Wayne Rooney admits Roy Hodgson destroyed England’s momentum at Euro 2016 by making six changes against Slovakia. After being held by Russia in their group opener, England narrowly edged past Wales with a 2-1 victory following Daniel Sturbridge’s late goal.
But Hodgson opted to make significant changes, including resting Rooney, for the final group fixture against Slovakia which ended in a goalless draw. England finished behind Wales in the group but were eliminated from the tournament in their following game with a shock defeat to Iceland.
“We had lost momentum from the Slovakia game and tournament football is about confidence. You get that from winning,” Rooney told the Daily Mail.
“It was Roy's decision to make those changes against Slovakia and either way, the team he put out should have been able to win. But, right or wrong, I wanted to play and I can't deny that. No, I wouldn't have rested six players. It's more than half the team. It was a gamble and it didn't pay off."
“Watching, I felt we lacked aggression — in the running, in the passing, we didn't have the tempo, so that's what I was trying to create. When you're on the bench it's frustrating because you always think you can bring something different," Rooney said.
