No Theo in squad

[Give it to Ron]

According to SSN no Theo or Bent - Joe Cole selected

[Appy]

Good.

[Killers Knee]

Never improved after he left Saints. Got far too much money for him.

[Under Weststand]

Not to surprised at Theo being left out, not really done it this season has he? Can't believe we are taking that useless lump Heskey that miss against Japan was woeful. Glad Cole in he does offer something different, & appears to be getting back to full match fitness. Sky reporting that Carrick will be in the squad.

[Give it to Ron]

SWP in Adam Johnson out

[RonManager]

No Theo in squad?

 

By 'eck.

[fish fingers]

not surprised to be honest. He has been fairly useless over the last season and did nothing to help his cause in the last two friendlies.

[Killers Knee]

Wallcott, AJohnson, Bent, Baines, Dawson, Parker, Huddlestone out

[Hatch]

on current form Walcott is not in top 50 English players.

[Give it to Ron]

Wallcott, AJohnson, Bent, Baines, Dawson, Parker, Huddlestone out

 

Warnock instead of Baines...hmm thought he did well against Mexico considering he had Gerrard in front of him who went missing.

[Saint_clark]

Harsh on Dawson. Much better than Upson at least, and King IMO.

[Hatch]

UNlucky for Baines, but he had a shocker against Mexico.

[Micky]

Not surprised about Theo to be honest, he'll be gutted obviously, but on the up side - he has time on his side. Who knows, this may actually be a blessing in disguise for the kid.

[L1Minus10]

Warnock in because Baines was so bad against Mexico

Walcott and SWP both poor this season, SWP looked better against Japan.

Words fail me on Heskey being selected. He's never scored any goals and now we have 'doesn't play club football' to add to the list of why he shouln't be there.

Carrick is shiite, can't tackle, no urgency, out of form and always gives the ball away, Parker can tackle, plays with urgency, in good form, gives ball away as well but you can't have everything.

[Appy]

Baines seems to be pretty homesick and struggling with this much time away, that swung it to Warnock.

[Super_Uwe]

Not surprised about Theo to be honest, he'll be gutted obviously, but on the up side - he has time on his side. Who knows, this may actually be a blessing in disguise for the kid.

 

Agree. We still don't know 100% that he's not going but it would appear not.

 

I think it was his performances in these last two friendlies that may just have done it for him. He didn't really do enough to warrant his place, and to be honest we can't just pick players based on one absolutely sensational performance a couple of years.

 

He's still only 21 and could realistically make the next 3 World Cups - hopefully now he can really focus on upping his game and making the most of his undoubted talent.

[benjii]

Walcott, Bent, Dawson etc... largely irelevant.

 

The key is Joe Cole. Our most accomplished international ball-player by some distance. Thank goodness he is going.

[benjii]

Warnock in because Baines was so bad against Mexico

Walcott and SWP both poor this season, SWP looked better against Japan.

Words fail me on Heskey being selected. He's never scored any goals and now we have 'doesn't play club football' to add to the list of why he shouln't be there.

Carrick is shiite, can't tackle, no urgency, out of form and always gives the ball away, Parker can tackle, plays with urgency, in good form, gives ball away as well but you can't have everything.

 

I would take Parker over Carrick any day.

[Crab Lungs]

 

The key is Joe Cole. Our most accomplished international ball-player by some distance. Thank goodness he is going.

 

Amen to that.

[Cestrian Saint]

Thank god he's taking Joe Cole. We look like a different side when he plays.

Bit disappointed that Theo isn't going. I'd rather he went than SWP. However, the biggest joke has to be Heskey. He doesn't play first team football for his club. I can't remember the last goal he scored yet he's in the World Cup squad. Words fail me. Poor old Darrent Bent must be wondering what he has to do. Maybe Heskey's got some photo's of Capello that he's threatened to sell to the press?

Edited 1 June, 2010 by Cestrian Saint

[Jonnyboy]

i just think on his day theo can have that xfactor to change a game, fair enough joe cole, but not swp or heskey, also he did get that hatrick against croatia so he does have that,

 

just hope we can make it to the semis that would be a decent performance, and hope we dont get germany in the first knockout game...

[S-Clarke]

If it was a choice between taking Theo or Joe Cole, it's a no brainer - and Capello has made the right choice.

 

Theo 'should' improve in time, but he needs to realise that the pro game demands more than just pace - you need something at the end of it.

[Toomer]

Theo not going, tough he left us two seasons to early.

[The9]

No Theo is fair enough, but no Theo and TAKING SWP INSTEAD ?!?!?!? Mental.

[Leicestersaint]

Absolutely bonkers! I fully expect England to have a dreadful World Cup and to squeak through to the quarter finals where we lose.

[Sour Mash]

Why do fans use his first name? It should be "Walcott" not "Theo".

 

And yeah, he shouldn't have made the World Cup squad, so well done Capello.

[OldNick]

I dont rate Joe Cole and he is very lucky to have been selected.He doesnt come form a fotballing family background and i dont think he has the passion for the game. Too much of an individual. Having Walcotts pace to scare defences if Lennon is not getting any luck would be ideal IMO

[Saint_clark]

I dont rate Joe Cole and he is very lucky to have been selected.He doesnt come form a fotballing family background and i dont think he has the passion for the game. Too much of an individual. Having Walcotts pace to scare defences if Lennon is not getting any luck would be ideal IMO

 

Hang on, if Lennons pace isn't working then you should have Walcott on the bench to mix it up?

[Super_Uwe]

I dont rate Joe Cole and he is very lucky to have been selected.He doesnt come form a fotballing family background and i dont think he has the passion for the game. Too much of an individual. Having Walcotts pace to scare defences if Lennon is not getting any luck would be ideal IMO

 

I do agree to a certain extent with you, however I think Joe Cole's problem is that his talent was "watered down" to make him fit in better with mainstream football. He's had a bloody good career, don't get me wrong, but his abilities could have gone much, much further if allowed to develop properly. IMHO of course.

 

I've argued before that he has suffered from our demented mentality in the UK to have caged tiger, hard-tackling, no-nonsense s***house midfielders rather than these fancy-dan, "creative" types. He needed time to develop his end product but unfortunately he had to curb his attacking instincts in favour of a more conforming role (and to a certain extent you could argue this fits in with society as a whole although let's steer clear of that, haha!

 

Whilst Walcott's pace would certain be a real asset with 15min to go, JC can play across the midfield + as a support striker. If A Johnson and Lennon go, I suppose we can argue that's the pace we're looking for...

[OldNick]

Hang on, if Lennons pace isn't working then you should have Walcott on the bench to mix it up?

Both very quick but still different in their own way. Cole is not my cup of tea, yes we scoed from his cross saturday but it was going nowhere near an England player and we were fortunate.Football is about opinions, but i feel pace scares so many defenders and Walcott so nearly changed the game for Arsenal against barcelona with his directness and speed. The big teams like Germany Italy etc wont be fazed by Coles showboating

Does it mean that gareth barry got in afterall? So much for no injury risks being picked

[Soggy Bottom]

I dont rate Joe Cole and he is very lucky to have been selected.He doesnt come form a fotballing family background and i dont think he has the passion for the game. Too much of an individual. Having Walcotts pace to scare defences if Lennon is not getting any luck would be ideal IMO

 

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj_06hLQPdk

[OldNick]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gj_06hLQPdk

great goal in 2006, what does that prove?

[Crab Lungs]

great goal in 2006, what does that prove?

 

It's about 000.1% of what Joe Cole's about.

 

Please, I look forward to you uploading a highlights package of Theo Walcott crapping himself infront of defenders, passing sideways or in general, not actually doing anything.

 

Which is, apart from one night v Liverpool in the CL and a fairly 'good' performance versus Croatia, he's done all his career.

 

Sprinter, not a footballer.

[Hatch]

 

Which is, apart from one night v Liverpool in the CL and a fairly 'good' performance versus Croatia, he's done all his career.

 

Sprinter, not a footballer.

 

 

amen

[OldNick]

It's about 000.1% of what Joe Cole's about.

 

Please, I look forward to you uploading a highlights package of Theo Walcott crapping himself infront of defenders, passing sideways or in general, not actually doing anything.

 

Which is, apart from one night v Liverpool in the CL and a fairly 'good' performance versus Croatia, he's done all his career.

 

Sprinter, not a footballer.

personally it does not matter if it is Cole or Walcott both play for other clubs than i support. I have seen Cole play in games for England and he does not rock my boat. Walcott is basically about pace, but that unsettles the best defenders in the world.They hang back a little and that makes room for things to happen, Cole will play his stuff out by the byeline and they will double up on him and he becomes ineffective, all IMHO of course. He has yet to make himself irreplaceable at chelski as well.

I think it will be the same old England flattering to decieve and then go out with a whimper.

I want to be wrong and accept Capello knows his stuff, but pace is king in modern football.

ps i dont do uploading of clips of players. You can make the poorest look like MLT in a few seconds

Edited 1 June, 2010 by OldNick

[BallBoy]

Quite simply I think Walcott has more class and natural talent than SWP. His final ball is still lacking but Ronaldo was no better at 21. I think we are wasting a world class talent which SWP will never be. I think it's a shame.

[Thedelldays]

ian wright will be happy...will stop him from going on and on and on and on about SWP not going to the last WC

[St.Jeweller]

i blame Wenger for playing a natural goal scorer on the wing,

 

perhaps Theo could do him self a favour by playing for another club!!

[Hatch]

I've seen a lot of Walcott at the Emirates this season, he is a little boy lost in that current team.

[derry]

He just chose the wrong club and went too early. His last four years have been mostly wasted playing for a team whose style just doesn't suit his pace.

 

Wenger's teams play pattern football, keeping possession and requiring the players to play in the pattern. Walcott even when wide usually gets the ball with his back to goal. Both with England and Arsenal the fullback is looking to overlap which forces him inside and nullifies his pace.

 

A team like MU that plays pace wide would have been a much better option and would have utilised his lightning pace. He needs passes inside the defenders or to play on the break as Utd do. I don't know whether it was an option, I would be surprised if it wasn't, but I think if he had gone to Utd he would probably have been turned into an international regular.

[doubleonothing]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/philmcnulty/2010/06/walcott_the_victim_of_capello.html

[SNSUN]

Didn't impress in either friendly - SWP had a good cameo against the Japs. Wright-Phillips is much like Walcott in style, but has IMO a better end product.

 

Had Becks been fit, it'd have been a moot point, but he's not, so it isn't.

[Dark Munster]

i just think on his day theo can have that xfactor to change a game, fair enough joe cole, but not swp or heskey, also he did get that hatrick against croatia so he does have that,

 

just hope we can make it to the semis that would be a decent performance, and hope we dont get germany in the first knockout game...

I wouldn't mind getting them.... as long as it doesn't go to bloody penalties.

[Kingsbridge Saint]

SWP over Walcott is the wrong call. As is Heskey over just about anyone. Hart in goal, Cole in the middle and Rooney up front with Crouch and we have a shout. Don't let Lampard take the penalties - he's got the jitters.

[derry]

It turns out that against Mexico he was instructed by Capello to stay out wide and run the fullback outside. He was picked out by Capello during the DVD post mortem and heavily criticised for consistently coming inside.

 

Against Japan he was given the same instruction, stay wide and run the touchline, again he ignored the instruction and kept coming inside. Unfortunately it is the way Arsenal play but not the way England want him to play. He has been left out because he can't follow team plans.

 

It is now a make or break period for him. It wouldn't be a surprise if he looks for a move away from Arsenal. I think Wenger saw him as a natural successor to Thierry Henry at 16 but it hasn't turned out that way.

[Red Alert]

Theo needs a move away from Arsenal without a doubt in my mind. Really surprised he has been left out but if he isn't doing the job that Capello wants done then there is little else to it. Would have thought that Johnson would be picked ahead of SWP as he has had a great season after moving to City.

 

Walcott needs to get himself to a team that will let him use his pace to get at people, less sideways passing, just get the ball at his feet and run at defenders. Scare them, sadly I think he could be great at the spuds.

[saintant]

Theo does not have a football brain so I doubt he will ever improve beyond what we see from him for Arsenal and England. He is largely anonymous in most games and fails to take up good positions to receive the ball. With his pace he will always do the odd spectacular thing but you have to weigh that aginst the dross. He makes poor decisions about whether to run his full back or pass the ball. Time and again he ducks his responsibility by playing a nothing pass of five yards. His crossing is poor and he lacks the killer instinct to tease and torment his opponents. He does track back but really when you watch him he doesn't mark anyone or put in many tackles he tends to just stand in space. For large parts of games you will see him gently jogging forwards and back but not contributing a great deal. No way he deserved to be picked in the final 23 I'm afraid.

[West End Saint]

Not surprised Theo isn't going right decision for me.

 

Glad SWP & Joe Cole are going they both chip in with goals for England.

 

The only 1 I can't agree with is Heskey his finishing is pants I think he should have taken Bent

[Jonnyboy]

I wouldn't mind getting them.... as long as it doesn't go to bloody penalties.

 

people are writing them off which you just know means they will do bloody well :-(

[skintsaint]

see that Waddle laid into Walcott after not being selected for the WC squad. True in what Waddles says too.