Alex Reid looks at whether the once ever-present appearance of English clubs in the later stages of the Champions League is set to become a thing of the past
Craig Dobson looks at QPR's decision to sack Neil Warnock and replace him with Mark Hughes
Andy Pakes previews this Sunday afternoon clash in the first edition of Game of the Week for 2012
Dave Hughes tells us about his sporting hero, Wes Morgan
Rooney the sportsman, the human being, is quite separate. He is remarkably talented; the finest and most exhilarating footballer England has produced since Steven Gerrard. He also displays aggression, an uncouth demeanour and reckless immaturity. Essentially, he is a product of being plucked from humble and notorious origins at the age of sixteen, and thrust into an avalanche of pressure, scrutiny, money and Daily Mail tutting.
Existing alongside Rooney, however, is his caricature. Ashley Cole has one too. It feeds off Rooney’s actions, which are themselves the venting of frustration at media intrusion and heavy criticism, and creates an image of ‘Rooney the monster’. It’s the same principle as the politician photographed cycling to work to be ‘green’, or the pop singer who times to perfection her admittance to re-hab.
Except Rooney’s is different. Although his caricature is manipulated for financial purposes, it is also adopted by others and used to denigrate footballers in general; as though they - young men from a wide variety of backgrounds who can kick a ball skilfully - are the source of wider problems in society.
There are real problems in football culture. The Ron Atkinson and Keys/Gray debacles showed us just how endemic racial and gender prejudices are in the game. What Rooney did was unsavoury and wrong, but that this has been singled out as the apogee of football’s immorality is plainly wrong.
What does more harm to English footballing culture: Rooney’s aimless swearing after an amazing performance, or The Sun newspaper, on the day of the England versus Germany game last summer, printing a front page with the headline ‘IT’S WAR: We will fight jeering Jerries on the pitches ’ and a picture of Rooney wearing a superimposed Brodie helmet?
Inconsistent and hypocritical though it is, perhaps the FA is right in banning Rooney for his antics last week. What is concerning about Rooney’s victimisation is that, like John Terry last year, he has been deliberately lured into a pre-defined ‘position of responsibility’, and then provoked into acting inappropriately for a man ‘in his position’.
This is the legacy left by David Beckham, whose handling of the media spotlight set a precedent for footballers. Sadly, Rooney’s and others’ failure to emulate Beckham sells too many newspapers to be left unexploited.
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