Like many a youngster in modern Britain, Theo Walcott has recently been plunged into a push-me-pull-you custody battle.
After his hat-trick in Zagreb, a trio of goals which turned the nation’s expectations on its head, everyone wants to spend a little time with the lad. Fabio Capello, the England manager, is particularly anxious that he takes a short break with the senior national team in that well-known holiday resort of Kazakhstan next June, to help ensure qualification for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Stuart Pearce, the man who nurtured his early international development, would rather the Arsenal flier accompanied him to Sweden at that time, where the finals of the European Under-21 Championship are to take place.
Yesterday, Capello appeared to ease ahead in this scrap for access. “Theo is ready, for sure,” he said. “He has to play for the seniors.”
It seems an easy call. And Walcott’s club manager, Arsene Wenger, agrees with Capello, even claiming that to pick the 19-year-old for the under-21s would be psychologically damaging now he has become so integral to the seniors.
Yet, tough as it is to contradict Wenger when it comes to considering what is best for the furtherance of English football interests, in this instance conventional wisdom surely needs to be challenged.
In Italy, they take the under-21s seriously. Their belief is that a cadre of players can be nurtured through the age ranges, triumphing in tournaments, taking the winning habit with them as a group into the seniors. In England, the under-21s generally consist of those not considered good enough for elevation, and consequently never win anything. The three most capped English Under-21s of all time – James Milner, Scott Carson and Tom Huddlestone – have two full caps between them.
Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, never played for that age group, progressing straight to the first team. It might not appear to matter. Except at the last time of looking, Italy were world champions and England did not qualify for Euro 2008.
Pearce, therefore, has a point: maybe it is a good idea to send the strongest possible team to Sweden to try to win something for a change. Particularly as – unless Saturday proves otherwise – England should be able to secure maximum points in Kazakhstan even without their new sensation.
Put Walcott in the under-21s, win the tournament and see what a difference it makes a couple of years down the line. It is a plausible theory. Though there is one slight drawback. To qualify for Sweden, Pearce’s under-21s have to beat Wales in a two-legged play-off on Friday and next Tuesday. And they will have to do that without Walcott. Right now he is required elsewhere.
(telegraph)
After his hat-trick in Zagreb, a trio of goals which turned the nation’s expectations on its head, everyone wants to spend a little time with the lad. Fabio Capello, the England manager, is particularly anxious that he takes a short break with the senior national team in that well-known holiday resort of Kazakhstan next June, to help ensure qualification for the World Cup.
Meanwhile, Stuart Pearce, the man who nurtured his early international development, would rather the Arsenal flier accompanied him to Sweden at that time, where the finals of the European Under-21 Championship are to take place.
Yesterday, Capello appeared to ease ahead in this scrap for access. “Theo is ready, for sure,” he said. “He has to play for the seniors.”
It seems an easy call. And Walcott’s club manager, Arsene Wenger, agrees with Capello, even claiming that to pick the 19-year-old for the under-21s would be psychologically damaging now he has become so integral to the seniors.
Yet, tough as it is to contradict Wenger when it comes to considering what is best for the furtherance of English football interests, in this instance conventional wisdom surely needs to be challenged.
In Italy, they take the under-21s seriously. Their belief is that a cadre of players can be nurtured through the age ranges, triumphing in tournaments, taking the winning habit with them as a group into the seniors. In England, the under-21s generally consist of those not considered good enough for elevation, and consequently never win anything. The three most capped English Under-21s of all time – James Milner, Scott Carson and Tom Huddlestone – have two full caps between them.
Wayne Rooney, meanwhile, never played for that age group, progressing straight to the first team. It might not appear to matter. Except at the last time of looking, Italy were world champions and England did not qualify for Euro 2008.
Pearce, therefore, has a point: maybe it is a good idea to send the strongest possible team to Sweden to try to win something for a change. Particularly as – unless Saturday proves otherwise – England should be able to secure maximum points in Kazakhstan even without their new sensation.
Put Walcott in the under-21s, win the tournament and see what a difference it makes a couple of years down the line. It is a plausible theory. Though there is one slight drawback. To qualify for Sweden, Pearce’s under-21s have to beat Wales in a two-legged play-off on Friday and next Tuesday. And they will have to do that without Walcott. Right now he is required elsewhere.
(telegraph)
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