Eriksson - Please, just **** off NOW

[Icy Gull]

Easy10, I am ashamed - you have completely SAVAGED Svens selections, yet have failed to point out one major inclusion.

f***ing OWEN f***ing HARGREAVES

Has he ever played a game without getting injured very quickly or being brought on when we are f***ed? I must confess I have never seen him have a good game but neither have I seen him play for more than about 15-20 mins in a rattled team.

I reserve judgement until I see him play a full game

 

[Marc]

Re: Eriksson - Please, just f*** off NOW

That provisional squad is the biggest f***ing pigs-ear of a selection I have EVER seen from this bloke. Absolutely farcicle.

I just cannot BELIEVE he is only taking 4 strikers. Rooney in all probability won't figure at all in this World Cup. Owen is struggling big time - he's played half an hour THIS YEAR, and will be nowhere NEAR match fit even if he played in the friendlies. To take a totally raw, untried kid who has played a handful of games at the arse-end of the Championship, and has spent the rest of the year in Arsenals reserves, is absolute MADNESS. I don't care how he tries to justify that one - he can't. Its ludicrous. Its beyond stupidity. Honestly, I can't even put into words what a breathtakingly bone-headed decision that is. He's gambling on two strikers being fit, AND gambling on a kid. Its obviosu to anyone with half a brain that Walcott is a gamble too far.

So going into the World Cup against the best in the world, as our striking options we currently have 4 strikers, two of whom are injured, one of whom has never even played in the Premiership, and Peter Crouch.

No SWP - why ? Is it because he hasn't played first team football regularly ? Well you can also say that about Walcott, Owen and Rooney, but they're still going, and at least SWP is actually fit. Walcotts not so much as laced a boot for 1st team action in the top flight, yet he's on the plane. Would SWP not have been an option as an auxilliary striker ? Being as we're somewhat short of options on that front, I'd have thought he may have been worth taking in that capacity alone. Not in SvenWorld, clearly. Bent may not be the answer to all the problems, but given the current circmustances, surely a fella who has scored 18 goals in the Premiership is worth a place in the squad. But not even in RESERVE ?? How the f*** can Andy Pissing Johnson be ahead of Bent ? PATHETIC.

And Jenas is a waste of space, he's done f***-all to justify being included.

Eriksson is about to sign our World Cup death warrant with this squad. Its not his fault Rooney and Owen are crocked, but he HAD to find a viable alternative to work around it by at least taking the best of the rest. As it stands, we are one more injury away from playing a f***ing teenage reserve striker with ZERO experience in the World Cup Finals. Just look at the state of our bench for this tournament.

Why don't you do us ALL a favour and f*** off NOW Sven, you utter MONG.

100% agree with that, I was SCREAMING at the Radio when I heard the squad....aboslute rubbish....absolute f***ing rubbish

 

[Lord Bracknell]

if we reach the Q/F we might play Rooney.

IF we reach the Q/F?

I think you've endorsed Easy 10's point.

 

[Basil Fawlty]

Easy 10, I would love to see you be our England Manager.

 

[Knotty]

Can't believe the hysteria on here.

Apart from 3 or 4 names the sqaud is exactly what most of us would have picked and, even if Rooney doesn't make it, the starting XI and likely subs bench is what most of us would pick. Check out the Squad selection poll on another thread and work out the top 23. It's not far off the real one anyway!

I personally wouldn't have picked Hargreaves but you can't say that SWP should have been in instead of him as they are totally different players. I wouldn't have even thought of Walcott but he is an exciting player with huge potential. (I wouldn't have picked Rooney for England so early as he was only rarely starting for Everton - got that wrong!) Why knock the selection now? We just don't know. Let's wait and see. Chances are he won't even get on the pitch!

I watch a lot of football but that's only a tiny fraction of what Sven and his assistants do. They are watching games day in, day out every week of the season. It may be very fashionable to knock Sven but he and his assistants know much more than any of us does.

How can any of us make the definite statements that some are doing on here? And some are so convinced they are right I wonder why they are not in football management...

 

[Redhead]

Easy10, I am ashamed - you have completely SAVAGED Svens selections, yet have failed to point out one major inclusion.

f***ing OWEN f***ing HARGREAVES

Owen Hargreaves justifies his place for me, if it wasnt him it was Phil Neville. Hargreaves should be in the team ahead of Carrick he plays holding midfield for a side in the Champions league

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

Hargreaves is a great player, no hang on he is shit and i know that for a fact because i rarley see him play.....


Hargreaves is going and rightly so.

 

[Les Biehn]

Re: Eriksson - Please, just f*** off NOW

That provisional squad is the biggest f***ing pigs-ear of a selection I have EVER seen from this bloke. Absolutely farcicle.

I just cannot BELIEVE he is only taking 4 strikers. Rooney in all probability won't figure at all in this World Cup. Owen is struggling big time - he's played half an hour THIS YEAR, and will be nowhere NEAR match fit even if he played in the friendlies. To take a totally raw, untried kid who has played a handful of games at the arse-end of the Championship, and has spent the rest of the year in Arsenals reserves, is absolute MADNESS. I don't care how he tries to justify that one - he can't. Its ludicrous. Its beyond stupidity. Honestly, I can't even put into words what a breathtakingly bone-headed decision that is. He's gambling on two strikers being fit, AND gambling on a kid. Its obviosu to anyone with half a brain that Walcott is a gamble too far.

So going into the World Cup against the best in the world, as our striking options we currently have 4 strikers, two of whom are injured, one of whom has never even played in the Premiership, and Peter Crouch.

No SWP - why ? Is it because he hasn't played first team football regularly ? Well you can also say that about Walcott, Owen and Rooney, but they're still going, and at least SWP is actually fit. Walcotts not so much as laced a boot for 1st team action in the top flight, yet he's on the plane. Would SWP not have been an option as an auxilliary striker ? Being as we're somewhat short of options on that front, I'd have thought he may have been worth taking in that capacity alone. Not in SvenWorld, clearly. Bent may not be the answer to all the problems, but given the current circmustances, surely a fella who has scored 18 goals in the Premiership is worth a place in the squad. But not even in RESERVE ?? How the f*** can Andy Pissing Johnson be ahead of Bent ? PATHETIC.

And Jenas is a waste of space, he's done f***-all to justify being included.

Eriksson is about to sign our World Cup death warrant with this squad. Its not his fault Rooney and Owen are crocked, but he HAD to find a viable alternative to work around it by at least taking the best of the rest. As it stands, we are one more injury away from playing a f***ing teenage reserve striker with ZERO experience in the World Cup Finals. Just look at the state of our bench for this tournament.

Why don't you do us ALL a favour and f*** off NOW Sven, you utter MONG.

Easy, Easy, Easy

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

Hargreaves is a great player, no hang on he is shit and i know that for a fact because i rarley see him play.....


Hargreaves is going and rightly so.

He has contributed NOTHING to England, other than a waste of two minutes while we're hanging on to a one goal lead.

What has he done for Bayern that's so outstanding?
I'd rather have Phil Neville - and I'm NOT joking, he's versatile, played consistently well at the highest level, and other than one penalty f*** up, has never really let anyone down

 

[Kinky Gerbil]

He has contributed NOTHING to England, other than a waste of two minutes while we're hanging on to a one goal lead.

What has he done for Bayern that's so outstanding?
I'd rather have Phil Neville - and I'm NOT joking, he's versatile, played consistently well at the highest level, and other than one penalty f*** up, has never really let anyone down

And letting Rui Costa run past him in 04 on his way to scoring.

What has Nevilledone for England apart form f*** up?

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

And letting Rui Costa run past him in 04 on his way to scoring.

Oh yes, we are arguing about squad players - Neville failed to stop one of the best players in the world at the time. Criminal

Seriously, Neville is solid 99% of the time, wheras Hargreaves offers no physical presence, his tackling is average, his passing weak, and he's not an attacking midfielder.

I just can't understand WHY you would want to pick him. I'd even rather have Nicky Butt in the squad - at least he has a purpose as a holding midfielder.

 

[Easy 10]

Easy, I can see where you're coming from but look at it this way: our starting XI is going to be:

1. Robinson
2. G Neville
3. A Cole
4. Ferdinand
5. Terry
6. Carrick
7. Lampard
8. Gerrard
9. Beckham
10.Owen
11.J. Cole.

Joe Cole will play off Owen. If we need height we bring on Crouch, if we need width we bring on Downing or Lennon.

If we're about to go into extra time we might put on Walcott, and if we reach the Q/F we might play Rooney.

So, in conclusion, I wouldn't get too hung up on the squad, as very few of those I haven't mentioned are likely to play much of a part.

If you look at it that way there's not much wrong with Sven's thinking. After all, he knows the nation has suffered a blow with Rooney, so by picking Walcott he's tapping into the 1998 Michael Owen scenario - and remember Owen then wasn't much older than Walcott is now.

Yes, but in 1998 Owen had already broken into the Liverpool team, and had been scoring goals regularly both for Liverpool AND England. Its not just an age thing, its the EXPERIENCE that is so massively, massively crucial when going into a World Cup. And Theo has ZILCH.

And your line up is ok on paper - although we're now talking about Cole possibly playing a role he has never done before, supporting Owen up front, when he has been SUPERB for England down the left. Thats rubbish, that is.

And can someone please tell me what the f*** happens if Owen isn't fit ? Because anyone who thinks Crouch and/or Walcott as a partnership in the World Cup this summer will be effective is doing no more than guessing and pissing in the wind. Which is EXACTLY what that f***ing IDIOT is doing with this squad.

 

[Easy 10]

This would be MY 23.

Robinson
James
Green

Terry
A Cole
Ferdinand
G Neville
Carragher
Cambell
Bridge

Beckham
Lampard
Gerrard
Carrick
J Cole
SWP
Downing


Owen
Rooney
Bent
Crouch
Ashton
Defoe

YES, I'd take 6 strikers, because we have severe doubts about the fitness of TWO of them. Not ideal, and the other 4 would be a LONG way from automatic selection for any of the big guns we're coming up against, but you've got to play the hand you've been dealt. We need PACE up front, and we need EXPERIENCE. We are up shit street with the strikers, so cutting your options and only taking 4 strikers is utterly idiotic, especially with one of them never even having played a first team game at a decent level. The games come thick and fast, so you HAVE to cover for injuries and suspensions.

EXPECT to lose Rooney
EXPECT to lose Owen
and have some f***ing COVER for it you spack.

 

[Skintagain 1983]

Ingerlund, Ingerlund, Ingerlund ...

 

[Withdean Wanderer]

THAT, is a quality 23 Easy10, i don't think i can fault any of it

 

[Icy Gull]

Bent
Ashton
Defoe

.

Guaranteed to be shit at the top level, so why take them? I'd also go along with a gamble on Walcott. It doesn't matter how good you are, if you can't catch someone and that might just be enough for Walcott to make the difference. The three you'd take will be snuffed out by a half reasonable defence and have you climbing the wall in frustration - Walcott just may score an Owen against Argentina type goal in a critical game, the three you've picked won't.

 

[¤DãŃn¥ §êãGüLL¤]

I'm not saying it isn't a huge gamble because it is.... but let's not forget Walcott is a MASSIVE massive talent and in the absence of Rooney who knows, he might well turn out to be our Gazza/Owen of this tournament... being so unknown to the opposition will be an advantage for him IMO, I just hope he doesn't get overawed by the occasion... even if he does only get 10 mins against Trinidad & Tobago which I expect is all he's likely to do.

 

[Easy 10]

Guaranteed to be shit at the top level, so why take them? I'd also go along with a gamble on Walcott. It doesn't matter how good you are, if you can't catch someone and that might just be enough for Walcott to make the difference. The three you'd take will be snuffed out by a half reasonable defence and have you climbing the wall in frustration - Walcott just may score an Owen against Argentina type goal in a critical game, the three you've picked won't.

Never said it was ideal. There is a paucity of quality english strikers, we've known it for years. But you're doing no more than guessing and speculating on a kid that NO-ONE has seen outside of reserve team level. You're throwing someone into a World Cup, crossing your fingers, and blindly HOPING that he might be able to something. Thats not gambling - thats straw-clutching.

ASHTON - has taken the step up to Premiership in his stride and not looked out of place. He's got games under his belt, scored some goals, and has looked the part. A good bustling player who can cope with the physical side of things very well.

BENT - has plundered 18 Premiership goals in a fairly poor Chalrton team. Her's pacey and bright, and shows good composure in front of goal.

DEFOE - not had a great season, but is one of the few strikers we have who has reasonable England experience, and with his pace is capable of causing problems. The kind of player who, given the chance, could hit a hot streak and grab himself a little cluster of goals.


None of that lot are world-beaters Icy, we KNOW that. But I would take each and every one of them over a young kid who none of us have even seen. No-one has the first clue HOW he'd handle being on that kind of stage, so pinning your hopes on a random pick like that is just daft. Its a no-brainer.

I just cannot believe ANYONE thinks Walcott is a viable option for Germany. I'm just left shaking my head in disbelief at Sven.

 

[Easy 10]

I'm not saying it isn't a huge gamble because it is.... but let's not forget Walcott is a MASSIVE massive talent and in the absence of Rooney who knows, he might well turn out to be our Gazza/Owen of this tournament... being so unknown to the opposition will be an advantage for him IMO, I just hope he doesn't get overawed by the occasion... even if he does only get 10 mins against Trinidad & Tobago which I expect is all he's likely to do.

HOW massive a talent ? Who knows ? How CAN we know until he's actually played ? Nobody. Sure he's got bags of POTENTIAL, but then so did Jake, or so we thought. Didn't quite work out when he was pitched in though did it. It was too soon, for the lad. He might come good one day, but the Championship was too big a step at this stage of his career, he needs to work up to it. And I'm sorry, but I cannot believe a teenager is SO GOOD that he can kick off in a World Cup Finals, agains world class defenders, and immediately look the part. Come on, this ain't Roy of the Rovers, it just doesn't WORK like that.

There's taking an educated gamble on a player who you have been forced into reconsidering due to circumstances, and theres taking a completely random punt on a kid who's done nothing but have a smattering of appearances at the arse-end of the Championship, and who has since not got beyond the Arsenal stiffs !

And you say he's only likely to get 10 minutes against Trinidad & Tobago, but at the moment, we've only got two fit strikers in the squad, and Theo is one of them !! If Owen doesn't fully recover, which is more than a distinct possibility, then Theo is going to be leading the f***ing line in the World Cup !!


And people are HAPPY with this gamble ? I think I need a lie down.

 

[Bluejuice]

I wouldn't go so far as to say I'm LIVID with Sven's selection but the striker thing is a desperate blow.

Rooney will not be anywhere near match fitness until the very end of the tournament at the earliest. Owen is struggling and should have been playing by now. Walcott has NEVER played a top flight match and I'm prepared to give Crouch a chance BUT that's not enough to take us through.

If Owen isn't fit for the start of the tournament who are we going to play? Crouch on his own? The whole argument for Crouch was that he was so good for Owen or A N Other striker, not as a lone front man. And the idea that we could play Walcott beggars belief.

As I recall Joe Cole was touted as the next big thing for many a year when he was a mere teenager. However, he didn't get capped for England until he was 20, and even then had to wait almost a year for his next cap. Granted, he's an integral part of the team now and I think he's a great player BUT he wasn't cutting it at the highest level despite all his promise and hype and it took him several years before he made it to the level he's at now.

So why is Walcott any different? Yes he's raved about, and yes he's surely got great potential but what exactly has he done to warrant a world cup place at this time?

Sorry but whilst I'm all for taking a gamble on a good prospect I really can't see the benefit in neglecting proven goalscorers in favour of a very young, inexperienced and totally untested teenage striker. To win your first cap before you've even played for your club, having been fit and available for a good many months now, is totally ludicrous.

I'd love to be proved wrong but say Owen doesn't make it and Crouch picks up an injury mid way through the first game. We are suddenly relying on a totally untesteed teenager to lead the front line.

Just can't see the sense in it.

Fringe gamble maybe, but we don't have spare places up for grabs in our strikeforce because our first choice pairing are injured. We need more options, not to pin our hopes on a player most of us have never seen.