Summer Transfer Speculation and Shit.

[Niall_Quinn]

"Reports about contract demands and bust-ups with the boss are complete nonsense," said 26-year-old Walcott.
"There have been no contract talks as yet and my current focus is on doing my best for Arsenal."

Would rather believe Walcott than the media. This has smelled of a media prompted and provoked shit stir from the outset. Walcott stayed last time around and hit a patch of form before that was halted due to injury. Between then and now he hasn't said or done anything that suggests he's at loggerheads with the club. If that changes then it's a different story but right now all we have is one pointed comment from Wenger and a whole lot of speculation from fat cunts like Martin Samuel.

[Niall_Quinn]

Khedira will be available on a free this summer. Time to get that man a deal here!

Khedira in for Diaby, no zero hour contracts for our medical staff.

[Power n Glory]

Would rather believe Walcott than the media. This has smelled of a media prompted and provoked shit stir from the outset. Walcott stayed last time around and hit a patch of form before that was halted due to injury. Between then and now he hasn't said or done anything that suggests he's at loggerheads with the club. If that changes then it's a different story but right now all we have is one pointed comment from Wenger and a whole lot of speculation from fat cunts like Martin Samuel.

It's way too easy to suggest the media are stirring. This stuff is leaking from the Arsenal camp.

The training ground bust up story came from Ian Stone on the Tuesday Club podcast. Ian Stone writes from the club magazine and said he heard this from Nigel Winterburn.

Martin Keown came out and said Theo was taking liberties with his contract talks.

Wenger himself has been dropping gems to media saying Theo's slow when it comes to talks but fast on the pitch. Saying he needs to earn his place in the team. Calling his team of agents the 'Embassy' and also made a joke about Theo wanting more money during the last round of negotiations. That but of gossip also came from the Tuesday Club.

It looks like the Arsenal PR team are running this campaign.

[Master Splinter]

Firstly, who is Gnarby?

Secondly, it was the season before last that Walcott was scoring loads in the Cup competitions. That didn't coincide with Gnabry's promotion to the first team, which was last season. Gnabry actually played really well in most games and he and Theo showed a great understanding of each others' games in the 2-0 win over Spurs. Of course, they both succumbed to injury soon after and have barely played since, which is the same sad story for the majority of our squad or any player who begins to break through to a new level in their game.

It's pretty simple in the end. If Theo's people are genuinely taking the piss, then it's fair enough that the club are annoyed. If they're asking for a reasonable boost to his deal in this current mental landscape, then the club should probably ensure that they secure the services of a proven goalscorer/assister. Even if he is a squad player going forward. Because he'd do big numbers at Man City and Liverpool. And inevitably score against us.

[fakeyank]

The thing with Theo is, he is all pace and I cannot see him being important for us or any team beyond the next 2-3 years. He cannot dribble the ball to save his life and his finishing is atrocious. His off the ball movement is great but his combined footballing skills minus pace does not make him a person we should break the bank to keep. Gnabry and Ox have more skill in their little toe compared to Walcott's entire footballing skill.

If he can stick to 100K (which is a LOT for his skillset), we keep him or else he can piss off..

[Power n Glory]

Do your Googles Splinter. Gnabry's debut wasn't last season. I remember.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foot...r-8222686.html

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-arc...e-a-top-player

Forgive the misspelling of his name. He's hardly played for us but if he makes a name for himself, i won't forget it.

[Master Splinter]

Do your Googles Splinter. Gnabry's debut wasn't last season. I remember.

http://www.standard.co.uk/sport/foot...r-8222686.html

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-arc...e-a-top-player

Forgive the misspelling of his name. He's hardly played for us but if he makes a name for himself, i won't forget it.

That was just club propaganda. He made a few pointless appearances in pointless games. I doubt Wenger was expecting a genuine breakthrough that early.

I thought you were referring to the decent run in the team he had last year.

The club are always doing things like this to potentially avoid any negativity. They're currently running an Ozil headline piece!

In the end, it's all fluff and we'll just have to wait until the summer. Hopefully, it's gets sorted and he stays fit finally. Or we sell and replace his contribution.

[Master Splinter]

The thing with Theo is, he is all pace and I cannot see him being important for us or any team beyond the next 2-3 years. He cannot dribble the ball to save his life and his finishing is atrocious. His off the ball movement is great but his combined footballing skills minus pace does not make him a person we should break the bank to keep. Gnabry and Ox have more skill in their little toe compared to Walcott's entire footballing skill.

If he can stick to 100K (which is a LOT for his skillset), we keep him or else he can piss off..

It's rarely about how much skill you have.

It's about how you apply those skills in a match situation.

Theo uses his best ones (movement, off-the-ball runs, finishing, crossing and PACE) more effectively than most others do on the pitch. He is always going to be a frustrating player, but even when he's missing sitters, he's in the right position to miss them. Oxlade is just as frustrating, despite having more to his game. He makes stupid decisions and doesn't always use his attributes in the correct way. The need to put Theo up against Ox and others like Gnabry (who we shouldn't make any definitive judgements on at this stage of his career anyway) is silly. Why can't we use both and have a competitive squad to cope with four competitions a season and the usual 658 injuries?

Taarabt and Quaresma are more skillful than Walcott. Would you rather have them in the team too?

Falcao and Balotelli are more gifted than Giroud. Would you play them ahead of a player like Bif who improves season-on-season by getting the maximum out of his game by doing the right things in the right areas?

[Blink 1nce Quince 2wice]

It's rarely about how much skill you have.

It's about how you apply those skills in a match situation.

Theo uses his best ones (movement, off-the-ball runs, finishing, crossing and PACE) more effectively than most others do on the pitch. He is always going to be a frustrating player, but even when he's missing sitters, he's in the right position to miss them. Oxlade is just as frustrating, despite having more to his game. He makes stupid decisions and doesn't always use his attributes in the correct way. The need to put Theo up against Ox and others like Gnabry (who we shouldn't make any definitive judgements on at this stage of his career anyway) is silly. Why can't we use both and have a competitive squad to cope with four competitions a season and the usual 658 injuries?

Taarabt and Quaresma are more skillful than Walcott. Would you rather have them in the team too?

Falcao and Balotelli are more gifted than Giroud. Would you play them ahead of a player like Bif who improves season-on-season by getting the maximum out of his game by doing the right things in the right areas?

Hard to argue with any of that....

[Power n Glory]

That was just club propaganda. He made a few pointless appearances in pointless games. I doubt Wenger was expecting a genuine breakthrough that early.

I thought you were referring to the decent run in the team he had last year.

The club are always doing things like this to potentially avoid any negativity. They're currently running an Ozil headline piece!

In the end, it's all fluff and we'll just have to wait until the summer. Hopefully, it's gets sorted and he stays fit finally. Or we sell and replace his contribution.

The Premier League and Champions League are hardly pointless. You think it's a coincidence that he froze out Walcott at this point and introduces an unheard of teen and announces that this kid has the potential to be a top player? That he's similar to Ox and Walcott and may be ready for first team action? There was no reason for Theo not to be starting games and for Wenger to introduce an unknown. He was talking as if Serge was ready that very season.

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-arc...eam-this-year-

“Serge Gnabry is a great hope for the future, I rate him highly,” the manager told Arsenal Player. “If he continues his development, I think he could play in the first team this season. At the moment he needs to work and ensure he remains fit.

“He is in the category of Oxlade-Chamberlain and Walcott - guys who have great power, great pace and good dribbling skills.

“He has goalscoring potential and good vision as well for the final ball. He can play centrally behind the striker or on the flanks.”