NEWS » ck is useless if it is an inch or two

Wayne Rooney will remain as England captain but his midfield experiment with the national team is over, with the Manchester United veteran set to revert to playing as a deep-lying forward under new coach Sam Allardyce.Wayne has been an excellent captain for England and the manner in which he has fulfilled the role made it an easy decision for me to ask him to continue, Allardyce said Monday, having taken his time to settle on who should have the armband after being hired in July.Rooney received the symbolically prestigious honor of captaining England on a permanent basis in 2014, taking over the role from Steven Gerrard. Rooney has played 115 times for England, putting him level with David Beckham as the countrys most-capped outfield player.England plays Slovakia in its opening World Cup qualifier on Sunday, for what will be Allardyces first game in charge.Waynes record speaks for itself. He is the most senior member of the squad and he is hugely respected by his peers, Allardyce said. All of these factors point towards him being the right choice to lead the team.Rooney finished last season playing as a central midfielder for United under Louis van Gaal, and played there for England during its European Championship campaign that ended with an embarrassing last-16 loss to Iceland.New United manager Jose Mourinho has returned Rooney to the No. 10 role behind the striker, and Allardyce also thinks thats his best position.Waynes position has changed at Manchester United, Allardyce said, and thats the sort of position Id be looking for him to be playing in.The player most affected by that positional tweak is Ross Barkley, who was dropped on Sunday by Allardyce in his first squad announcement since replacing Roy Hodgson as England coach. Barkley plays in the same position as United captain Rooney at Everton, and has started the season in good form for his club with two goals in four games.With Dele Alli included in Englands squad, it appears there was no room for another attacking playmaker.We have had to make some very difficult decisions, none more so than obviously I would think Ross Barkley, Allardyce said. But you have to make these decisions. The door will always be open for Ross, but at this moment I felt the squad I picked is the right one.Looking to put his own stamp on the national team, Allardyce has recalled winger Theo Walcott and also picked an uncapped wide player in Michail Antonio of West Ham. It would suggest Allardyce is looking to play with more width than England did under Hodgson.Antonios rise to the national team is being compared to that of Leicester striker Jamie Vardy, in that he started out in non-league football -- with Tooting and Mitcham, a club in south London -- rather than in an academy of a big club.He had spells on loan at lowly clubs before joining Sheffield Wednesday and then Nottingham Forest. Antonio moved to West Ham last year and has impressed as a right-sided midfielder, especially in the air. He has scored eight headed goals since the start of last season -- including one in each of his last two league games.His journey is something that deserves to be in this squad and me to have a look at as a potential player going forward, Allardyce said. Its a bit similar to Jamie Vardy -- it shows if you have got guts and determination and desire, how much it means.He goes forward, creates a career for himself and finally ends up in the Premier League and with us in this squad. Im looking forward to meeting him.Marcus Rashford wasnt included by Allardyce, despite going on as a substitute to score Uniteds injury-time winner against Hull in the Premier League on Saturday in his first appearance of the season. Zlatan Ibrahimovic has displaced 18-year-old Rashford up front at United.Rashford will instead play for England under-21s this week to get some game time.Having international experience with the under-21s will be invaluable for us later down the line, Allardyce said. If he plays for Manchester United on a regular basis, he would certainly -- if he is breaking into the Manchester United team -- be in my squad.He made a massive impact last season, yes, but hes only a young man, lets not heap too much pressure on him just yet.Presnel Kimpembe Jersey . William Carrier opened the scoring for Cape Breton (6-4-2), but Andrew Ryan tied the game and Brent Andrews put the Mooseheads (8-6-0) in front for good with a short-handed goal at 13:49 of the second period. Moussa Diaby Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . "I was fortunate to play many years at this level with a great organization and unbelievable teammates," said Hejduk in a statement. http://www.parissaintgermainfcstore.com/Women-Jese-Paris-Saint-Germain-Jersey/ . The team also announced Tuesday that the Braves will wear a commemorative patch on the right sleeve during the season. The patch, shaped like home plate, carries the number 715, Aarons autograph and a "40th Anniversary" banner. Alphonse Areola Paris Saint-Germain Jersey . Calgary scored on the first shift, and Michael Cammalleri scored twice as the Flames cruised to a 5-2 win over the Washington Capitals on Saturday. Kevin Rimane Jersey . The FA rejected Wilsheres appeal that the length of his punishment was "clearly excessive" and said Thursday his suspension begins with immediate effect. He will miss league matches against Chelsea on Monday and West Ham on Dec.PARIS, France -- Is it possible in life to be given too much of a good thing? Does the security guard tasked with keeping a watchful eye on the Mona Lisa day in, day out, long for the opportunity to leave Le Louvre and cast their eye on something a bit more tawdry?Taking in New Zealands clinical 24-19 defeat of France at the Stade de France, it was only natural to ponder whether we have come to take the world champions for granted. Victory was their 21st in their last 22 Test matches, and means that another unbeaten streak is beginning to be built.All of which was achieved with Steve Hansens side rarely out of second gear in attack. It was another committed defensive effort but, in truth, France only had themselves to blame for not breaching the All Blacks try line until the 62nd minute.As in Dublin seven days previously, New Zealand sealed victory despite seeing very little of the ball -- they managed just 38 percent possession in the opening 40 minutes here.Ireland proved recently in both Chicago -- where they ended New Zealands world record winning run -- and Dublin that this All Blacks team will give you chances. Capitalise on those opportunities and they are beatable; pass them up and they will punish you.France will leave the Stade de France clutching onto the positives having created five try-scoring opportunities in the first 30 minutes alone.But crucially it was through their own mistakes that they were undone. Had anyone in dark blue shown an ounce of the composure that comes naturally to those wearing white in Paris, then the scoreline would have been markedly different.However, on too many occasions when the pressure was cranking up on the All Blacks, France responded with a forced pass or a knock on. A scrambled defence suddenly had possession to protect, a booming clearance later and the pressure was released.Part of the credit for that, of course, goes to New Zealands ferocious defence but it is no coincidence that confidence drained from the French players as the try line approached. It is an affliction that fans of Northern Hemisphere sides are well used to when faced by one of the big three from the south.And as Hansen and his pplayers head for home, will any of that matter to them? They might not have had an awful lot of the ball, but when they had it they were clinical.ddddddddddddIndeed, Beauden Barretts drilled kick-pass to Julian Savea for the opening try was almost identical to the one that found Malakai Fekitoa in Ireland last weekend. The main difference being that it was put into action around 40 metres further back, and without the luxury of a stretched defence in opposition. Frances rearguard was limp as Savea passed inside for Israel Dagg to scamper over, having punched themselves out in attack for much of the preceding six minutes.It is not something that you can often say about the All Blacks, and is proof that their composure in those pressure moments is not something that should be taken for granted. In fact it is the very reason they seem so formidable to their opponents.The first try again is a case in point. It may have looked easy from the stands or on TV, but there were several skills that needed to be enacted perfectly. Barretts cross-filed kick is useless if it is an inch or two further left or right, Savea in turn needs to catch the ball, while evading Noa Nakaitaci, and then offload to Dagg in support. Any of those skills could falter, but they didnt.That is the result of hours spent on the training pitch, but it is also the product of having the confidence to try it in a game, and for it all to come off. Time and again.The ability that the All Blacks bring to their game in attack in turn feeds into their aura. France felt the pressure when they entered the New Zealand 22 in part because they knew that their opponents would punish any slip-ups. If the All Blacks enter the pitch with an advantage, it is because every other team in the world knows the speed with which they can turn defence into attack.This might not have been a vintage performance from Hansens side but it was ruthlessly clinical, and that is something that should be applauded. Especially when it is the very thing that their opponents struggle to match. ' ' '