Thierry Henry believes that Theo Walcott’s form this season has proved that Arsenal didn’t need to buy a top class striker last summer; an acquisition he himself had called on Arsene Wenger to make.
Proving wrong all those who’d doubted his ability to lead the attack (including us), Walcott has started the season in eye-catching form making four assists and netting four goals.
His goals, along with the six apiece from Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez, have propelled the Gunners up the table to second place where they sit level with leaders Manchester City on points.
Reflecting on Walcott’s form and pedigree, Henry told Sky Sports: “I was saying that maybe they needed a striker in the summer to help out, but Theo Walcott has emerged as that striker.
“He is playing ever so well. Now there is competition for the number nine role – Giroud is no longer on his own as the striker.
“When Walcott is playing, he’s doing his job. When Giroud is playing, he’s doing his job.”
Henry also reiterated the importance of facing top quality competition on a day-to-day basis by drawing comparisons with his own experiences as a younger player.
“What it does is bring a healthy competition,” he said of the duo’s form.
“When I used to play for Arsenal, I knew I had only 60 minutes to perform because there was Dennis Bergkamp, Nwankwo Kanu or Sylvain Wiltord on the bench. I knew I had to perform.”
In a separate interview on Sky Sports News, Henry underlined the importance of regular football to Walcott.
“The difference this year is he [Walcott] is having a run of games as a centre forward. In the past Arsene maybe sometimes played him as a number 9 and then he’d be back on the wing for five or six games and then sometimes on the bench.
“He’s having a little run now, three, four games together. Then Giroud might do the same. You need a run of games to be able to perform. You can’t be dropped there for one game and then spend seven on the bench [and be] alright. He’s showing he’s very capable.”
Last month Theo talked about how he’d been picking Henry’s brain in a bid to improve his finishing and all-round attacking player. We’re glad to see it’s paying off.
TH14 backtracking on his “you won’t win the title with HFB up front” as skillfully as he backheeled that goal against Charlton, there.
He’s still got it.
Say what you want, deep down you know he had a very VALID point. Giroud needed/needs competition for him to step up.
Tired of people criticizing Henry when he’s not only stating facts, but also speaking from experience.
In fairness to His Highness, what he meant was Giroud needed competition and rotation. Not that he wasn’t good enough…
Hardly backtracking.
Shows the top quality strikers that we had then.
Remember Bergkamp v Leicester, Kanu v Chelsea and Wiltord v Man U without thinking getting happy.
And that is before we mention Henry v Inter, Tottenham, Liverpool, Man U, Real, etc
Who else still doubts Theo as a Striker?
Chris Waddle, apparently, but you asked “who” so it doesn’t count.
Chris eh? We beat them twice to win the cups! hahahahah! Adams was so happy, he slammed morrow down!
sant’s long punt and giroud’s header againt bayern reminded me of the days when merson would punt it high and long for adams or smith to bundle it in.
I do. He still has no real first touch unless he accidentally knocks the ball into his stride. He used to be our free kick taker just before he signed da ting – 1 but recently can’t seem to hit it flush. I like him a lot and he is great at creating space for ozil and Cazorla to play but I would argue Henry, Wiltord, Kanu, Bergkamp, Rvp, Adebayor (as an arsenal player ), Eduardo were all better strikers than Theo. I think he is playing really well but I still cringe at his first touch – almost all… Read more »
When the King speaks. I listen.
Henry didn’t say Giroud just needed support initially – he said we needed someone better than him. I still think that’s true. He’s a slippery one: He’ll go far!
Theo is my speed master he have to play well and shoot ball well whenever he is nearing the post
I always feel like he rates walcott above giroud
No disrespect to Thierry but he wasn’t saying this throughout the transfer window or at the start of the season. Every pundit and journalist was bemoaning our lack of a spine spearheaded by a striker, Thierry included. Why didn’t he name check him back then? Would have done wonders for Theo’s confidence. He seems to have reneged on his earlier thoughts now that Theo has shown consistency. He always had the potential but he just needed the game time. It would have been nice for Thierry to voice this. We have what we need now, here’s to some serious consistency… Read more »
Well to be fair, I think all of us are thinking a bit like Henry. Perhaps Henry didn’t see TW working in the number 9 role as a long-term solution just as we didn’t, but we have all been proven wrong. You can still make that statement while speculating as to the reason why he has improved, i.e. a run of games. I don’t think Henry said that he knew this would happen all along – he’s just saying that while his previous statement was true, the gap in the squad has been filled by Walcott rather than an external… Read more »
Might it be because during the summer Theo hadn’t yet had a run of games and proven that he could cut it ib that role? It was IMO a fair assessment of the situation ob the ground at the time, and might I say a fair prescription to resolve it. I cut the King some slack on this one since possibly every Gooner felt the same him over the summer window
I used to doubt Theo’s ability as a striker but I no longer do. I really pray he goes on to become a better striker
I am ever so happy that there are options upfront. I am taking all of this as one game at a time. If we win the league at the end of the season in this fashion – theo and giroud are legends…well almost.
He’s not backtracking. He’s straight up saying he was wrong.
Quote: “He is playing ever so well…”
For a moment there I could’ve been fooled into thinking it was Rambo who uttered those words, not King Henry…
Theo ,in my opinion ,would still really struggle if Arsene was still using his old tactics whichever team we faced. Our manager has evolved…..brilliantly I think, and Walcott has benefited. We have plan A with Theo starting and we concede possession and space to launch our counter ,plan B with Giroud starting ,expecting our opponents to ‘park the bus’ and plan A + B and B + A where the players are exchanged after 70 minutes and the system is reversed.