Wayne's world requires reality check

Haunting memories of a het-up, almost psychotic, Paul Gascoigne launching into a suicidal and illogical challenge at the midriff of Gary Charles in the 1991 FA Cup final between Tottenham and Nottingham Forest resurfaced on Wednesday when England met Ukraine in a 2010 World Cup qualifier.

Wayne Rooney, England's best player on the night, mirrored Gazza's career-defining moment of madness with an equally late and cynical tackle on Oleksandr Aliyev.

How and why the Manchester United firebrand was spared an early bath would make for a good episode of 'The X Files'.

Part of the problem is that Rooney, no longer a boy at 23, is publicly wrapped in cotton wool by his club manager, Sir Alex Ferguson, whose argument that his aggression is arguably his best attribute is as predictable as it is nonsensical.

What Ferguson says to Rooney in private is of course a different matter, although eight yellow cards and one red – against Fulham for a show of playground petulance – in all competitions already this season would suggest it goes in one ear and out of the other.

He was lucky to escape unpunished against Aalborg in the Champions League for two poor challenges and backed up his assertion that he "hates" Liverpool with arguably his worst game in United colours in the 4-1 drubbing by Rafa Benitez's men recently.

Paul Parker, who played for United for six years and won 19 England caps, playing in the 1990 World Cup semi-final against Germany, hit the nail on the head when he said: "It frustrates me to hear his team-mates and even his manager say that that is the way he is and that you cannot take away his passion or try to change him. If you've got a wayward child, you shouldn't just accept it. You have to try to get them to control themselves and relax."

The fact that even Fabio Capello sought to justify Rooney's challenge was even more surprising when the harsh truth is that if he does not learn to tame the red mist he risks becoming an accident waiting to happen in tournament football.

Rangers right to take strong action against disgraced players

Rangers have moved quickly and decisively to strip Barry Ferguson of his captaincy and drop goalkeeper Allan McGregor after the pair's dismal behaviour whilst on international duty this week. The manager of Rangers, Walter Smith, revealed that such firm action had been taken not solely as a result of the players' initial breach of conduct (which saw them indulge in a late night drinking session) but as a result of their actions during Wednesday night's clash against Iceland.

The controversy began when it became clear that the Scottish pair had stayed up late drinking after the defeat at the hands of the Netherlands last weekend. The manager of the national team, George Burley, quite rightly decided to drop the pair to the bench for the subsequent match against Iceland.

However, rather than appearing ashamed or sorry for their behaviour, the players brought more trouble upon themselves by sitting on the bench making V-signs with their fingers. They have both been suspended for two weeks after being sent home from training earlier today and this latest controversy has put their long-term futures at the club into doubt.

This latest story is the last thing that football, as a sport, needs at the moment. High-profile footballers seem to be doing all they can to sour the reputation of the game, often appearing like pampered, spoilt little kids who think they can take the ridiculous amount of money being paid to them for granted.

Rangers are right to have taken action against the players for events which occurred whilst on international duty. Not many people in the UK, especially at the moment, believe that footballers are worthy of the wages they receive and we expect professional players to at least try to justify such financial excess by staying away from the booze and late night frolics whilst playing for their country.

Furthermore, we expect them to know that they are not above the law. If the manager drops them, they need to do all they can to prove themselves again, both on and off the pitch. The last thing they should be doing is sitting on the bench behaving like 5-year-olds.

The president of the SFA may decide to launch an investigation into the events and further Scotland players may yet become involved in this unfortunate saga. For now, Rangers must hope that new captain, David Weir, will be able to guide the club successfully for the remainder of the season but don't waste your next football bet by predicting that this kind of situation won't happen again in the near future.

Lampard still believes Shevchenko to be a footballing threat

This week, England fans have been listening to lengthy comments made by Chelsea midfielder, Frank Lampard, about footballing issues surrounding the national team at the moment. His comments focused upon two strikers who, in the not too distant past, were stars for their respective clubs and countries.

The prospect of each player's national side competing in a must-win game without their involvement was once simply unthinkable. However, over the last few years, both strikers have faded into the background and now face uphill battles to recover the kind of form that made them fan favourites in the first place.

Lampard was quick to defend both players, namely Michael Owen and Andriy Shevchenko. His defence of Michael Owen may be backed by some football pundits. After all, he has been plagued by injuries for some time now but has still managed to put in some good performances for Newcastle, a team which has been performing well below-par since the striker joined them.

Hopes remain that Fabio Capello will give Owen another chance, as long as he stays injury-free and starts banging in the goals on a regular basis for Newcastle. However, Lampard's defence of his ex-team mate, Shevchenko, appears misled and wildly optimistic.

England's defenders will come up against the striker on Wednesday as the national team meets Ukraine in a World Cup qualifier at Wembley.

The likelihood is that John Terry and co. will not be suffering any sleepless nights from thinking about this prospect. However, Lampard disagrees with this, stating that he is "obviously a fantastic player", who is going to be a "huge threat" during the game. Lampard was also keen to discuss the striker's ability to "produce something out of the blue".

His belief that Shevchenko will want to prove himself during the match on Wednesday is the only part of his speech that is in any way believable. Of course a striker who has suffered such a miserable few years as Shevchenko will be desperate to prove his doubters (of which there are many) wrong.

In football, statistics do not always tell the whole truth but, in Shevchenko's case, they really do. He has scored just ten club goals during the last three years and became a figure of ridicule during his stay at Chelsea.

It was thought that his move back to AC Milan could signal the start of the player's return to form but Shevchenko now spends most of his time warming the bench, making cameo appearances in domestic cup matches.

Indeed, since he returned to the club where he was once a true hero, he has scored just one goal. The fans have been left feeling confused and let down by a player who once embodied the spirit of their club.

Lampard may be trying to support an old friend but his comments simply do not ring true with reality. The likelihood is that Wednesday will present further evidence of the rapid decline of a player who was handed the Ballon D'Or just five years ago.