Power n Glory wrote:Phil71 wrote:Power n Glory wrote:Ach wrote:Alan Hansen has admitted to one regret during his time as a pundit, but it is not for the comment that most famously haunted him.
The Match of the Day analyst ended his 22 year career with the BBC after the World Cup, making his last match the final between Germany and Argentina.
Over such a long period of time inevitably mistakes were made but Hansen has only one regret from his career analysing matches. But it wasn't his claim that you cannot win anything with kids, a view rubbished when the Manchester United team he was talking about went on to carry the Red Devils through the most glorious years in the club's history.
The former Liverpool defender revealed in his column for The Telegraph that it was his criticism of Theo Walcott that troubled him.
"Four years ago, I said that Theo Walcott did not have a "football brain", without realising that my comments would be misinterpreted to such an extent," he wrote in his column.
"The meaning of my observation was not as brutal as it may have come across, but nonetheless, I was critical of Walcott’s ability and I am pleased to say that Theo has proved me wrong one million per cent."
Hansen went on to reveal that he and Walcott have met since and there has not been a problem between them whilst conceding his comments were "the only time that I have ever been happy to be wrong".
https://www.independent.co.uk/sport/foo ... 08074.html
He realised he was clearly wrong and thatsbfair enough. Unfortunately it stuck and people were mocked cos of it by myself and others who understands football.
Thank you. It was utter rubbish and the guy that said has even admitted Walcott has proven his wrong time and time again. I can't stand the way our own fans latched on to this rubbish.
He's a 2nd rate player like all the 2nd rate players we've had in the past 10-15 years.
The fact that he' not good enough for Everton and is on loan at Southampton is testament to that.
I don't care where you rate Theo as a player. He'll divide opinion. I liked him despite the limitations and he was good servant to the club.
The issue here is 'footballing intelligence' and how that phrase was thrown around to berate one of our own. Hansen has admitted he was wrong and was proven wrong by Theo on many occasions. As Ach said, most fans are just sheep and went along with it and didn't stop to assess things for themselves.
I don't even remember Hansen saying those things. I made my own mind up about Walcott.
He's not a natural thinker on the pitch, and mentally is not on the same level as naturally intelligent players that we've had over the years like Wright, Henry, Bergkamp, Pires, Adams, Campbell, Ozil and others - top rate players who just know where to position themselves at which times and what another player is going to do - be they our players or the opposition's.
I'm not doubting his service to the club. All I'm saying is he wasn't a good enough player if we wanted to win anything big. Neither were a lot of players we've had in the past 10 years and more. Second rate.