Wayne Rooney knows a thing or two about playing with fire. The man who famously lost his cool on the biggest stages has come out swinging in defence of Tottenham's players after their disciplinary nightmare against Liverpool.
Speaking on The Wayne Rooney Show podcast, the former England captain gave his verdict on Spurs' double sending-off catastrophe — and reckons playing on that edge is exactly what fans want to see.
Simons' Red Card: A Rush of Blood
Xavi Simons saw his afternoon end prematurely when VAR upgraded his yellow to red for a nasty challenge on Virgil van Dijk. The Dutch midfielder scraped his studs down his national team captain's calf — not a great look when you're teammates at international level.
But Rooney isn't buying the malicious intent narrative. "I thought it was a strange red card because obviously Van Dijk is captain for Holland as well, and so I wouldn't think that he's meant to do it. I think it's just probably a rush of blood to his head," Rooney explained.
Romero's Meltdown: Soft or Stupid?
The Argentine skipper's dismissal came late on when he kicked out at Ibrahima Konaté following a tangle on the ground. Already on a yellow for dissent, Romero's petulance handed Liverpool an easy numerical advantage to see out the game.
Rooney was more sympathetic here: "The second red card, the Romero one, I think is soft. I think Konaté's played on it a little bit."
The Case for Playing on the Edge
Here's where it gets interesting. Rather than condemning Spurs' players for their lack of discipline, Rooney argues there's genuine value in that fiery approach — especially in the big games.
"I think sometimes it's better, and in the big games as well, playing on that edge and having that little bit of hunger in a weird way," he said. "It's quite difficult to explain, but playing on that edge in the big games is better."
The former United talisman acknowledges the risk-reward balance: "You're at danger of getting a red card or something silly happening. However, the outcomes can be much better when you're playing on that edge. I think that's what people want to see as well."
The Bottom Line
Love it or hate it, Rooney's got a point. Football without passion is just 22 blokes jogging about. The trick is keeping that fire burning without letting it consume you entirely — something Spurs failed to manage at Anfield.
Ange Postecoglou will need to find that balance quickly. Because playing with emotion is one thing; finishing matches with nine men is quite another.
