Sven is a twat.

[enigma]

Ranieri brought Gallas and Cech as relative unknowns, Lampard and Cole for prices that now seem a pitance, Robben and made Terry a first team regular, in less time then Wenger brought all his stars through. Would you trust his judgement this explicitly?

I'm sorry, but Cech and Gallas werent unknowns. Gallas was highly rated in the French League and had played in the champions league for Marseille.

Cech was wanted by teams across Europe, its just that noone wanted to pay the fee.

 

[Les Biehn]

I think it is the right decision not to take Bent, I think they have looked at him and decided via training and that one game that he is not good enough. Defoe's form this season has been below standard and until he learns to look up, well he does not deserve to play for England. Johnson not leaving Palace has counted against him. Fowler, well read his book to see why he will not be picked. I would have taken Vassell, as he does score for England, but somebody on here was saying he was injured.

So then you are looking elsewhere for a forward, Sven has taken a punt and we shall see. But if he had gone with Bent, who the coaching staff have reservations over and he had played and failed, they would have been slated for that decision.

Bent, Defoe, Ashton, Harewood, even Bradley Wright-Phillips or Carlton Cole should have been ahead of him. At least they all have Prem experience. At least Sven has seen them play. And how do you knoe the coaching staff had reservations about Bent.

 

[Easy 10]

Fantastic.

Am others to share.

How about that El Presidente is a cleaning living soul that wants all smut banned.

Or that Cardinal Canning has never had a pint of scrumpy?

Or that I am not going to attempt to consume my body weight in beer at Yapton Beer Festival this Saturday?

Note to Easy;

I am fecking bored.

Come on Uncle. There's nothing like a good CONSPIRACY theory to get yer teeth into to pass the time.

OK, so mine is nothing like a good conspiracy theory. But admit it, whilst it may not hold a LOT of water, its not COMPLETELY leakproof.

 

[Les Biehn]

I'm sorry, but Cech and Gallas werent unknowns. Gallas was highly rated in the French League and had played in the champions league for Marseille.

Cech was wanted by teams across Europe, its just that noone wanted to pay the fee.

Alright but pretty much unknowns in this country in the way Viera or Petit were. One was at AC Milan and I believe the other had been in the French squad. Don't forget that Cygan was also French player of the year and look how he turned out. Wenger's eye for a player isn't perfect and he doesn't always pluck players from obscurity.

 

[Uncle Buck]

Bent, Defoe, Ashton, Harewood, even Bradley Wright-Phillips or Carlton Cole should have been ahead of him. At least they all have Prem experience. At least Sven has seen them play. And how do you knoe the coaching staff had reservations about Bent.

Well he has been in every squad this season and got on the pitch once. That suggests that they have not be overly impressed with the lad.

 

[Les Biehn]

Well he has been in every squad this season and got on the pitch once. That suggests that they have not be overly impressed with the lad.

This is another one of my problems with the selection. Sven tries every player under the sun and then plumps for a 17yr old with no Prem experience.

 

[Uncle Buck]

This is another one of my problems with the selection. Sven tries every player under the sun and then plumps for a 17yr old with no Prem experience.

I would say in the last 3 seasons or so his squad selection has been pretty consistent. To start with he capped a lot of players, but recently, the USA Tour aside, the selection has been fairly stable.

Regarding the strikers, to me, it just shows that aside from Owen and Rooney, how few options we actually have.

 

[Easy 10]

Alright but pretty much unknowns in this country in the way Viera or Petit were. One was at AC Milan and I believe the other had been in the French squad. Don't forget that Cygan was also French player of the year and look how he turned out. Wenger's eye for a player isn't perfect and he doesn't always pluck players from obscurity.

We're getting sidetracked.
Wenger is indisputably a SUPERB manager, no two ways about it. Most of the time, he is absolutely spot-on when it comes to spotting young talented players.

But that STILL doesn't give the likes of Eriksson carte-blanche to blindly take Wengers word for it that Walcott is the right player for his England team in the World Cup. This is ERIKSSONS squad, so it has to be ERIKSSON who watches and ultimately decides who to take. He shouldn't be relying on other peoples opinions, regardless of how good a manager they are. As England manager, its his business to know for HIMSELF, not rely on 2nd hand information.

Whatever spin he puts on it, this is a f***ing sick joke.

 

[Les Biehn]

We're getting sidetracked.
Wenger is indisputably a SUPERB manager, no two ways about it. Most of the time, he is absolutely spot-on when it comes to spotting young talented players.

But that STILL doesn't give the likes of Eriksson carte-blanche to blindly take Wengers word for it that Walcott is the right player for his England team in the World Cup. This is ERIKSSONS squad, so it has to be ERIKSSON who watches and ultimately decides who to take. He shouldn't be relying on other peoples opinions, regardless of how good a manager they are. As England manager, its his business to know for HIMSELF, not rely on 2nd hand information.

Whatever spin he puts on it, this is a f***ing sick joke.

Got to go along with that.

 

[Uncle Buck]

We're getting sidetracked.
Wenger is indisputably a SUPERB manager, no two ways about it. Most of the time, he is absolutely spot-on when it comes to spotting young talented players.

But that STILL doesn't give the likes of Eriksson carte-blanche to blindly take Wengers word for it that Walcott is the right player for his England team in the World Cup. This is ERIKSSONS squad, so it has to be ERIKSSON who watches and ultimately decides who to take. He shouldn't be relying on other peoples opinions, regardless of how good a manager they are. As England manager, its his business to know for HIMSELF, not rely on 2nd hand information.

Whatever spin he puts on it, this is a f***ing sick joke.

I think it is a huge risk.

I think what is shows is other than Owen and Rooney, just how short we are of decent strikers.

If you look at the keepers we could well have to take along Liverpool's third choice keeper who has been playing at the arse end of the Championship for the last few months, which again is a worry.

 

[Mendoza]

Sven is in a win win situation, so it doesnt matter what risk he is taking.
If Walcott comes off and turns out to be the wonderkid Wenger, Dave Merrington and the rest of Southampton make him out to be, everyone is happy

If Walcott doesnt prove to be a sucess and doesnt do well, Sven is in his last game for England and McClaren is left to pick up the pieces

McClaren would love Walcott, Lennon and Downing in the team, especially if we need to score 4 goals in the 2nd half, he would chuck them all on and say CHARGE! and instead of Maccaroni to score in the last minute we will have crouch, or cole!

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Ranieri brought Gallas and Cech as relative unknowns, Lampard and Cole for prices that now seem a pitance, Robben and made Terry a first team regular, in less time then Wenger brought all his stars through. Would you trust his judgement this explicitly?

That's a classic Robben was bought by Mourinho, and just beat off competition from Man Utd for his signature. Lampard & Cole were bought on the cheap, but only by a struggling West Ham - hardly unknowns. And Cole was shit until Mourinho came along. Terry had been tipped to be a Chelsea captain from the age of 15.

 

[Les Biehn]

That's a classic Robben was bought by Mourinho, and just beat off competition from Man Utd for his signature. Lampard & Cole were bought on the cheap, but only by a struggling West Ham - hardly unknowns. And Cole was shit until Mourinho came along. Terry had been tipped to be a Chelsea captain from the age of 15.

From the telegraph;

'Ranieri signed Makelele, Joe Cole, Hernan Crespo and Damien Duff. Before he was sacked a year later, deals for Petr Cech and Arjen Robben had been agreed.'

When Lampard was bought West Ham weren't struggling, I also never said they were unknowns. Veira had been tipped to be a world class player, that is why AC Milan had bought him but that doesn't stop people thinking that Wenger pulled a masterstroke by seeing his potential when his was in AC Milan's reserves. Just like Terry was a reserve when Ranieri arrived.

 

[Stumpy Tim]

Ah yes, but Viera had failed to live up to expectations while Robben has been class wherever he's been.

To be honest anyway - it's the coach that makes a player. No coincidence that established Arsenal players like Tony Adams as well as new players like Anelka & Viera thrived under Wenger. Wenger just seems to get the best out of almost all his players - look how average Anelka became after he left Arsenal, and how Viera isn't the player he was. And look at how players like John Terry, Joe Cole & Frank Lampard have grown as players since Mourinho came to Chelsea

 

[BensGrandad]

Walcott hasn't played for Arsenal in the premiership because to quote AW ' he had to learn to play the Arsenal way' He has however, been on the bench for every Champions League tie.

The reason Ledley King is not going is because he is injured and we have an able utility deputy in Jamie Carragher who could fulfill all the roles that Ledley King does and is fit.

 

[sten_super]

OK I hardly ever post on here, normally enjoy just laughing at other people posting comical things, but this Arsenal and "Arsene Wenger is a genius and picks players out of his arse and makes them all world-class" is over-stated rubbish. As has been said, Vieira was highly rated, he was Renne's youngest ever captain at the age of 19 before moving to Milan. Anelka came through the French youth system, even then playing a year above his contemporaries, and scored shit loads of goals at the French Academy alongside a certain Thierry Henry. Henry played as a striker for Monaco and was the top scorer in the Champions League in I think 97/98, so was hardly an unknown right winger. Barcelona were mightily pissed off when Fabregas left for Arsenal because they KNEW that he was going to be bloody brilliant. But I'll give you Toure and Eboue. While he can pick out good players, his main ability seems to be persuading them to come to Arsenal, when he already knows that they are going to be brilliant. So while I would put some value on Wenger's POV, I would agree that we shouldn't take it as gospel.

So anyway, getting back on topic. Taking Walcott is a gamble, and I think probably a good one, or certainly would have been had he been going as a 5th striker. As 4th striker it strikes me as worrying, but then again there's no point taking Defoe or Bent if Sven has no intention of playing them...

 

[Les Biehn]

OK I hardly ever post on here, normally enjoy just laughing at other people posting comical things, but this Arsenal and "Arsene Wenger is a genius and picks players out of his arse and makes them all world-class" is over-stated rubbish. As has been said, Vieira was highly rated, he was Renne's youngest ever captain at the age of 19 before moving to Milan. Anelka came through the French youth system, even then playing a year above his contemporaries, and scored shit loads of goals at the French Academy alongside a certain Thierry Henry. Henry played as a striker for Monaco and was the top scorer in the Champions League in I think 97/98, so was hardly an unknown right winger. Barcelona were mightily pissed off when Fabregas left for Arsenal because they KNEW that he was going to be bloody brilliant. But I'll give you Toure and Eboue. While he can pick out good players, his main ability seems to be persuading them to come to Arsenal, when he already knows that they are going to be brilliant. So while I would put some value on Wenger's POV, I would agree that we shouldn't take it as gospel.

So anyway, getting back on topic. Taking Walcott is a gamble, and I think probably a good one, or certainly would have been had he been going as a 5th striker. As 4th striker it strikes me as worrying, but then again there's no point taking Defoe or Bent if Sven has no intention of playing them...

Good balanced post, not sure I agree with the taking of Walcott but at least you see it for the gamble it is.

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

OK I hardly ever post on here, normally enjoy just laughing at other people posting comical things, but this Arsenal and "Arsene Wenger is a genius and picks players out of his arse and makes them all world-class" is over-stated rubbish.

Well ................. if it was so easy every manager at every club would be doing it. But it clearly isn't that easy.

 

[Les Biehn]

Well ................. if it was so easy every manager at every club would be doing it. But it clearly isn't that easy.

I don't think he was saying it was easy just people need to be a bit more realistic about what Wenger has done.

 

[enigma]

Walcott hasn't played for Arsenal in the premiership because to quote AW ' he had to learn to play the Arsenal way' He has however, been on the bench for every Champions League tie.

The reason Ledley King is not going is because he is injured and we have an able utility deputy in Jamie Carragher who could fulfill all the roles that Ledley King does and is fit.

Bollocks. Carragher fills both full back positions, I have never seen King play in either of those, and King can play in midfield whereas Carragher hasnt for years.

Carragher was always going to go anyway.