Will Manchester United winger Ashley Young or Liverpool’s Andy Carroll be the ones to make way?
England striker Wayne Rooney is now free to make his much anticipated return for England. The surprise? We’re actually getting on alright without him.
Banned for the first two matches, the stage was set for Rooney to be England’s saviour, by returning to fire down Ukraine after two draws.
Instead we sit on four points after beating Sweden and drawing with France, and his return presents Roy Hodgson with a nice problem to have.
Leaving him on the bench is one option, but if Hodgson does that and England lose, his P45 may be on his doorstep at home before he arrives back from Eastern Europe.
If England are to progress in the knockout stages, Rooney will need to be a part of it, and it is essential therefore that he gets competitive game time; his last was more than a month ago on the final day of the Premier League season when he netted United’s winner against Sunderland.
Here are a few scenarios which could see Rooney fit into the side…
Replace Andy Carroll
Carroll would feel hard done by to be left out, but will surely understand his role in England’s pecking order. His goal in England’s last game was a terrific header, at times his passing let him down and his over-eagerness in giving away a free-kick which led to Sweden’s opener will have been noted. Rooney in for Carroll seems the most logical option, as it would allow him to renew his club partnership with teammate Danny Welbeck. It would also see Rooney drop back to help out Parker and Gerrard in midfield, who have looked overloaded at times with England struggling to keep possession. England would play 4-4-1-1.
Replace Ashley Young
So far Young has had a disappointing tournament, and if selected he will be hoping to change that in England’s final group game. The option of replacing him would be a bold one by Hodgson, as it would involve three strikers remaining on the pitch. Carroll would be the frontman, with Rooney playing on the left and Welbeck on the right. Rooney has often played on the left for United in recent years and the position would not be alien to him. This would surely mean Milner in midfield along with Gerrard and Parker as there would be no space either for Walcott or Oxlade-Chamberlain, unless they were to start ahead of Welbeck or Carroll. This would be a 4-3-3 and a 4-5-1 when defending. Milner of course could still be replaced by Henderson or Jones if required.
Replace Danny Welbeck
Welbeck’s winner against Sweden made him very much England’s man of the moment, but Hodgson may decide Andy Carroll will have better success against Ukraine. This would still allow England to retain their shape and play 4-4-1-1 with Rooney again playing in the hole and helping out the midfield. Carroll will again be raring to go, although this would be a new untried partnership for Hodgson to gamble on.
Off the bench
As we have mentioned this is a gamble if it goes wrong, but leaving Rooney on the bench may pay dividends. He can slowly feel his way back into first team action, and allow Welbeck and Carroll to continue where they left off in the last game. With both strikers scoring it would be harsh to leave either out, and England only need a draw so the pair should be given a chance to show what they can do and Rooney can play the last half an hour replacing whoever is off the pace.
Which of the above is the best option? Where should Rooney feature for England?
image: © daly3d
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