Rooney's Swiss role

The Sunday Supplement panel were united in their view that Wayne Rooney has to play against Switzerland on Tuesday evening.

Rooney is expected to be involved in England's Euro 2012 qualifying game in Basel, despite allegations about his private life made in several Sunday newspapers.

And all of the guests at the Sunday Supplement breakfast table reckon the Manchester United striker should put those problems to one side and continue to lead the line for England.

The Daily Mail's Chief Football Correspondent Matt Lawton says Rooney's fine form in Friday night's 4-0 win over Bulgaria was a vast improvement, compared to his form at the World Cup.

And he says that's why Rooney needs to remain with the squad.

Lawton said: "Other players in the past have had problems that they've put to one side and they've continued to play football, either for their clubs or their country.

"I think he has to play. The crucial difference on Friday night between England there and England at the World Cup was Wayne Rooney.

"He was, as we know, very poor at the World Cup. I think there was obviously an injury and he wasn't the same after that.

"When Rooney plays well England play well and when he struggles England struggle. That was the key factor on Friday, the key reason why England played well in my opinion.

"England need him, so whatever's going on, one would hope that he can deal with that and put it to one side for a couple of days and then return to it.

"I think he has to play in Switzerland.

Sad

Jonathan Northcroft, the Football Correspondent of the Sunday Times, agrees Rooney should remain with the England squad and said it's sad that problems continue to cast a cloud over that national team.

And he said Fabio Capello's handling of the situation will be interesting to watch over the next few days.

Northcroft said: "This is a question for Capello's man-management which has been under scrutiny since the World Cup.

"He's now got to talk to Rooney, assess his state of mind and decide whether to keep him out of the firing line.

"I'm sure the FA and the media department will be keeping him away from the press as much as possible.

"It's very sad for this to happen to England at this time, for Rooney to have a few problems. I remember Fabio Capello saying during the World Cup that he thought England were cursed when Rio Ferdinand got his injury. Well, just when things were starting to look up there's yet another storm surrounding one of his players.

"I think Rooney has to go and I think he probably will go because England need him and at a time like this footballers quite like to get on with their job.

"Sometimes, as we've seen in cases like John Terry, it can actually spur them on."