What is the obsession with overhyping any English youngster that has a decent game. Tonight on Sky, G.Neville has said that he thinks Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain should definitely go to the Euro's because of the form he has shown for ArseAnal. Ok the kid has had a couple of good games but surely it's way too soon to be considering him for the Euro's. Did we not learn anything from Walcott. Spain have plenty of youngsters (Tello, Quenca) that play well for Barcelona and other top sides yet you know they still have a long way to go until they get anywhere near the full side (admittedly they are much better than England). I think the sink or swim mentality of throwing in youngsters and hoping for the best is another reason why our national side is a joke and has ruined players international careers. Why just take their time and plan for the future by slowly integrating them in.
It's also part of the whole 'we've not won a major trophy for yonks' mentality - the minute a bright, young prospect emerges the media jump all over it. Same with Murray in the tennis to a certain extent - the pressure gets to them in the end and it ruins all but the absolute cream of the crop.
It wasn't the media that took Walcott to Germany in 2006, but Arsene Wenger pushing Sven for his inclusion. For whatever reason, some English/British youngsters slip under the radar whilst others are hyped up from an early point in their career. The likes of Lennon, Rodwell and Barklay never got as hyped up as Rooney, Walcott, Oxlade-Chamberlain or Owen, for example. There's also the feeling some players are mentally prepared for the hype that comes their way, others aren't - the likes of Messi and Bale have taken it in their stride, the likes of Diego and Julio Baptista didn't.
Have to disagree about Jones being prepared for the step up. He's keen and eager, sure but that has led to some really poor performances this season. He could be an excellant player one day but at the moment he is just good but dumb. Runs a lot, comfortable on the ball but so naive that he will be made to look foolish by the better international sides (as would most English players to be honest). And as for OXO's good form? Can 3 full-ish games be called good form? But then Capello keeps picking crap players for God knows what reason so he probably will go..... And bomb with everybody else.
Oxo-Cube would probably be better served by playing for the British Olympic side. Bale, Wilshere, Ramsey, Oxo as a midfield? Could do with a holding player, but it's pretty impressive.
Disagree with that, Rodwell has always had massive hype. Ever since he first played for Everton. The likes of Henry Winter are always going on about how he will be the captain of England. And apart from the start of this season, I never understood why Rodwell was so hyped up. Also Barklay got a lot of press about his first game for Everton. Not heard much about him since.
I don't think anyone has a problem with youngsters in the side and it's certainly not Walnutts or OXO's fault that the media hype(d) them. But I get the feeling that the majority of the time they are not there on merit. Cappello just seems to give into the media and select the flavour of the month without any thought as to what job the player can do for England. We saw it with Henderson and he was ****..... though Queen Kenny must have missed his England game as 20million smackeroonies was soon winging its way to Sunderland. Maybe that should be a judge of how good a youngster really is.... If QK wants to buy them and Capello wants to call them up then they are bound to be ****e.
I honestly wouldn't compare what hype Rodwell and Barklay got with that of Walcott et al, as most of it was coming from Everton fans instead of the media at large. There's an interesting piece in this month's WSC about Johan Vonlanthen, somebody else who was hyped up as the future of the Swiss team at more or less the same time that Rooney was beginning his MUPLC career, but he was burned out because he wasn't enjoying his football as a result of it - he's currently playing in Columbia for a far smaller wage than he received when he was being touted as a potential superstar. I think this comes into it, because if a young player stops enjoying their football due to the pressures and expectations put on them so young, that will stunt their development just as much as ill-timed injuries. For example, how many Brazilian prodigies over the years have failed to live up to their billing, let alone their potential, at a surprisingly young age?
I must admit, that Oxo is looking like he could be a superb player. But, then again, I remember watching Walnut play for Saints as a 17 year old, and thinking that he was fantastic, but then he went to Arsenal and has been utterly ruined. Destroying the Blackburn that turn up to play this weekend was not a decent test, by any standards. The next two games, against Sunderland and us, will pose far tougher tests for him. Let's see how he gets on in those two games before we start creaming our pants over him
Most over-hyped is Wilshere for me. Yes he's a good player and can spot a pass etc. But papers seem to hail him in the same way that Rooney was at the time and although personality wise I'm not the fondest of Rooney, he's a smashing player and in all honesty no England player will reach his level for a long, long time. Oxo cube definitely has the makings to be a top winger. Quite disappointed we didn't try to nick from under the noses of Arsenal. Not that I'd say he's over-hyped to a ridiculous level but I don't think Wellbeck is as good as the media suggest too. Great worker, but if I had the choice of him or Hernandez to partner Rooney for Utd, Hernandez would win hands down. Maybe Utd would like to consider the sale of Hernandez to us
