agreement to abide by the findings of independent medical specialist Professor Angus Wallace.

Although Rooney’s metatarsal has healed, Wallace says the player will not be match fit for the group stages and risks another injury. But Eriksson said yesterday that he would choose when to play him. Although Rooney will not face Paraguay tomorrow or Trinidad and Tobago next Thursday, Eriksson wants to be able to use him against Sweden on June 20.

The Swede’s uncharacteristic defiance of United manager Sir Alex Ferguson has left the Scot and the club, Rooney’s employers, incandescent with rage.

It is understood that United chief executive David Gill and his FA counterpart, Brian Barwick, were involved in a fierce telephone dispute yesterday in which Barwick accused Gill of being “irresponsible” over Rooney.

When in doubt, go with the doctor’s orders, I say.  I’d love to see Rooney back as soon as possible, but I have a bad feeling about this.

Damian P.

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The FA has revealed unofficially to the Beeb that Wayne Rooney is back in the England squad in time for the opener with Paraguay:

Rooney appears to have won the race to prove his fitness after breaking a metatarsal in his right foot while playing for Manchester United in April.

He flew back to Germany to re-join the England squad landing at Karlsruhe near Baden-Baden just after 2200 BST.

He had earlier spent two hours at a Manchester clinic while doctors studied the results of Wednesday’s scan.

Whew!

Paul Canniff

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Jens Lehmann opines that “England have a mental block which prevents them doing well in World Cups.”

One cannot help but be daunted by the steely Teutonic mental discipline that kept Lehmann in top form throughout this year’s Champions League final. 

Paul Canniff

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In the June edition of Four Four Two, Henry Winter provides a thorough indictment of England’s failure to train properly for penalty kicks, a consistently bedevilling issue in international matches.

But does anyone listen?  Apparently Lurch is more focused on his Mister Roboto goal dance than the ball, as demonstrated in the recent friendly versus Jamaica.

And in that same Four Four Two, Becks had the gall to claim of penalty kicks,

“You can practise till the cows come home but when you’re out there in front of 50,000 fans or 80,000 fans and however many millions are watching at home, you can’t create that kind of atmosphere just by practising them.  It’s all about confidence and having a bit of luck.”

Atmosphere?!  This isn’t about organizing an aromatherapy treatment: just work at getting the ball onto the goal, you skying pillock!

Paul Canniff

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Thanks for the goal, Crouchie, but please keep these moves to a poorly lit disco floor (Avert thine eyes, children!).

Paul Canniff

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Toffeeweb editor Michael Kenrick is over the moon regarding AJ’s signing.  He links to this compliation video of some very nice goals.

What struck me, watching that collage, was of course his pace, but also the fact that this is no one-trick pony: he has produced a great variety of excellent finishes, his ability to run onto the long ball and put it away in with some finesse should fit in particularly well with our style of play. As some have mentioned, though, he masy find things harder with our limited lines of supply…

Maybe Sven should have watched this one, him being so keen on video scouting and all…

Mike C.

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