Wayne Rooney's three-game suspension that rules him out of the Euro 2012 group stage has become a polarizing story in the English soccer community.
Rooney's automatic one-game ban was extended to three for violent contact by UEFA following his kick of a Montenegrin player during England's final Euro qualifying match. As a result, the earliest he'd be able to play in the tournament would be the first game of the knockout stage — should England get there.
The suspension has raised the question whether manager Fabio Capello should include Rooney on his summer roster altogether, and one former England standout is firmly in Rooney's corner.
"I think anyone else maybe not, but he is England's best player," Alan Shearer told the BBC. "If it were me at this moment, he is our best player and even if the three-game ban still stands, then I would take him."
Here are a few more stories to kick off your Friday:
FORLAN OUT UP TO 2 MONTHS
Inter Milan's shaky start to the season continued with the word that Diego Forlan will miss up to two months of action after hurting his hamstring on international duty.
Forlan pulled his hamstring while playing for Uruguay against Paraguay in a World Cup qualifier on Tuesday, which adds to Inter's woes. Coutinho and Thiago Motta are also on the mend with injuries, and goalkeeper Julio Cesar and playmaker Wesley Sneijder are doubtful for the weekend's match against Catania.
Forlan has scored just once in five games since joining the club from Atletico Madrid over the summer.
DALGLISH BACKS GERRARD
Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish has reportedly told Steven Gerrard that he'd like him to be a part of the club beyond when his contract expires in 2013, reassuring the captain of his place in the squad.
Gerrard has been reduced to a substitute's role in the early going this season, leading some to believe that his time with his hometown club, where he has played since 1998, could be coming to an end; however, that no longer appears to be the case given Dalglish's comments, and there's speculation that Gerrard is slated to return to the starting lineup ahead of Liverpool's clash with Manchester United this weekend.
MOROCCO TO HOST OLYMPIC QUALIFIERS
After Egypt bowed out of hosting Africa's Olympic qualifying matches because of safety concerns, Morocco has been anointed as the new host of the tournament.
The qualifying tournament conflicts with Egypt's parliamentary elections, leading the country's federation to think otherwise about managing the games as well. Egypt, Morocco, South Africa, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Algeria, Nigeria and Gabon will fight for three places at the London games next summer.
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Do you think Capello should bring Rooney to Euro 2012? Think Inter can overcome Forlan's injury? Do you think Liverpool should move on from Gerrard? Who do you see winning the Liverpool-Man U clash? Who do you see qualifying for the Olympics out of Africa?
Share your thoughts below.
exactly. He’s coming back from several months of rehab. He has to have time to cope and get used to being with the team. But I do remember him saying he wanted to retire in 2013. I see Euro 2012 as his last tournament.
“Gerrard has been reduced to a substitute’s role in the early going this season, leading some to believe that his time with his hometown club, where he has played since 1998, could be coming to an end; ”
Really, I mean come on now, that isn’t true at all, maybe there are 2 or 3 people that actually believe this.
None of England’s strikers seem to come close to Rooney. He’s their star MAN by far and yet has only shined at Euro 04. Bent and Defoe are good strikers but not so much at international level. Sturridge and Carroll are young and inexperienced.
The whole 3 game ban seems to be an overexaggeration to the actual event and seems to be more so punishing Rooney’s behavior over the years. To me anyway.
England should bring 4 strikers. Defoe, Bent, Sturridge and Carroll. But I don’t see them getting out of the group if 1 of the following is alongside them in the group : Holland, Spain, Germany.
Rooney is too good to leave home. He is their best attacking player. Gotta take him. Although, Capello will be gone after the Euros, so what does he care?
I think intentionally trying to kick someone is violent 😐
If violent play gets a 3 match ban by the rules, then he deserves it. Awesome player but he needs to stop using his feet to physically hurt people.
Disagree.
One of the top 5 strikers in the world right now, I don’t think the marginal benefit of taking an extra Welbeck outweighs the benefit of having Rooney back in case they qualify for the knockout round, by a longshot.
How was it not violent? It wasn’t a tackle. It wasn’t a soccer play.
Idk about that, it was a clear red card but not even close to a leg breaking tackle. The full three games was too much for me, I heard all the hype and went to see the YouTube video and was really disappointed. It was a stupid decision out of frustration not violent.
There*.
He intentionally kicked his cleats into the back of the leg of an opposing player who was several yards from the ball, and you can see that he was doing it out of some frustration. He should have been yellow carded for the molestation he was providing immediately prior to his first attempt to kick the guy.
I mean come on, he tried to kick the guy once, and then connected on a second attempt. I don’t how you can sit their and say it’s silly. It was violent. If he had made full contact and broken the guy’s leg then this wouldn’t even be a story, but the intent was clear.
While Rooney deserved a red card, and maybe an additional 1-game ban for being a twit, callling this violent and giving a 3-game ban is pretty silly. Its not as bad as the red card Beckham got vs. Argentina in the 1998 WC, but still out of hand. However, if an appeal fails to reduce the ban, England will have to decide if they are willing to take a player who won’t be allowed to play in the Gp stage. Considering that the competition gets tougher after that, and that he is their best player and would be fresh when others have played 3 games, you have to stop and think this through rather than just dump the guy. Personally, if I were Capello, I would wait and see how the other forwards and Rooney are playing at the time of selection. Who knows, he may get injured and this not even be an issue. Why push it now?
I think if Rooney’s ban is upheld after appeal the right thing to do would be for him to fall on his sword, so to speak. He should publicly come out and say he shouldn’t be picked for the good of the team. Everyone know the right thing to do is leave him off the squad if he may not play. To put the controversy to rest he should come out and say it himself. It takes the pressure of Capello and the rest of the squad to talk about it.
So ready for the Liverpool v United game! Lets go scousers!