It is very easy to find scapegoats when a team is doing badly. The harder part is to understand why players are under-performing and, in Wayne Rooney's case, it is particularly bewildering that
McClaren was in such a state on Saturday night - sweating profusely, forgetting his lines - he was in no fit condition to offer a reasoned explanation about Rooney's perplexing form. However, it is known that the
This is a debate that needs a clear head because Rooney, for long periods of his career, has been immune in the
Ask those England fans who chanted "you're not fit to wear the shirt" and "what a load of rubbish" here in Tel Aviv and the Manchester United striker will probably come last in the list of players they want sent to the stocks. Many will take umbrage to find their hero questioned. Rooney is the crowd's favourite, a spectator's player. And yet a newcomer to the sport could have taken a seat in the Ramat Gan Stadium and been forgiven for thinking that the visiting No9 did not even enjoy football.
To scan the newspaper archives is to put his current form in context and be reminded of the differences in his performances between then and now. Le Monde encapsulated his style as "poisonous to his opponent, making his elders look ridiculous".
The facts, however, are stark. Since Euro 2004 Rooney has added 20 caps to his collection yet scored only three times, all coming in friendly matches: the 1-1 draw against Holland last November, a year earlier in the 3-2 win against Argentina and in the 4-1 win over Denmark in 2005. He has not scored in the Champions League for Manchester United since September 2004.
The issue here, though, is not just one of goals. Rooney's body language, to put it bluntly, stank. He spent large parts of the evening remonstrating with the Norwegian referee, all arms and larynx, as he complained about nothing in particular. Had the game carried on much longer it is likely he would have been sent off before he scored. And this is not a one-off. Reports also indicate that Rooney's petulance continued into the dressing room following McClaren's post-match assessment.
The more thoughtful United supporters will say, in simple terms, that the secret is out. Rooney has, at times, been beguiling this season but, increasingly, these have been sporadic moments. His club performances have ranged from outstanding to indifferent, yet the poorer performances have largely gone unreported while the team are winning consistently.
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