Arsenal to play Walcott with FA cup final in mind

With Jose Mourinho bringing his title chasing team to the Emirates for Arsenal´s next game, it does not take a genius to work out what tactics the negative one is going to employ. Arsene Wenger will know that there will be a big blue Chelsea bus parked in front of the Gunners at the weekend, so I don´t expect Theo Walcott to start as there will be no space for him to use that blistering pace.

But after that, I think that we will be seeing a lot more of the England international forward between now and the end of the season for a number of reasons.

For one thing, the boss only has seven games left before the end of the season and the need to decide once and for all whether to keep Theo and give him a new contract or sell him on and sign someone else. And Wenger only has six games to select his starting line up for the FA cup final.

While all of the Arsenal players will be desperate to play in that Wembley final, Walcott has more reason than most because he missed last year´s with the cruciate ligament injury that ended his season. Surely now is the time to unleash his pace and get his match sharpness to a peak.

Not only will he playing for the final, he will be playing for his future. And there is an outside chance, however unlikely I think it is, that Alexis Sanchez could be forced to join up with the Chile national team the day before the cup final. If that happened we would want a Walcott firing on all cylinders. So is it Theo´s time to shine_

Tags Alexis Aston Villa Wenger

32 Comments

  1. I hope Chelsea don’t park the bus, but most likely will. We can still win. They will make a mistake or two and we should exploit them

    1. they played with zouma and matic in the middle AT HOME. they are absolutely going to park the bus against us.

      1. Chelsea does not have to WIN any more games.
        Jose is running out the clock; title management. He will risk nothing.
        Chelsea will look like boring shiiiite, but he is walking not running to the title.

      2. Walcott is precisely who we should play because neither Terry or Cahill can catch him.Made for Cazorla and Ozil to put him through. We are playing at home and we have to use what we have got…COYG.

  2. Arsenal has 5 wingers

    Welbeck
    Oxlade-Chamberlain
    Walcott
    Sanchez
    Gnabry

    That’s a bit too much. Sanchez is almost guaranteed to start, I prefer him on the right though or behind Giroud, as he rarely crosses when played on the left. I think Welbeck is our best option on the left. Welbeck has an edge over the rest as he rotates with Giroud sometimes. The OX has grown in leaps and bounds this season, but injury remains a problem. Walcott when fit has the highest potential for Goals + Assist in a season. Gnabry is an exciting youngster and played well last season before his injury.

    1. Gnabry had around 4 good games over a season ago. He is not yet ready to jump in on the first team regularly. What is the best solution for having 1 too many wingers? Send Gnabry on loan to get first team experience. Problem solved.

    2. That’s not much. Why? If Welbeck is a winger, then we only have ONE striker in Giroud.
      Gnabry disappeared for over a year, can’t really count on him. He needs serious playing time (loan).
      OX and Walcott are injury prone players who will get at least one serious injury every season.

      So basically this season we’ve gone with Sanchez in almost every match.

      Either we get another winger or we put Welbeck on the wing and buy another striker. Either way.

    3. @ twig

      I actually would like to see welbeck on the left he seems more comfortable on the left than the right. And with Sanchez on the right it could provide us with width when needed

  3. Sanchez will join up with the Chile squad the day before the FA cup final LOL. Apparently basic common sense isn’t a requirement to write articles on this site.

    1. Under FIFA regulations Gabriel, Ospina & Sanchez could be summoned for Copa America duty from 29 May – the day before FA Cup final.
      Because of South Americans Cup(Copa America) which Chile will host! It’s a distinct possibility but I think they’ll play the final and leave immediately after we win 🙂

  4. I got a feeling Chelsea might come out and attack. they have got the title all but won and everyone knows he will play with 2 deep lying DMs, holding the FBs back while getting the rest of the team tight and defensive. maybe he will surprise everyone and come out and play.

    1. Why attack? all Jose has to do is draw games to win the title.

      Jose is going into the corner and holding the ball. He does not have to risk anything. Zero/zero is fine, One/One is even better.

  5. Walcott Situation should be looked up quickly,many forget he is our longest serving player,we bought,its almost a decade since he joined us,I think the supporters should show him a bit of respect,weve had players who left for wrong reasons,E.g Judas,Cashri,and a la fab,Walcotts situation is different he actually wants to stay but with our squad boasting some top quality performers(note performers) he isnt sure he would get a good look in,which of course would hinder his International status,Ive loved walcott for his pure speed,and he has been that player to light up the emirates with some deft runs and some beautiful champions league Nights,he is our Man he is our player,support him COYGGG!!!!!!!!!(off topic-I read an article years back that Walcott was a ball boy for liverpool,apparently he was a boyhood fan,any truth to that,kindly appreciated)

  6. so , if jose is being called the negative one , and , he has the title already up in my opinion , then what should people call wenger in that case . ten points behind the negative one , does that mean that wenger is more negative than jose or not . there are some very jealous people on this site . while i am no fan of jose he certainally has quietened his critics . who else on this earth has done what he has done ?. he is a winner and perhaps the professor of failure should take a leaf or three out of joses coaching book . then we too might become a world power in football .there are more ways to win football matches other than all out attack and cross field passing , would you not call wenger tactics negative , i certainally would when the entire team starts this nonsense of playing cross field balls and getting nowhere . only saying like .

    1. Yeah ‘Wenger Out’..blah blah blah. Be interesting what Wenger would have done with ten years of oil or abramovich’s money… Or what Maureen would have achieved at Arsenal……………bring on the haters….

      1. You can only compare what each has done, saying money this money that doesn’t mean Wenger would have won anything.

        At the end of day trophies matter.

      2. Having no money to spend, has absolutely nothing to do with rationale thinking. That’s why the haters hate.

      3. Mourinho Has won the Champions League with Porto who in their best days had a quarter of our budget in our worse day. He also won it with Inter definitely not one of the richest clubs in Europe.
        He has won the league in four different countries with four different teams, he has won 3 Champions Leagues all in the same period of time that Wenger won an FA cup.
        I dont like Mourinho, I dont like the football his teams play, i dont like his arrogance but he is the best manager out there bar none, and he is leaps and bounds better than Wenger.

        1. Are you kidding me did you see the players on his Porto team? Do you realize that it was ALOT easier to win the CL in 04 than today? Please tell me where and with who he won his 3rd champions league? He only goes to teams with proven quality players. Do you realize the players he had at inter, Madrid, and chelsea? Geez some people cant see what’s in front of them

  7. I agree,Wenger should give Theo some game time in these next couple weeks…he looked very jaded and out of ideas when he had the ball against reading.give him some game time lets see what he cam do from now til end of season,would like Walcott n ox competing week in and out for that right wing position…for now a fit ox basically would have it nailed down,Theo needs to up his game…

  8. I like the bit about who on earth has done what he’s done and he’s a winner. Haha who else on earth has done what Wenger’s done Mourinho filled a cabinet Wenger’s built a fortress and sacrificed trophies in order to do it.

    I always think if it wasn’t for arsenal and Wenger Mourinho’s career would be completely different. Firstly we’d have had money to spend over the last 10 years so give Chelsea much more competition and they probably wouldn’t have won as much. We’d have probably had a few of there best players they’ve had. Mourinho probably wouldn’t have lasted as long in his first stint if he didn’t do well. Then say Wenger had moved to Madrid when he had the opportunity Mourinho might never of had that opportunity.

    1. If Stoke Derby Sheff Utd Yoevil
      had the money Chelsea had
      they would have won ECL
      and ECL 5 times each .

  9. davidnz , could you tell me please what was the Porto budget when they won the champions league , i would be extremely intrested to know do you know the answer to that very simple and straight forward question . money does not neccessarily buy success but tactics and and brains do . both seems to have deserted our beloved manager of late .none of us like jose on here i am sure , but you must give credit where it is due , he is an amazing manager , his record speaks for itself .

    1. Google “Porto FC”, “Jorge Mendez”, “Pinto da Costa” and see how Porto have often been labelled the world’s most efficient club financially. They are top 25 as a base-line but due to Portuguese work restrictions (or lack of them) they hoover up all the South American and Portuguese talent, use them briefly and turn massive profits. They operate like no other team. Their 2003-04 team was as good as any in Europe. The club has 70+ domestic, European and world titles, they won EC before JM and EL since. European football landscape in 2003/4 way different to now and much more open. JM’s 2004 UCL win was impressive but no miracle or triumph of innovative or exciting coaching – although anyone who saw their passage to the final against Man U, Lyon, Deportivo and Monaco will tell you this is when Mourinho’s template for anti-football cynicism first came of age.

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