Wayne Rooney - enough already

[Simster]

Expect a long drawn out boring monotone response with various statistics and percentages.

The simple answer to your question is Rooney. The best English player of his generation. Yeah he's struggled a bit the last year or so, but how many players don't go through that at some point? Is he world class? It depends what you mean by world class. Is he as good as the likes of Xavi or Messi? No. Is he in the top twenty to thirty players in the world? Yes.

He's a back up striker for Robin Van Persie and has done nothing of any note at international level since 2004 - that's NINE years ago.

Top 20 or 30 players? Absolute rubbish. I doubt he'd make the Brazil or Spain World Cup squads. That's 48 players for a start.

 

[Stat Brother]

I take it, if I went to a newsagents today I'd see one of the reasons why we will always be second rate, having over inflated the egos and self importance of our underachieving soccerballists.

Forget the fact that:-

The Open golf starts
The Lords Test
to a lesser extent Froome winning yesterday and still leading Le Tour.

Oh no the only story of sporting interest is whether Rooney does or doesn't move jobs.


Would you buy a paper that treated football parallel to it's leaves of success?

 

[Simster]

I take it, if I went to a newsagents today I'd see one of the reasons why we will always be second rate, having over inflated the egos and self importance of our underachieving soccerballists.

Forget the fact that:-

The Open golf starts
The Lords Test
to a lesser extent Froome winning yesterday and still leading Le Tour.

Oh no the only story of sporting interest is whether Rooney does or doesn't move jobs.


Would you buy a paper that treated football parallel to it's leaves of success?

The back pages are dominated by Lords and Rooney in equal measure with features on The Open a little further in.

Froome gets column inches too, but despite the phenominal success of British cycling in recent years the sport is not part of our national psyche in the same way as the Lions, Wimbledon, cricket Tests or The Open. Consequently, coverage of cycling will go away as quickly as it arrived as soon as the success dries up - unless it does become part of our sporting culture. If we became world beaters at, say, handball, or even ice-hockey (which has more of a foothold), it would be the same thing.

 

[Stat Brother]

The back pages are dominated by Lords and Rooney in equal measure with features on The Open a little further in.

Froome gets column inches too, but despite the phenominal success of British cycling in recent years the sport is not part of our national psyche in the same way as the Lions, Wimbledon, cricket Tests or The Open. Consequently, coverage of cycling will go away as quickly as it arrived as soon as the success dries up - unless it does become part of our sporting culture. If we became world beaters at, say, handball, or even ice-hockey (which has more of a foothold), it would be the same thing.

It was always a speculative punt for cycling, esp as leading Le Tour is last years news.

But the point still stands, we have massive one off sporting events with probably British success happening and WR being upset is the focus of media attention.

Just image if Wayne being upset wasn't mentioned.
Then moving clubs was a by-line, because the press were too busy reporting on British victories in (every) other sports.

Wayne his agents Utd and Chelsea would be heart broken, but would anybody else?

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

The back pages are dominated by Lords and Rooney in equal measure with features on The Open a little further in.

Froome gets column inches too, but despite the phenominal success of British cycling in recent years the sport is not part of our national psyche in the same way as the Lions, Wimbledon, cricket Tests or The Open. Consequently, coverage of cycling will go away as quickly as it arrived as soon as the success dries up - unless it does become part of our sporting culture. If we became world beaters at, say, handball, or even ice-hockey (which has more of a foothold), it would be the same thing.

It says a lot about the UK that a tournament we have been nothing but utter shit at for 77 years is part of our psyche.

I hope the support for cycling doesn't dry up though as I have just started watching it. This, and the Olympics, enables me to actually support something British as I just cannot find anything inside me to support Rooney, Cole and Co or the other England football clowns they play with. I actually loath the fact Rooney represents my country of birth.

 

[Simster]

It was always a speculative punt for cycling, esp as leading Le Tour is last years news.

But the point still stands, we have massive one off sporting events with probably British success happening and WR being upset is the focus of media attention.

Just image if Wayne being upset wasn't mentioned.
Then moving clubs was a by-line, because the press were too busy reporting on British victories in (every) other sports.

Wayne his agents Utd and Chelsea would be heart broken, but would anybody else?

Well I wouldn't, which is why I started this thread. But clearly the general population is more interested in Rooney's on/off move from United than whether or not Froome wins the TdF. The broadsheets tend to give a lot of sports the coverage they deserve. The red tops will give space to bland, but tried and tested news items like this one. Twas ever thus...

It says a lot about the UK that a tournament we have been nothing but utter shit at for 77 years is part of our psyche.

I hope the support for cycling doesn't dry up though as I have just started watching it. This, and the Olympics, enables me to actually support something British as I just cannot find anything inside me to support Rooney, Cole and Co or the other England football clowns they play with. I actually loath the fact Rooney represents my country of birth.

Your first sentence make absolutely no sense at all. It comes across as more of your usual self loathing nonsense. However, I fully agree with your second paragraph.

 

[Stat Brother]

It says a lot about the UK that a tournament we have been nothing but utter shit at for 77 years is part of our psyche.

I hope the support for cycling doesn't dry up though as I have just started watching it. This, and the Olympics, enables me to actually support something British as I just cannot find anything inside me to support Rooney, Cole and Co or the other England football clowns they play with. I actually loath the fact Rooney represents my country of birth.

How are you finding Tour coverage since Germany pulled the plug a few years ago.

The problem cycling in Britain has is it's on 2 levels:-
Le Tour
&
Everything else.

The Tours popularity is massive, and the TV coverage represents that.
But most of the people watching have no idea the season runs from January to October, with the odd event that's on a par with France, in stature.

If the likes of Paris-Roubaix & the Tour of Flanders etc, were to ever get bought to the masses cycling has a chance to edge closer to the big boys of sport, in the UK.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Your first sentence make absolutely no sense at all. It comes across as more of your usual self loathing nonsense. However, I fully agree with your second paragraph.

It makes perfect sense.

 

[Stat Brother]

Well I wouldn't, which is why I started this thread. But clearly the general population is more interested in Rooney's on/off move from United than whether or not Froome wins the TdF. The broadsheets tend to give a lot of sports the coverage they deserve. The red tops will give space to bland, but tried and tested news items like this one. Twas ever thus...

Yeah I know, we are both saying the same thing, cycling still a long way off, but a Lords Ashes test and the Open golf!

It'll be interesting to see how any minor developments in Wayne's state of mind are treated against this weekend of sport.
(well it won't be interesting it'll be depressing, but you know what I mean)

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

How are you finding Tour coverage since Germany pulled the plug a few years ago.

The problem cycling in Britain has is it's on 2 levels:-
Le Tour
&
Everything else.

The Tours popularity is massive, and the TV coverage represents that.
But most of the people watching have no idea the season runs from January to October, with the odd event that's on a par with France, in stature.

If the likes of Paris-Roubaix & the Tour of Flanders etc, were to ever get bought to the masses cycling has a chance to edge closer to the big boys of sport, in the UK.

I have been watching the C4 highlights package on my ipad. Your explanation helped me understand more about the stage into Gap, and i did chuckle when they all had to stop for the train. The pundits offer up a few items for beginners like me. They explained why all the pelaton get the same time on Tuesday night. Still some way to go with my understanding though

 

[Brovion]

It says a lot about the UK that a tournament we have been nothing but utter shit at for 77 years is part of our psyche.

...

Are you talking about Wimbledon? We did get a British winner in the end!

 

[Simster]

It makes perfect sense.

No, it really doesn't. It is total drivel. Feel free to explain what you mean, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Are you talking about Wimbledon? We did get a British winner in the end!

Yes. My point being that Simster stated its part of the UK psyche but we have been utterly rubbish at it for 77 years. Yet we have major success elsewhere and support will die off. I agree with Sim that this will happen. Surely others feel this is somewhat odd state of affairs? And to accuse me of self-loathing is a cheap shot.

 

[Stat Brother]

I have been watching the C4 highlights package on my ipad. Your explanation helped me understand more about the stage into Gap, and i did chuckle when they all had to stop for the train. The pundits offer up a few items for beginners like me. They explained why all the pelaton get the same time on Tuesday night. Still some way to go with my understanding though

Myself and Teaboy are getting stuck into today's tactics, feel free to come and ask big ass questions.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No, it really doesn't. It is total drivel. Feel free to explain what you mean, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.

See above.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

Myself and Teaboy are getting stuck into today's tactics, feel free to come and ask big ass questions.

 

[Herr Tubthumper]

No, it really doesn't. It is total drivel. Feel free to explain what you mean, I'm happy to be convinced otherwise.

Why the provocative language?

 

[Bold Seagull]

Is this now a cycling thread!?

Assimilation begins....

 

[Simster]

Yes. My point being that Simster stated its part of the UK psyche but we have been utterly rubbish at it for 77 years. Yet we have major success elsewhere and support will die off. I agree with Sim that this will happen. Surely others feel this is somewhat odd state of affairs? And to accuse me of self-loathing is a cheap shot.

Well it wasn't meant to be a cheap shot. There are reasons why tennis remained part of our sporting landscape. Primarily because it's another game we invented, and secondly because we host the biggest tournament in the sport. Success is only one of the major factors in determining the relevance of a sport, long term, and this is not a uniquely British phenomenon. France hasn't had a TdF winner since 1985, yet that doesn't stop Le Tour being splattered all over the back page of L'Equipe every day in the summer.

Why the provocative language?

Sorry, it wasn't intended. I just strongly disagreed with it.

 

[Commander]

He's a back up striker for Robin Van Persie and has done nothing of any note at international level since 2004 - that's NINE years ago.

Top 20 or 30 players? Absolute rubbish. I doubt he'd make the Brazil or Spain World Cup squads. That's 48 players for a start.

Of course he would. Jo makes the Brazil squad, as you saying he is better than Rooney? He's better than Pedro and Soldado for Spain as well, he'd definitely make both those squads.

Maybe top 30 is pushing it, I'll make it top 50. He's certainly in the top 30 most talented players, he's just struggled the last year or so, and has the misfortune of playing in a poor England side, in which he still gets a goal every other game or so. If he was that bad then Mourinho wouldn't be fighting so hard to get him, would he? He tends to know his stuff.