theo - winger or striker

[Özil's Panoramic View]

Doesn't matter if he's a winger or a centre striker, he's gone either way. Read:

Wenger: Theo ‘belongs here’

Arsene Wenger says Theo Walcott belongs at the club after the England international scored a hat-trick in the 7-3 win over Newcastle today.

Everyone knows the contract issue is ongoing but the Arsenal manager says his desire to keep Walcott is the same as it ever was.

“You know, the intensity of my desire is exactly the same as it was before the game. My desire is to extend his contract, he belongs here and hopefully we can do it.

“I think the commitment for a club is a long-term process. I don’t think it should depend on one game. Should he have had a disastrous game today, it would not have altered my determination to extend his contract and to sign him. That does not depend on one game.

“I think he loves the club and the club loves him, and the reciprocity in love is the most difficult to find.”

We’ve been down this road before, there’s nothing new to say, so let’s just enjoy Theo’s goals today.

The boss also had words for two-goal substitute Olivier Giroud who took his total to the season for 11:

“Yes, he came on very sharp. He looked dangerous on crosses, he looked mobile, technically sound. He had as well an impact when he came on.”

And while criticism of the way Arsenal are run has many valid points, let’s not forget Newcastle gave Alan Pardew an 8 year contract.

Good work, chaps!

http://news.arseblog.com/2012/12/wen...-belongs-here/

[Syn]

Trio Goalcott IMO.

[She Wore A Yellow Ribbon]

just wanted to see a poll of what people think he is. not about contract or anything, just what people feel is best position is. seen lots of debate of this on twitter and seems mixed bag over striker or winger.



for me, he is a winger. his goals today were wingers goals, when compared to girouds. he has fantastic pace which he can use, today he scored one goal coming of the wing, the other was his pace, and third was tbf a strikers finish in the box. but he lacks hold up play, last week against wigan, we needed giroud up front and theo on wing rather then theo up top. henry was a lot bigger when he played and although there are similarities in style, henry was much bigger and stronger and could hold players off. theo cant.

you're wrong sir.

the reason theo got the first goal was because he was standing nearer to the centre of the pitch instead of near the touchline, playing off the shoulder of the last defender, which gave him open space to run into and attack. if he was on the wing he would have been 15 yards deeper and tucked nearer to the touchline, meaning when he gets the ball he'd have no space to attack as both the opposition winger and full back would be metres away marking him ready to make a tackle. when he's up front he's simply waiting on the shoulder of the last defender and can bend his runs to pick up balls played through by the wingers, just like he did for the first goal.

the reason playing theo up front works so well is because his pace allows him to attack open space more freely than when he's on the wing. when he's playing on the wing he has to dribble first and then cross/shoot, but when he's up top he just has to race clear and cross/shoot. thats what he's good at. he's no good when he has no space or lots of time to makes decisions, nor when he's being man marked on the wing. theo plays best when he plays instinctually and has to make a quick decision.

he only needs 1 yard and he'll have the upper hand on defenders. we've seen that in the 3 games he's played up top.

[Injury Time]

Oh well only a couple days before can announce his move

[Syn]

Oh well only a couple days before can announce his move

It's not in his interests to move this January. He'll net 25 goals for us this season and then get a free transfer. And thats when the big money comes in.

[Power n Glory]

Neither, he's a forward. The role of players up front has changed, especially for those that aren't seen as a target man. Most teams play in a variant of a 4-3-3 so you need at least one guy that can do both jobs. A lot of it is the fault of Messi and Ronaldo, both wingers that have ended up becoming absolute goalscoring freaks - far surpassing what is expected of your nominal 'strikers'.

Buck tooth Brazilian original Ronaldo was the guy that evolved the role of a forward. He was something else. Before Messi and Ronaldo, there was the original Ronaldo, Henry...Ronaldinho...what the heck was Ronaldinho?

Theo in my opinion is more of a traditional small speedy striker. An Owen, Defoe, Saviola type but playing in the modern game. He hasn't got bags of tricks but he has the touch and pace and eye for goal to play up front for us. The key is mobility and pace.

[Injury Time]

It's not in his interests to move this January. He'll net 25 goals for us this season and then get a free transfer. And thats when the big money comes in.

Wenger not freeze him out if he don't sign da ting in Jan? We that under his spell? Tbh I keep getting that Flamini contract time performance feeling, can't shake it

[LDG]

It's not in his interests to move this January. He'll net 25 goals for us this season and then get a free transfer. And thats when the big money comes in.

Pretty much.

[McNamara That Ghost...]

Unfortunately for that Ronaldo, I don't think he was ever fit enough for long enough to have that same kind of influence. And by current standards his best goalscoring season, was quite slim in comparison (even though it was 47), he did however score lots of goals right from the start of his career.

You can mention all the other guys that have been very good in what I am saying is now a forward role but neither of them have achieved the same amount of goals that Ronaldo and Messi have and for season after season. That's the difference and that's wherein their influence over football lies.

Plus back in those times, 4-4-2 wasn't played with as much paucity as it is now; football has clearly changed since 1996-1997.

You only have to look at Spain now to see how largely irrelevant the role of what was expected of a traditional striker has become.

[Xhaka Can’t]

I'm only interested in discussing the merits of a player that will be here in February.