Arsene Wenger has blasted the decision to press Theo Walcott into action for the both the senior and under-21 England teams this summer as "selfish".
Arsenal boss Wenger has also warned that Walcott's injury absence, which the Frenchman attributes in part to his demanding international schedule, will have an effect on England as well as the Gunners.
"It was a selfish decision by (Stuart) Pearce, he just wanted the results. I spoke to Capello and him and expressed my point of view to them," said Wenger. "It was difficult because I couldn't really prevent Theo playing for the under-21s."
Walcott turned out for Fabio Capello in the World Cup qualifiers against Kazakhstan and Andorra in June and was then selected by England Under-21 coach Stuart Pearce for the European U21 Championships in Sweden.
The forward has already missed the start of the Premier League campaign with a back strain and his continued absence will also rule him out of England's September 9 trip to face Croatia in Zagreb.
Wenger added: "Now he is still unfit because he has not had a proper preparation for the new season.
"I'm not so much angry as frustrated. I cannot see the logic of it. Now both England and Arsenal have a handicap. It's why I didn't want him to play for the under-21s. After that we were under pressure to rush him back and he got hurt again.
"If he did not get back to us until July 29 and the season starts on August 15, how can he be fit in time? I knew I would have to start this season without him."
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Pls tell them to let Walcott alone. Is he the only england player on earth? They said Wenger is not a title winning coach, but here again, both coaches are rushing for his boy to fill-in for the so-called big(good 4 nothing) cheat england players. Where are those that cheat to win premier league?
you talk about theo as if he was a kid...Hes 20 and has already palyed in major tornements. he should be the one to decide when he is fit to play
apologies for the spelling, wierd keyboard.
i see wengers point, but surely walcott could have refused to play for te under 21's? im sre pearce would have understood its not a sleight on him,its just oo much to ask of 1 player.
Playing for one of the England teams is enough for anyone, it doesn't matter if he is proned to injury or young or whatever. Wenger is right here and no team should have one of their most promising players burnt out for the season because they played for BOTH england sides! players need rest. Pearce is just no good at anything...
No Nasri, Rosicky or Theo now... Not looking good on the wings
Whats this? Wenger actually has an English player? Wow!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Are england playing croatia in zagreb again?
You can see Mr. Wengers point, it must be very frustrating to get your players back from international duites injured. There should be a compensation system in place, Theo is prone to injury, for such a young player he's either got shoulder troubles, back problems or hamstring injuries, maybe he needs to see an expert doctor to find out why he's always injuring himself.
Scott M, do u really watch football?did u understand what wenger was trying to say?let me hints u in!!
What wenger is trying to say is that, Walcott is young and he cant play full year without a rest or he would be getting injuries every time, when he told Fabio Cappello about that Cappello seems to agree with him, but when he told Pearce not to pick him for the Under21 world Championship stuart pearce didnt wan't to listen, he just picked Walcott out play him throughout the whole tournament and then call him again for senior team which is just too much for someone who just turned 20, i know he gets paid but dont abuse a player like that,they are human and needs some rest too. as for RVP like u said, its like this RVP had a long useful summer, he had rest all summer and when pre-season started he was fresh like milk n ready to go as for walcott he wasnt ready he needed some rest that is to why wenger blasted that dude Stuart Pearce!!!
Wenger should take tha Rafa approach..... during internationals Gerard and few other Liverpool players conveniently injured. But all of them suddenly and miraculously able to play midweek prem football only few days after that :D
Wenger moans about that every year. I'm surprised RvP didn't come back with a knock playing against los 3 Lions.
Pearce is NOT any good as a manager and i hope to god he fails to win anything otherwise the FA in it (wisdom) stupidity will appoint him manager of the full national team.
yes he is patriotic but when exactly did that win you anything?
I think Cappello is the best managerial appointment that the FA have ever made in the last few years, to be frank I think the Press have well over hyped the team but with Cappello in charge I think he can weld them into something better than they are like Arsenal it is the total sum of all the parts and Not just an Individual that make a team.
Notice if you will how many have left arsenal apparently full of there own self importance only to fall flat on their overblown ego's as they looked good in the part the manager got them to play I think it will be the same with England and the Italian method of Get Something out of each game somehow and it matters not if it is pretty which is basic pragmatism
But frankly do we care if England win 1-0 every game? is it better to win 1-0 than have a really exiting game but loose 4-3? I know which i would like best and that is to be bored rigid but see JT hold the world cup at the end of the tournament yeah it is great to win pretty but better to make sure you win!! IMHO
who cares about wolcott or arsenal, or england for that metter? go spurs!! and win this prem league shaw them what u made of.
Sorry lads, but Idesagree that loyalty lies with the club first. If a player is fit he MUST represent his country in any field or sport. In this case, the player was not 100% ready but was called to play for the Under21, which is wrong. If it was a MUST-WIN game for senior team then it is not wrong as one can push the borders for their country. Similarly, it would also have been wrong if Walcott was not 100% ready and was played by his team in a senseless or not-that-important game just few weeks before the world cup. It is really common sense and Pearce lacked it because he did not care about what happens after his tournament.
How can a player say no to his country? On the other hand, Wenger has a point. Whats the point of having a junior team to provide with new and uprising talents when the senior team member still plays there as well?
buymydrugs1 i must remind you that the club pays for the player and there have been incidences that clubs have sued the FA... in all fairness the club pays the player more than the country so wenger blasting out at stuart aint nothing wrong and secondly what benefit does arsenal get for walcott playing with england?? doesnt help arsenal in n e way so why shouldnt he be pissed.... all the england fans dont like arsenal and call arsenal a french club so than y shud arsene care at all???
listen buymydrugs1 u obviously dont understand what wenger is on abt.. A player also signs a legal obligation to his club first !! Sure it was Walcott who said yes to both playing in the U21 and senior teams for england.. But Pearce WAS selfish to ask for Walcott's help knowing well of the fact it was asking a lot from him
buymydrugs1, get his point. Wenger said Walcott should not have played for the Under21, and he uses as argument the resulting injury making him unavailable to the Senior English team. He was not refering to the right of the player to represent.
You are so petty wenger, a player has the right to play international football if he wants to. You call pearce selfish for wanting results when its you whos being selfish for the exact same reason you twot.
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