Walcott

TheMonster

So whats the deal?
Anyone else reckon Sven has seen him in training and reckon hes not up to it. All in all its looking rather foolish to bring him now? Yesterday was the perfect opportunity to bring him on for Owen. His whole reasoning for resting crouch was the "yellow card" so why bring him on after 2 mins when he had another striker on the bench.:rolleyes:

eirebhoy

Harry Redknapp:

"Eriksson has made a fundamental error by selecting Walcott

"From what I hear even the Arsenal players are not sure how good Walcott is.

"I certainly think he's not up to it. At Saints I watched him in FA Youth Cup ties against Ipswich and Wolves and each time he drifted to the flanks he was marked out of the game.

"He could not impose himself even at that level. Through the middle he had pace, he was a much better player, but he drifts in and out.

"I think Eriksson has taken a massive gamble in selecting only four strikers and, because he's not good enough, Walcott won't figure at all."

mike65

Clearly the Owen injury makes his selection look nuts (or even nuttier). Either he won't kick a ball or Rooney will break down and he'll get thrown in (unlikely as Beckham or Gerrard would make a better partner for Crouch) or in a barking-mad scenario, he comes on late against tiring Brazilian defenders and scores the winning goallllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllllll!

Mike.

PHB

I still actually hate Sven for not bringing Bent, he really deserves to go to the World Cup and it was shocking that he wasn't included.

Kingp35

I think its pretty obvious to all that Sven has decided that Walcott is just not good enough at this level. He has seen him in training and in the friendly game and has made his decision. TBH I think Sven deserves everything he gets for making such a stupid decision in bringing a player to the world cup that has never played in the Premiership and that he had never seen play.

jester77

He mustn't be up to this level of football which is not surprising. He's only had a handful of games and none in the Premiership which would be a step up from the level he played at, and then International would be an even further step up from that. Erikson had 2 chances to bring him on last night, surely if he was up to it then he would have been brought on for the last 20 mins to replace Rooney. I'm sure if Bent or Defoe were there then they would have been brought on for Rooney. Really makes his inclusion all the more puzzling

PiE

Oh, Sven's a muppet. Where's the news?

emc2

If it ever needed to be highlighted that a) The Sun picks the english team/squad and b) sven is a dodgy manager then Theo Walcott is living proof of this.

To be honest england have one of the better squads (quality wise) and would have a real chance in the world cup if they had a manager that was anyway good.

Pigman II

My theory is Sven's going to wait til England are in their inevitable Brazil '02 or Portugal '04 position again and then throw on Walcott. If it somehow works out Sven is heralded as a tactial genius who finally learns from his mistakes. If it fails "blame the inexperienced kid not the brave risk-taking manager".

BaZmO*

PHB wrote:

I still actually hate Sven for not bringing Bent

There's plenty more reasons to hate Sven tbh!

I'm convinced that some of Sven's decisions are done purely to get back at the intrusive English press. :rolleyes:

How p1ssed would you be if you were Bent, Defoe or even Beattie for that matter.

Tom Humphries described the Lampard/Gerrard partnership as an Arranged Marriage in the Irish Times today which I thought was quite apt.

gimmick

An arranged marriage? I dont understand???

TBH I think Sven deserves everything he gets for making such a stupid decision in bringing a player to the world cup that has never played in the Premiership and that he had never seen play.

What message must that have sent out to these players? And indeed, players like Andy Johnson etc etc. Sven is a muppet, but I actually think he piecked certain players in the squad as a FU to the British media before he goes away for good.

Jimboo_Jones

emc2 wrote:

If it ever needed to be highlighted that a) The Sun picks the english team/squad and b) sven is a dodgy manager then Theo Walcott is living proof of this.

so, Sven picking a kid that the Sun hardly ever mentioned and never mentioned as even a possible before the squad was released is proff that they pick the team?

part b is totally valid mind

ErinGoBrath

I can't help but feel sorry for Walcott. He gets brought to the world cup and doesn't look like he's going to figure in any of the games!

I say give the kid a chance, he's can't be any less impressive than Owen. He's been brutal in the WC and IHMO all the pre-WC friendlies.

In Walcott's defence I thought he looked very promising against Belarus B when he came on. If he had of replaced Rooney last night his pace could have given the Swede's a right headache.

In other news...Sven is an idiot.

herbieflowers

Jimboo_Jones wrote:

so, Sven picking a kid that the Sun hardly ever mentioned and never mentioned as even a possible before the squad was released is proff that they pick the team?

part b is totally valid mind

Yeah never understood the whole "media picking the England team" (bar Beckham perhaps), what about Hargreaves - does he even have any fans anywhere?! He's constantly selected in England squads!

Rikand

gimmick wrote:

An arranged marriage? I dont understand???

Two people thrown together but who are not really meant for each other ? something like that

Attractive Nun

There was an interview with Gerrard I saw yesterday I think. "Can England win the World Cup without Owen? (Or some such question)". Gerrard: "I think so. It does limit our options up front, but we still have options. Either Wayne or Crouchy up front alone. Or they could play together. Or myself or Joe Cole could play off them. There are always options.... or Theo."

Shambolic decision tbh. I could almost have understood taking the risk if you were bringing 5 strikers, or if at the very least your other 3 were fit and in form. But the circumstances under which he was chosen... mindboggling.

I can imagine the English training sessions, with Walcott understandably not up to the standard and English defenders just feeling bad for tacking him. That said, he looked alright in the friendlies so you never know.....

Alright, you do.

Necronomicon

While I do think it's crazy that he brought him ahead of Bent, what I find really bemusing is the fact that he brought only 4 strikers, when your 2 first-team strikers were unfit.

besty

PHB wrote:

I still actually hate Sven for not bringing Bent, he really deserves to go to the World Cup and it was shocking that he wasn't included.

Seconded.

When I think about it again, it's one of the most ridiculous decisions of a squad selection I've ever seen!

futuredeath

i reckon i'd have carlton cole in the squad before walcott . . . .

kinaldo

someone told me recently that arsene wenger brought everyone including the tea lady to the champions league final in barcelona, everyone except walcott!

Jazzy

bent and/or defoe were f'n well stiched up not to be taken.
england fans should be so thankfull that this is svens last time in charge. hes a submissive looney who is gambling a nations hopes when their skill is at the highest. a right ol' baffoon is he. well, over the past year and a half nehow, he wasnt AS bad before

GuanYin

Interesting interview by Sven last night:

"Walcott is ready. It would have been good to put him on against Sweden but so many things happened and I wanted to be absolutely sure to win the group."

Spot the flaw in that reasoning....

ErinGoBrath

psi wrote:

Interesting interview by Sven last night:

"Walcott is ready. It would have been good to put him on against Sweden but so many things happened and I wanted to be absolutely sure to win the group."

Spot the flaw in that reasoning....

Was just about to post this comment up? What the hell is going on? Is he going to get a run in the world cup or not?

Sven now say he will play yet Sky Sports news hasn't mentioned his name since the World Cup started!

MrJoeSoap

psi wrote:

"Walcott is ready. It would have been good to put him on against Sweden but so many things happened and I wanted to be absolutely sure to win the group."

Haha, great quote.

Now that its knockout stage time I take it theres no chance of seeing him as England will want "to be absolutely sure to win the game".

MrJoeSoap

eirebhoy wrote:

Harry Redknapp:

"Eriksson has made a fundamental error by selecting Walcott

"From what I hear even the Arsenal players are not sure how good Walcott is.

"I certainly think he's not up to it. At Saints I watched him in FA Youth Cup ties against Ipswich and Wolves and each time he drifted to the flanks he was marked out of the game.

"He could not impose himself even at that level. Through the middle he had pace, he was a much better player, but he drifts in and out.

"I think Eriksson has taken a massive gamble in selecting only four strikers and, because he's not good enough, Walcott won't figure at all."

Quoting Harry Redknapp should be a ban-worthy offence at this stage. Believing one word out of that guys mouth is foolish.

And yes, I have been fooled in the past!

PHB

Basically, Sven is setting himself up for a fall.

When England are behind to some team in the knockout stages, he will bring on Walcott for 10 minutes.

If Walcott succedds, Sven will be a tactical genius, if Walcott fails, Sven will shift the blame onto Walcott.

Sven is an incredible media mind and knows how to keep them on his side, this was the point of Walcott.

Pepe LeFrits

PHB wrote:

Sven is an incredible media mind

LOL