One thing that unites managers of the England international team is sentimentality about players, teams or formations.  Refusal to switch things about or drop players.  But you can’t please everyone.  Change the team too much and accusations of tinkering will rain down.

Sam Allerdyce is sentimental about Wayne Rooney already after being the ninth successive England manager to get off to a winning start in the FIFA World Cup qualifiers.  Something England often do during qualifying.

Rooney was playing as part of a central mid field trio as he now does at international level rather than as striker as he does for Man United.  Jose Mourinho doesn’t play Rooney in midfield because he has other players better suited to the position. Critics called the play from England against Slovakia ponderous, which may call the play making abilities of Rooney into question.  Will Guardiola let Rooney train in the mid field position? Unlikely, as Manchester United break records for spending in the transfer market, and will have pressure for results in the Barclays Premier League.

What to do with Wayne Rooney?  Sam Allerdyce said, reported in The Telegraph news paper, “Today Wayne played wherever he wanted to. He was brilliant and controlled midfield. I can’t stop Wayne playing there”.

Time will tell if Allerdyce begins to build a team around other key players such as Adam Lallana who had a number of shots on goal, one hitting the post, and one winning the match in stoppage time.  The Liverpool midfielder gets constant Premiership appearance playing in mid field and brings intelligence to Midfield that England needs.  He has been hailed in various outlets as being England’s best player at Euro 2016, reported in the Metro after an interview with Peter Beardsley.

Allardyce has Rooney playing deeper in Midfield.  Let’s see if he starts to creep up and or whether the manager moves him again.  England play Spain Tuesday 15 November at 20.00 at Wembley Stadium.  This Friendly comes 3 days after England play Scotland in the World Cup qualifiers.  Vicente del Bosque, who was the Spain manager for eight years has recently left, leaving both England and Spain going into the match with new managers.

 

 

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