Tom Oldfield
We can all picture the image. Manchester United or England are trailing, Wayne Rooney is frustrated and it is only a matter of time before someone pays the price.
Unleashing a string of abuse at David Beckham, barrelling into Ashley Cole, lashing out at Ricardo Carvalho and Aalborg midfielder Kasper Risgard. While Rooney would plead his innocence in several of these instances, there is a catalogue jam-packed with moments in which the striker has lost control.
Rooney’s will to win and fiery temperament are both strengths and weaknesses. Such attributes are often used to portray the very essence of the former Everton front man’s game. Pundits will point to how he would be half the player without his wild side.
However, when other players show similar aggression, the response is rarely the same. Rooney is, of course, one of the Premier League’s biggest talents and, along with Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard, carries the hopes of the nation on his shoulders when representing his country. But are we being too lenient with him? Is he crossing the line between fair and foul too often?
When the red mist descends, Rooney morphs into a man possessed. Supporters can sense the wild lunge or the stream of abuse coming. His temper gets the better of him and the result is often a dangerous challenge. And there is no stopping him. There is no way of talking him out of it when he loses the plot.
Just ask Beckham, who tried to call a halt to a Rooney tantrum against Northern Ireland. The outcome? A swear word-loaded rant and seemingly a lack of respect for his captain’s advice.
Then remember the international friendly away to Spain. Rooney had to be substituted for his own good as Sven-Goran Eriksson foresaw a wild challenge just around the corner. England slumped to a 1-0 defeat.
The new Respect campaign, designed to help referees, stands little chance of succeeding when the likes of Rooney have free reign to dish out X-rated abuse anytime they disagree with a decision.
However, this same drive and hunger has helped propel Manchester United to huge success in recent years. Back-to-back Premier League triumphs, coupled with the 2008 Champions League glory, reflect the positive impact that Rooney has on his team-mates. The statistics do not lie. When he plays, United rarely lose. He is often the heartbeat of the side, playing up front but working tirelessly all over the pitch.
In May, England manager Fabio Capello told the media of his concern over some of Rooney’s aggression. Capello said: “The next time I see him [in August], I will talk to him. I’ve seen the same thing in training. On Tuesday, in the last session, it was the same. It is normal for him, and I told him that, but I was worried for the other players.”
But just last month, Rooney had his say on the matter, telling the press: “I don’t think there is a problem with my temperament. I do get stuck in during matches, but I like to think that I keep calm both on the pitch and off it. I am a player with lots of energy and aggression and I am never going to stop putting in tackles. That’s who I am. I can’t change that, I don’t want to.”
The striker then added: “I don’t accept that I need to learn to count to 10 in certain situations because I always feel in control of myself. I get the feeling sometimes that people just look for the negative things with me. [But] I think my team-mates and United’s supporters appreciate that side of my game.”
There are, naturally, two schools of thought when it comes to Rooney and this is likely to remain the case for years to come. But anyone who watched the Manchester United-Chelsea clash at Old Trafford recently could see the way that a pumped up Rooney breathed life into his team’s display. It is performances like that – aggressive but sufficiently restrained – that show the striker at his best. His celebration after scoring United’s second goal in the 3-0 win displayed the passion with which he always plays.
However, there may well come a time when the striker has to re-examine his playing style because a suspect temperament is undoubtedly a weakness and, as England fans saw at the 2006 World Cup, a moment of madness can derail a bid for glory.
Rooney is a fantastic footballer but until he curbs his temper he is putting his team’s chances at risk and is unlikely to win over the neutrals.
