Capello to build England around Rooney
May 28th 2008 11:04
Wayne Rooney looks set to lead for England
Fabio Capello has signalled that solving the conundrum of how to get the best out of Wayne Rooney is his priority as England manager.
Whereas his immediate predecessors became preoccupied with the issue of how to accommodate both Steven Gerrard and Frank Lampard in the same team, Capello has made a dramatic shift in focus by confirming that England will be deployed in a formation against the United States at Wembley this evening designed primarily to place Rooney in his favoured position of second striker.
Convinced that Rooney is at his best when operating behind a main striker, Capello has ditched the 4-4-1-1 formation that the Three Lions used against France in March - when Rooney led the line with Gerrard offering support from deep - and has instead called up West Ham's Dean Ashton to partner Rooney in a conventional 4-4-2.
"Wayne Rooney is very important to us. His potential is huge but he can do better. In my opinion, his best position is as a central striker, just behind the person who plays up front," confirmed the Italian. "That way he can play with his face to the goal rather than his back. You need someone more advanced but then have someone who can move around him."
Capello described Rooney's performances at Euro 2004 as his best for his country. Tellingly, the striker operated in tandem with Michael Owen during the tournament before breaking a bone in his foot against Portugal.
While Capello's promotion of Rooney to the rank of first among equals in the England team is Ashton's gain and provides Owen with an international lifeline once he recovers from the virus that has ruled him out of tonight's friendly, it leaves Lampard and Gerrard competing against both Owen Hargreaves and Gareth Barry to fill the two places in the centre of midfield.
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