Arsenal to start Walcott AND Giroud in FA cup final?

There has been a lot of debate and speculation about Arsenal and the striker situation and I am not only talking about the question of whether Arsene Wenger needs to enter the transfer market this summer in order to sign a replacement or cover for our big France international forward Olivier Giroud.

We do already have a number of options at the club, especially as Mesut Ozil, Aaron Ramsey and Jack Wilshere have all been used in a wide forward role recently but many of us have been calling for the boss to make more use of the England flyer Theo Walcott.

And with Theo playing very well and bagging a hat-trick when Wenger did give him a start and at centre forward to boot, people have been asking whether he or Giroud should start the FA cup final against Aston Villa this weekend. But why not both?

It looks like Danny Welbeck is ruled out so maybe the boss wants to keep one striking option on the bench but if he is struggling to decide between the two very different players, would it not be better to start both of them, with Walcott on the right, Giroud in the middle and Alexis on the left?

I can understand Wenger not wanting to lose the physicality, aerial prowess and link up play of the Frenchman but the pace and finishing of the Englishman are also big weapons for the Gunners. To be honest I expect it to be one or the other with Wenger appearing to prefer a more technical player like Ramsey or Wilshere on the right but do you think he should start with our three main strikers at Wembley?

Tags Ramsey welbeck Wenger

42 Comments

  1. If what we hear is correct then this maybe Olivier Girouds last game for Arsenal so i think he needs to play, If the rumours are not true and he is staying Arsenal then i would have a long hard think about starting Olivier Giroud. he is not in form and as done very very little in matches the last few weeks,

    1. Giroud is going nowhere, I’m certain, what rumors????? Where would he want to go????

    2. Someone once told me, don’t fix it if it’s already working. Keep the team that trashed Westbrom, perhaps only introduce Monreal and Koscielny.

      1. Why should Monreal play? Gibbs has been fabulous. Monreal is the reason why we lost to Swansea City and draw against Man U

  2. totally off topic guys , but if i dont say this now then i will forget to say it . i want to say a real big thank you to everybody involved with this wonderful page . it is so entertaining and it manages to keep me going throughout the entire season . i know that i can be very pesamistic and that is just my frustration breaking out . i am as committed as any fan on here and i like to win . so already i am looking forward to the next season , even though i know e have a very important wembley date on saturday . thanks to you all for putting up with my rather quirky sense of humour . til next season then !!!.

    1. Hey Ger you sure you are okay? lol
      but thanks mate I will pass on to admin and the other writers

      1. yes admin , i am grand , lol. sounds like a death bed confession . but i assure you that i am in the best of health . just wanted to give credit where it is due , for once .

    2. @ger burke
      It’s all good dude. We’re all different. But we share 1 unique quality” we’re all “GOONERS”…
      Much respect.

  3. walcott and wilshere will not start, giroud and ramsey will that is why they were rested last game.

    1. Sadly I think you may be correct. I say sadly because I was impressed by Theo’s movement against WBA (OK they were only at 80% intensity) as well as his goals. Also thought Jack played well. The whole team seemed to be moving he ball a lot quicker than in previous games.

      1. I’d love to see Walcott start and Giroud on as an impact sub. It feels counter-intuitive but I think Giroud makes more impact off the bench than Theo does. With Walcott’s pace you would think he has the game to be an impact sub but most times he’s better starting (Sunderland last week being an obvious exception).

  4. Walcott is on fire he has to start, if you noticed every Arsenal player was making a pass to Walcott because he was making space, defence can’t coap with his pace.

  5. Theo is on fire true, but we are ganna need giroud cuz we will try to send in a number of crosses in the box, we won’t have the space we had against wba, Theo should start on the right.

    1. No one is playing for a draw so VB have to attack when they do Teo will be there, and also with TW playing he takes. Out two defenders to mark him and two defenders for Sanches only the goals left and I thing Ramsy can cope with the goaly

      1. They an play for a draw and then penalties, so its not necessarily that AV will come out!

        1. @Wonder
          I think Sherwood will have his guys hit us hard and fast from the start, to try and get the 1st goal/s. Then close up shop…

          1. Exactly what I was thinking,

            FA Cup is on the world stage no player will resist to have a go

            1. Yep. Sherwood on the villa site said they would ‘go toe to toe’ with us.

              So I’m guessing they plan to attack and play their game unless he is thinking of flooring Wenger.

              1. @arseovertits. What’s with you and girouds hair?!!!are you jealous?, or has giroud raped you before!!??what’s up?!?your so obsessed with his hair

  6. I have to agree. It will probably be G-Rudes last game so I think he will play in the final.

    There are several reports coming out of Argentina that Lionel Messi has declared his love of Arsenals game and re-enforced the belief he will in fact be moving here this summer by being spotted purchasing a red and white striped shirt in Barcelona (it can’t be Sunderland/Stoke surely?).

    I for one thank Oliver for his efforts and wish him all the best with his hair product contract with Schwarzkopf in the future.

    1. Yea Leyton Orient London team that wearars red and white, Big club LO spponsered by the corner kebab hous

      1. Obviously something wrong with the Internet or the Justarsenal server why would I post it twice hey

  7. Walcott should start centrally. He was a real thorn for tottenham when he got injured playing there! We need a pacey striker to latch onto Ozill’s throw balls..am beginning to forget how they look.

  8. If walcott starts, then one of Ramsey/Santi/Ozil got to be dropped. I know Giroud will start as the target man on Saturday. Ramsey gives You goals but I wouldn’t wanna see him anywhere near the flank. I don’t see Wenger dropping Ozil or Santi either. Tough pick for mi but all I ask for is a WIN on Saturday no matter who start. We need to have a good start on Saturday and put Aston Villa to the sword. We defeated them 3:0 at their home and 5:0 in Emirates so that makes the final tougher as they won’t want another thrashing…

      1. Agree – let’s not forget this could go to extra time. Hope not but it did last year. let’s make our superior bench count. Lots of energy in the squad.

  9. So an Argentinian journalist tweeted”Después de la Copa América de #Chile, se hará oficial la llegada de Arturo Vidal al #Arsenal. Está todo cerrado. Será compañero de Aléxis.”

    English: “After the Copa America in Chile, the arrival of Aturo Vidal to Arsenal will be made official.”

    This has reportedely become viral.

    1. Yes, it’s true.

      Vidal has been tweeting with Zlatan ibrahimavic (our other signing) about finding accommodation in North London.
      Arturo is after a 3 bedroom Victorian that he can convert whereas Zlatan is after a penthouse with underground parking for his sports car collection.

  10. I doubt Wenger will play Theo on the right, he seems to be wanting to show Theo that he is now a CF and as such the right hand side has been occupied by Ramsey or Wilshere.

    There is still a way for them both to play but it is more unlikely that Wenger will change the formation, with the squad that Arsenal have I do feel we could play 4-4-2 diamond and the 2 man CF made up of a tall strong CF (Giroud/Welbeck) and a pacey off the last man shoulder type of CF (Theo/Alexis).

    The ACM is no other than the chance creater Ozil… unless we play both Giroud and Theo upfront and Alexis could play this role.

    Cazorla, Ramsey, Wilshere and The Ox (Ox wants to play centrally).
    Pick 2…. Depending on form, they are all viable B2B players who will put their foot in and happy to have the ball at their feet.

    If Ozil carries on putting his foot in and gets better at winning the ball back then could he drop into a B2B role? Cazorla has and look how well he has done at it.

    Another beautiful thing about our B2B choice is that they all have experience at playing wide at one point or another, depending on what side the ball is at they could adapt in real time to becomming a wide player for periods.

    Lacks width but with the way Alexis likes to cut in and Ramsey keeps drifting into the middle we lack depth right now…

  11. When Giroud has an off day our football lacks pace and cutting edge. I would start Walcott and use Giroud as an impact sub rather than use Theo the
    impact sub. With Walcott we will control possession much mor and be faster, more mobile and fluid. If we build up an intensity we could really hurt Villa. I don’t think Giroud suits Wembley. Walcott for me.

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