Theo Walcott says he’s aiming to find the net 25 times next season as he looks to lead the Gunners to silverware
The England international scored 21 goals last term despite a lengthy goal drought in the aftermath of protracted contract negotiations but now feels well placed to improve on that total despite the prospect of new additions to the attack.
Speaking to Arsenal.com from Vietnam the 24-year-old spoke confidently about his aims for the forthcoming season:
“I got 21 goals last season and I want to try and push on from there. I want to try and get to 25. That’s my benchmark but I believe in myself and that’s the main thing.
“Time will tell if players come in or not but we just work with the squad we’ve got at the moment. Come the start of the season, there could be changes. We know it’s a very long campaign but we’re all very excited about our prospects.”
Having experienced the upheaval of big name player departures in summers gone by, Walcott also underlined his belief that the managerial changes at rival clubs could play into the hands of an Arsenal squad benefiting from the stability brought by Arsene Wenger.
“The teams that finished above us have changed their managers,” continued the frontman. “We’ve still got ours.
“It’s always going to be tough. Every game in the Premier League is very tough and very interesting. It always comes down to the last few games. So we need to believe in ourselves.
“The way we ended the season last year, 11 games undefeated – we need to do it from the start, which I believe we can. The manager shows so much belief in us in every single game so we need to step up and I think we’ve got a very good chance of challenging this season.”
It’ll be interesting to see how Theo reacts if an out-and-out striker is signed. He’s made no secret of his desire to play in a central role even though most of his goals and best performances have come with him playing off the right.
He did well last season in testing circumstances and while we here at Arseblog News are arguably harsher on him than anyone else in the squad, it’s mostly because we’re driven to distraction by how frustrating he can be. One week he’s amazing, the next anonymous. If he sorts that out he won’t just be a 25 goal a season man, he could get 30 and maybe even more…
30, hah! Actually, when I saw the headline, I thought his goal was 30. Definitely doable, but 27 and 18 assists (45 total) is very doable for him, esp if Giroud finishes better.. He had 21 and 16 last year?
Theo announcing his new goal target is how I know we are in the middle of July. Like clockwork.
What if he gets dropped and doesnt like it. will he shout at Arsenes face for getting in the way of his tally?
I think he would.
Well, Walcott’s own delivery has to be better as well. Giroud is a penalty box poacher. Give him service like he got on sunday and he will score everytime
Theo is great. For a long time i was never convinced he can actually score 20 in a season. But last season was a breakthrough. But now consistency is key; also, Theo has to be more ruthless as he’s too nice.
Indeed. His goal for this season should be “consistently consistent.”
I’ve always liked Theo, a down to earth guy with a good attitude. His ball control needs to be worked on but his finishing is one of the best at the club. I definitely see him bagging 20+ goals next season.
Are you kidding me.
He is the same as any other football player, held the club to ransom with his wage demands & demanded that he played in a position that wasn’t to arsenals benefit.
Only thing he is good at is not telling the media his true feelings, which obviously his management team have drummed into him from an early age.
Even if that’s true (how could you possibly know?), not talking shit to the media is a good thing. He doesn’t bring himself or the club any bad press for things he says or does off the pitch.
Yeah, is always going to be inconsistent and drift in and out of games, that is the player he is and the position he plays where it’s about his movement off the ball and around the back 4 BUT he is absolutely lethal at times, and teams are clearly scared of him. Has improved immeasurably the last few years and his performances in the clutch times of last season, after being left out for so long at the start, fantastic. With a Higuain (or some top striker) in the middle, Santi and Theo either side with Giroud, Podolski and Ox… Read more »
i think we all have been underestimating giroud……. he didn’t have a fantastic season but it was decent enough for a first season in a new team in a new league……….. u make it sound like he is an ok-ok striker, a player that at best, should be allowed to play at max only half the total matches…….. i think, if we fail to sign higuain(or another top striker, and i definitely don’t want suarez), giroud can definitely be our primary striker with sanogo and some other decent striker as back-ups……… he is physically very good, his passing and voision… Read more »
I agree. A top striker would be great, as always, but Giroud could be the goods. And while I understand all the hate towards Suarez, the man can play football. Stick him on a side with Santi and you have two guys who love tight spaces and can finish up front. I’m certainly divided on whether I want him to come or not, but if he’s there he can tear it up. Just put in the contract big fines for stupid things (and dives).
Well, I think it will be more of a rotation between giroud and whichever striker we bring in. Personally I am in favor of bringing in a versatile forward who can play all across the frontline.
I dont think its right to underestimate podolski and giroud as they both have only been here for a year and it usually takes a while to get accustomed to the premier league.
Theo can bag 25 goals with an equal number of assists next season. As long as he continues benchmarking his performances his development will follow suit. Still wondering if he’ll get added game time through the middle this season?
I believe in Theo, he has shown that he is a true arsenal player. Is there any way word can get to Wenger to make him understand the importance of sealing a deal or two. He is being unfair to arsenal faithful supporters and has turned us to a laughing stock.
Cesc pleeaaassseee dont break our hearts againnnnn pleeeaasseeee Ppooooorrr favooorrr hombrè………..
cesc, por favor, te extrañamos y te queremos …. por favor no nos deja otra vez mi amigo ….moch moch moch !!!!
Theo has certainly earned my trust over the years but the anonymity in some games has to stop.
I absolutely believe he can do it.
He wasnt played much earlier last season so if he stays fir this season i think he is nr.1 choice for right winger in most games and he can score a lot with his improved finishing..
Just dont be selfish at times! Before he signed his contract there were lot of situations where he really just played for himself ingoring the better option of a pass. Hope he wont go that way just to get a target of his.
Please let it be let it be…. Cesc u are coming home damn ittttttt
Fuck it dick law! Pick up the damn phone and give barca a fucking offer for cesc! Now mother fucker!
Dick wants you to stop fucking with his head. Think you could pull that off?
theo is in my dream team. You can do it!
I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, Theo will reach 30 a season before hes 25, but in regards to transfers sometimes it just has to be enough bargaining and say you want this? ok fine here you go send him on the first flight out, especially if the negotiations are over 1 2 or 3 mill here or there, sod it, pay the little bit extra and justify it with more bedding in time for the player, not all advantages are measurable in a bank, a player settled into a new home having played more with the… Read more »
Think he should be used as a sub, with Podolski starting high up on the left and Cazorla/Rosicky/Chamberlain on the right. Would provide more balance, especially against the better teams.
Sagna, and the whole team, suffers too much defensively with him in the side and against top teams nowadays you cannot have a passenger when you haven’t got the ball.
Hate this whole I’m aiming for x number of goals bollocks. How about I’m aiming to help the team win x number of games by scoring, assisting and working myself into the ground???
Sanga gets his leg broke twice in a year and still plays well most of the time, break your leg twice in a year and you see what it’s like too many people come at these situations thinking its football manager and their the one with a genius plan, and let me get this straight, you want to take our top scorer and best finisher and fastest player off the pitch the season after he signs a new contract and make him a sub? fuck that! not only this but you name 2 players who are better in the middle… Read more »
wow … slow down and breathe. I think SaGNa plays extremely well most of the time, especially considering he has the whole right flank to defend and attack by himself. It’s hardly a genius plan, in fact it’s how we lined up at Anfield for one of our best performances of the season. Admittedly they were terrible but we were still excellent. I don’t think it’s football manager, I think it’s football. Line-ups and positioning do make a difference in real football too you know. You seem not to grasp the point that the team suffers defensively for what Walcott… Read more »
Actually I thought Theo worked hard 90 percent of the time to get back when needed as did the whole team toward the end run in where we defended as a team. But hes never gonna be a tackler.who wer that wastes ALL
Shit . Ignore the last bit .
Any news on cesc?
Isn’t it a target not a benchmark? As benchmarks go, there’s not many WFs who can boast his 24 month goal scoring record. Heats maps do show however him playing an advanced position, more SS drifting in from the right. For the team to be successful the forward four need to hit 20 each, over Theo pursuing any personal but meaningless milestone.
Most wingers are inconsistent. It’s as much to do with their position as anything else. As a winger you isolated from the game so depend on others to feed you (especially in a 4-3-3) or get on the end of your crosses. It is very rare to find a consistent winger and those that are consistent are inverted wingers, so not technically a wide man.
Well, his starting position might be RW but we usually play a skewed 4-2-3-1, so theo pretty much becomes a second striker. If we take that into account, his high goal tally isn’t a surprise.
players seem to be placing too much emphasise on total goals a season instead of total goals in the LEAGUE. i rate 20 goals in the league should be his target.
What about the no of setpieces he wants to take.
I need to know early.
I’ve a feeling Theo’s stats are a bit skewed due to scoring multiples against lesser opposition.
I wonder what his goal:game ratio is? And what it was against teams that finished top 10.
Watched ‘Moneyball’ this weekend. Had Arsenal/Gazidis/Wenger written all over it. check it out.
Podolski finished top scorer in my Fifa team last season with 37 in all competitions, guiding me to 5 different pieces of silverware. Higuain up top weighed-in with a decent 28, and Theo bagged 33. Cazorla got about 800,000 assists.
So lads, if you’re listening, that’s your goal: 5 trophies and 98 goals across the front three.
Cheers.
*reading
If you continue your form Theo, and actually work hard in all the games, I don’t see why you can’t be better than the taffy diving cuntstick from down the road. Glad to have him with us. If we can keep him, I think by the time he hits 28-29 he’ll be unstoppable. Didn’t Messi say he’s terrifying to play against as he’s so unpredictable? If he’s always GOOD unpredictable, then there’s no reason he can be world class. Of course, if he drifts around aimlessly when we’re losing to Norwich or Swansea 1-0 again, I might have to get… Read more »
*can’t be world class, sorry. Double negatives don’t never confuse me.
Good afternoon guys,
They’re all in Vietnam, in flesh. Haha.
Im going to enjoy the show tomorrow.
One of my childhood-teenage dreams will come true tomorrow :).
Btw, Im 33 now, haha.
I’m happy for you my fellow GOONER!!!
You moderate even when there’s nothing to moderate!
I’ve noticed over the past couple of weeks various players staff at the club trotting out this line about ‘stability’ at the club being important, especially when other clubs have new managers. It feels like they are laying the foundations for another summer of bugger all. I fear that AW really believes if we do nothing this summer we’ll improve slightly from last year whilst the others will all get a bit worse .
I hate to say it but has anyone ever considered the possibility that Fatgooner is a visionary who was right all along???
No. I don’t think anyone has.
Fatgooner isn’t a visionary, he’s a realist who calls things as he sees them, not how a bunch of turds on the Internet fantasize them.
Actions will always speak louder than words, and so far we’ve only gotten a fuck load of words. I’d love to see fg proven wrong. I wouldn’t bet on it though. And, I don’t give a fishs tit about cesc anymore. He ditched us when we needed him. Now he can’t get a game at his “home town” club and I’m supposed to feel bad for him? Pfffft. United can have his dodgey hamstrings.
You seem pretty bitter for a guy that doesn’t care.
And regarding your retarded assertion that Fabregas could not get a game at Barceboner:
http://l3.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/20PO.91HWhQineYbA90TvQ–/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ–/http://media.zenfs.com/en-GB/blogs/pitchside-europe/160713cesc-stats.jpg
Time to go back to your pond and dream of meeting princesses.
Wow, you win the award for most clever, imaginative, off topic, childish,lame, and hostile response. Congratulations, now……… Fuck off.
Blackary Sagna
Where can i get one of those shirts that they are wearing? Haven’t seen them before
Finally someone who shows ambition.
Each shirt has a 50 million pound release clause if you want one.
Sign them up Alex!
Maybe i should bid on some of the mugsmashers away kit as a smokescreen to lower the price of these nice looking tank tops ;))
League goals against Man City, Man Utd, Chelsea, Spurs, Liverpool, home and away, and a goal in each of the ECL knock out rounds Theo thank you. Oh and one in the ECL final too. 17 goals.
I just can’t see Theo ever being an out and out striker in the current system. Not every week, anyway. The new signing up front that we all want will push him down the order for that position. However, I really admire his ambition to play upfront, and the goals he scored last season were invaluable – for large parts he was one of, if not our most important player. I hope he keeps aspiring to be the center forward he so desperately wants to be, and keeps proving it on the pitch! 25 is definitely achievable. Maybe more.
Walcott AKA Mr Inconsistency
I really like Theo’s attitude, he knows he had a good season and wants to build on that, having a goal target is a healthy thing for a forward, it’s their job to score and create.
He will have built up a stronger understanding of Cazorla, Podolski and Giroud’s game, remember those 3 were added at once last season! I can see Theo having another strong season, he’s got more fight in him now on the pitch and I can see him getting close to 20 league goals this season.
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