International Round Up - Germany highlights problems for Ozil and Schweinsteiger

Rooney no longer certain of Manchester United record

Wayne Rooney undoubtedly deserves credit for all he has achieved. He is England’s joint top scorer in international football, finally matching Bobby

Charlton’s 49 with his penalty against San Marino. He is just 17 away from doing the same at Manchester United. To achieve either record is remarkable, given the talent, fortune and longevity needed. To do both is - as Charlton’s record demonstrates - so far unique.

Against Club Brugge, Rooney’s hat-trick was taken as a hint that he might be playing himself back into form, only for him to put in another abominable display in the Premier League the following weekend at Swansea. No such claims can be made on the back of this penalty. San Marino are a dreadful side, which is inevitable given their tiny population, but still Rooney could not escape himself to take advantage. He was gifted a penalty by an inexplicably generous referee, and despite his poor record from the spot, he converted.

And so, with Switzerland on the horizon in Tuesday’s match, the pressure should be off. England have qualified, the first of the sides to do so except the hosts, France. There is no more pressure to achieve, something that England regularly struggle with. This is another of Rooney’s chances to do what he needs - to play well against competent opposition. He will almost certainly take Charlton’s record for England, but if he cannot find form soon, there are significant doubts starting to grow as to whether he will manage it at United.

Walcott’s self-delusion increasingly unsupportable

Theo Walcott, or “Theo” as he is known by Arsenal fans, such is their obsession with describing their players only by their first name, believes that he is a striker. He wants to play through the middle, and he wants to be the man that matters. He believes himself to be one of the “characters” of the Arsenal dressing room, and perhaps no more needs to be said about the kind of person who thinks that, “to be fair,” they are one of the wittiest and most essential people in any group.

But away from that, his self-adjudication might also be lacking. When it came to scoring against San Marino, even Rooney could do it, and so “Theo” managed it too. But he also showed why, with an instinctive finish with the outside of the boot rather than with the more obvious left, that he will miss more chances than are really acceptable. He is by no means a bad player, but his pace is best used on the wings, not to lead the line of any team. Perhaps Arsene Wenger is a cynical man, and uses him through the middle occasionally to justify his continued use of the also mediocre Olivier Giroud (or, yes, “Olivier”).

Roy Hodgson is in a bind. He has Walcott, obviously better than Rooney - severely out of form - but Rooney is undroppable. He also has Harry Kane, of junior standing and thus the easiest player to leave on the bench for now. The problem is that Kane scored the deftest of chips against San Marino in his cameo, and demonstrated that he is, despite having failed to get going in the league so far, by far the most obvious target man to use in preparation for Euro 2016. Walcott could break down again, Rooney might never start up again. The pragmatic option is to make sure that his international team-mates know what to expect from Kane by making sure he leads England’s attacks for the rest of the season.

Casillas may come to appreciate his Real Madrid exit

Iker Casillas played well for Spain in a comfortable win over Slovakia on Sunday night. Andres Iniesta’s penalty sealed a 2-0 victory, but it is worth paying attention to their ‘keeper’s night. Casillas is now away from Real, after being isolated by Jose Mourinho, bullied by their unsympathetic (in both senses) fans, and then cast out by their buffoonish president. There’s no doubt that his form is not what it once was, but there’s little surprise given the amount of horse faeces he was forced to shovel as a result of circumstances beyond his control.

As the David de Gea circus carries on, Casillas might realise what he has gained, not lost, from moving from Madrid. Porto are not the perfect club, but he will feature in the Champions League, not be harangued by tedious Real fans for being human, and be able to enjoy one of the most pleasant cities in Europe. Away from that nonsense, he now has plenty of time to enjoy his life and focus on rebuilding his form - he is certainly young enough to have several years of renaissance and success. Perhaps De Gea could note what he will benefit from with another year away from Madrid, though everyone always expects that things will be different for themselves.

Germany’s talent highlights problems for Ozil and Schweinsteiger

Germany impressed in their 3-1 victory over Poland, avenging their defeat in 2014. For the two Premier League players who prominently featured, Mesut Ozil and Bastian Schweinsteiger, there were hints as to why they may not hit such heights in England.

Ozil was customarily quiet for large parts of the match, but his mistakes were few, and his contributions were decisive when they came. His position on the left wing helped Mario Gotze and Thomas Muller pull apart the Polish defence, showing inventiveness and quick thinking. Schweinsteiger, further back than these three, kept the shape in defensive periods, kept possession for the side, and threw in a few handy fouls and tackles to stop any disasters. In attack, he had the choice of some of Europe’s best attacking players to work with. He could keep things simple.