England's Provisional World Cup Squad

[AllRoverAsia]

i dont know why, but why hasnt anyone mentioned robbie fowler? he's bang in form at the moment, looks really revitalised, and is at the very least experienced in big games. i'd have taken him given the situation england's currently in; well at least sven didnt take defoe, who besides being selfish is really quite useless.

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And Robbie could hold Michaels betting slips

[frosty]

No Wright-Phillips? He poses more of a threat than Beckham.

Disgrace, as is Bent not being in.

[grizfoot]

Questionable choices

Jermaine Jenas & Owen Hargreaves - Do we really need both of them. They're similar sort of players and we could do with another striker in the squad.

Aaron Lennon - I agree with the inclusion of Lennon. He's been brillaint for Spuds this season and as more match practise than SWP.

Theo Walcott - Don't know how you can pick a player with no premiership or international experience over the likes of Darrent Bent who has 18 premiership goals to his name. If he didn't play for Arsenal he wouldn't even have been though of, simple as.

[ultrablue]

I literally want to cry, but i just can't stop laughing!! WALCOTT??!!! Bent, Defoe, Beattie, Folwer, Johnson, Harewood, Bentley, even Kevin Davies had more chance of making the squad!!

What really make me angry is that Sven will not be held accountable for his ineptitudes because he is foreign!! There should be a 100 journalists followed by an army of England fans making him explain what the hell he thinks he is doing!! But they know that all they will get is "Aaaa I think he is a good player" and can only shrug their shoulders!

I'm sorry but can you imagine if an Englishman had picked this squad! he would be hounded night and day!!

I can understand that we may all, as England fans, want to get behind the team and show we are united, but there comes a time when we have to wonder if this guy is on our side! He needs to be given the chop right now, its unacceptable and it is unacceptable if the FA and especially the newspapers dont force him out by the end of the week!

If I was Darren Bent or Jermaine Defoe I would announce my international retirement now- they can not do anything more to warrant a call up!

[grizfoot]

Scoring Records - English Strikers

Theo Walcott - uncapped

4 goals in 21 games (Championship Level - Southampton)

Darren Bent - 1 cap, 0 goals

18 goals in 36 games (Premiership - Charlton)

47 goals in 103 games (Championship - Ipswich)

Jermaine Defoe - 15 caps, 1 goal

29 goals in 86 games (Premiership - Spurs)

29 goals in 93 games (Premiership - West Ham)

Andrew Johnson - 2 caps, 0 goals

74 goals in 141 games (Premiership & Championship - Crystasl Palace)

James Beattie - 4 caps, 0 goals

11 goals in 43 games (Premiership - Everton)

68 goals in 202 games (Premiership - Southampton)

Marlon Harewood - uncapped

44 goals in 110 games (Premiership & Championship - West Ham)

Emile Heskey - 43 caps, 5 goals

14 goals in 68 games (Premiership - Birmingham)

[Rover4ever]

Svens lost it, he doesnt have the guts to say no to any Arsenal/Spurs propsect, wtf is Jenas doing in there?

And Walcotts an allright gamble, but not when your only other fully fit striker is Crouch.

Bent should be in there instead of Jenas, and not sure whether Sol should have been picked ahead of Wes Brown

[rog of the rovers]

Makes you wonder again, what role does David Dein have in the F.A.?

[ultrablue]

Lennon is a gamble, fair play, but Walcott is insanity! I cant believe that anyone can be positive right now!!!

[Napoleon]

Walcott being chosen is unbelievable. I feel like Sven has lost it somewhat, but my biggest criticism of him has been his unadventurous tactics and selections so I can't feel too aggrieved at him finally trying something different. It does show how he's wasted so many friendlies as several players in this group have little or no England experience.

[American]

I don't think Hargreaves is a terrible choice. He has some versatility. My guess is it was him over P. Neville.

[ultrablue]

Lennon is a gamble, fair play, but Walcott is insanity! I cant believe that anyone can be positive right now!!!

[Rovermatt]

I see, we'll be playing a 4-6-0 formation.

What is the stupid tit on ?. He putsJUs, and then has only 2 that are fit enough to play. Does this prick know anything about using a squad for the world cup ?. Why don't we include the bloke who got burnt in the Falklands war (if he isn't Welsh), the black wheelchair basketball player and Boris Johnson ?. At least all of those will be fit(ish) and play better than that useless Canadian tw_t Owen Hargreaves.

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Hargreaves plays in midfield for Bayern Munich. He's hardly useless.

Anyway, the inclusion of Walcott is very strange. Almost as strange as the total exclusion of Darren Bent. He's a player who has been in absolutely lethal form all season yet makes way for a championship striker who has been injured all year. Bizarre.

Edited May 8, 2006 by Rovermatt

[RoyRover]

Some very strange choices by Sven, but then again you wouldn't expect anything else. Like most people have said, the fact that he has only put four strikers in his provisional squad seems very strange. Two aren't fit and Rooney has little or no chance of playing at all, Peter Crouch isn't great and Theo Walcott hasn't even played for Arsenal yet, let alone England. I can see where Sven is coming from with Theo, he's young, confident, very quick and could make an impact. But you have to wonder if he is ready for international football, not that you'd know, because he hasn't played. I find it hugely disrespectful that Darren Bent, the leading English goal scorer hasn't even made it onto the stand-by list, while Defoe and Johnson have, after pretty mediocre seasons. There's no need for Carrick, Jenas and Hargreaves all to be in the squad, at the expense of a striker.

No wonder people will be happy when he leaves.

[Flopsy]

3 strikers, 1 crock and Joe Cole thats 4.5 in my book

[ultrablue]

Joe Cole a striker?? Sven just makes it up as he goes along!! .....

[ABBEY]

Darren Bent scored more prem goals than any of the strikers he's taking, and that's playing for one of the worst teams in the prem that I've seen.

Never so obvious as now that Sven only picks players from his fave clubs

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FK STOOOPID SWEDE PILLOCK...HATE HIM BIG TIME A;LWAYS HAVE SINCE HE SHAT ON UNKLE JACK

[ABBEY]

GET SHUT OF HIM NOW AND GET MACCA STARTED ,,LIKE IT OR NOT MACCA IS NEXT SO GIVE HIM THE CHOICE OF PLAYERS..

[roverich]

Have faith!

[rover6]

I literally want to cry, but i just can't stop laughing!! WALCOTT??!!! Bent, Defoe, Beattie, Folwer, Johnson, Harewood, Bentley, even Kevin Davies had more chance of making the squad!!

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I just hope that you and Abbey and the others will have the guts to accept that you were so wrong when the time comes. I will be if I'm wrong but I am pretty sure that Sven has made the right move in including Walcott.

You (and others) have fallen into the trap of expecting a squad of the best English players based on the records rather than thinking of a squad of players capable of winning the World Cup.

You may not see the nuance but there is a difference. For example, Defoe might be a top English striker but what sort of substitute is he? If he's a rubbish sub, WHY TAKE HIM? because chances are that he won't start a game.

Everyone's saying Walcott's something special. Is Darren Bent something special? No, he's just a decent striker who had a good season. With Crouch filling the target man role, in the World Cup we will need a player capable of the exceptional to help us if Rooney isn't doing it. Walcott could be the man/boy.

And btw have Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole never played as second strikers? I think the hysteria is uncalled for. I don't rate Sven but this squad has restored a modicum of my faith in him.

Edited May 8, 2006 by rover6

[Oklahoma]

I was quite surprised by the selection he made.

It all comes down to what team he's planning on using.

I would bet it will be 4-5-1.

If it's 4-4-2, Crouch and other up front.

[joey_big_nose]

Well I think Sven has answered his critics superbly. Everybody bangs on "too conservative", "boring", "lack of imagination".

He has shown real imagination when we are in a genuine crisis with three of the picks: Walcott, Downing and Lennon. These are unknowns who can cause a real impact in the world cup.

As for Rooney I guess if he doesn't make it Defoe will be called up as a replacement.

It's all a bit of a gamble, but this is what the public have been asking for.

Go on Sven.

[ultrablue]

I just hope that you and Abbey and the others will have the guts to accept that you were so wrong when the time comes. I will be if I'm wrong but I am pretty sure that Sven has made the right move in including Walcott.

You (and others) have fallen into the trap of expecting a squad of the best English players based on the records rather than thinking of a squad of players capable of winning the World Cup.

You may not see the nuance but there is a difference. For example, Defoe might be a top English striker but what sort of substitute is he? If he's a rubbish sub, WHY TAKE HIM? because chances are that he won't start a game.

Everyone's saying Walcott's something special. Is Darren Bent something special? No, he's just a decent striker who had a good season. With Crouch filling the target man role, in the World Cup we will need a player capable of the exceptional to help us if Rooney isn't doing it.  Walcott could be the man/boy.

And btw have Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole never played as second strikers? I think the hysteria is uncalled for. I don't rate Sven but this squad has restored a modicum of my faith in him.

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Simply not true- the inclusion of Walcott as a striker is not at all tactically sound. We have goals coming from midfield, we have the option of the pace and trickery of Joe Cole and Aaron Lennon. We have the option of the crossing abilityof Downing and Beckham. What we really need is a proven goalscorer upfront to come on and put the chances away. If Owen doesnt look to be on form then the impact we need is no from another player coming in from wide- we have that already. The impact is from a player with a proven recent record of finishing chances and putting his head in in the 6 yard box. Walcott fulfils none of these! In fact he doesnt even fulfil any criteria for any of the positions we need- he hasn't played!!!!

[ABBEY]

rovers6 in your undoubted superior knowledge to us mere mortals what has Walcott done that merits a place in the squad ????

how MANY times have you seen him in the flesh?

ericsson is a complete tool and i was slagged on here for sayin exactly that after his appointment.

[nottsrover]

In fairness Abbey, how many times have you seen Walcott in the flesh? Sven has watched him in person and judged him a better bet than his rivals.

I'm not sure why everyone is banging on about Darren Bent. He had a good start to the season but has certainly not been on fire over the last few weeks. 18 goals in a premiership season is not exactly setting the world on fire.

[Flopsy]

did i mention

OWEN HARGREAVES????? Owen bloody hargreaves?? what does he have on sven to keep getting picked

other than that Im happy with the squad

Neville P and Heskey arent in it - Great