Post by Salem6 on May 9, 2006 17:05:12 GMT
I'm not crazy says Eriksson as wonder boy Walcott
heads for World Cup
By Sam Wallace, Football Correspondent
Published: 09 May 2006
sport.independent.co.uk/football/news/article362877.ece
He called it the "gamble" but as bets go even the most
fearless punters among the England team would not have
backed Sven Goran Eriksson to pick Theo Walcott in his
World Cup finals squad. He was 17 years and 53 days
old yesterday and not only has Walcott never played
for Arsenal in the Premiership, but Eriksson has never
seen him play a competitive match.
There were gasps of surprise as Walcott's name was
beamed on to the big screen at the Café Royal on
Regent Street, at the announcement of the England
squad yesterday - and he was joined by another
uncapped player, Aaron Lennon of Tottenham Hotspur.
"I'm not crazy," protested Eriksson on the day he
shook off his image as one of international football's
conservatives and pinned his reputation on the
nation's emergent generation.
Walcott's inclusion was not a complete surprise. It
became clear on Sunday night, as reported in The
Independent yesterday, that he would play some part in
the squad, although he was expected to be one of the
five reserves selected by Eriksson. Instead, the Swede
decided to put his faith in the teenager on the basis
of the recommendation of the Arsenal manager, Arsène
Wenger, a couple of training sessions and a few video
recordings of Walcott's matches.
It was a bold, remarkable decision that may be an
enormous risk but certainly had the effect of
reinvigorating an England World Cup campaign in danger
of being undone by the injuries to Wayne Rooney and,
to a lesser extent, Michael Owen. Eriksson also gave a
place to Middlesbrough's winger, Stewart Downing, but
relegated Jermain Defoe to the reserves and excluded
Shaun Wright-Phillips, Darren Bent and the injured
Ledley King.
The day belonged to a new, risk-taking Eriksson who
defied prediction, shrugging off the notion that he is
cautious by nature. Consider that he gave Rooney his
debut against Australia in February 2003 at the age of
17 years and 111 days, a record Walcott will break
when he gets his first full cap - most probably in the
friendly against Hungary on 30 May. Eriksson said he
had finalised the decision to pick Walcott yesterday
morning, but he looked like a man who had complete
confidence in his judgement.
"I have thought about it a lot during the last month,"
he said. "It is a gamble, of course, but it is a nice
one and he is a great talent. The pace he has is
incredible and among 23 players you can take one
gamble. Probably it is not logical, but sometimes you
do things on a feeling. I am excited by Theo Walcott
and I cannot wait to start working with him. I think
it is important that [other teams know little about
him]. Maybe it is not logical but sometimes things
work out very well without being logical. It is a
gamble but I like the idea very much."
Pace was what Eriksson talked about the most when it
came to Walcott and the teenager has it in abundance.
The England coach said that if he was to be used in
matches it would be when the game opened up and
allowed the 17-year-old to exploit the space. He last
saw Walcott play on Saturday in an 11-a-side practice
match at Arsenal's training ground played on half a
pitch. "I don't think Arsène Wenger and Theo Walcott
think he is going to play seven games [at the World
Cup] for 90 minutes each but he will start on the
bench and if there is space we may use his pace,"
Eriksson said.
"I don't know if other managers will think I am crazy
but I don't think I am. If you expect him to have the
impact of Pele in 1958 we are absolutely talking about
the wrong thing. I am excited about it, that's good
and I think he [Walcott] will be a happy man today."
Eriksson had his first conversations with Wenger about
Walcott in February and has watched him in two
training sessions as well as studying videos of the 23
games he played for Southampton before his January
move to Arsenal for a £5m fee that could rise to £12m.
Walcott has been scouted by his advisers, Tord Grip
and Ray Clemence, but Eriksson did point out he had
not sought the advice of Sir Clive Woodward, who is
Southampton's director of football.
Yesterday, English football's latest young superstar
played in the reserves for Arsenal against an Irish
Under-21 team, the level he has occupied since his
move to the club. He is likely to play his first game
with his new colleagues in a B international against
Belarus at the Madejski Stadium on 24 May. He is also
likely to be excused from Arsenal's Champions' League
final squad - the closest he has come to the first
team is being named on the bench twice this season in
Europe.
It was a remarkable day for Walcott and Lennon, but
heartbreaking for Defoe and Bent, after the latter had
scored 22 goals for Charlton this season.
Wright-Phillips must consider his move to Chelsea for
£21m a disaster after failing to make the first team
and playing himself out of contention for England.
King's broken metatarsal is the fourth of his left
foot and Eriksson considers himself well covered for
centre-backs.
The Crystal Palace striker, Andy Johnson, has edged
back into the five reserves and another two uncapped
players - West Ham's captain, Nigel Reo-Coker, and
Liverpool's goalkeeper, Scott Carson - are among the
back-up. There was no place for Phil Neville or Wes
Brown.
The England manager said that a second scan on
Rooney's broken metatarsal, the fourth of his right
foot, in two weeks' time would give a better idea of
his fitness. On Owen, Eriksson claimed that the
26-year-old would have been fit to play on Sunday but
had been rested. The player was, he said, "a little
bit afraid" of getting injured.
Yesterday saw a very different Eriksson, impervious to
the criticism as ever but bullish about a decision to
include Walcott that has left the nation's football
fans astonished. "You have to make a decision," was
the Swede's simple mantra. "Of course, a lot of
players are disappointed and I am disappointed I
cannot take more than 23. I thought a lot about this
squad, but my final decision is what you see in front
of you."
England's A list: New faces join old hands while youth
combines with experience to bring pace to attack
GOALKEEPERS
* PAUL ROBINSON
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age 26 Caps 19 Goals 0
* DAVID JAMES
Club: Manchester City Age 35 Caps 33 Goals 0
* ROBERT GREEN
Club: Norwich City Age 26 Caps 1 Goals 0
DEFENDERS
* GARY NEVILLE
Club: Manchester United Age 31 Caps 78 Goals 0
* RIO FERDINAND
Club: Manchester United Age 27 Caps 45 Goals 1
* JOHN TERRY
Club: Chelsea Age 25 Caps 22 Goals 0
* ASHLEY COLE
Club: Arsenal Age 25 Caps 44 Goals 0
* SOL CAMPBELL
Club: Arsenal Age 31 Caps 66 Goals 1
* JAMIE CARRAGHER
Club: Liverpool Age 28 Caps 23 Goals 0
* WAYNE BRIDGE
Club: Chelsea Age 25 Caps 22 Goals 1
MIDFIELDERS
* DAVID BECKHAM
Club: Real Madrid Age 31 Caps 87 Goals 16
* MICHAEL CARRICK
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age 24 Caps 5 Goals 0
* FRANK LAMPARD
Club: Chelsea Age 27 Caps 38 Goals 10
* STEVEN GERRARD
Club: Liverpool Age 25 Caps 40 Goals 6
* OWEN HARGREAVES
Club: Bayern Munich Age 25 Caps 29 Goals 0
* JERMAINE JENAS
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age 23 Caps 15 Goals 0
* STEWART DOWNING
Club: Middlesbrough Age 21 Caps 1 Goals 0
* JOE COLE
Club: Chelsea Age 24 Caps 30 Goals 5
* AARON LENNON
Club: Tottenham Hotspur Age 19 Caps 0 Goals 0
FORWARDS
* WAYNE ROONEY
Club: Manchester United Age 20 Caps 29 Goals 11
* MICHAEL OWEN
Club: Newcastle United Age 26 Caps 75 Goals 35
* PETER CROUCH
Club: Liverpool Age 25 Caps 5 Goals 1
* THEO WALCOTT
Club: Arsenal Age 17 Caps 0 Goals 0
England's B List: Those who did not pass the audition
for Sven Goran Eriksson's No 1 band
* JERMAIN DEFOE His THFC manager, Martin Jol,
describes his omission from Sven Goran Eriksson's 23
as "amazing". He may only have scored nine times this
season, but recent evidence suggests he is as sharp as
ever in front of goal. He is on standby, and Jol
believes injuries to others may see him called up.
* DARREN BENT The Charlton striker was understandably
"really disappointed" at yesterday's unexpected
omission, pointing to the 22 goals he has scored in
all competitions as evidence in his favour. At 22,
there is still time for him, though he could surely
have reasonably expected to be on standby at least.
* SHAUN WRIGHT-PHILLIPS Not long after assuring Stuart
Pearce that he would be staying at Manchester City,
the speedy winger decamped to Chelsea for £21m. Bad
move. A measly 10 Premiership starts later, and Sven
Goran Eriksson was persuaded that the equally speedy
Aaron Lennon would be a better bet.
* LEDLEY KING Once the curse of the metatarsals
struck, the accomplished defender/midfielder's World
Cup was in doubt. He was still in most observers'
predicted squads - but Eriksson, having used up all
his gambling instincts on Theo Walcott and Aaron
Lennon, has played safe and left King at home.