To be honest though, with

Ferdinand, Terry, A. Cole, J. Cole, Scholes, Becks, Lampard, Gerrard, G. Neville and Owen at their primes in the same team, we really should have done better over those years.

Especially at the start with the older Sheringham, Shearer, Seaman, Ince et al to steady the ship.

Maybe has to do with never having two top strikers at once for very long. Had an ageing Shearer when Owen turned up, but by the time Rooney was in Owen was pretty much broken. And of the course the left midfield issue. Had Giggs stayed English that might have changed a lot.

Oh, and I don't believe Rooney was part of the Golden Generation. He came later with the not-quite-so-golden generation (Peter Crouch, Ledley King, Phil Neville, SWP et all). Which is why he ended up with so much expectation dumped on him for so long.

Posted By: Steve in Holland, Aug 28, 14:49:48