HomerJSimpson
Hall of Famer
No England player has ever took the stick and bad press as Rooney has been given, the whole team was poor against Malta and only he was booed.
Right now he is at the fans and media centre for all that is wrong with the team and is being made the scapegoat.
If England win comfortably tomorrow without him starting then that's what'll be focussed on.
It wasn't a great performance and there were a few that didn't perform well but Rooney was definitely a scapegoat as you rightfully say. How much of this decision by Southgate to put Rooney on the bench is to do with him flexing his managerial muscles in front of the FA and perhaps less to do with the tactical needs of the team away to a tricky opponent