Theo Walcott

[Guest Scot]

I've reconsidered. I think this is a gutsy move that will bear real fruit.

 

A young, unencumbered kid will burst onto this scene. Jenas and Hargreaves can f*ck off but Walcott is inspired.

[Maldini]

Walcott and Crouch are gonna look like Pinky and The Brain

[R A Softlad]

Owen 98

Rooney 02

Walcott 06

[Guest Scot]

Owen 98

Rooney 02

Walcott 06

Rooney 2004 but yeah exactly.

 

I get a Jason Robinson/Wayne Rooney/Michael Owen/Ryan Giggs feeling about this

[Guest Jack Bauer]

2006 is the year of Crouching Peter, Hidden Skill.

[_00_deathscar]

2006 is the year of Crouching Peter, Hidden Skill.

 

[Owen1978]

Alot of teams wont know what to expect of him, heck we dont know what to expect of him, expect some big suprises!

[Koogan]

Alot of teams wont know what to expect of him, heck we dont know what to expect of him, expect some big suprises!

 

That must be the Theo-ree

 

 

Coat?

[Benitez]

I've reconsidered. I think this is a gutsy move that will bear real fruit.

 

A young, unencumbered kid will burst onto this scene. Jenas and Hargreaves can f*ck off but Walcott is inspired.

 

Aye, I'm thinking that too. Although I still think Bent should have been picked as well, they could have picked both, and dumped Jenas and Hargreaves, two dull as pigchit footballers who shouldn't be needed anyway (England fans hope).

[sean]

I refuse to make a judgement on the basis I've not seen him play once. Just snippets. Much like Sven.

[Leo No.8]

I've reconsidered. I think this is a gutsy move that will bear real fruit.

 

A young, unencumbered kid will burst onto this scene. Jenas and Hargreaves can f*ck off but Walcott is inspired.

 

I agree - the kid will be the only player in our squad who can just go out and play. No expectations, no fear he can't lose...

[Des]

Alot of teams wont know what to expect of him, heck we dont know what to expect of him, expect some big suprises!

 

So you do know what to expect then - big surprises.

[Stevie H]

I've reconsidered. I think this is a gutsy move that will bear real fruit.

 

A young, unencumbered kid will burst onto this scene. Jenas and Hargreaves can f*ck off but Walcott is inspired.

 

i agree entirely with this. i can well see walcott having an impressive world cup, and aaron lennon likewise given the chance. having taken him in the squad now eriksson can hardly not play him as well. . .

[Gilps]

Owen 98

Rooney 02

Walcott 06

 

Owen had had a full season in the Liverpool team before 98. By the summer of 2004, Rooney had been in and around the Everton team for about 18 months.

 

Walcott might work out, but it's a far bigger gamble than Owen or Rooney were.

[Des]

Touch of Emperor's New Clothes here surely. Who are the toughest opposition Walcott's played against competitively? Reading? Not saying I won't be proved wrong but at the moment on what evidence is anyone basing their claim that his inclusion in a World Cup England squad is a"stroke of genius"?

[matty]

I've reconsidered. I think this is a gutsy move that will bear real fruit.

 

A young, unencumbered kid will burst onto this scene. Jenas and Hargreaves can f*ck off but Walcott is inspired.

 

Based on exactly what?? The fact that he played well against some Division 2 defences in 25 games?

 

It's a boolllocks decision. Can't believe people are falling for newspaper hype. Tabloid newspaper hype at that. The kid has been picked to divert attention from the Rooney injury. I feel sorry for him, he's only ever played football 4 levels below what he will now be expected to attempt - Premiership - European Club level - international level - Biggest tournament in the game.

 

Like asking a batsman for a village cricket team to go into the Ashes series.

 

Bulls*it.

[John am Rhein]

No expectations

 

[Gilps]

Touch of Emperor's New Clothes here surely. Who are the toughest opposition Walcott's played against competitively? Reading? Not saying I won't be proved wrong but at the moment on what evidence is anyone basing their claim that his inclusion in a World Cup England squad is a"stroke of genius"?

 

He scored against the mighty Leeds*, who are almost a top flight team again. So that's alright then.

 

*laudable in itself, to be fair

[Stevie H]

Based on exactly what?? The fact that he played well against some Division 2 defences in 25 games?

 

It's a boolllocks decision. Can't believe people are falling for newspaper hype. Tabloid newspaper hype at that. The kid has been picked to divert attention from the Rooney injury. I feel sorry for him, he's only ever played football 4 levels below what he will now be expected to attempt - Premiership - European Club level - international level - Biggest tournament in the game.

 

Like asking a batsman for a village cricket team to go into the Ashes series.

 

Bulls*it.

 

disagree. i'm certainly not falling for any tabloid hype. i think bent is ok, but not great. defoe is alright, but again not great. rooney and owen were / are intrinsically essential to england's world cup hopes, so if owen's 90% fit then he'll play, probably with crouch. i see no problem taking an unproven kid who has stacks of pace and ability to throw on as a random option from the bench if necessary. i'd rather walcott the wonderkid were sat on the bench than bent or vassell for example.

 

owen and rooney have proven previously that if you're good enough, you're old enough. walcott might not have the top level experience but he trains with thierry henry every day and if he didn't think walcott were up to it, could you see arsene wenger sanctioning his call-up?

[Gilps]

It's a boolllocks decision. Can't believe people are falling for newspaper hype. Tabloid newspaper hype at that.

 

Ah but Pele was an untried 17 year old in 58.

 

Apart from having made his league debut at 15 (scoring 4 goals in the process) and having around two years first team experience at that World Cup of course.

 

i'd rather walcott the wonderkid were sat on the bench than bent or vassell for example.

 

 

Why? What possible, sane reason is there for thinking that Walcott is more likely to have an impact coming off the bench than either of those two.

[wacko]

Bent and Defoe are hardly proven at the top level, either.

 

Hargreaves is a good pick because he is proven at the highest level. He has extensive CL and international experience. He's a decent holding midfielder and will free up Stevie to attack.

[Coyler]

Touch of Emperor's New Clothes here surely.

Touch of Sven holding up as collatoral a piece of paper on which he has a handwritten order for a suit of Emperor's New Clothes in invisible ink.

[matty]

disagree. i'm certainly not falling for any tabloid hype. i think bent is ok, but not great. defoe is alright, but again not great. rooney and owen were / are intrinsically essential to england's world cup hopes, so if owen's 90% fit then he'll play, probably with crouch. i see no problem taking an unproven kid who has stacks of pace and ability to throw on as a random option from the bench if necessary. i'd rather walcott the wonderkid were sat on the bench than bent or vassell for example.

 

owen and rooney have proven previously that if you're good enough, you're old enough. walcott might not have the top level experience but he trains with thierry henry every day and if he didn't think walcott were up to it, could you see arsene wenger sanctioning his call-up?

 

How many times have you seen him play? The Manager of England is going into the World Cup with a player he's never seen. That alone is ridiculous.

 

How do you know he's a wonderkid? He might be (awaits smirk) a genuine flat track bully. I wouldn't have picked Bent myself, but Defoe has at least some pedigree in the premiership as a fairly classy forward, and has played pretty well for England on the chances he's had. Feck I might even have taken bleedin' Beattie before a kid who's done NOTHING.

 

Wenger's opinion is almost irrelevant. I can see the logic behind him and Dein also wanting to distract attention from Henry's imminent departure by hyping up his latest expensive teenager though.

[smithdown]

How many times have you seen him play? The Manager of England is going into the World Cup with a player he's never seen.

 

 

 

Its funny cos its true.

 

He's the greatest player the world has never seen.

[Stevie H]

How many times have you seen him play? The Manager of England is going into the World Cup with a player he's never seen. That alone is ridiculous.

 

How do you know he's a wonderkid? He might be (awaits smirk) a genuine flat track bully. I wouldn't have picked Bent myself, but Defoe has at least some pedigree in the premiership as a fairly classy forward, and has played pretty well for England on the chances he's had. Feck I might even have taken bleedin' Beattie before a kid who's done NOTHING.

 

Wenger's opinion is almost irrelevant. I can see the logic behind him and Dein also wanting to distract attention from Henry's imminent departure by hyping up his latest expensive teenager though.

 

i've seen him play two games on telly for southampton. he's a raw talent who has pace and ability, but yeah, of course it's ridiculous. eriksson never having seen him play given the number of games the freeloading get goes to i find pretty amazing.

 

i think defoe will go anyway 'cos there's zero chance of rooney being fit. and defoe will be there as backup should owen break down or not prove fit enough. but then given a choice between having bent, beattie, vassell or walcott on the bench as a random throwaway option, i don't see the problem in having something unknown. you know what you're getting with bent, beattie and vassell and it's that none of them is good enough for international football. at least with walcott you don't know that yet - he could have an owenesque impact due to having no fear.

 

your last paragraph is unusually paranoid for you.