England World Cup Squad Announced
08/05/06 05:14 PM
There are obviously far better websites than this to get your World Cup information, I just thought I’d make my my feelings known on the squad Sven announced today.
What the hell?!
He’s taking Theo blimmin’ Walcott! The Theo Walcott with the same amount of Premiership experience as me! Dunno if Sven’s gambling big-time because he’s offski after the tournament, but if he’s being picked purely because he’s quick, it could be a mistake. Naturally because I’ve said that he’ll come on as a sub and knock in a match-winning goal, but…
For the record, England’s provisional 23-man World Cup squad is:
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich), G Neville (Man Utd), R Ferdinand (Man Utd), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Man Utd), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).
...With five stand-by players:
Scott Carson, Luke Young, Nigel Reo-Coker, Jermain Defoe, Andy Johnson.
No King, Defoe, Wright-Phillips or Bent. Defoe hasn’t been playing particularly well I suppose, but surely Darren Bent can feel slightly aggrieved? The leading English goalscorer and all that.
Actually I agree with not taking him as every season there’s an ‘unknown’ who comes from nowhere and kicks ass for one season (read: Marcus Stewart, Kevin Phillips, Andy Johnson…), but I can
see his argument. Wright-Phillips’ Chelski greediness has come back to haunt him in the end and he’s lost out to Aaron Lennon, a player who does look pretty good. Dunno how good he’d be up against Maldini or whoever, but we might get to find out.
At least Sven’s love-affair with the painfully shit Owen Hargreaves is set to continue (75 mins gone, England substitution – aaah, what a surprise, it’s Hargreaves. He’s gonna change a game).
The Guardian have a fantastic description about my favourite Welsh-Canadian German:
Bayern Munich midfielder Owen Hargreaves, a man who gives the impression that he would survive the fall-out from a nuclear holocaust.
Quality. Other options? How about Robbie Fowler? Sven’s obviously played the pace card in picking Walcott and Lennon, but if Owen doesn’t make it what poachers do we have? Walcott, Crouch, Owen and Rooney certainly wouldn’t have been the four strikers I would have put my money on. Let’s face it it’s not exactly the Ronaldo, Adriano, Ronaldinho, Kaka, Robinho etc strikeforce that other nations can call upon!
Oh man we’re gonna play one up front aren’t we. With Hargreaves as an anchor, ha ha…
And I don’t think Rooney should go, much as I’d like him to. Harsh game, is footy.
So what does anyone think?
commenting closed for this article
On Monday May 8, 2006,
Steve Tucker said:
Not to be a cup-half-empty kinda guy but I have to agree with most of that. I am glad Sven’s kept in some of the more senior players, particularly Gary Neville who I’ve always liked. However every world cup upon hearing our team anouncement I always feel exactly the same – the team isnt as good as it was 4 years ago. I personally think Sven’s had enough.
On Monday May 8, 2006,
David David said:
yeah i agree…
our england team of the 2002 World Cup which included Danny Mills, Nicky Butt, Emile Heskey and Trevor Sinclair is miles stronger than Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham and Joe Cole.
“Mrs Bent, phone call from your husband… he does not sound that happy”
On Monday May 8, 2006,
kitsimons said:
I don’t “get” Crouch at all. He’s only in there to fool the opposition into thinking he’s a lanky sod who can head the ball… it’ll take them all of 20 minutes to figure out he can’t.
I’d go along with most of the rest tho…