Charlton Athletic Online

They say bad luck comes in threes. First, I arrive at the London terminus without my season ticket and I have to pay a additional train fare; then, as I walk in to work, I step in a huge puddle and have soggy trousers all morning; and finally, after hanging on till 2.30 (2.44 actually) for the news, we find that neither Darren Bent or Luke Young have been picked in Sven Goran Eriksson's World Cup squad for 2006. The man obviously had other things on his mind!

In some ways, I can understand the omisssion of Young; although he performed well when asked to cover for Gary Neville, it was always as a stop gap, and Neville was always assured of his return. The option of Carragher or Ferdinand (or even Gerrard should it be really necessary) playing as a stop gap is also an option. However, if Ashley Cole fails his fitness race, or any of the defence get injured between now and the final squad deadline, then Luke could still make the plane.

For Darren Bent though, this is a huge kick in the teeth. Dazza doesn't even make the stand by list!!! He has been well and truly shafted! I deliberately haven't checked other blogs or news sites to gauge opinion, so this is contextually from both a Charlton and England fan perspective.

With Rooney injured and unlikely to play any part in the first half of the World Cup, and with Owen recovering (very slowly) from a similar injury, it makes huge sense to have cover within the squad in case they travel but break down. Months back, the argument was four strikers or five in the squad. I have always said five, not because I wanted Bent included, but because it made sense. Now, with Rooney and Owen in a state of injury flux, we just have to take five. Sven thought differently though, he has only named four forwards. I know that Joe Cole will say he can play up front, but when we are losing and need an extra striker, Joe ain't that man! I don't see any problem with Peter Crouch being picked; he could be just the guy to ruffle feathers in just such a situation. So who else should go? Bent? Beattie? Heskey? Nope...someone who hasn't even made his debut in the Premiership!!! Theo Walcott. 17. Untried at senior level. A babe.

Why?

It is a truly terrifying prospect for an England team in with a hope (albeit an outside one) of winning the damn thing!

So what happens when Rooney is declared definitely out of the whole tournament (which could be just a day before the first game according to FIFA), and what happens if Owen then breaks down or gets injured in the first week of matches? Well, we have the stand by list! Oooh, who's that then? Jemain Defoe for a start. OK, he may have been a Judas toward Charlton but he is a damn good player. Him or Benty? Close call, can just about stomach it. Who else? Nope, not Darren Bent, the highest scoring Englishman in the Premiership this season, but some diving twat who has scored less goals from open play in the last two seasons (one of which was in the Championship...) than Darren Bent has in one (his first) Premiership season.

Are we aiming to win every game on penalties Sven? Is that the master plan? Even Dazza has a better penalty record (100% in case you ask) whereas his competition and the man you picked couldn't even get the ball past Dean Keily from 12 yards! An astonishing call...At least he'll have a couple of weeks rest after getting knocked out of the Championship play-offs tomorrow night!

The full squad is -

Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich); G Neville (Manchester United), Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea), Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Tottenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham), Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

Standby:
Carson (Liverpool), Young (Charlton), Reo-Coker (West Ham), Defoe (Tottenham), Johnson (Croydon).

Could Alan Curbishley have given Sven a curve ball when he took Benty off at Old Trafford yesterday? Did Sven think he was injured too? It is the only explanation for his complete omission...

Sven is a Swede who is leaving the England job straight after his team gets beaten in the World Cup - he obviously wants out sooner rather than later!