England's Provisional World Cup Squad

[ABBEY]

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.

406170[/snapback]

think you will find that sven HASNT seen him in the flesh...according to talksport.

its 18 more than boy wonder...he may end up a superstar but this is an elite squad for the biggest tourment in the world ..SURLY YOU HAVE TO EARN A RIGHT TO BE IN IT!!!

[American]

Again, would you rather have Neville, P or Hargreaves? Those were the "utility" options.

[ABBEY]

Forwards: Michael Owen (Newcastle)=== big injury risk at the moment, Peter Crouch (Liverpool) ABSOLUTE @#/?, Wayne Rooney (Manchester Utd)=== NO CHANCE OF BEING FIT, Theo Walcott (Arsenal)===MAYBE NEXT WORLD CUP IF PROVEN

WHICH LEAVES US FARCE UP FRONT SIMLE AS.....if enogh cover then gamble on walcott but to leave all the strikers pout is baffleing.

[ultrablue]

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.

406170[/snapback]

In fairness how many times have any of us seen him anywhere? In fairness how many times has he played in a competative match? 23!!!

And people on here are applauding Sven for being adventurous??? Try downright mental!!!

We need goals, and sorry but a little 17 year old arsenal boot boy is not going to get a sniff!

Edited May 8, 2006 by ultrablue

[McClarky]

I think the manager has gone mad. You can't go to the world cup with players you haven't seen play. Walcott hasn't played a single game for Arsenal. Its mad. Downing, Lennon and Walcott are not even proven domestically over a decent period of time so why risk taking them all. Take 1 of them, 2 at most but 3?

And Owen Hargreaves, come on.

[BuckyRover]

Abbey's solution to our world class strikers being injured.

Is to bring in some players who definately aren't world class.

Keep up the good work....

I have seen Walcott play, and he seemed pretty decent.

Arsene Wenger said to Sven he should take Walcott, he can make an impact.

But Abbey would ignore Arsene Wenger and would pick Defoe (who has never played well for ENGLAND).

I can't wait for everybody to say Sven was right.

(Germany 1 - 5 England)

[nottsrover]

think you will find that sven HASNT seen him in the flesh...according to talksport.

its 18 more than boy wonder...he may end up a superstar but this is an elite squad for the biggest tourment in the world ..SURLY YOU HAVE TO EARN A RIGHT TO BE IN IT!!!

406180[/snapback]

He has seen him play in the flesh 3 times in training. BBC Report

On your logic of goals scored, the england strike force would be:

Darren Bent 18

Wayne Rooney 16

Marlon Harewood 14

James Beattie 10

That line up would strike fear into the likes of Argentina and Brazil! At the end of the day the only consideration when choosing the squad is whether or not the selected player can help England win the World Cup. I'm not sure whether Walcott is the man, only time will tell.

[RevidgeBlue]

I can only repeat what I said on the Walcott thread, and assume that either

a) Sven has lost the plot or

Knows what he is doing but is sticking two fingers up at everyone or

c) Is a lot more confident than the rest of us that Owen and/or Rooney will be fit

[Oklahoma]

I can't wait for everybody to say Sven was right.

406214[/snapback]

Doubt it will ever happen, even if England wins the WC.

[steven]

So looks like England are definitely playing 4-5-1 this summer

[Rovermatt]

did i mention

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

406173[/snapback]

I'll say it again, Hargreaves gets picked on his club form. He's just helped Bayern to a domestic double.

[ihtd]

As long as Hargreaves doesn't get on the pitch in the WC i will be happy. He has not exactly let the country down with his previous performances but it think that he isn't as good at the holding role as people think he is. I'd rather have Carrick play there should we need an holding player and i think Sven will use Carrick as the first choice anchor man.

[RoyRover]

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.

406170[/snapback]

Well it's pretty respectable considering that it was his first season in the Premiership and he had no support from the players around him at Charlton. He's the top English goalscorer in the Premiership and he doesn't make it onto the standby list, while Andy Johnson who has scored 14 goals in the Championship does.

And as someone has already said, if Walcott wasn't playing for Arsenal, then he wouldn't have been picked.

Edited May 9, 2006 by RoyRover

[American]

Hey, Tom Pringle is an unkown quantity for the opposing teams, and a proven goal scorer. Put him in the squad!

[cn_barlow]

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

406086[/snapback]

Maybe he's including Sol Campbell in that also...

Didn't he score against us in his early days as a striker?

Edited May 9, 2006 by cn_barlow

[gazsimm]

Why so many midfielders?

Hargeaves is not good enough for England, i don't understand why Erickson could not leave him out and either put Defoe or Bent in for extra cover up front. We don't need any extra cover in midfield we have got enough players allready for cover there

[roverich]

I don't think we will need extra cover upfront. He should have dropped a midfielder (Jenas) and brought in an 8th defender (Young). The fact that Rooney and Owen are included speaks volumes which everyone seems to single minded to see - if their doctors had said they would not be fit then they would not have been selected so therefore it's pretty safe to assume they will be fit! That leaves two strikers on the bench and Joe Cole is an excellent 5th choice forward. He's played fantastically for Chelski on many occasions right behind the front man!

[gazsimm]

We only have one fit striker who has played for england before in the squad at the moment and that Crouch so how can people say we have enough cover up front.

Rooney and Owen are a risk at the moment cos they are both injured and if they do come back might not be 100% and you knew how Beckham played the last world cup when he rushed back from injury, he was not the same player

As for Walcott ok he has great potential but he has not proven himself yet in the premier league never mind on the internation stage.

So to leave Defoe or Bent out of the squad for Hargreaves/JJ is bloody crazy to me

Edited May 9, 2006 by gazsimm

[Scotty]

This sum's up my feelings about the squad

[ultrablue]

I don't think we will need extra cover upfront. He should have dropped a midfielder (Jenas) and brought in an 8th defender (Young). The fact that Rooney and Owen are included speaks volumes which everyone seems to single minded to see - if their doctors had said they would not be fit then they would not have been selected so therefore it's pretty safe to assume they will be fit!

406369[/snapback]

haha!!! I didnt think there was anyone madder than Sven out there!!

8th defender?? you're right actually, lets just keep it tight at the back, give that Dwight Yorke an inch....

[ABBEY]

Abbey's solution to our world class strikers being injured.

Is to bring in some players who definately aren't world class.

Keep up the good work....

I have seen Walcott play, and he seemed pretty decent.

Arsene Wenger said to Sven he should take Walcott, he can make an impact.

But Abbey would ignore Arsene Wenger and would pick Defoe (who has never played well for ENGLAND).

I can't wait for everybody to say Sven was right.

(Germany 1 - 5 England)

406214[/snapback]

mmm??.....he seemed pretty decent///...well thats criteria i suppose for would be world champions.....would i ignore wengers advice ..well lets see wenger rates him that much hes not had a game(he may end up best in world ever ..but hes not done anything to warrent a place..tell me what he does done)

[BuckyRover]

For the first time this man speaks sense

Taylor: No win for Sven

[ABBEY]

He has seen him play in the flesh 3 times in training. BBC Report

On your logic of goals scored, the england strike force would be:

Darren Bent 18

Wayne Rooney 16

Marlon Harewood 14

James Beattie 10

That line up would strike fear into the likes of Argentina and Brazil!  At the end of the day the only consideration when choosing the squad is whether or not the selected player can help England win the World Cup. I'm not sure whether Walcott is the man, only time will tell.

406221[/snapback]

haha so rooneys not good enough wow!

i apologise ...he seen him training...wow and that proves what exactly ..christ they have plastic walls that dont move at free kicks and cones..ALLS I SAY IS WHATS HE DONE TO WARRENT A PLACE IN THE SQUAD..EVEN BRAD AS MORE EXPERIENCE OF BEING UP FRONT IN A BIG GAME...AND GRABBI

DONT EVEN GET ME GOING ON DAVINA JAMES..

[BuckyRover]

haha so rooneys not good enough wow!

i apologise ...he seen him training...wow and that proves what exactly ..christ they have plastic walls that dont move at free kicks and cones..ALLS I SAY IS WHATS HE DONE TO WARRENT A PLACE IN THE SQUAD..EVEN BRAD AS MORE EXPERIENCE OF BEING UP FRONT IN A BIG GAME...AND GRABBI

DONT EVEN GET ME GOING ON DAVINA JAMES..

406457[/snapback]

He warrants a place in the squad because the European Champions League finalists paid £10m for him, and Tord and his scouts deemed him good enough.

I thought Sven was boring not a maverick (his inept,boring,defensive substitutions cost us Euro2004 remember?)?

[ABBEY]

so paying £10million and watching a training session is good enough to "deserve" a place ???YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING TO THATT WARRENTS A PLACE IN THE ELITE SQUAD AND HE HASNT...ITS SIMPLE AS.

cant be arsed arguing no more but if you believe that then well alls i can say is arse paid £10 miliion if i remember right can he come along as well....