Walcott & Lennon in England squad

[Mac 10 †]

Walcott & Lennon in England squad

Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon are in England's provisional World Cup squad, but Shaun Wright-Phillips, Jermain Defoe and Ledley King miss out.
 
Walcott is one of only four strikers in Sven-Goran Eriksson's 23-man squad, alongside injured pair Wayne Rooney and Michael Owen, and Peter Crouch.

Darren Bent misses out, while Defoe is on a five-man standby list.

Middlesbrough winger Stewart Downing and Bayern Munich's Owen Hargreaves are other surprise inclusions.

Chelsea winger Wright-Phillips, an England squad regular this season, does not even make the standby list, which includes uncapped West Ham midfielder Nigel Reo-Coker and Crystal Palace striker Andy Johnson.

Eriksson admitted he was taking a gamble by selecting uncapped Walcott, who is yet to make a first-team appearance for Arsenal after joining from Southampton in January.

"It's a big gamble, I know it is. I am excited to see him, he's a big talent. And pace in football today is worth a lot," said the England coach, who will step down after the World Cup.

"For me it's a good squad, an interesting squad. There are some new players, some young players and it is an attacking squad with a lot of pace which is necessary in a World Cup."

Asked how he came to the decision to omit the likes of Defoe and Bent in favour of Walcott, Eriksson confessed: "Probably not too logically.

"Sometimes you do it on feelings as well and I am excited about Theo Walcott."

Walcott and Peter Crouch the only fully fit recognised strikers in the squad, with Rooney a major doubt.

But Eriksson said: "I think Michael Owen will be fully 100% fit to train with us from Monday. Rooney, it is just to wait and hope and see.

"I don't know exactly when he is going to do the next scan.

"But Joe Cole is a striker as well so in reality we have seven defenders, nine midfielders and five strikers - it is depending on how you use Joe Cole."

Eriksson must name his final squad on Monday 15 May, but he has until 24 hours before England's first game on 10 June to replace any injured players.

Provisional squad:
Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich); G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Crystal Palace).

[Don Seer]

no Wright-Phillips

at least Joe Cole made it

[Mac 10 †]

you gotta feel for bent and defoe, what more could they do?

[TheDeli]

4 forwards selected

2 injured Owen & Rooney - Owen will be fit but he won't have full match fitness or sharpness, & Rooney won't play at all in Germany IMO

1 Untried - Theo Walcott, not yet played for Arsenal no competitive football in about 6 months

1 Peter Crouch sorry but Peter Crouch is not the man that you want to be looking for to spearhead an attack heading into a world cup

No Defo or Bent - is Sven doing this to get back at the English media & public

Also Owen Hargreaves before Ledley King - Sven has lost it IMO


Though I would say that Aaron Lennon deserves to go to Germany more than SWP does

[KURUPTION-81]

you gotta feel for bent and defoe, what more could they do?

defoe aint performed this year, but i was still shocked sven picked a 17 year old who has never played in the premiership over a established goal scorer. Its a huge gamble, hopefully it will pay off, there is still a chance defoe could make the squad if it turns out rooney or owen wont play at all.

[Meho]

 

[On The Edge of Insanity]

Lennon ahead of Wright Phillips was a given as the for last couple of months Lennon has been on fire, whilst Wright Phillips has hardly played, but I must say Walcott did really suprise me, considering he hasn't played competitive football since joining Arsenal in January. I would have liked to see one of the other strikers (Defoe, Bent or even Ashton) taken instead of Hargreaves though, because a) he's useless and b) we already had enough central midfielders (Gerrard, Lampard, Beckham (if needs be), Carrick, Jenas, Joe Cole).

[Rud]

arggggghhhhhhhh, sven ffs

hargreaves? you taking the PISS? 
walcott! he better hope to hell it pays off

[bez]

Its just funny to me because he has tried loads of players to see how they perform but he has taken alot of shit players.

I would of even taken Phil Neville above Owen hargreeves.

Owen, Rooney, Wallcott?  Why? Just why?

[Jome]

4 forwards selected

2 injured Owen & Rooney - Owen will be fit but he won't have full match fitness or sharpness, & Rooney won't play at all in Germany IMO

1 Untried - Theo Walcott, not yet played for Arsenal no competitive football in about 6 months

1 Peter Crouch sorry but Peter Crouch is not the man that you want to be looking for to spearhead an attack heading into a world cup

No Defo or Bent - is Sven doing this to get back at the English media & public

Also Owen Hargreaves before Ledley King - Sven has lost it IMO


Though I would say that Aaron Lennon deserves to go to Germany more than SWP does

On point.

defoe aint performed this year

Defoe, 9 goals in the PL, Crouch, 7 goals.
In other words: Out of form Defoe >> In form Crouch.

Owen, Rooney, Wallcott?  Why? Just why?

You forgot the worst one. 
Beattie could replace Crouch with bigger success for the targetman place.

Svennis admitted that he had never seen Walcott play, nor spoken to him. 

[Rud]

Also Owen Hargreaves before Ledley King - Sven has lost it IMO

Ledley is further behind recovery than Rooney with a Metatarsel or he would be in there...

[Sweet & Tender Hooligan]

Certainly not his best squad by any means of the imagination. His squad for Euro 2004 was stronger than this. But crouch and walcott as a possible striker pairing?....HA!...with a combined total of 7 goals in one season. Yeh good choice sven!.....And if Alan Smith was fit i dont think Hargreaves would be there. How is Andy Johnson doing in the first division?....I would have had Bent in there no doubt.

And I bet Wright Philips wishes he had stayed at City now.

[Javier]

Have any of you guys seen this video of Theo Walcott?

https://www.youtube.com/v/bOIQtKzdKN0

[Leggy Hendrix]

i reckon i wouldve probably taken Defoe over Walcott, or even over Crouch...to me he is so over-rated...not sure he should even be in the squad...

[TheDeli]

Also Owen Hargreaves before Ledley King - Sven has lost it IMO

Ledley is further behind recovery than Rooney with a Metatarsel or he would be in there...

Ledley King will be fitter than Rooney come world cup time

Isn't Ledley King is about 3 weeks ahead of Rooney in the fitness battle?

Sven said that he left King out the squad since he;s injured and has enough quality cover in both defence & midfield (owen hargreaves - quality cover though what is his role in the England squad?) and has only 1 Wayne Rooney so thats why he selected him