Soccer World: Could Rooney suspension be a good thing?

Ok, the headline may sound strange. But given his act of petulance against Montenegro will have ramifications on England’s preparations for next summer, it may force England into a beneficial reshuffle.

At time of writing Rooney is set to miss just the opening game of the finals in Poland and the Ukraine, though that could be extended to two or more.

This means that the Three Lions’ fate will largely be decided without their talismanic striker. But could there be some benefit from Rooney’s absence?

After all, over reliance on one or two players has been an England trait for years and that pressure has proven too much to bear for some meaning, unsurprisingly football scores have suffered.

Therefore this could force England to explore other options and give vital international experience to the likes of Andy Carroll, Darren Bent and Bobby Zamora.

Ok, they are not in the same class as Rooney, but by working out a plan b, when Rooney does come back into the team England will have a number of options, giving opposition defenders something to think about.

Given Rooney has been in the game of nearly ten years, we can no longer treat moments of madness like Friday night as a wild act of immaturity. he has had enough time to grow up and learn from his mistakes – the World Cup in 2006 was surely the moment for that. So therefore, despite his immense talent, he is a powder keg waiting to explode at any time – and opposition players know it.

Rooney’s red in Podgorica now means he will be taunted and tormented in England games to come, with defenders looking to get him sent off, don’t rule it happening in a crucial game again in the future.

Therefore, Capello has to find a workable alternative - otherwise if Rooney’s ban is extended to two or even three games he could play his first live football of the summer with England already on their way out of the tournament.

I know it is clutching at straws and trying to find a glimmer of hope amongst Rooney’s red mist, but sometimes circumstances can force change for the good. England will be hoping that will prove the case in eastern Europe next June.