Wayne Rooney has managed to take over all the headlines this week following his foul-mouthed celebration against West Ham United last weekend.
Following his third strike, completing a memorable comeback for Manchester United, Rooney screamed down the camera 'what? f##king what?’ Probably not the smartest move from the England international but I believe the subsequent ban from the FA was stupider than his celebration.
Fans of the game could re-live the age old argument about footballers being role models for kids and how Rooney's behaviour was completely out of line for children watching the game at home.
Yes, Rooney is a role model for younger viewers of the beautiful game and yes, his celebration was uncalled for and, as Harry Redknapp said, the United striker was a bit of a "silly boy" for his choice of the words in the celebration. Yet, the means of punishment completely outweigh the crime. A two-game suspension will see Rooney miss United's games against Fulham and, perhaps more importantly, an FA Cup semi-final showdown with rivals Manchester City.
Despite having adequate replacements for Rooney, the effect of him missing these two matches could have a detrimental effect on how United's season pans out. Saying he has had an in-different season could be considered a slight understatement but Rooney's fourteen minute hat-trick last week indicated that he may be coming back to his potent best. He followed this up with the winner against Chelsea mid-week and United must be gutted they will be missing one of their star men for the next two domestic fixtures. Dimitar Berbatov or Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez are easily good enough to replace Rooney in the starting XI but without Rooney's work-rate and passion, United lose a key element in their attack.
However, it is this passion that has landed the England man in a spot of bother. With the camera thrust into the face of Rooney following his third goal, his four-worded tirade was a heat of the moment act which he must have regretted seconds later. Yet the timing couldn't have been worse for Rooney. It came one day after Premier League chief executive Richard Scudamore planned to crackdown on unacceptable behaviour with clubs all voting in favour of Scudamore's ideas and I can guarantee as soon as they saw the pictures from Saturday's game, the Premier League knew they could make an example out of Rooney.
Yet, what they fail to understand is that swearing if rife in the game. Fans chant offensively in the presence of their own children at matches home and away and even on Match of the Day; I have been able to hear swearing from the stands on games that were live on TV.
Rooney's words weren't aimed at anyone in particular; it was just a rush of blood to the head following a fantastic turn-around in a match that improved United's chances of winning the league. Granted the furore surrounding the incident was always going to be massive but the whole scenario has been dragged out monumentally with the media focusing on the ban he received. Some quarters feel it's the right move and others feel it's a farce for the FA to have banned Rooney.
For me it's the latter. If they wanted to make an example of the former Everton striker, they would have banned him for his elbow on Wigan midfielder James McCarthy at the end of February. Yet, they have made a mountain out of a molehill for this one and I believe the two-match ban was a punishment too harsh for something so petty.
Yes, footballers are role models to children up and down the country but they are going to hear swearing from the household, from schools and from quarters of the public. It is part and parcel of the game and, while Rooney shouldn't have done what he did, a slap on the wrist and a stern word from Sir Alex Ferguson or the FA would have
been sufficed as a punishment.
Anyway, I have got to go.
Laters,
Macca
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