Poor Theo Walcott spent years trying to convince Arsene Wenger to convert him from being a winger to being Arsenal’s centre-forward, just like his hero Thierry Henry before him. This season he finally got his wish and the switch worked quite well for a few weeks before the England international inevitably got injured.
But on his return Olivier Giroud had struck form, and when Theo was given a chance the goals had dried up and he just seemed to be running around like a headless chicken to no effect whatsoever. In previous seasons Walcott scored his fair share of goals from the wing (when fit) but now he can’t even score from out on the flanks. It is obvious he is having a crisis of confidence, and Wenger is usng him sparingly in any position.
But Wenger refuses to criticise him too much. “He works very hard,” Le Prof said. “I must say he puts the effort in in training.
“At the moment for him, and for Giroud, it’s a bit more difficult. But that’s part of the competition. [Theo] understands that as well and he is fighting very hard.
“But in our job things can change very quickly from one week to the next, it can change.
“He had good periods in the season. After I think, recently, he has gone through a much more difficult period. But he will come back.
“Theo wants to play on the right and through the middle. You have to fix yourself somewhere. When he doesn’t go through the middle, he thinks ‘maybe for me it’s better on the right’.
“It’s true that at some stage I fixed him more through the middle, because of the quality of his runs, the intelligence of his runs, and he has improved a lot his finishing.
“He can be a player through the middle. And on the flanks today you have to work very hard defensively.”
So now Theo is in no mans land and there seem to be much better options like Welbeck and Iwobi in the squad. So if you were the Arsenal manager, would you tell Theo to concentrate on being a striker? Or a winger?
He is a winger. And only an average one at that.
Someone must to tell him the truth, wearing number 14 is to heavy for him and getting paid 140k /week is to much for him, how you could call him intelligent if he doesn’t know himself what his best position in the team? Is best position is on the bench contemplating is millions won on Wenger ‘s lotteries
He said he was bought as a striker but wenger relied on him as winger and he got the hang of it.
And for all those who want him sold just watch him play against us.
Look at what he did to barca bayern manu and mancity.
Be careful what you wish for
He has had some Sh:: t in his career, and been tried here and there trying to get the best out of him. Yes he is fast but lacks ball skill to go with it. He has been tried in all front three positions, but the problem is game time. He doesn’t get it now, and I think that he should be bought on earlier in second half as let’s face it he can score but his game needs more from him and getting game time will we see his best. In the eleven years he has been with the gunners he hasn’t improved on his weaknesses. At 27 if he can’t get better at his game and it’s only his defending and confidence in taking on a player in his stride that holds him back, me I think he has that ability to be different. I hope he does . CB
Have you seen walcott when he is on song?
He scores
Hattricks and braces
He assists
He runs and sprints.
He destroys teams.
Ask bayern westbrom tottenham watford and hull.
Messi the best player praised him.
Guardiola the best manager praised him.
You need a bullet to stop him.
Love the Lyrics to this song “Hype”
L()L…
Do you even watch the game – football not athletics.? need a bullet? why bother, just blow in his direction and he will fall. Walcott has just been average, in 10 years, you can count the number of good games on 1 hand. He doesnt use his speed, he cant dribble, has no positional sense and is one of the laziest player in the Arsenal . I just hate how he doesnt bother to come back – to save himself ?
But you didnt say he was average when he changed the game against barca and cardiff.
When he scored 14 and assisted 12 in that one season.
He has 53 goals and 42 assists In 250 appearences.
Doesnt look average that does it?
#tetra like the plastic you are
in case English is not your first language: definition of average – amount to or achieve as an average rate or amount over a period of time; mean.
lets break it down for you – 53 goals in 250 appearances ( i am using your fig’s) 1 goal in every 4.71 games 02 0.212 scoring rate even Frank Lampard who was a midfielder score had a 0.29 scoring rate. FYI Thierry Henry had 0.69 rate
Assists are a meaningless stat, Ozil’s got the best record but even some fans here don’t give him the required respect but to show you some figures: 1 assist in every 5.95 games.
There is an average of 60 games a season for Arsenal so even by your figures, he only gets to play once every 2/3 games.
Maybe average was praise?? Mediocre would be a better word. Would you like me to look it up for you?
# tetra
oh yes further to that, thanks for bringing up the 2013/2014 season when we led and were on top of the league the longest but stiilll finished 4th. I think a N Bentner also scored so if you consider that a Walcott highlight, boy do you have low standards. (he leaves arsenal and he might win a medal)
Barca? Walcott scored in the 2009/2010 game that had absolutely no relevance whatsover as we got hammered 4-1 in the 2nd leg.
Frank Lampard and Henry played 90 mins Walcott plays half that hardly gets 60 mins so can’t use your theory Oz gunner truely. CB
that’s why i said AVERAGE and thats showing him respect. He is so poor he doesnt even have a regular 90 min game ok??
look up the dictionary AKB
But you didnt say he was average when he changed the game against barca and cardiff.
When he scored 14 and assisted 12 in that one season.
He has 53 goals and 42 assists In 250 appearences.
Doesnt look average that does it?
10 years he has been average where is the proof to that
Same as Ramsey!
Possible answers:
1. The bench
2. His financial one
3. At another club
4. Missionary
To help Walcott Wenger must strip him the number 14, the number 14 is magic and he is not a magician, just imagine the pain he is causing to Henry, and Johan Cruyff died from heart failure (maybe watching some average bloke wearing number 14 and pretending to be a footballer )
In my opinion,I think Walcott and even Sanchez are strikers but not main CFs…
To get the best of Walcott,he should be played in a two striker formation.
Walcott does not really have the attributes u would expect in a traditional winger.
If Walcott or Sanchez is used in a two striker formation especially Sanchez,it will be so effective!
But because we don’t play that formation anymore,I prefer Walcott in CF..not because he is clinical,but because he is liabiltty on the wings.
As Wenger rightly said,playing on the wings requires defensive duties..
But all in all, the best for us is to sell Walcott imo…
Ask his girlfriend. BOOM BOOM
Whenever I think of Walcott, I remember his run against Liverpool in the Champions league…The run that led to Adebayor’s goal.
Unfortunately, after many years, Walcott’s not half the player he was then.
you lost me at walcott and made it worse by mentioning him and Adebayor (who was a good striker for us) but a traitor regadless
“For me, I have learnt most from the way Ozil gets into space. I don’t know how he gets into space because on the pitch you think someone will get close to him but he always seems to have time and space.” -Alex Iwobi
This is one strong attribute of Ozil many people do not talk about or even recognize. Somebody said something similar about Cesc Fabregas while he was with us.
As someone said recently “the only thing walcott had added to his game in 10 Years is a beard”
Unfortunately for him we need our wingers to track back, defend, cross a ball and regularly chip in with goals. 4 things that theo really struggles with. With wilshire and ramsey back soon and cazorla and the ox seemingly not far off things are only going to get harder for theo. Realistically it’ll be easier to get ahead of Welbeck and giroud than it will be to stop alexis iwobi Campbell wilshire ramsey chamberlain taking the 2 wide berths.
For me theo and the ox have simply run out of time not just for the euros but also for the arsenal.
On the bench!!
or in another club!