Anyone else just a little annoyed with the selection made by Sven? Theo Walcott is arguably one of the biggest talents in the English game. But to pick a 17 year old with no Premiership experience and only 15 starts in the Championship is ridiculous. Especially when he's left out Jermain DeFoe and Darren Bent - the top English scorer in the Premiership this Season.
The non-inclusion of Shaun Wright-Phillips and Ledley King I find a bit frustrating also but nothing compared to the Walcott.

Ledley King's injured - if he gets himself fit he'll be put on standby. Wright-Phillips has been out of form recently, and Lennon has been flying, but I agree Wright-Phillips should be on standby.

I'm a big fan of Walcott, and I think if you're good enough, you're old enough. All the talk has been of Defoe and Darren Bent, but I think Walcott could be a secret weapon at the World Cup like Owen was in '98. I was delighted he got picked - Wenger himself thought he should be in there and thats some endorsement - but I thought it should have been as one of 5 strikers, not 4. I thought Defoe should have been in the squad as well, and Sven should have taken someone out of the midfield like Jenas, who doesn't really add anything.

Sven has gone for pace with this squad, pure and simple. It is a gamble, but I think Walcott could be a revelation coming off the bench at the World Cup. At the end of the day, our chances hinge on whether Rooney is fit or not. Thats the biggest issue at stake.

How do we know if Walcott's good enough? Reserve team matches are a little different to playing in the World Cup! People are going on about Owen being that age in 1998, but the difference is that he was playing and scoring for Liverpool. I'm sorry but with Rooney not guarenteed to be fit, that leave only 3 strikers. Owen and Crouch are fine, but Walcott is too much of a gamble.

I think sometimes you have to take a gamble. He did well for Southampton in the Championship, Mourinho tried to sign him when he was 15 for a couple of million, Wenger paid a potential £15 million for him. These are the best tacticians in the world, they've obviously seen something in him. Its not as though he'll be starting every match for England. He trains with world class players, people like Kolo Toure have said he runs rings around him on the training pitch, hes seen as a natural successor to Henry, Harry Redknapp has said its a tactical masterstroke by Sven, and Mark Lawrenson was saying months ago that Walcott might force his way into the squad. The fqact the Wenger had him on the bench for the Real Madrid game at the Bernebau in front of 80,000 speaks volumes. Yes it is a gamble, but Defoe has not had a consistent season, Darren Bent has been good but I think Sven wanted to take a risk. Yes the World Cup is a remarkable place to start, but I would back him to do well at the in Germany if he gets a chance. I think his class will shine through, and he is seen as a future world class striker after all, whereas Defoe and Bent are just good Premiership strikers who haven't made it on the international stage. Of course people will disagree on this one, but we'll just have to wait for Germany to see how it pans out.

I think Walcott is a very good player and that Sven is right to include him in the squad with Rooney & Owen injured they need a good fit young striker. Although it think Sven might have been under a bit of presssure from Arsene Wenger to take him to the World Cup. I think Sven's gamble should pay off.

I agree mate, can't believe he's selected only four strikers, one of whom hasn't started this season, one of them who won't be fit, one of them who won't be match fit and Loft.... I mean Peter Crouch. Can't believe Darren Bent or Jermaine Defoe didn't get the call-up, still could be worse, we could have ended up with Emile Heskey!!

It is a risk only taking 4, totally agreed. I believe Sven's thinking is that Walcott has the potential to be world class, whereas Bent and Defoe never will be quite at that level. They are known quantities now.