Taking Theo Walcott and Aaron Lennon to the World Cup is Sven's last roll of the dice as England manager. But I can't help thinking it's a gamble worth taking.
While Darren Bent and Shaun Wright-Phillips have a better argument on paper, it's great that Sven has gone on instinct rather than logic, and the truth is this:
* Chelsea have given Wright-Phillips run outs in their final games of the season, once the Premiership had been won. While I'm a fan of Shauny, he has, to be honest, looked crap. Too easily disposessed, none of the tricks have worked, and he's looked half the player he was.
The mental knocks of joining Chelsea for the cash and then not being played have taken their toll.
But despite wavering form from Duff and Robben in the second half of the season, Jose Mourinho has never given Wright-Phillips the nod, suggesting that he's been disappointing in training too. Aaron Lennon has been skinning world class full backs in the Premiership since the new year, and is only getting better.
If anything, he's a safer bet.
* Hands up, when we're 2-1 down against Brazil in the semis, who wants to bring on Darren Bent to take on those world class defenders and get you into the final?
Thought not.
While Theo Walcott is unproven, if Arsene Wenger wants to spend 12 million quid on a teenager, he really is that good.
Wayne Rooney wasn't daunted appearing in an England shirt at 17 - in fact he thrived on his debut. There's no reason why Walcott, who according to Wenger is faster than Thierry Henry and Ashley Cole, shouldn't make an impact in the same way.
But the truth is, it will only be to grab a late goal if England are losing, not to start up front for 90 minutes.
At times like that you need a bit of magic, not Darren Bent or Darius Vassell.
Walcott may have that magic, and just maybe, at last, might Sven.
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