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England Comment: Goodbye, Theo - Shaun Wright-Phillips Shows Why Walcott Shouldn't Go To The 2010 World Cup

All pace and no end product works against Sven's surprise 2006 selection

Mar 3, 2010 11:10:00 PM

زيزو

By Amar Singh | England Correspondent

The stage was set tonight for Theo Walcott to book his place in Fabio Capello’s World Cup squad and re-assume his position as England’s latest young ace.

In the past, the likes of Michael Owen, David Beckham and Paul Gascoigne have all become overnight superstars thanks to their dazzling World Cup displays and how England fans had dearly hoped that Walcott could be the next prodigal son this Summer.

But on a night which saw England struggle to get going against a skilful and confident Egypt side, the Arsenal star not only fluffed his lines  - he found himself upstaged by his rival for a right-wing berth

The ease in which the Manchester City winger marauded through the Egyptian defence in the second half, picking up a goal and assist along the way, only served to underline Walcott’s ineptness at this level.

Fabio Capello can ill afford to take David Beckham, Shaun Wright-Phillips, Theo Walcott and the injured but highly-rated Aaron Lennon all to the World Cup with him.

He is likely to pick two – or at a push - three – out of those four.

Beckham, for his dead ball threat will go. Wright-Phillips will surely be high up on Capello’s list following tonight’s display and should Lennon recover and get some playing time under his belt by May, he possesses the guile and craft that means he cannot be ruled out.

But on current form, Walcott has done little to warrant even being in Capello’s thoughts before he names his group of 22 players on June 1.

Indeed he was fortunate to start today’s match, after a series of below par performances from Arsenal this season after he returned from injury.

Capello gave him a chance – and he blew it.

Several times, he lost the ball too easily to Said Moawad or Hossam Ghaly and when his team-mates found him, he ran into blind alleys, unable to find a trick to beat the full back.

Tonight’s display was a far cry from Zagreb in September 2008, when Walcott became the youngest-ever England player to score a hat-trick.

But injuries and being in-and out of the Arsenal team mean that he has failed to develop as a player.

Nevertheless by being young, English and nice he gets an awful lot of good will.

Walcott is well-spoken, polite young man who many people instantly like after meeting him. We all want him to do well.

 Speaking ahead of the match, Arsenal legend Alan Smith told Goal.com UK:
“I am worried about Theo, as he has not been playing as well as we all know he can. Tonight’s a big, big night for him and I hope he makes the most of it.”
Sadly for Smith, and all the millions of others who were willing him on, Walcott did not.

In 2006 he was Sven Goran Eriksson’s surprise selection for his World Cup squad before the Swede took a real look at him in training and realised he was just far too young to play for England in Germany. Four years later little has changed.

On the football pitch, he is still a boy amongst men and should not be going to the World Cup.