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Better Than Best?

by | 23rd, June 2004

‘ADDING to the great newspaper debate as to whether Wayne Rooney is more David Beckham or Paul Gascoigne (see Tabs), is the Sun’s lead story on how he is in fact the new Pele.

‘Language, Timothy!’

And the source of this opinion is, apparently, none other than the old Pele, whose brief conversation with the paper leads to the headline: “ROON IS THE NEW ME!”

It’s a neat story, coming as it does the day after Sven Goran Eriksson compared his young striker favourably with the Brazilian.

And it would have been timely if Pele had really said it – but he didn’t.

So much for the new Pele! What about Rooney being the new George Best?

The Mail fails to deliver the obvious headline (“Better than Best?”), but does ask the great Irishman what he thinks of England’s No.9.

“It’s not often that I see a player…who makes my heart beat that bit faster,” says Best, who given his health history and the effect young Rooney has on him would be well advised to never watch the young buck again.

We, of course, will be watching Rooney as early as Thursday when he leads the line against the Portuguese in a European Championships quarter-final.

The names of the final eight sides are dropping into the hat and, after last night’s results in Group C, things got that much clearer – especially for the Italians who are moaning about a ”stitch-up”.

Yesterday, Sweden drew 2-2 with Denmark, enabling both Scandinavian countries to make progress at the expense of the Italians, whose 2-1 victory over Bulgaria was in vain.

The Sun says that Italy’s coach, Giovanni Trapattoni, smells a rat and is considering whether to demand an inquiry into the Nordic conspiracy.

If he does, Trap could also ask the investigators to look into how the Italy-Bulgaria match went into five minutes overtime with the scores locked a 1-1 and Italy desperate for a goal – which they got in the dying seconds.

While many of us consider that, the Mirror says that Roman Abramovich is considering a move for Rooney and his England colleague Steven Gerrard in an £80m bid.

The Express agrees that the Chelsea owner wants the players, and is preparing to offer £35m for Gerrard and a similarly massive sum for the Everton striker.

While Chelsea fans delight at such news, the Sun, like us, hangs its head in disappointment, tutting into its chin.

In Tim Henman’s first round Wimbledon match against Spaniard Ruben Ramirez (a game Timbo won in four sets), the idol of the HRT generation uttered an expletive.

From where Tim picked up bad words no-one can be sure, but utter at least one he did. And that earned him a reprimand for swearing.

“I got frustrated,” says Tim. “I don’t think many people heard.”

It is indeed hard to hear much above the din of his fans screaming “Go on, Tim”, “Come on, Tim”, “Go, Tim” and “Shhhhh!!!!!!”, but he said it and many will have heard it.

Tim will now have to be on his best behaviour for the rest of the tournament.

“Language, Timothy!” as they say in the umpire’s chair…’



Posted: 23rd, June 2004 | In: Back pages Comment | TrackBack | Permalink