SVEN has named Theo Walcott, 17, and Aaron Lennon, 19, in his provisional World Cup squad.
It’s a bizarre squad that will make him a laughing stock.He has no ball-winner and nobody who can hold the ball up front. Two vital roles in any football team and he has ignored both
Owen can’t hold it, Crouch can’t hold it.You can’t play one-twos with Owen because he is not skilful enough to give you the ball back where you want it.And even if Owen is fit, he is not fast any more.
Did Roger Hunt have flair? No. Did Roger Hunt win the World Cup? Yes. Did Nobby Stiles score goals and make 50-yard passes? No. Did Nobby Stiles win the World Cup? Yes.
England will be possession-starved. We will have long periods without the ball and we will give away free-kicks trying to get it back.
SVEN HAS ONLY FOUR STRIKERS and three are little guys and two are crocked and one has never played for his club. That makes Walcott unique in Germany. A World Cup player who has never played for his club.
With crocks Rooney and Owen included, he has left out Jermain Defoe, a decision which baffles Bobby Robson and me, among others.
Theo Walcott is a boy who has not played for Arsenal yet. But Sven has watched him in training. In training !
Last Friday, when told that Arsene had suggested Walcott should be in the England squad, I said, “We know that Arsene plays the media like a concert violinist plays the fiddle, but this is sheer mischief. It’s a ridiculous red herring .”
On Monday afternoon Sven said that he didn’t decide to include Theo Walcott until “this morning.”
“Why not gamble?” he said.
So we are being asked to believe that Walcott is his wild card, England’s secret weapon, a flair player who can improve a team of journeymen.
Apart from a striker and a half-striker, what’s missing from this team is a defensive midfielder who can slow a game down but also intercept and speed it up. That man is Nigel Reo-Coker.To leave him out and include Jenas and Hargreaves shows that Sven is utterly clueless.
Lennon will do well for England, I think.
Sven has included Boro left winger Stewart Downing to keep Steve McClaren happy. Downing can beat a man and cross a decent ball, but he doesn’t look up. He doesn’t cross to a teammate.
Sven conned me the first time I met him, conned me the second time I met him, and connned me the third time I met him.Then I realised he was a tosser.
The following squad suggests that either (a) he doesn’t understand football or (b) he doesn’t care any more.
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GOALIES: David James (Man City), Robert Green (Norwich City), Paul Robinson (Tottenham)
DEFENDERS: John Terry, Wayne Bridge (Chelsea), Jamie Carragher (Liverpool), Rio Ferdinand, Gary Neville (Manchester United), Ashley Cole, Sol Campbell (Arsenal)
MIDFIELDERS: Joe Cole, Frank Lampard (Chelsea), Steven Gerrard (Liverpool), David Beckham (Real Madrid), Michael Carrick, Jermaine Jenas, Aaron Lennon (all Tottenham), Owen Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Stewart Downing (Middlesbrough)
STRIKERS: Peter Crouch (Liverpool), Wayne Rooney (Man United), Michael Owen (Newcastle), Theo Walcott.
ON STAND-BY : Scott Carson (Liverpool, goalkeeper), Luke Young (Charlton, defender), Nigel Reo-Coker (West Ham, midfielder), Jermain Defoe (Tottenham, striker), Andy Johnson (Crystal Palace, striker).