Sven Goes Mental, David Dein Picks England Squad
May 8, 2006 by admin
Filed under Uncategorized
Someone pick me another reason out for Eriksson’s England squad selection please.
Anyone?
Mental doesn’t begin to explain it I don’t think. He’s got two injured strikers and to backthem up he picks Peter Crouch who is somewhat less than prolific in the Premiership and wait for it, yes, it’s worth waiting for….Theo Walcott, the youngster who can’t get on Arsenal’s bench. The same Theo Walcott who hasn’t started a single Premiership game in his career. Chosen ahead of Darren Bent who has been banging them in all season for Charlton and doesn’t even make the standby list and Jermain Defoe who just about made it onto the standby selection.
Aaron Lennon has been chosen on the right wing instead of Shaun Wright Philips and Sol Campbell, despite his injury, form and mental problems, has been chosen at centre back.
Ledley King misses out because of injury and Michael Dawson doesn’t even get a mention. Surprise, surprise. Stewart Downing gets a callup for the simple reason that he owns a left foot. Nice work if you can get it.
Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy Sven destroying England’s World Cup chances as much as the next non-Englishman but surely this is self destruction at it’s worst. An experimental squad is fine for a freidnly to test things out but for the World Cup? What a gamble.
Sven-Goran Eriksson’s provisional squad for the World Cup finals in Germany: Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich), G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).
Standby players for his England World Cup squad: Scott Carson, Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jermain Defoe, Andy Johnson.
DAVID DEIN for PM
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
You have no idea what you are talking about. David Dein has done nothing other than his job. He probably didn’t even talk to Sven. Naturally Sven asked Wenger how his young talent is getting on and YOU would have to be mad to think that Sven could be completely persuaded by Wenger to include a player who has never played in the premiership before. It was Sven’s choice. Imagine if Rooney is injured…to replace him you need a plyer with technique not goals. Joe Cole & Walcott have more technique than any other England striker. Dawson is mediocre as a top player and good to v.good as a youngster. Walcott is unknown as a top player but a world class youngster. You cannot attack without risk.
Sven has admitted to never having seen Walcott play. That’s no surprise seeing as the lad is lucky to get a game for Arsenal reserves. World Cup squad? You’re having a laugh.
Dawson mediocre? From a club that puts Senderos, Cygan and “Howlin’ Mad” Campbell out at centre back I have to assume you’re taking the piss.
Take off the plum blinkers old chap, you’ll be amazed how the world really looks.
Have to say it is strange to think the kid is not good enough to come on as a sub in a crucial Premiership game but good enough to do so in a crucial World Cup game… Anyway, being in the 23 is one thing, it doesn’t mean he will be on the pitch.
I guess the reasoning for Walcott is that as a sub you’d rather have somebody who can change the game, like him or Aaron Lennon, than just regular hard workers like Darren Bent.
Senderos, Cygan and Campbell were part of a defense that went ten games without conceding a goal in the CL, so they can’t be that bad. Senderos in particular is pretty well bloody close to brilliant and will get better.
The only reasons Walcott has not played for Arsenal are that he has had a series of small injuries since being signed, and that Arsenal have had to hold onto leads in tense games, instead of being able to relax in no pressure end of season games, so defensive players have often come on as subs rather than the pure attack of Walcott.
Far more worrying is the inclusion of Hargreaves and Jenas…how on earth did they get picked over Reo-Coker and Neville?
Firstly, Walcott was probably picked to bolster Sven’s CV. If Theo performs and makes an impact, foreign Chairmen/Club owners will view Sven as a maverick, easily forgetting that the guy couldn’t get near Brazil’s goal when they only had 10 men. Secondly, with Rooney uncertain, we really don’t have anyone who will instil doubt in the minds of defenders. Joe Cole is gifted, but I still think he doesn’t scare top class defenders.
As for Wright-Phillips, pls, it’s his own doing. If he’d stayed at City, or gone to Arsenal, he’d be there and probably at the expense of either Hargreaves or Jenas (do we really need both anyway). But he chose the money signing and he’ll have to sit there and slug it out or leave. Lennon will only get better. Further, any man who can play the way he did against Arsenal is in my squad (remember pretty much the whole Arsenal team will be playing for opposition @ the WC).
As for the rest, it’s pretty much Sven as usual. Hargreaves & Jenas – WHY? But he needs his usual boring defend tactics. Campbell – well, Sven loves the guy. However I support the inclusion of Downing. Yes he’s the only left footed midfielder we have, but he’s good. Remember, without his injury this season, he’d have got a few more England games under his belt. Further, without his service from the left, Middlesborough wouldn’t be in the UEFA Cup final. As for Reo-Coker – a bit early, but EURO Quals defo and P Neville – pls one of them is enough without taking the jinx with us as well!!!
Alan are you a scot? ever visited the faroe islands? wink!