Sign da ting Theo. Just hope he was not playing to be put in the shop window.
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Sign da ting Theo. Just hope he was not playing to be put in the shop window.
True, Reading weren't as solid but what I like with Theo is that he's quick enough to drop back to play a one two and then dart into the box so someone like Santi or Wilshere can play him in. Plus, because he's always on the move it makes it hard for him to be marked and if they get too close to him he'll drag them out of position. He'll link up well with Santi, JW, Pod and Ox better because he's not so static but he also doesn't lose focus on getting into goal scoring positions. But at least he's shown he can play up front. Played in some good passes, good touches and knew what to do when he had his back to goal. Didn't lose it with a loose touch or get bundled over.Quote:
Originally Posted by Synti Claus
even with a deep lying defence his pace can still stretch and keep them there which helps the midfield lot. promising start there tonight.
As Nevile said, even though he's small, back in his day he'd prefer to play against a big man like Giroud because he knows he won't run in behind him and you can get close to a more static striker. A guy that's always moving and so quick is a nightmare. But not to take anything away from Giorud because I think we'll need his style for certain games.
seriously, as i've said before, if we can pay so many average joes good wages, if money is the sticking point for theo, just pay the lad. he is becoming our most important player in terms of end product and if others before him have been paid in accordance with that status, he should get it.
either way, just sort it out gazidis/wenger/agents/theo. sick of these things lingering over the club. i think the english contingent being close to signing up again might help too.
Spot on.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz
Yep, we must do all we can to tie Theo down to a long term contract. The boy is developing into a fine player and make no mistake, we'll lose out big time if he moves to one of the top 3.Quote:
Originally Posted by Terry Tuffnutz
Read more: http://www.thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage...#ixzz2FQH33Pz1Quote:
THOMAS VERMAELEN has begged Arsenal to do whatever it takes to keep Theo Walcott.
England star Walcott, 23, could leave the Gunners as early as next month after contract talks broke down.
Chelsea and Liverpool both want to nab the ace, who has rejected an £80,000-a-week offer at the Emirates.
£15million-rated Walcott scored yesterday playing in his favoured central striker role as Arsenal beat Reading 5-2.
And skipper Vermaelen said: “Of course we want him to stay but that is something that is going on between the player and the club.
“I don’t know what is going on behind the scenes — we don’t talk about it.
"Of course, Theo has been invaluable for us when he played this year. He is dangerous for us and I hope he could stay.
“We don’t talk about it because that is going on in football all the time. It happened last time with Robin van Persie in the summer.
"It’s the job of the board and the club what they are going to do with it so we can’t do anything about it.
“We know his qualities — he is quick and goes in behind defenders all the time — and I think we could find him yesterday and it helped us score a few goals.”
Last night’s win at the Madejski was the Gunners’ first outing since their Capital One Cup humiliation against Bradford.
Vermaelen missed the deciding spot-kick at Valley Parade as Arsene Wenger’s men crashed out on penalties.
The defender added: “The team were disappointed because, of course, you want to win.
"But the thing is we were focused straight away again and we know in England we have so many games that we can make it up again immediately.
“You can’t stand still too long with a defeat like that — you just learn from it and move on.
“We had a lot to prove. A lot of people questioned us, and maybe that’s normal, but we wanted to perform yesterday and we think we did that.”
Quote:
Stewart Robson claims Theo Walcott is not a centre-forward and should revert to his normal right wing position.
The Gunners star has been desperate to play up front and got his wish during the 5-2 Premier League win against Reading, getting on the scoresheet in the process.
But former Highbury favourite Robson believes the former Southampton star isn’t technically strong enough to lead the line for the north London side.
“I don’t think that Theo Walcott is a centre-forward,” he told Hawksbee and Jacobs. “There was a myth going round about him playing there all the way through the youth game but, whenever I went to go and watch Southampton, he was a right winger and played a few games in their first team as a centre-forward.
“If you’re going to play as a centre-forward you have to be good with your back to goal. Theo Walcott is not very good with his back to goal, he gives it away around 80% of the time.”
Arsenal have been linked to both Newcastle’s Demba Ba and Schalke star Klaas Jan-Huntelaar but Robson went on to state that he would be shocked if Arsene Wenger landed either player.
“They’re both players who Arsene Wenger could go for but they don’t fit the normal style of pay that Arsenal usually go for, maybe he’s just beginning to change is philosophy,” he added.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/football/20764729Quote:
Arsene Wenger insists Arsenal still hope to resolve their contract wrangle with Theo Walcott and persuade the England attacker to sign a new deal.
Walcott scored in Arsenal's 5-2 win at Reading and gave a fine display in his preferred position of central striker.
His contract expires next summer and Chelsea, Liverpool and both Manchester clubs have been linked with moves. "It is not my decision - it is Theo's decision as well. If it is my decision it is quickly done," said Wenger.
"I believe he has been educated at Southampton and Arsenal and he has become a top player. I hope that when he considers his future he will consider Arsenal is the best place for him and sign for us."
Walcott signed from Southampton as a 16-year-old in 2006 for an initial £5m rising to £12.5m and has scored 52 goals in 237 appearances for the Gunners.
Arsenal are understood to be willing to pay him around £75,000 per week but the player has yet to agree terms.
The 23-year-old also wants a regular run as Wenger's main striker, where he played to such good effect at the Madejski Stadium.
Walcott said: "Talks are ongoing and it's going to be a slow process. It's taking a long time but hopefully something will happen soon."
Wenger is keen to keep Walcott after watching Robin van Persie and Samir Nasri leave Emirates Stadium during the final year of their contracts in recent seasons.
The Frenchman is also hoping Walcott's fellow England internationals Jack Wilshere, Kieran Gibbs and Carl Jenkinson will agree new long-term deals.
Wenger said: "I do not want to come out on details of Walcott's contract but simply say our desire and will is clear and he knows that. Hopefully we can get to a happy ending. "I believe we have a good core of young English players. We couldn't keep the good core of young foreign players. We hope we will be capable of building a team around the young English players and achieve something together."
Monday's win at Reading may have eased some of the growing pressure on Wenger, who suffered heavy criticism from supporters following Arsenal's shock Capital One Cup quarter-final defeat at League Two Bradford City.
He said: "Our game is based on movement and technical quality and that demands freedom of initiative. When you are in a crisis that sometimes suffers but we have to go beyond that."
Asked whether he thought Arsenal's season had descended into crisis after the loss to Bradford, he added: "It depends what you call a crisis. If you are being slaughtered by everybody you are in a super crisis.
"In the championship our run is not so bad recently. We lost just one of the last six, but because we had not won them and were starting in the middle [of the table], no win becomes highlighted. This run is not fantastic, but not disastrous.
"It was difficult but it was also interesting because you look around and you can see who is mentally strong. It is a test when you have been in a position like we were in.
"There was a unity and I'm pleased everyone in the club remained on board and focused. That's what it is all about."