finally a england player blames svens wc squad!!!

finally a england player blames svens wc squad!!!

England striker Michael Owen has criticised outgoing Three Lions coach Sven Goran Eriksson, insisting Wayne Rooney's lone striking role contributed to his dismissal against Portugal and that the Swede should not have gambled on untried Arsenal teenager Theo Walcott.

Owen, who saw his World Cup ended prematurely due to a cruciate ligament injury, has been one of Eriksson's most trusted lieutenants over the last five years but with the coach's reign coming to an end the Newcastle striker has cast a critical eye over the campaign in Germany.

The former Real Madrid and Liverpool star has attacked Eriksson's decision to employ Rooney as a lone striker after his own injury against Sweden, hinting that his frustration in an isolated role could have contributed to his second half dismissal for stamping on Ricardo Carvalho.

Owen also believes that the 4-5-1 system used against Ecuador and Portugal in the knockout stages reduced Rooney's effectiveness on the biggest stage of all.

"He probably only got angry because of what happened in the first hour. It's a frustrating role to play," Owen told ITV.

"Wayne is one of the best strikers in the world and you're cutting one of his legs off if you play one up front."

Even with Owen injured Eriksson did not show faith in youngster Walcott, after shocking the football world by picking the 17-year-old in his World Cup squad despite the fact that the Arsenal starlet has never made a Premiership appearance.

Asked whether Eriksson's reign represented progression for the national side, Owen's judgement was damning, and the Newcastle man also insisted that the World Cup was not the time to be experimenting with untried hopefuls.

"I'm not sure whether you can judge it as that [progressive] really because every four years there's a tournament - and forget blooding players in this tournament to be good in the next," Owen added.

"The World Cup is a now thing and we've let a big opportunity slip. It's a major disappointment getting knocked out by Portugal.

"Player for player, I'm convinced we were the best team in the tournament, yet we're out in the quarter-finals again.

"I'm not one of those who goes into tournaments thinking why we never win.

"It's an English mentality to think like that but we should snap out of it. We've won a World Cup, so we are not serial losers.

"But we've got to know how to win more."

England's campaign in Germany suffered from the usual heavy level of expectation from the media and players alike, and Owen stated that the pressure heaped on The Three Lions was an inhibiting factor during the tournament.

After a disappointing World Cup in which England again failed to get past the quarter finals, Owen also insisted that the country's stars needed to replicate their fine domestic form on a more regular basis.

"There's so much pressure, people are probably worried about letting the shackles go in case their man scores and they are going to be the scapegoat.

"In my eyes there are far too many players - myself included - who don't play as well for England as they do at club level."

Wheres that from? Cant imagine Owen speaking his mind, soon Big Al will be forming his own opinions aswell

arsehole

sven did nothing to big up owen to the press anbd he was his second name on his team sheat everytime

i saw that interview on the telly, think he made some valid points.

Not really all he is saying is what most fans are thinking.

Owen was in the squad on merit his goal scoring record speaks for its self for england.

Sven tatics and squad selection for this wc seems to have baffled everybody.

What a twat Owen is like, i cant belive he's came out and said that. The only reason he's said it is because its what the fans think and he wants the light taken off himself for beeing a FAILURE for England in the world cup and a FRAUD for Newcastle.

If i was Roder i'd be looking to sell him for as much as possible and get somone in who's actualy going to get a full season of Football. Saying that though i dont actualy think any of the big clubs would look at him.

How is he a fraud and a failure the guy is england best goal scorer of his generation its not his fault he is injured.

Newcastle knew his injury record when they bought him they took a gamble which has not come off yet.

He recovers fitness and starts scoring again you words will look very shortsighted.

Reading in other papers today alot of the england team have been unhappy with svens tactics and squad selection this world cup the guys entitled to say what he thinks.

No doubt. Then he'll get injured again.

Owen isnt entertaining to watch at all, he can go 89 minutes and do fuck all then pop up and get a goal. Id rather just see somone working all game and getting a couple.

Jambon again showing he knows fuck all about football

Like sven cares now!:evil:

Yeah he mucked up big time, there was absolutely no reason to take Walcott when he had no intentions of playing him, he knew owen wasn't fully fit and Rooney was coming back from an injury, do there was a big chance that either or both would get injured leaving him noone but Crouch, he should have taken another forward. People will go on about him taking Walcott to give him the experience, but at the end of the day England needed to win the trophy there n then and should have taken enother proven striker, they had 2 years till the european championships to actually see how Walcott plays under pressure.

His team selection was laughable at times, playing 2 plays in midfield which are vertually moulds of each other in lampard and gerrard. Whenever England were under pressure it was always McClaren up and screaming at the team and not sven, as a player you need to know the managers in charge, having him sit on his arse whilst youse play shit is hardly a confidense booster.

You could go on because England had a class squad that should have done better.

Another thing Mcclaren is taking over now, do people think much will change because tbh he's been there all world cup and obviously would have been an influence in major decisions till now?

sven fucked up massivley, he should have played walcott no doubt, fair enough it would have been a gamble but it ould be worth doing.

Thats my point, the kid would have gained nothing more than a top up of his tan out there, so if he wasn't gonna play him why take him, especially when he knew his top 2 strikers were crocked and unfit.

i think he tried to mess it up for us in the first place, people can argue all they want but i think he did

Why though? If england look shite he looks shite, and therefor would struggle to get a decent job elsewhere.

No. I can't see much, if anything, changing. As you said, he is likely to have made a lot of managerial decisions during this World Cup.

We needed to bring someone in that currently has nothing to do with the present team. Somebody who isn't afraid to make big changes and also drop some of the big name "regular" players in favour of players who are actually in form. One example being Lampard. Imo he had a shocking world cup but we still kept him on the pitch. Don't get me wrong, he's a great player but we could've moved Beckham inside and played Lennon on the right (from the k.o.) during the Sweden game to see if it could work over 90mins.

Glad Sven's pissed off now. His heart was never in the game and the players had too much influence over team selection as well. A manager shouldn't be afraid to put his players in their place and show them who is the real boss.

the F.A. need sorting out as well why have they wasted so much money on sven.

Yes he has done better than Keegan

But his constant messing about with squad in friendlys and his basic lack of passion are things that should of been picked up on sooner.

At least he gave rooney/lennon their international debuts and got rid of David James.

got rid of david james?

must be my mistake but im sure he was in the england squad for the world cup???

also im sure it was sven who gave james his run in the engalnd staring 11???

And to be fair Paul Robinson not exactly a great keeper either, compared to Buffon, Cech, Lehman and dare i say it Barthez, Robinson is a liability, bring back Seaman...

David james first played for england in 1997.

Before sven.

Robinson is hardly a liability just like the rest of english squad he is not that good at penalty shoot outs.

Renzo are you scottish by any chance.