Theo Walcott

Jonathan Prendergast wrote:

Vanig Bostanian wrote:What would you say if we sold him for say 23m? I'm not a Walcott hater, but I'd be more than OK with that as he can be improved on.

I would rather get a better RW and keep Walcott of competition, impact substitutions and back up.

100% agree with both....great price for nothing more than we see each game but also 23 mil on a class rw would be amazing...

he had a decent match yesterday, while Wigan might've made it a bit easy for him with their all out attacking approach but he still got the all important goal(he has done that a fair few times now this season), got his passes and crosses right on most occasions and was influential right through the match, hope he can play like this more often.

Never know this could be (finally) the time he starts to really come good....

I think he has come good. Scored and assisted many crucial goals this season and last.

And the opposition always have to prepare for him. Open up too much, commit too far forward, and he can break through and do damage. And important player, not necessarily in every starting XI, but in a squad of 16-18 necessary to truly challenge for trophies.

From young gun to big gun:


Why Arsenal's Theo Walcott is worth his weight in goals

After his contract wrangle earlier in the campaign, Arsenal's Theo Walcott has kicked on to become one of Arsenal's most important players, writes John Cross


When the going gets tough, the tough get going.

The last few weeks have been a fantastic battle between Arsenal, Chelsea and Tottenham for the top four places.

In particular, the North London clubs have been going toe-to-toe. Tottenham have been laying down the gauntlet - and it's been up to Arsenal to respond.

In the past, Arsenal's mental strength has been questioned. They've risen to the task this time. And one player in particular has been providing much of their driving force.

Theo Walcott scored the winner at QPR, the opener against Manchester United and led the way against Wigan on Tuesday.

It has helped make it 21 goals for Walcott this season. Walcott is now the highest scoring Englishman across all competitions.

Remember all that fuss over his contract a few months back? The endless debate over whether he was worth it. Surely that's been put to bed.

Walcott had a lean spell after the contract was signed. Many ex-pros will tell you having something to focus on can inspire and be a driving force. Once that focus has gone, you can lose your way a bit.

The point is Arsenal needed their big players to step up to the plate in recent weeks, and Walcott is the best possible example.

The same goes for Wojciech Szczesny, Laurent Koscielny, Mikel Arteta, Aaron Ramsey and Santi Cazorla. They have all played impressive and key roles.

But there was one moment over any other that really sticks in the mind from the Wigan game.

That was in the second half. Walcott tracked back deep inside his own penalty box, won a crucial tackle and then drove forward.

Walcott also grabbed the crucial second goal to regain Arsenal the lead - and they went on to win the game.

Over came Cazorla's low cross and Walcott put his body on the line, put himself in there where it hurts and got the crucial finishing touch.

The last few weeks have dispelled a few myths about Walcott and proved he is worth his weight in goals. He has pace, power and a prolific record.

Arsenal face a daunting trip to Newcastle on Sunday. I still think Tottenham have the easier passage into the top four. They face Sunderland at home. Sunday could yet see Arsenal miss out.

Getty

The other tantalising prospect is Arsenal potentially facing a play-off with Chelsea. The two sides have very similar records on points, goal difference and goals scored.

If they end up the same - Chelsea drawing 0-0 with Everton and Arsenal winning 2-1 would do it - then a play-off would be used.

It would be a Premier League first. Unlikely. But those scores aren't unthinkable. They surely wouldn't do it in mid-table. But we're talking automatic Champions League qualification and a potential £25m windfall.

It would be much fairer to separate the clubs by a head to head. But it's hardly a scenario which comes around very often.

However, a few months ago if you'd offered Arsenal these scenarios and, the possibility of a win on the final day securing a top four finish, then Arsene Wenger would have bitten your hand off.

Arsenal's trip to Newcastle will be a nail biter. Alan Pardew's men are safe but there's pride at stake.

Despite bizarrely claiming Newcastle could lose 4-0 to Arsenal, there's no way Pardew will let that happen.

It will call for Arsenal's big guns to step forward again. Walcott is definitely in that category now. Make no mistake about that.

He is wearing the Arsenal #14 shirt for fucks sake. He should be delivering the goods.

So City by Jesus Navas for 15m pounds. I think him and Theo are fairly similar players. Theo get's more forward, but I'm not sure Navas defends the much more.

For last seasons, Theo got 14 goals and 10 assists. Navas got 0 goals and 6 assists.

I realise it is not an absolute comparison, but maybe shows that Theo is under appreciated?

I like Theo but have never been amazed by him in the past. I appreciate how he scares opposition defences with his speed and makes them sometimes change their ways to try stop him but he has often had me annoyed by his inconsistency. But in the last two seasons, the last one espescially, I think he is growing and getting alot better. He is still far from the finished article but he is definately one of the most productive forwards in the league. He is still only 24 and if he continues to improve at this rate his potential is exciting.

Isn't it funny a couple of years ago he was dead set on improving his crossing. Learning from Beckham etc etc.

Now he is all about goals.

I like it.

He is not the world class player we hoped he would be back in 2006, but he is so important to the team. Check the buildup to the second goal against Fulham, Theo's pace stretched their team.

A nice assist for Giroud against Spurs. Reminds me of the Walcott-RVP link a couple of seasons ago.

Out for another 2 weeks due to injury set back.

So another 2 weeks of having midfielders (and maybe Gnabry) play there, which isn't such a bad thing as it means Wilshire and Ramsey.

He would have been very important against Dortmund this is a shame.

He always is important.

He is back for the weekend.

Vanig Bostanian wrote:He is back for the weekend.

really important he's back. if he can stay fit, we can pass the ball around opponents like we've dreamed. Ozil and Cazorla will be licking their lips to play the passes behind the back 4 for Theo to latch onto them !

Out for six months and misses the World Cup. This is awful

Vanig Bostanian wrote:Out for six months and misses the World Cup. This is awful

I thought he was really maturing into an effective player. A few more games and he might have hit some real form.

What a shame. I think it would have been great to have him for the rest of the season (obviously), but I also think it doesn't kill our title chances.

I'm afraid of 2008 all over again. We lost Tomas and Eduardo. Let it not be Theo and someone very important this year.

A season rich in promise threatening to unravel as a consequence of a ruptured ligament or shattered ankle is a scenario Arsenal and Arsene Wenger are all too grimly familiar with.

While the ramifications of Theo Walcott’s injury might well be devastating on a personal level, the England winger’s cruel setback need not be a terminal blow to his side’s aspirations of ending this campaign with the silverware their football, to this point in the season at least, merits.

Undoubtedly, Walcott’s absence represents a major and unforeseen inconvenience. His ability to stretch defences, intimidate centre-halves with his pace alone, allied to a growing maturity and potency in front of goal, represent qualities far from abundant in Wenger’s current squad.


Before the obituaries are written, however, it is worth noting that Arsenal’s rise to the Premier League summit has been decorated rather than orchestrated by Walcott.

Recent impressive performances, capped by five goals in his last six matches, merely hinted at the possibility of this being a defining season for one of England’s most divisive talents - had a partnership with Mesut Ozil, Arsenal’s assist king, been allowed to flourish it may well have been just that.

The pair have played little over five full games together, however, and have combined only once to goalscoring effect – Walcott’s headed knockdown providing and unlikely assist for the German in last month’s 1-1 draw against Everton. Arsenal simply cannot miss something they’ve never really had.

Though the circumstances and cause of their injuries could not have been more different, it is impossible not to think back to that wretched afternoon at St Andrews six years ago, the injury that effectively ended Eduardo’s Premier League career, and wonder if this Arsenal side possesses the mental fortitude to cope with a not altogether dissimilar setback.

Walcott’s first Premier League goals that day were all but forgotten amid a tidal wave of controversy, a last-minute equaliser and William Gallas’ infamous sit-in protest. Arsenal subsequently allowed themselves to wallow in self-pity, drew five straight games and blew a seven-point lead.

Of that squad, Walcott aside, only Bacary Sagna as well as Nicklas Bendtner and Mathieu Flamini, both of whom have returned to the club following spells abroad, remain.

This is a different, resilient Arsenal. An Arsenal that has coped with injuries to every member of their first-choice outfield XI this season, suffered morale sapping defeats at the homes of both Manchester clubs, coped with a punishing schedule and one that collected more points than any other side in 2013.

This is not an Arsenal that should need to seek comfort in a sunnier precedent but should they wish to the 2002 run-in should provide solace. Though it occurred at a far later stage in the season many still doubted Arsenal’s ability to last the pace when Robert Pires lay stricken on the Highbury turf with a knee injury that was to rule him out of that summer’s World Cup.

In the Frenchman’s place new heroes emerged. Freddie Ljungberg embarked on a goalscoring run that seemed as if it would never end, while Sylvain Wiltord and Ray Parlour struck decisive goals in an FA Cup final and Premier League decider.

In Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Serge Gnabry, Wenger possesses raw gems, unscathed and unscarred by previous Arsenal collapses who are capable of filling a Walcott-shaped void. Lukas Podolski and Santi Cazorla must accept greater responsibility, while Ozil must begin to justify the demi-god status he has already been elevated too.

Moreover, Wenger must accept that while the January transfer window is an inconvenient time to buy, it is not impossible. Jose Antonio Reyes and Andrey Arshavin were both club record purchases who arrived in previous January transfer widows and although both proved to be far from shrewd long-term investments, both made significant early impacts.

Wenger appeared to rediscover his sense of ambition and adventure in the summer with the purchase of Ozil and a similar roll of the dice this month can ensure that Walcott’s injury does not prove to be the defining moment of Arsenal’s season.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/1717/editorial/2014/01/07/4526604/cruel-walcott-blow-wont-ruin-arsenals-title-chances?ICID=HP_FT_18