10 Big Questions Raised By England's World Cup Squad

1. Will Rooney Perform This Time?

England's 5th highest all-time goalscorer will be carrying more pressure than any other player heading into this World Cup, and unfortunately he's got a history of going to pieces when all eyes are on him. His first international tournament, Euro 2004, was a rousing success and promised great things to come, with England losing much of their gusto and eventually being eliminated when he picked up an injury in the quarter-final against Portugal. Unfortunately, things haven't gone so well since then. His form in qualifiers has generally been good, but the competitions themselves have seen him fail time and time again to live up to his star billing. He was visibly short of match fitness when rushed into action in the 2006 World Cup, but that was no excuse for the stamp on Ricardo Carvalho which saw him sent off and England once again eliminated at the quarter final stage against Portugal. Despite being top scorer in the qualifying rounds for the 2010 World Cup, Rooney failed to get on the scoresheet in the tournament and England were eliminated 4-1 to Germany in the second round after a series of dismal performances, including draws against the USA and Algeria. He did score at Euro 2012, a match-winning goal in the final group game against Ukraine and a penalty in the deciding shootout vs Italy, but his overall performances were criticised by the media and his manager, Fabio Capello. So which Rooney will show up for World Cup 2014? Given his long-standing history of only performing in optimal conditions, the signs are not encouraging. He's had a decent year for Man Utd but not an outstanding one, scoring 19 goals in 40 appearances. His fitness remains a matter of some concern and he'll be joining the squad coming off yet another injury. If he can keep his cool in the Brazilian heat, he can probably bag a few goals. All my hopes are on Sturridge, though.