Rooney -v- Walcott

[Royal Rother]

Tonight we saw a glimpse of the real talent in 17 year old Theo Walcott. 2 exquisitely taken goals that just oozed the class of Thierry Henry.

Okay it's a bit fanciful but it got me wondering who will turn out to achieve more in the game, (and be the better player) Rooney or Walcott?

Bit early days of course but I suspect it will be Walcott.

He is obviously with the better nurturing club, he has a better coach / manager, and has the perfect role model from whom he is obviously learning rapidly.

Perhaps most importantly though, he is obviously an intelligent and articulate lad. That, together with the fact that he relies on speed, subtlety and finesse rather than aggression and bull strength, (not to mention the fact he's a good looking lad whereas Rooney is pug-ugly of course) suggest to me that Walcott is likely to spend more time on the pitch, be a better role model himself than Rooney, and will come out of the game having achieved more, earned more money, and have a career ahead of him outside of playing the game, which Rooney probably won't.

What do you think?

[frimleygreen_shotspur]

rooney is a busted flush.everton miss him not a bit.

[alad]

Rooney by a long way IMO. He has already achieved alot and he is still 20.

4 goals in a major championship
17 goals in first season at United
19 goals and 17 assists (highest in the league) in second season
PFA young player of the year 2005 and 2006
FifPro young player of the year 2005

Rooney is a complete player, he doesn't just score he creates goals and runs games. No other players that young has bossed as many games as he has. You don't create as many goals as he does through strength alone. His strength and power is simply another part of his game.

Theo Walcott has achieved nothing except a few appearances from the bench. To compare the two is laughable, not least because the gulf in ability and class, but because they're two different players.

Walcott will be a top player but Rooney will be one of the best players in the world for years to come.

Walcott is not at the best club as far as nurturing English talent goes.

[MC ROYAL]

United are excellent for bringing through youngsters. Beckham, Scholes, Giggs...

[Royal Rother]

To compare the two is laughable,

It's fanciful, and a bit of fun, not laughable.

Any comparisons are fanciful at Walcott's age of course, but out of interest, do you think Rooney will achieve more than Henry?

(I have a fear that Rooney might become a Norman Whiteside by the way, but am sure he can achieve a lot more in his 6 or 7 years left in the game.)

[alad]

To compare the two is laughable,

It's fanciful, and a bit of fun, not laughable.

Any comparisons are fanciful at Walcott's age of course, but out of interest, do you think Rooney will achieve more than Henry?

(I have a fear that Rooney might become a Norman Whiteside by the way, but am sure he can achieve a lot more in his 6 or 7 years in the game.)

I am a big fan of Walcott and said at the time Arsenal signed him United, Chelsea and Liverpool would regret not taking a chance on him. He is technically superb, something rare in English players. The only concern is that he relies on his pace too much, but then again so does Henry and it hasn't effected his game.

Rooney and Walcott would be a great partnership for England, let's hope he gets plenty of football at Arsenal and does the business.

[Royal Rother]

United on that!

[Big Ern]

If you are asking the question of who will achieve more in the game, a huge factor will be how good their club sides will be. No player can win the league on his own so it depends on the strength of the sqaud around them more than their actual ability.

[alad]

Look at Phil Neville, he's won more than Thierry Henry (at club level).

[RG30]

Both players have so much to offer and are 2 different players. Rooney will drop deep while Walcott will play on the last shoulder of the defence and use his pace to great use. In terms of games at this age, Walcott is getting slightly less games than Rooney was at 17 with Moyes in charge and the benefits for Arsenal will show in the long run.

I just hope for the sake of Walcott himself that we don't see an overeaction to this performance and see him get a recall to the England squad for the Holland friendly in November. The U21's play our Dutch counterparts before the full squad's meet and I'm hopeful he'll stay with the U21's and benefit himself.

Both Rooney and Walcott are blessed to have the likes of Ferguson and Wenger as Managers and the track record of both when it comes to developing talent is simply amazing.

[NTRoyal]

To compare the two is laughable,

It's fanciful, and a bit of fun, not laughable.

Any comparisons are fanciful at Walcott's age of course, but out of interest, do you think Rooney will achieve more than Henry?

(I have a fear that Rooney might become a Norman Whiteside by the way, but am sure he can achieve a lot more in his 6 or 7 years in the game.)

I am a big fan of Walcott and said at the time Arsenal signed him United, Chelsea and Liverpool would regret not taking a chance on him. He is technically superb, something rare in English players. The only concern is that he relies on his pace too much, but then again so does Henry and it hasn't effected his game.

Rooney and Walcott would be a great partnership for England, let's hope he gets plenty of football at Arsenal and does the business.

Untied, Chelsea and Liverpool (he's a big Liverpool fan) all wanted him. He would'nt move up north, and didn't want to join Chelsea (they offered him a bung so i believe!!!).

I think Theo will go all the way, be one of the best strikers going, and he's a hell of a finisher, so he gets my vote.

Rooney is just an ill-tempered arsehole with a serious attitude problem, he just happens to be great at football.

[alad]

Fair points except the last one. It always amazes me prople can tell without ever meeting someone that they've got an attitute problem. Alan Shearer was prone to kicking people in the head and elbowing people in the face, yet no one ever said he had an attitude problem. Rooney swears abit and he's suddenly got one.

[Coppell's Right Footed 11]

Another major point that could hinder the outcome of this is injuries. In my opinion Walcott is much more likely to injure himself due to the speed the lad moves at and turns with. For example Michael Owen has problems and was played from a young age and people forget that he is still pretty young at 25 or so. For me Rooney has the strength and quality to achieve a lot in the game as long as he keeps his head down. Walcott also will go on and achieve a lot in the game with sheer pace and intelligent finish in front of goal.

Its a great topic to choose from because two such exciting young talents at the slender age of 17 and 20

[shadesrwrf]

Alan Shearer was prone to kicking people in the head and elbowing people in the face, yet no one ever said he had an attitude problem. Rooney swears abit and he's suddenly got one.

I don't think it's quite true to say no one ever said he had an attitude problem. As you describe, his attitude problem on the pitch was there for all to see. I found him rather unpleasant as a player and I can't say I'm overly keen on him as a pundit either.

[Vision]

It's idle speculation of course but let's hold fire a bit on Walcott. He has just scored 2 excellent goals coming off the bench for the under 21's against a tiring German defence that had played with 10 men from the 13th minute and were chasing the game.

From the evidence of the first leg when he was on from the start i'd have said he had a very poor game and was lacking in basic technique. He's nearer to Michael Owen in terms of the way he plays.
He's got great pace and looks to have talent but in my view he's nowhere near the allround talent & ability of Rooney at the same age.

I'd also like to know why he's necessarily at a better club for nurturing young talent ( particularly English talent ). For all his faults Fergie's record with young English/British players has been outstanding. I wouldn't argue with Wenger's record either but he's not infallible and certainly doesn't seem to have the same success rate in developing players from these shores.

[SpaceCruiser]

He is obviously with the better nurturing club,

Are you bloody joking?!?

[Royal Rother]

Maybe I'm being a bit blind here, but apart from the Beckham generation, what youngsters has Fergie developed?

I don't really think the nationality of the players is of any relevance. Wenger just hasn't rated the English youngsters. He goes for intelligent footballers with silky skills and vision and there just haven't been too many of those with a British passport about in recent years, more's the pity. I think he's found one in Walcott.

[TBM]

Maybe I'm being a bit blind here, but apart from the Beckham generation, what youngsters has Fergie developed?

I don't really think the nationality of the players is of any relevance. Wenger just hasn't rated the English youngsters. He goes for intelligent footballers with silky skills and vision and there just haven't been too many of those with a British passport about in recent years, more's the pity. I think he's found one in Walcott.

I actually agree here - just cos Wenger hasn't produced any decent youngsters (bar Cole) it doesn't mean he's not good at it. Look what he did/is doing with Anelka, Viera, Henry, Toure, Senderos, Fabregas, Flamini etc etc - he turned their career around.

[SpaceCruiser]

Maybe I'm being a bit blind here, but apart from the Beckham generation, what youngsters has Fergie developed?

I don't really think the nationality of the players is of any relevance. Wenger just hasn't rated the English youngsters. He goes for intelligent footballers with silky skills and vision and there just haven't been too many of those with a British passport about in recent years, more's the pity. I think he's found one in Walcott.

I actually agree here - just cos Wenger hasn't produced any decent youngsters (bar Cole) it doesn't mean he's not good at it. Look what he did/is doing with Anelka, Viera, Henry, Toure, Senderos, Fabregas, Flamini etc etc - he turned their career around.

The difference is that Wenger stole those players from other clubs.

Did Beckham, the Neville brothers, Lee Sharpe come from other clubs before playing for Manchester United?

[Vision]

Maybe I'm being a bit blind here, but apart from the Beckham generation, what youngsters has Fergie developed?

I don't really think the nationality of the players is of any relevance. Wenger just hasn't rated the English youngsters. He goes for intelligent footballers with silky skills and vision and there just haven't been too many of those with a British passport about in recent years, more's the pity. I think he's found one in Walcott.

He rated Jemaine Pennant enough to sign him as a teenager but for whatever reason that never materialised. I think nationality is a major key because Wenger so far hasn't had anywhere near the same success with British youngsters as with those from abroad. Anyone that watched England U-19's would tell you what a huge talent David Bentley looked at that level yet Wenger couldn't nurture it and chose to let him go.

I don't see how you can say " apart from the Beckham generation " in relation to Fergies record. They are all still peforming at the highest level ( club-wise at least) so are current examples of his ability with young British Talent.

Kieron Richardson and Wes Brown are regularly appearing in England squads. Likewise O'Shea & Fletcher for ROI & Scotland. Fair enough they may not be World beaters but they have all been nurtured under Fergie and if anything are producing more than their natural talent would perhaps suggest they are capable of. Rooney has been outstanding for Utd the last 2 seasons but it seems an uneven spell ( marred by suspension )in the first 7 weeks of a new season is enough to have a lot of people writing him off, very prematurely in my view.

I'm not knocking Wenger as such I'm just saying that the facts would suggest that if you're a talented young British player, Arsenal may not necessarily be a better club to be nurtured at than Man Utd.