England B 1 Belarus 2
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I’D LIKE to see what Theo Walcott could do in the real Engand team.
This was not the England team.
This was a ‘B’ International against Belarus and the second half was the usual Sven shambles of substitutions.
Walcott came on for Michael Owen after an hour. At 17 years and 70 days, he is the youngest player to ever represent England at ‘B’ International level, beating Duncan Edwards in 1954.
Walcott is cool and quick and a great technican. He can control the ball, which Owen can’t. When a defender headed out Sol Campell’s long lob, Walcott killed the ball instantly and fired a fierce shot which keeper Zhenov held above his head.
England’s starting eleven was James ; Hargreaves, Carragher, Campbell, Cole ; Lennon, Jenas, Carrick, Downing ; Crouch, Owen.
Their best player was Ashley Cole.
Their second best player was Aaron Lennon.
The first two goals, by Jenas and Kutozov, were farcical.
When Dowling took a freekick on the left, Owen was three yards offside. When the ball came to him there was no flag and his header came back off the bar for Jenas to nod in from pointblank range.
1-0 up in 34 minutes.
So England led 1-0 at half-time and brought on Norwich keeper Robert Green. He ruptured his groin while taking a goal-kick and collapsed, leaving Kutozov to stroke the ball into an empty net.Nobody has ever seen a goal like it.
In 73, Omelyanchuk was sent off for fouling Aaron Lennon twice in a minute.
IN 81 sub Kornilemko scored the best goal of the game, powering into the box to smack a superb left-foot shot across England’s third keeper of the night, Scott Carson of Liverpool.
VERDICT ? A shambolic match which told us nothing new. England ‘B’ had lost to the ten men of Belarus, whose best player, Hleb, is resting on a beach somewhere.
One nil up, two one down? It was a bit too Kevin Keegan for me.
Stewart Downing does not look like a World Cup player. Lennon’s final ball needs to improve. Still,Walcott will have enjoyed his half an hour and playing in the proper England team will be easier than this.
Is Theo Walcott ready to perform against Paraguay or Sweden?
Impossible to say.
Why is Walcott in the squad?
Because Arsene Wenger blagged Sven into taking him.
Is it a good idea?
I doubt it.
But we don’t know yet.
Clearly, the Owen-Crouch-Rooney-Walcott quartet is the most bizarre set of strikers England have ever taken to a major tournament.
When I see all the England flags already flying from cars in London, and think of the shambles those fans might witness next month, I worry.
If Theo Walcott was four years older, and Wayne Rooney was 100%, and England had a coach as good as Hiddink or Scolari, they would have a chance in this World Cup.
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ENGLAND (4-4-2) James (Green 45, Carson 50); Hargreaves, Carragher, Campbell, Ashley Cole; Lennon, Jenas (Joe Cole 62), Hargreaves, Downing (Dawson 79); Crouch (Defoe 79), Owen (Walcott 62).
Subs not used : Bridge, P Neville, Johnson.
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