Arsenal fans have grown used to Arsene Wenger chopping and changing his starting line up over the years, but his brand new policy of keeping a settled first team in place has seen Le Prof field the same Starting XI in six games in a row, the first time that has ever happened since he became Arsenal manager.
This new departure has thus excluded the recovering Theo Walcott a place in the team, but the England winger will have been heartened by the fact that Wenger has given him half an hour of playing time against both Swansea and in yesterday’s game at Old Trafford. The change paid off against Man United as Walcott has claimed that he scored the winner, even if it was really a deflection, and is hoping that Wenger will now consider starting him in the FA Cup Final at the end of the month.
“I’ve been very patient coming back from injury.” Walcott said after the game. “It always takes time to come back from injury but I know that I’m ready in training, I just need more match minutes. As a substitute, you need to be positive and need to be focused as well because you may get a chance and when you do, you have to take it. It was a great result with us and I’m happy with the goal.
“Of course it was mine! You’ve got to take whatever you can get. It’s an important game and I’m definitely claiming it…
“When you come to Old Trafford and get a positive result.. We know we didn’t play great but we finished very strong which shows how fit we are as a team. Going into the last two games we know we only need one more point. It’s going to hurt United but it feels like a win for us.”
Theo was then asked how it felt to be left on the sidelines for so long before being given another chance by Wenger, and he replied: “It’s always tough but I feel like I’m part of the squad. It’s nice to be back amongst the squad. I had a year out and sometimes it takes that long to get back into the team.
“The manager was patient with me and I’ve been patient with myself as well. I wasn’t putting too much pressure on myself by expecting to be where I was before I got injured. I feel like I’m getting stronger, quicker and there’s a couple more games so hopefully I can stake my claim to play the FA Cup final.
“You have to ask the manager about that but hopefully I’ve done enough.”
Arsenal have two more League games in the next week, so I am sure that Wenger will be making a few changes on Wednesday, but should Wenger give Walcott the chance to play the whole 0 minutes? I don’t think that two half hour cameo appearances are really enough to prove his match-fitness just yet….
The whole 0 minutes 🙂
I’m not sure this is even a story.
I’m wracking my brains to come up with a comment of any kind…….
Unbelievable Jeff!
Walcott needs to start
some time so if his
fitness is up there then
Sunderland at home
is a good place to start.
But he needs more than 0 minutes 🙂
He scored soon after returning (I forgot which match though). So surprised with lack of minutes
I have so much faith in him that I would not mind if he started in the FA Cup final
Maybe all you fanboys should actually analyze why walcott doesn’t get starts: low workrate, very limited, doesn’t help defend, still working bac from a long term injury.
not forgetting his not signing a new contract, Walcott could be our Ole Gunnar Solsjaer, those of you who don’t know who i’m talking about Ole use to play for Man-U he was very successful sub player he would come on in around the 70th mnt and almost always scored a goal, many clubs wanted him as their main striker but Ole was happy at his club, position and terms, i think with Walcott’s pace and being fresh around the 70 mnt he could do well for his club, but we all know he wont except that role
Without him or Welbeck we end up at the same place as the bad patch from last season. It is easy to control Arsenal if they play in front of you with no pace.
We did have players with pace yesterday but they weren’t really doing what Walcott or Welbeck do which is to look at attacking the box and getting in behind.
Theo believes in himself,he just want to play in the FA cup final win it and market himself he is definetly going to leave.The reason why he is hesitant to sign that thing says it all.
hes a legend in his own mind!!!
Wenger said he does not know wether we will challange for the title next season bcuz other Teams will strengthen,just imagine!
Defeated already, you know your in the brown stuff when the manager has conceded the title before the season starts, that’s Wenger talk for “we’re not going to spend this summer so get used to things the way they are”
There are somethings I don’t really understand again. When we have all players fit, I thought it would have been reasonable to have one or two changes in the line up to avoid fatigue. That would also bring out competition and better productivity. It was injury that make us to know that some players (Le Coq and Hector) are good. It was injury that selected players for us against Man city. Can’t Wenger learn from one or few things from injury? If we win on Wednesday (third place secured) and he doesn’t make some changes to know who would be best for the FA cup final, then he is just damn stubborn. When we have opportunity to experiment, we should.
Watching Hector zoom down field and make that brilliant clean tackle on Young, makes me think that he should be our RW instead of Theo…
Bellerin is actually a winger lol. If he is loyal to us Arsenal and doesnt leave us in the future i can see him start some games as a winger aswell.
@ks-gunner
I got light headed watchin dudes pace…He came from across the field on the right and put in the cleanest tackle you wanna seee…RESPECT B.
Theo claims the goal.
It was a cross, that took a wicked deflection. Why would you claim it? Henry was quiet rightly in my option a little disturbed at the fact that he would claim it.
Theo is an ok player, holding AFC to ransom. If he won’t sign then, next please! Hopefully the next won’t spend all his time injured, demand a kings ransom for doing so and won’t be so overatted.
As someone said, the FA cup final will be a nice shop window for his sale to a richer more stupid club.
Theo needs to realise that he is not worth the money he is asking for and I find it disgusting that he feels he can hold the club to ransom the way he is.
Sell him he’s never fulfilled his real potential and if he hasn’t by now he never will!!
totally. Another (dare I say it British) football product whose financial value far exceeds his actual worth.
He is obviously trying to milk the cash cow for all its worth. AFC on the other hand should be a little more ruthless, and I suspect and hope they will.
Yeah, Alexis direly needs a rest.
If I were Wenger, I’d give the industrious Chilean a breather in the next two games, bring Walcott into the starting 11 and let’s see what he’s got.
Sir Walcott, you speak to much and prove your self to little in the game. I remember the likes of Van persie scoring hattrick or Henry and after the games, they there humble saying things like. I should have scored more and so on.
Remember Arshavin?
I ve just read last article on Bale, and some of fans think he isnt worth money, LOL if we had Bale this season i am sure we would be first, not Chelsea, and if you think other big teams wont spend then start preapering 4th place trophy for next year, we are 3rd team, so we need to spend more than city or chelsea to even balance our squad with theirs, now imagine if any of them gets Bale, Aguerro and Bale, or Hazard and Bale, means bye bye EPL for many years!!!
NEWS FLASH: “Theo wants Moon on a Stick- AW considering repositioning of planets to accommodate him in his team”.
Stop judging Theo until you know what’s going on. Few seasons back we were chanting his name and b4 we even know the root of thproblem, we are critizing Theo.
Believe it or not but had the idiotic Wenger chose him as a striker, we would be having another conversation.