Terry Wills talks about international and local derbies.

Wayne Rooney. What else can be said about a player who has a footballing talent to be envied but who when brains were handed out wasn’t only at the back of the queue, but locked out of the room banging on the door, hoping to be admitted?

Agreed, these days many fans have a rapidly diminishing interest as to what happens in international football but for all that do follow England’s fortunes with a modicum of interest, what to put it mildly, a plonker!

So a brief comment – Rooney was a disgrace. He let himself down, the team down, and he let down those fans who made the journey to Montenegro hoping to see England qualify for the 2012 European Finals. This they duly did, but no thanks to Master Rooney’ who was sent off, and will probably serve a three match ban ruling him out of the group stages.

Nuff said, but even so, if anything came out of the game it was proof that compared with the likes of Spain and Holland we’re as far behind in technique as can be imagined.

Rant over! Now back to far more important news and views.

So to the first of Baggies two local derbies ( the second most important for me) as Wolves make the journey to the Hawthorns hoping to get their last victory on foreign soil since1996. Wolves are in the middle of a losing streak, Albion are struggling to get their game together and without significant improvement will continue to find it difficult to climb the table.

Prospects?

Both teams, and probably even more so the fans, will be hoping and praying fervently they will gain the much needed three points and if at the end of the 90 plus minutes they’ve succeeded the manner of the performance will be forgotten. Roy Hodgson has selection problems mainly revolving over the fitness of Peter Odemwingie. Apparently, rumours that he requires an ankle operation can be discounted and this disappointing form is down simply because he’s a player that thrives on goals and confidence. Assets that up to now are missing – in abundance.

Reluctantly sitting on the fence and bearing in mind that anything can, and often does, happen in these passionate local derbies, it would be a brave supporter prepared to gamble their life savings on a result. I’ll be content to say that PROVIDED the players wearing the blue and white striped shirts are at their best then we could pick up a victory to send Albion ahead of the old gold and black in the Greed League table.

Come on you Baggies!