Theo Walcott bigging up Max Dowman last night ..

It's all the hyping up before the player has done anything. Just let it evolve in it's own time.

He's a decent player, and had a decent game without achieving
a great deal, which you sort of expected, but he's only
a kid so really he did great.

There is a hype around him, as people want him to do well.

But the commentary was desperate for him to produce
and they were missing the excellent work of the
Southampton players at same time.

Max Dowman has a great future if he can look past all the rewards that have been showered on him so far and concentrate on becoming the best he can be.

If Tuchel replicates the mistake made by Erikkson and takes Dowman to the WC, it could be fatal for his development. But Dowman does not have real pace anyway, does he?

He's just a kid, but developing pace now would be
a great career move.

Apr 5, 2026 -- 6:10PM, ----you-have-to-laugh--- wrote:

He's just a kid, but developing pace now would bea great career move.

And a few skills ..

Worth reminding him what Limahl, Maradonna and Pele could do at his age. Not to crush him but to counter all the hype.

All part of FFP is to hype up the youngsters and sell them for a huge fee.

The things that made piquant last night's microphone interchange with Theo Walcott were Micah Richards' tempering remarks..

He wasn't dissing the 16 y-o kid, just saying, keep working, ignore the noise.

Richards was passed over for England's 2012 World Cup squad at the height of his power, when he was 24.

To equate (if that's what you were doing) Walcott with Gascoine and Owen is ridiculous, imo. Gazza and Owen were both several levels above Walcott. Dowman is talented, but looks like he's trying too hard. If he is managed well, he can be a very good player. Not Gazza level, but certainly a lot more promising than Walcott ever was.

I'm equating Walcott with Dowman, since Walcott was (then) the youngest ever to be called up to an England World Cup squad.

And the other players have been quoted in context - Owen I think was 19 in France, Gascoigne 20 in Italy. And I don't think either ever got better than they were then. Not saying it was because of that but there's a ledge they have to want to get above, even beyond partial success at a WC.

both were curtailed by injury, but fair enough. As for Dowman, he looks a genuine prospect, although still a long way to go.

They were, to be fair.

Someone made a very good decision at Birmingham fifty years ago when they gave Trevor Francis the best part of a year off to repair his acceleration.

Maybe Gascoigne and Owen and Walcott weren't given that time (which would have been criminal) but I suspect the answer to why they never got better is that people around them convinced these youngsters they were the dogs' ******* .. before they were

And on that theme, Johnny Giles was c***ed by a tackle from behind, with the ball in dead area, when he was a winger for Man Utd, who then offloaded him.

He was a very good player for Leeds after that but no George Best.

Its got to him .
Hair
Shorts by his ankles
Socks over the knee


Just be normal u aint no superstar yet.

Take a note from Rice.

Dowman can play with either foot so that's a great base .. and a terrible thing to say England's options.

It would be a blessing if he doesn't make the World Cup squad - yet if was the England manager I would be sure to carry him, just to cover myself.

Should be heading to Ibiza with his m8s in the summer

Has Max Dowman married already? His pubic hairs must be thick as pencil leads ..

It's ridiculous that Dowman is even being talked about for a place in the World Cup squad.
Let the lad get some proper EPL experience for a season or so and then we'll have more of an idea how good he can be.

Wayne Rooney had played over 60 games for Everton before his first major tournament at the 2004 Euros.
Michael Owen won the EPL Golden Boot in the season before his debut tournament at the 1998 World Cup.
Both players were aged 18 at the time - Max Dowman will be that age when the 2028 Euros come around, that should be his first major tournament (all being well).

Apr 5, 2026 -- 7:12PM, unitedbiscuits wrote:

The things that made piquant last night's microphone interchange with Theo Walcott were Micah Richards' tempering remarks..He wasn't dissing the 16 y-o kid, just saying, keep working, ignore the noise.Richards was passed over for England's 2012 World Cup squad at the height of his power, when he was 24.

Is that when Micah burst onto the scene?

Rooney was Exceptional as a teen .. burnt out by  mid twenties .. Sterling similar .

The English striker or midfielder who improved after age twenty is the exception - Shearer, Kane - and there are a couple of good reason for that apart from the main one which is "too much too soon" imo.

not a problem ,happens more times than it doesnt,but that curler DOWNMAN had in 2nd half missed its  intended target by about 10 ft,aiming to curl it in to  top bins,went straight down keepers throat in middle of goal,who made a meal of it for the cameras ,and commss went in to meltdown for what was a preety poor/average effort