Walcott Situation

[CHAPPERS]

There is a good chance that our World Cup strikeforce will be Crouch and Walcott with no one in reserve for injuries, suspensions or poor form. That is madness when you could have taken Defoe, Bent or Johnson.

There is also a good chance that the strike force will be Owen and Crouch which has worked brilliantly for England in the past. There is also the chance that if Owen gets injured then Defoe will be called into the sqwuad and he'll paly up with Crouch. There is also the option that Joe Cole will play the Rooney role with Owen or Crouch, or even Gerrard will play that role.

There are many options before we resort to playing Crouch and Walcoot, why can't people see this?

And you never know, Rooney might get fit.

If the worst happens and ou two strikers get injured we still ahve back up but we'd also have been very unlucky with injuries.

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Other.

Brazil took an unknown 17 year old to the World Cup in Sweden in 1958.

He helped win them the world cup.

His name was Pele. You may have heard of him.

 

[Silent Bob]

Pele had played a reasonable amount of games for Santos by that point.

Besides that was the 50s, things are a lot different now.

 

[Turkey]

I'm very very very happy to see Theo in.

I don't see it as Bent etc or Theo

but

Jenas........?

Should have been 5 strikers including Theo.

Having said that everyone says oh no we only have two fit strikers. In 6 weeks we will know far more about Owen and Rooney's fitness and Sven can replace them with Defoe and Johnson.

 

[Les Biehn]

Other.

Brazil took an unknown 17 year old to the World Cup in Sweden in 1958.

He helped win them the world cup.

His name was Pele. You may have heard of him.

It was a totally different game in 1958 and how many 17yr olds do you know who turned out to be as good as Pele. the other thing is if a country took an unknow 17yr old and he was crap in 1958 you would never have heard of him.

 

[Hannibal smith]

Well we might as well pick a team of 17yr old potential stars and see how they get on.

Its just the one 17 year old though - As Tooting says we've been down this road before. If he picks Bent / Defoe etc Sven is criticised for playing it safe, Walcott he gets criticised for gambling.

I'm with Chappers - there are many up front options (Gerrrard behind Owen, Cole behind owen, Crouch and Owen or Defoe if Owen is not fit) before we end with Walcott up front - Personally I would have had a 5th striker but only 2 keepers - When have we ever used 2 keepers let alone 3?

 

[Dandyman]

David Dein.

 

[Turkey]

Its just the one 17 year old though - As Tooting says we've been down this road before. If he picks Bent / Defoe etc Sven is criticised for playing it safe, Walcott he gets criticised for gambling.

Exactly. Prior to the announcement he was being criticised for not having a plan B.

 

[Les Biehn]

I don't think picking the best available forwards is conservative, I have never said that and never will.

 

[Les Biehn]

Exactly. Prior to the announcement he was being criticised for not having a plan B.

I think most people meant a tactical Plan B, not a Plan Z where the f*** did he get that idea from plan.

 

[Half Time Pies]

According to the coaching staff at Arsenal in tests Walcott is faster than Henry! With that kind of pace he would seriously worry defences and could have the potential to make a real influence on the game.

As far as I am concerned he is a risk worth taking as lets face it we are not going to win the world cup with Jermaine Defoe, Andy Johnson or Darren Bent upfront (lets face it none of them are world class).

Walcott plays with some of the best players in the Premiership/ Europe at Arsenal and if he can shine amongst them then he has a good chance of making an impact + at his age he is liable to have a no fear attitude.

How about we give the lad a chance and wait and see what he has to offer before passing Judgement?

 

[Gwylan]

Personally I would have had a 5th striker but only 2 keepers - When have we ever used 2 keepers let alone 3?

But you just know that if we took two keepers then Robinson would go down with food poisoning and James would crick his neck playing computer games...

Personally, like many people, I think Walcott's a good choice but as one of five forwards. But it's an interesting choice and certainly not a mad one.

 

[Les Biehn]

Another point is people keep banging on about how Wenger knows it all. Well if this is true and Wenger doesn't think he is ready for his Premiership debut who is he ready for the world cup?

 

[Scoffers]

He picked Theo so that Nancy had a toyboy to play with in Germany, which lets Sven free to sample the local frauleins (totty)

 

[Pavilionaire]

The thing that mystifies me is that if he's of a standard good enough to make the England squad then how come he hasn't figured yet for Arsenal? Wenger may be a cvnt, but he's not a stupid cvnt.

I don't have a big problem with the Walcott selection provided the other 22 selections were spot on, which they're not. Sven has left us a striker short - Defoe or Bent for either Hargreaves or Jenas should have been the call if he was insistent on taking Walcott.

 

[Scoffers]

Seriously, I picked Wenger, on the basis that if Arsene had sad no, he wouldnt have picked him

 

[Les Biehn]

The thing that mystifies me is that if he's of a standard good enough to make the England squad then how come he hasn't figured yet for Arsenal? Wenger may be a cvnt, but he's not a stupid cvnt.

I don't have a big problem with the Walcott selection provided the other 22 selections were spot on, which they're not. Sven has left us a striker short - Defoe or Bent for either Hargreaves or Jenas should have been the call if he was insistent on taking Walcott.

Spot on.

 

[Easy 10]

I can only see 3 reasons why Sven would have picked Walcott,

1. Wenger wanted him to. The lad hasn't played so to keep Wenger's so called record of 'developing' young talent up and to keep the lads spirits up Wenger has exerted pressure for him to play.

2. Big Stevie M wanted him to. SM sees Walcott as part of his future squad and has asked Sven to take him at the expense of a more appropriate striker.

3. Sven is an even worse manager than I thought, going from one extreme (conservatism) to another (impulse selection).

What do ya reckon?

Well I think Sven did it deliberately to ANNOY me.

 

[Pavilionaire]

Maybe he picked Walcott for the holding role you covet Easy? The new Nobby Stiles perhaps?

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Pele had played a reasonable amount of games for Santos by that point.

Besides that was the 50s, things are a lot different now.

Hes also had a few games for Southampton. So whilst not the same quality he has had first team experience.

Anyway who said youth has no fear?