Theo Walcott says a conversation with Arsene Wenger means he now wants it more than anyone else. In the Arsenal team, we assume, but perhaps the whole world.
Whatever ‘it’ actually is, Theo wants it. A lot. More than anyone. And to be fair, he’s had a pretty decent start to the season.
The 27 year old said the attitude change came after a meeting with the manager caused him to rethink his approach.
“Me and the manager sat down and I’ve just looked at myself,” Walcott said. “There’s no point dwelling on the past – that’s what I’m like. I’ve just been working tremendously hard and I know what I can do. It’s just come down to that to be fair.
“I want this team to do well and you can see that in my desire and the way that I’m playing at the moment. I want it more than anyone else, but that’s just me and the way that I work now. It’s a shame maybe it should have hit me a few years ago because there’s been a slight change in my whole attitude.
“I just want to be better and better. People have had so much faith in me and you never give up and I tend to think I need to repay people.
“But I also think I need to do it for myself now. Maybe in the past I was thinking about others and not myself.”
And after some confusion about where he was going to play, a move back to the right seems to have suited him quite well.
“I wanted to go back to what I know best,” he said, “and the manager’s put so much faith in me by playing me on the right-hand side, but I need to keep on repaying that faith.
“I’m going to keep working really hard because there’s competition for places when you’re at such a top club like Arsenal. I’m just making sure that I want it more and that’s what it comes down to.”
Good on him. Got a feeling this is going to be a great season for him.
Theo has all the pace and skills but like all sports it is played 50% between the ears. Get that right Theo and you will realise your ambitions
On your nose?
“It’s a shame maybe it should have hit me a few years ago”
At least he recognizes it. With his brain, you have to believe he know how bad he was last year. Long may his brilliant form continue!
Most people, I imagine, recognise their shortcomings but can only push themselves to achieve short/mid term goals. For a person to achieve long term goals from the off they need real discipline. Harder to achieve when even failure has great rewards at the level he plays.
I don’t think you know what you talking about mate. There are plenty of dissatisfied people with a healty bank balance and a fat cheque at end of each month. The satisfaction you get from that financial rewards is a small fraction to the huge boost and endorphin you get on the pitch when you are a footballer. Also the recognition and prestige amongst your peers is more of a draw than the money for them. But sure you gonna ask for the money and the agents are ringing in their ears constantly about what the next guy is getting.… Read more »
Actually, almost no-one recognises their own shortcomings. See the Dunning-Kruger effect: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dunning%E2%80%93Kruger_effect
Well done Theo, I have loads of faith in you!
Everybody is going to be happy to hear this from theo, but his lack of effort has severely hurt the team in the past. If he lived up to his potential years ago, maybe he could’ve had enough impact to win the team more trophies and help attract better players. Lip service from a lazy slacker, a few moments this season doesn’t prove anything. Shut up and show it on the field for 90 minutes all season, not just a few moments each game.
y u so angry?
Can’t see the reasons for down-voting this. The vitriol towards him was deafening in the summer, and five or six admittedly very good games isn’t going to change things permanently for me. I’ve always liked him but will reserve judgement on him being a main stay in our first team for the next couple of years until he’s played a few months with the same level of application and enthusiasm.
The vitriol towards him was totally out of proportion in the summer, and unlike anything I’ve ever seen on the site. People on here were talking as if he had single handedly torpedoed our title chances when the truth is loads of players underperformed at crucial moments. Those five or six games show that many of those criticisms, mainly that Walcott doesn’t belong at the highest level, were totally unjustified. It does raise the question of why between himself and Wenger he wasn’t able to do this earlier and whether he will be able to maintain this level.
Yeah I agree, but I feel like he in that period embodied a lot that’s been wrong with our teams over the past 8 years or so, which is why he became such a lightning rod for it. I wanted him to be sold, simply because continuously trusting someone to improve and being disappointed when they don’t seems foolish. It’s early days, but let’s hope that he proves me wrong. All I’m saying is that he’s always been a good talker and 5 or 6 games doesn’t make him a new player!
Wanting him to be sold and vocalising that is one thing. But the things people were saying on here…honestly, I couldn’t believe Arsenal fans would ever speak about a current member of the squad in that way.
“Those five or six games show that many of those criticisms, mainly that Walcott doesn’t belong at the highest level, were totally unjustified.” Really?! I agree that the level of vitriol directed towards him was at times unjustified, but it’s ridiculous to think that 5 or 6 games could possibly show that he “belongs” at the highest level. Surely only a full season, at least, could decisively settle this. And even then, there’s the question of what counts as “belonging” here: it’s one thing to provide evidence that you can play in a team like Arsenal, against another top team… Read more »
Perfectly said. This place loves to knee jerk. Theo has gone from the Devil to Jesus in just 6 games. People had a legitimate right to question his place in the club after being here for a decade and only ever showing a good run of form twice (both during contract renewal time), and never for a whole season. Also the wages and how he negotiated it also led to the bad taste in our mouths. He started the season well. Best so far in a while. It’s only 6 games though, so how about we wait till January before… Read more »
Stupid browser. I didn’t even double tap.
“but it’s ridiculous to think that 5 or 6 games could possibly show that he “belongs” at the highest level” ” after being here for a decade and only ever showing a good run of form twice” But that’s the thing isn’t it? Walcott hasn’t just had 5 or 6 good games for us, and he hasn’t just had two good runs of form! You say this place likes a knee jerk but it’s people like the both of you with incredibly short memories. Walcott had 5 or 6 good games last season before his injury! And I don’t think… Read more »
Wow, you are a peach.
He was just answering the question put to him. Jeezzz, get a life u prick
He was asked a question by a reporter, he has to say something. I am sick of hearing fans say that players should keep quiet – don’t you realise that they would if they could? I mean, who wants to talk to the f***ing media, all they do is screw people over.
Man…you’re so salty you make the sea blush
really depends on whether its freshwater or salt water..
and, whaddya know, there’s my coat.
Seas are salt water by default.
Is his contract up soon? De ja vu.
No
i for one could not believe the amount of people on here calling for theo to be sold this year. Glad your making them put their foot in their mouths. Keep it up lad.
I was one of those people wishing he would be sold. Delighted that he is proving me wrong now. If the great form continues, I will happily eat humble pie.
The players need to prove their worth. I can understand the calls for him to go last summer and I can understand why we’re all happy with him now. That isn’t fickle though, it’s based on the reality that plays out each week on the pitch.
Football isn’t about abstract support and opinions change!
Get in Theo, we’re all hoping you’ll still be a star for us.
Firstly congrats to Theo on the recent run. The work he’s putting in is what separates good players from great. However, greatness is a continuous process, especially in sport. Look at Torres, Falcao, even Kaka to an extent. All have put in tremendous seasons over their careers, and have done much more than Theo to be quire Frank in terms of career achievement. Yet if you can’t keep up a certain level of performance, then you are not at that level (shocking, I know). All were moved on from teams where they underperformed. Class is not self-preserving. You make it… Read more »
I wanted him sold. For the reasons that year upon year he hasn’t applied himself in a way that a team who has ambitions of winning the top trophies, need. He ever so rarely was prepared to put a ‘shift’ in. That left us exposed and I hated that he either couldn’t see that or just wasn’t prepared to work harder. After so many years of the same attitude towards the defensive side of the game it’s fair to assume he’d never change. If he’s genuinely seen the light then that’s great, play and I don’t mind some loose passes… Read more »
I thought the best for him might be to move in the summer. I’m loving him prove me wrong though. Nice one Theo!!
I am very happy for Theo’s up turn in form. he gives us an additional goal threat, scares the hell out of defenders and, along with Sanchez and Ozil, makes our counter attacks tick. However, I will not pop the champagne yet, because we’ve been here before with Theo who, it seems, always talks a good game but is yet to match his talk with consistency of performances. I still remember the quote about ‘being consistent in patches’…Lol. He held (maybe still does) so much promise… I will never forget his magical goal against Liverpool in the Champs League…it was… Read more »
Just an idea, Theo. Maybe let your football do the talking for 2 straight seasons at least? I really want to believe you and you know why it is difficult? Because we’ve been down this road too often.
I used to be with it, then they changed what it was. And now what I’m with isn’t it anymore, and what it is seems weird and scary to me.
Top,top quality reference 😉
but the important thing is I had an onion tied to my belt….which was the style at the time
That photo leaves the “it” in wants it open to suggestion
Reminds me of this photo of Chamakh: http://news.arseblog.com/2012/04/chamakh-its-still-good-its-still-good/
Dont mean to be “That” guy but im just dreading the day the inevitable injury gets him this season. Lets hope for once he can be in good form and not have it be destroyed by bad luck. I definetly think that when they spoke about him settling on a position, he was explicitly told to solely focus on that. We no longer see a Theo playing on the right that wishes he wasn’t playing on the right. It was almost like he would sulk when on the wing and refuse to track back etc. Now he seems to be… Read more »
Fair play to the lad. It can’t be easy being the brunt of frustrations, and he has grown up in a very public light. I was very vocal about he was indicative about the culture at Arsenal of rewarding failure. I genuinely believe the in take of talent, along with youngsters like Iwobi, have forced lots of players to up their game. If this is a new, invigorated Walcott, then I have no doubt he’ll get goals and assists.
Go for it Theo! If it happens, it happens! Sorry I couldn’t help lol
I respect that he’s admitting to an attitude change, but in his defense, injuries haven’t helped. He was hitting his peak at the time of the big injury against Spurs (2-0!), and it’s hard to be aggressive defensively when you don’t have confidence in your body. Now that he’s had a run of games, that physical confidence begins to come back in.
Come on Theo. I know I criticize you a lot in this platform coz I just think you just did not show effort. However I believe you can do a lot better. Looking forward to the new Theo. Would love it if you win the EPL.
I think Theo could have scored no goals at all so far and I’d still find this his most impressive run of games for us in his entire Arsenal career. There is something so endearing about hard work and he’s been putting that in for us in spades. He does still have “oh come on” moments but when you see him running back to win a tackle on Hazard, or winning headers against 6ft defenders it’s easy to forgive and just the overall energy and strength of his game, he seems like a completely different player and I absolutely love… Read more »
Wenger highlighted a couple key issues over the summer: 1) finding players with determination and hunger 2) getting rid of the comfortable culture of playing and developing at Arsenal (which ironically he accidentally created) He managed to get in some proper “hungry” players: Xhaka, Perez, Mustafi. The other problem is a little tricky. Theo looked like he was finished last season and is the perfect example of the comfortable culture within the club. He got his talking to and looks completely reinvigorated. The determination and quality of our new signings seems to have taken the attitude and composure of the… Read more »
He plays when he wants, he plays when he wants, Theo Walcott, he plays when he wants.
What an utter fraud. By the time he leaves the Emirates he’ll have taken Arsenal for £70m, have we received anything like £70m in value for Theo. A good month here, a good month there and now basically an admission that he hasn’t been putting it in (which any Gooner with two eyes has known for a decade).
I hope he gets his agent’s kids beautiful birthday presents, because how on earth he convinced Arsenal to give Theo £140k/week I will never know…
Go on Theo, keep smashing it
There is only one guy who have never doubted Walcott and that’s me. He is the best player and this is his season
He certainly looks up for it and more mature. Needs to work on touch a bit but certainly a great attitude leading from front but also defensive work was amazing.
Also to note, Wenger bought Mustafi to cover Right side which allows Bellerin to bomb forward and give us width.
In turn that allows Theo to pinch in diagonally (which is where he is most dangerous ) or join the marauding Alexis in the box to add numbers.
This confuses the opponents considerably as evident in SideshowBob and Calamity Cahill comedy act.
Wenger doesn’t do tactics though…;)
He has been privileged with the unquestioned loyalty from the manager whos been favouring Walcott for years. Wenger even put him up on world class player wages and he earns the same as Marco Reus and allmost as much as Neymar without ever showing anything to warrant that kind of contract. So he certainly has ALOT to prove and a huge debt to repay to the manager for putting all that faith in him over so many years. Lets hope he can prove that he deserves it. Personally I allways felt Walcott was to limited as a player to succeed… Read more »
I had a similar change at around the same age. Mainly to do with sex mind. For me and not thinking of others. In all seriousness though i got to an age where i just took control and responsibility for my self although i was into my 30’s when that happened. I think it is great he has unlocked it now, we will benefit hugely from this.
It’s called The Pirlo Syndrome mate. Like wine you get better with age. You get matured graciously and it’s even at that time you pull the best girls.
Theo is working it out just as his pace is going to run out. At least he has his footballing brain to bail him out…….
Honestly, it’s not like he’s doing confession on his deathbed. The man’s 27, which might be middle aged in football years, but in reality that’s still very young. To have a change in attitude at his age is not preposterous, but natural. Most people only change their attitude when they experience a mid-life crisis.
You’ve got to go some, and then some, and then a shitload more, to show you want it more than Alexis Sanchez baby!
I understand the harshness from some of the posts here. I do. But I believe publicly admitting that you were slacking takes a real man. How often do you hear an athlete say that to the press? I think that takes major testicular fortitude.
I also hope Alexis continues to play #9 because I think that’s also helping Theo immensely. The fluidity of the front 3 is so much more dynamic like this. The static play of Giroud just isn’t good for Theo because he doesn’t have the ability to create for himself.
He should wait till end of the season. there is still so many games to play. I wish you very best and no injury hit season… COYG
“I want it more than anyone else”
Not that he has much competition at this moment in time, with Gnabry gone and Ox having a very poor time, he’s hardly having to fight for his place anyway, despite playing excellently I’m not sure who he thinks is going to challenge him? Bellerin?
Walcott has been quite a decent player, although not world class. In the beginning of last season, he was brilliant but towards the end, he fizzled out. He has been performing well of recent. How consistent can he be ?
I wanted him sold but I hope he proves me wrong. Right now, he should still be at his prime cos he’s young with lots of experience. All we want of him is to score goals and perform well.
No, I want it more!
No, no, I want it more!
No, no, no I want it more!