And the winner of the Scapegoat of the Month award is… Wayne Rooney.

Let me get something clear from the start – I am not Rooney’s biggest fan. I have long believed him to be overrated and not quite as talented as some people would have us believe.

Equally I think both Manchester United and England were right to drop him, based on his current lack of form.

But the underlying suggestion that he is somehow singularly responsible for the poor performances of both those football teams in recent months is as laughable as it is offensive.

Let’s take United as a starting point. Rooney was dropped and they went on to beat Leicester 4-1 in their first game without him. So Rooney was obviously the problem, right?

Wrong.

Leicester were appalling in that game and United would probably have won easily with or without Rooney. And let’s not forget that in their next league game they only managed a 1-1 draw with Stoke City despite Rooney being stuck on the bench.

But I am not going to focus on United here because it is the England situation that really made me angry – the fact that some people seem to believe dropping Rooney will somehow turn England into Germany.

I mean, people booing him at Wembley? What drugs were they on? It may have been a small section of the crowd, but for any so-called fan to single him out is appalling.

When Rooney played against Malta last weekend, the team were poor. That is undeniable. But when he was dropped for the game against Slovenia, they were even worse.

As I said, it was right for Rooney to be left out of the England team last Tuesday. He is no longer the best striker England have, and the experiment with him as a midfielder – despite one or two decent moments – has not worked.

So a role as a substitute, covering for a few different positions, is probably the best he can expect from now on. Unless he hits a rich vein of form when he should be restored to the starting line-up, just as you would with any other member of the squad.

Blaming England’s failings on one player, a player who has given a lot to his country, is grossly unfair, wrong and disrespectful. England’s problems run much deeper than one man.

I have to admire how Rooney has handled all this with incredible dignity. He hasn’t thrown his teddy out of the pram at being dropped by club or country. He has accepted a bit part role while remaining immensely supportive of the rest of the team.

Despite being set up as the fall guy for England’s failings, he has taken it on the chin and kept going. And for that I have nothing but the utmost respect for him.

The really stupid bit about all this is that it is probably his love for football that has caused his levels to drop. If he had done the sensible thing and retired from international duty after Euro 2016, then he would have been fitter and more refreshed for United.

Instead he is trying to spread himself too thin, and neither club nor country are getting the best out of him any more. If he does want to prolong his career, and I am pretty sure he does, then maybe the best solution would be for him to bring forward his international retirement plans.

England’s problems run much deeper than one man

That way he can concentrate on getting back to form for United, and the mindless minority will have to find another excuse for England being crap at football.

Fun game, no conclusions

When Manchester United play Liverpool it is always a big game. Somehow tomorrow night’s encounter between these two old rivals feels bigger than usual.

Jurgen Klopp’s team have been a bit of a revelation so far this season, elbowing their way into the top four on the back of some pretty impressive displays. There have been a couple of blips and near misses in the opening few weeks but you cannot deny that the team is improving.

Jose Mourinho’s United, however, are still to find their stride and are definitely not adding up to the sum of their parts. They are better than they were last season under Louis Van Gaal, but Mourinho has not had as significant an impact as he would have liked or expected. And neither have his marquee signings.

There are questions about both teams that we would all like answering. Is Liverpool’s improved form built on dodgy foundations that will crumble under pressure? Or is Klopp’s magic really starting to work? Are Man United just a few small tweaks away from clicking as a team? Or does Mourinho still need to do some major surgery to get them back to their best?

But the truth is we are unlikely to find answers to those questions in a game like this where passions will be running high, the players will be fired up and the fans will be baying for blood.

Winning or losing tomorrow’s match will tell us little about the long-term prospects of either team. But it should make for enthralling viewing nevertheless.

My money is on… no, I won’t even go there. Not worth the grief.

Big Sam lives on… in cyberspace

So I sat down to with my six-year-old son last week to take Fifa 17 out for a spin.

I am not going to bother reviewing this latest offering from EA Sports as you probably already have it, and those of you who don’t are unlikely to rush out and buy the game on the basis of what I think.

However I have to say I did find it most amusing to see Sam Allardyce prowling up and down the touchline as manager of my England team. The digital version of the man has lasted longer in the job than the flesh-and-blood one.

I suppose the developers will probably change him for Gareth Southgate in one of their updates. But then again, after watching the Malta and Slovenia games they are probably better holding on for a while. Save themselves some pixels.

So what was the result between Andy and myself I hear you cry?

A spirited, entertaining and passionate 1-1 draw. Although I’m pretty sure his goal was offside…

sportscolumnist@timesofmalta.com
Twitter: @maltablade