Rival 'fans' booing Rooney will work for United...

The Johnny Englander boo-boy numpties were at it again at Wembley last Sunday, booing Wayne Rooney's every touch. We have been told the England players can expect to receive similar treatment during the first few weeks of the new season from rival supporters up and down the land. It is all so very tiresome and predictable - but like England's World Cup campaign it is an exercise in futility.

But let's get one thing straight: if you were one of those who believed the media hype surrounding the England team in the lead up to the World Cup then you're daft.
England had no chance of winning the World Cup, only a complete idiot would have expected that outcome; more likely, England would be on the first plane home and that's precisely what we predicted on this blog before a ball was kicked.

Yes, Rooney & Co fell way below expectations and so, yes, we can all understand the match going paying public being upset, but booing the players isn't going to change anything. The FA and Capello should be fair game though - they are the ones who should be on the receiving end. Vote with your feet is our advice.

As for booing Rooney, he's not going to be affected by that; not when rival fans have been calling him a fat bastard ever since he turned professional. Rooney has broad shoulders he will rise above the nonsense; he knows the best way to silence mouthy supporters is to put the ball in the onion bag. Bring on the Geordies.

As for Sunday's Community Shield, the outcome was very welcome, but the final score didn't tell the full story: Chelsea had United on the rack at times, but nonetheless let's take nothing away from the United team. Fergie baffled us all once again when selecting Owen as the second striker in his starting eleven - who would have predicted that? The United manager also started with Jonny Evans alongside Vidic and here again this was something of a surprise. Chicharito got his name on the scoresheet, but he'll no doubt want to forget his first effort on goal that went out for a throw-in. Sunday didn't tell us much that we didn't already know: United won't be that different from last season and neither will Chelsea.