Drinking session at England hotel provides more ammunition for critics
Poor Wayne. According to his critics, always in the wrong place. Either on a Manchester United or England team sheet, occupying the wrong areas of the pitch when he plays, and now, the bar of the Grove Hotel in Watford. Rooney was pictured clearly the worse for wear as he joined a wedding party the day after England had defeated Scotland 3-0 at Wembley.
Pictures of the England captain – in England training gear – looking bleary-eyed with red wine-stained lips have caused a huge stir, heaping yet more criticism onto Rooney’s beleaguered shoulders. It didn’t look good. There are also pictures online of Rooney sitting with two female wedding guests, one of whom appears to be wearing his training top.
A huge debate has been triggered as to the conduct expected of the England captain, whether on or off duty. Opinion is divided. Whether Rooney retains the England captaincy will only be known when Gareth Southgate is officially named as England manager, but there are many calling for him to lose the honour.
Conversely, there are those who think Rooney was merely letting off steam, and let down by wedding guests who were delighted to have him there, taking umpteen selfies and enjoying their fifteen minutes of fame, before deciding to cash in with stories and photo’s sold to tabloids. Welcome to modern-day Britain, where chance encounters with famous people are often seen as an opportunity to make quick and easy money.
There have been further “revelations” about Rooney’s behaviour reported that sound pretty unedifying also, but it should be noted that Rooney was accompanied by Everton’s Phil Jagielka throughout, although Jagielka’s place in the controversy seems a mere footnote, simply because he’s not Wayne Rooney.
“Footballers drink too much on a night out!” – hardly an original headline since the first ball was kicked professionally, circa 1870. It happens. Other people go out and drink too much sometimes, too. But the relationship we have as fans with our Clubs and our players, and the massive, multi-zillion pound business football is, magnify any controversy or outrage significantly. Plus, we live in the camera-phone age where anyone in the world can record anything, instantly.
However, those being most critical of Rooney & Jagielka’s behaviour point to the fact they were basically up drinking all night, did not comply with Southgate’s alleged attempts to get them to leave the party at around 11pm, and throughout all this, they were wearing England kit. And they have a point.
Rooney supporters may well counter criticism of their man with the news that Liverpool’s Adam Lallana and Jordan Henderson travelled over 100 miles that same night to visit a strip club in Bournemouth – another revelation that would have been bigger news had Rooney been involved. Plus, ten other unnamed squad members reportedly attended a London nightclub until the early hours of Sunday.
It should be pointed out that the squad had been given time off by Southgate on Saturday, and any allegations of excessive boozing would be wasted on Henderson who is a known teetotaler. However, the venue for Saturday night entertainment chosen by Henderson and Lallana, and the pictures of Rooney from the Grove hotel causing such a stir, underline the fact that the average footballers’ judgement in social environments can often be their undoing.
So for Rooney, what next? He’ll ride out this storm, but has possibly captained England for the last time, depending on Southgate’s view of events. Some would argue that with Rooney’s diminishing involvement with England that would be no big deal. He’s since described his treatment in the media after Saturday as disgraceful, and reminded his critics that he remains proud of representing his Country and his achievements.
Sadly for him, Rooney’s time as an England player is increasingly being discussed from a perspective that points backwards rather than forwards, the past rather than the future. Rooney’s critics are adamant he should have shown better self-control at the Grove hotel. One thing that Rooney can’t control, however – and here we are talking footballing reasons and nothing else – is Southgate’s faith in him as part of his England team going forward.
By Chris Tribe,
22nd November 2016
Photo credit: Дмитрий Голубович/Wikimedia Commons
Copyright © 2016 Chris Tribe. All Rights Reserved.
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