A cynic might suggest that Arsene Wenger’s is ramping up the niceness on Theo Walcott because the pair are currently trying to thrash out a new contract for the England international.
Of course, it could also be that the boss has seen signs in training that the Walcott of 2012/13 – he of 21 goals in a season – is getting back to his best.
Having watched the 25-year-old come off the bench to great effect at Old Trafford the boss reiterated his admiration for the winger’s qualities and his impending career milestone.
“Theo is in line to make his 300th Arsenal appearance, which is amazing because he played from a very young age,” Wenger told the matchday programme ahead of Sunderland’s visit. “That explains why he’s played so many games.
“He came here at the age of 17 and has a special destiny. Theo went to the [2006] World Cup without playing in the Premier League and then he missed the last World Cup because he was not available.
“It’s a strange fate. He has had an extraordinary career with some big setbacks, but he has recovered very well over time.
“I believe that he has a great mentality, a strong personality as well. He has developed well as a player because today he is a great finisher.
“He has certainly got one of the best qualities in the world, which is the timing of his runs off the ball – they are top quality. He also has exceptional pace, which he links with a great intelligence.”
Walcott, who is out of contract at the end of next season, admitted at the weekend that he’s had to be very patient over the last 18 months; first in his recovery from a knee injury and then as a substitute down the attacking pecking order.
Reflecting on the situation, Wenger added: “Theo is fresh, he showed that at Old Trafford, but I think people underestimate how much time it takes when you have been out for a year.
“People think you turn up and you play again like you did before, but it is not like that. It’s a question of patience and using him well at the right moment.”
Walcott refused to be drawn on his contract talks when quizzed for an update at the weekend and the boss has previously stated that he won’t be forced into a decision until the end of the year, at which point his protégé could open talks with foreign suitors.
It’s hard to tell what Wenger’s motive is for such comments. I think Theo realises that it’s best for his career to stay, rather than going to a Liverpool (where he will ultimately be the star) but will never achieve anything. He has the potential to do it, I don’t doubt that. It’s crazy how quickly people forget all the important goals and hat tricks he scored.
All you have to do is cast your mind back to Theo getting stretchered off and signing 2-0 to the sp*rs fans. A gunners legend. Alright he’s not perfect but who is? He’s not as sharp as he should be because he doesn’t get playing time and he doesn’t get playing time because he’s not as sharp etc. vicious circle. It those scum agents who turn heads and cause all this malarkey. Anyway here’s to three points tonight and no need to qualify for the CL COYG
AW generally talks well of all his players, past and present.
I don’t think it’s in his nature to say something nasty just for a contract negotiation, but it wouldn’t surprise me if it turned out Theos bench time was part of the negotiations…..
Golden years. Special destiny. Arsene is in love.
And also pushing the transfer price up just in case.
Boss is in good mood. Hopefully Theo extends.
I hope Theo stays… his continued tenure at the club would be another signed of Arsenal’s togetherness, which I think has been evident over the last couple of year, and the team is really coming together as a family. If he does go though, it would be understandable, as I certainly think his game time will decrease unless he puts in some amazing performances soon. I really think this squad is coming together nicely, now let’s go get Scheiderlin, Cassilas and Higuain/Lacazzette…..and the 2016 Title!
Why do people keep forgetting that we already signed Higuain two summers ago?
Cassillas ? Lol.
I was with you right up until that last line.
High praise indeed from AW
And clearly he wants him to stay. Unless of course all that praise was prefaced with “And now, ladies and gentlemen… What am I bid for this exceptional, intelligent and lethal finisher? £25m from Mr Rogers in the corner there… £30m from Sheikh Mansour…. £35m from Jose… at £40m he’s back with Mr Rogers… now I have £41m + one used Samir Nasri from Sheikh Mansour…” and so on
But 25+ goals for Arsenal next season please, Theo. That would be best of all.
Personally think we’d be mad to let this boy go. Feel like he’s got a lot to prove after his injury and I hope we give him the chance to do so..fantastic player when he’s in full flow
Couldn’t help but giggle on “top quality” Classic Wenger.
Walcotts injury came at the worst possible time just when fans were licking their lips on how well he would latch on to those mesut through balls. He is yet to play with both mesut and Sanchez for an extended period. Him leaving would again rob us of a partnership that for me could light up the league next season.
So please sign da ting!
There’s a maxim in boxing ‘timing kills speed’ it can also be true in football, a good defender can negate a players speed. Theo has both which can make his runs unstoppable at times. It’s just a shame for Theo that football is not all about making runs. If he can learn to come to the ball and pass it off before he runs it would make him very difficult to mark but when you’re doing the same all the time you make the defenders life easier. Hopefully that will come back to him with confidence and fitness but he… Read more »
He is going nowhere
This feels like the sequel to the contract see saw 18 months ago. Except it’s one of those sequels that most of the cast of the previous one decide against. This is the speed 2: cruise control of football stories.
I think if Wenger finally decides to play him as striker and get another good signing to play on the right wing preferably a dribbler, then we would have found the solution to our 20 goal a season striker problem. Between him and Giroud, and some clever tactical awareness we should have a solution for every problem. No need for a striker, the money may be better spent on a proper winger and DM.
And what about his inability to play with his back to goal? I’m not having a go at him here but with the way we play, our striker needs to be able to hold the ball up, something which is not his strength. In a 4-4-2 he could play as a striker. But in our system the wing is his best option. He can still score plenty from there.
Like I said, we have Giroud for that. There’s no situation where we would need a striker to be able to play with his back to goal AND be fast. It’s one or the other and what to employ depends on the situation. A striker who can do both are few and far in between (I can’t think of any actually). When we are a goal up and teams are pressing Giroud’s lack of pace slows down our counter attack. On the other hand, when teams are parking the bus, Walcott’s pace is useless because there’s barely any space to… Read more »
Edit: I mean pace not pass
I remember people saying this about Chamakh when he was in great form and RVP was injured. “I can’t see RVP getting back in”, they said, “With Chamakh, our play is dependant on our CF holding the ball and bringing others into play”. Then RVP came in and the rest, as they say, is history (which unfortunately includes his treachery). Does a single CF leasing the line has to be a big targetman to hold the ball? I dunno, tell that to Suarez, Aguero, Messi and Neymar (who have all or can play the CF role). The big targetman link… Read more »
True, but there’s a difference between a CF and striker. In the front line of Neymar, Messi and Suarez, the ones playing wide aren’t playing that wide. They tend to stick quite close to the box which makes it effective. Suarez doesn’t really have dribbling ability he’s just a great runner but the other two both being dribblers and great runners have the option to either pass through the lines, or dribble and lay it off for the finish (and in the case of Messi shoot and score as well, but that’s Messi). They really don’t have a player in… Read more »
Just thumbed you up for the last sentence (couldn’t be bothered to read the whole thing sorry).
People hate on Theo because of his much publicised contract negotiations . What people forget is that every player negotiate a good contract for themselves . Its just that sometimes the negotiations are not publicised. We need this speed machine right where it is, at Arsenal .
Agreed.
Also note how Wenger previously said he wants to add another player that can score 15 goals on top of what we have? Well, to loose Theo would be to lose a 20-goal scorer on top of what we already lack.
I’m wondering if these comments mean a start for Theo tonight and AW is boosting Theo’s ego/confidence to go out and spank Sunderland.
Who can forget the Theo of the 7-4 v Newcastle.
Let’s hope for a repeat but with a 0 instead of a 4. I’d be happy with any 3 points though.
I don’t buy this idea do Wenger ‘talking up’ Theo’s price.
It assumes that rival clubs don’t have professional scouts and are somehow ignorant of a player’s true worth. I don’t think any club management at the top level is naive enough to take the word of a selling manager that a player is ‘top quality’.
Anyway I hope Theo stays. He provides a great option when we need some pace in the side and I really believe he can score a lot of goals for us in the coming years.
If Theo does not start tonight I think it means he has not re-signed and they perhaps don’t feel he will
I did hear Arsenal wanted to reduce his wage/ or at least not raise it…..
How much will it cost us to buy a replacement
I would rather have Walcott then Stering
I hope he signs
My favourite Theo moment – seeing three scousers on their arse after this run:
https://youtu.be/V-5j2k6yTyo
(although the clip is spoilt somewhat by Adebeyor claiming the glory at the end)
Yep, can we have that Theo back please!
I love theo as a person and as footballer, although admittedly I have never met him. inspite of what commentators say he’s good footballer, the reason he plays for arsenal and England. fine we might have differing opinions of his playing style but that doesn’t make him any less of a good player.
sometimes as fan we flip flop our opinions. no one says Cesc is bad player yet all he does is make assists, no one says, De Gea is a bad player because all he does is stop goals.
I love you Theo.
Are the commentators saying you have met him then? 😉
I will never forget that run at Liverpool. Hope Theo is able to reproduce this many other times. Theo is never gonna do a backheel into top corner or jump higher than everybody for a header into the net. He is not a technical or physical player but he can change the game and help destroy opposition. He is an impact player.
Theo – who I have criticised in the past but I believe fairly so – scored 21 goals in the season before last. I don;t think anybody wants to see either Ozil or Ramsey deployed regularly on the right, yet theo’s (and the ox) injuries forced Arsene’s hand. We missed him this year for sure, whether we really thought so or not.
I think there is room for him in the squad, it’s down to him to commit knowing he isn’t the nailed on starting 11 player he was last season.
People tend to forget one thing. Theo, when he was bought as a SIXTEEN year old (wonder why Wenger always forgets this), was a striker at the saints. NOT a winger. Harry St Totterinham Redknapp said that was his best position at the time. One of the reasons Seven took him to the 2006 World Cup was, on coming to see Sol I think it was at the Colney, he noticed the exceptional quality of Theo’s finishing in a half pitch training match. Wenger,in his winger-to-striker experiment, took longer than the promised two to three seasons to move him to… Read more »
Evidently, if Theo wants to put pen to paper, he could easily do so. That he is dragging his feet would suggest he is waiting for the summer to kick in with offers before making up his mind. As far as the club is concern, we are fine either way in his decision. We are not as dependent upon his goals and pace as we were two seasons past when he opted to sign the extension based on our future performance. We now have plenty of pace out wide with Alexis, Ox, and the up coming likes of Gnabry, maybe… Read more »
Like all English players he’s very overpriced. I think if we can sell him and bring in Draxler or Reus we’d be mad not to do so.
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