Ted Hughes wrote:One thing with Rooney & players like him though is this attitude that they've played well when they've been shit. Rooney was shit in that game but the tv pundits were praising him. He was playing for himself half the time, being casual & smartarsed with his finishing & showing off. The press seem to go one way or the other with players like him; praising him all the time whatever he does or turning on him & criticising unfairly rather than just evaluating him game by game.
It was the same with Keegan, Robson, Gascoigne, Beckham etc in the past.
That's the deal with English media. Rooney is being build up and has been since he was kid for next summer. I don't think Wayne really understands this but he is what Owen was in early 2000, Beckscum was in late-90's, Gazza was in early-90's, Robson was late-80's and Keegan was in early-80's to media. Someone they hype up even when they may not always deserve it right now BUT fail to bring back golden shining trophy next summer he will be slaughtered by those very same people. For few years after the World Cup they will critisise everything he does unfairly. By that time they will have a new golden boy. Most likely Theo Walcott, who has done basically fook all so far in his career but is already slowly but surely being hyped up.
Rarely if ever these players are as good as they are made out to be when they are hyped up, but rarely if ever are they as bad as they are made out to be when they are being brought down.