In an effort to add balance to my thoughts about a lack of application and effort from some players, it's fair to assess Rooney's weaknesses / performance too.
If from day one he waltzed in and gave it the big "I am" that was a huge mistake.
Whist impressive on paper his coaching staff have never before worked as a " team ". Expecting them to gel immediately is another huge misjudgement. ( not Rooney's more Gary Cook's maybe ).
Effective man-management is vital. There's been little evidence of any ability in that area so far. Different individuals respond to different methods but if there's a continuous stick being waved, that's not conducive to harmony. There's a need to be positive and supportive as well as being constructively critical. Has Rooney got that ? If not he needs to grasp it and apply it very quickly.
If Rooney is picking " Yes Boss , whatever you say Boss players " that's a road to ruin also.
I'd love to be a fly on the dressing room wall before the match and at half time. We've largely been slow out the blocks - Friday was better for the first 10 minutes. Surely Rooney rallys the troops - maybe not ?
We don't need a maniac screaming at every ref's decision, we don't need the boss criticising any and everything we do but equally we need a bit of life and a lot of communication from the sidelines.
Arms folded defensive body language ain't gonna generate a positive feeling amongst his squad or supporters. Even a bit more animation might help encourage a spirited response.
The combination of shared responsibility and togetherness is badly needed.
Maybe it needs to be aired in Rooney's next press conference ...... surely it wouldn't do any harm.
Hopefully behind the scenes, if there are battle positions drawn , then Rooney will adopt a very different strategy going forward.
