Theo Walcott has echoed the thoughts of Arsene Wenger who insisted scoring goals has not been the big problem this season, but how many we’re letting in.
The England man scored Arsenal’s second in the 3-0 win over West Ham, and with Emi Martinez deputising for the injured Petr Cech and David Ospina, we kept our first clean sheet since beating Hull 2-0 in February.
Speaking after the game, the Arsenal captain for the night said, “I think you saw in patches of the Manchester City game that it was coming.
“We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves – we had to win our game, as simple as that. Going back to basics and getting a clean sheet.
“If we get clean sheets, we’ll win games, because we know we can score goals up top.
“We were patient today. West Ham frustrated us at times so we had to wait until we got that first goal. When it happened, you could see everyone relaxed a bit more and then the Arsenal true football came out.”
Asked if the game might be a turning point after a dismal run of form, he continued, “We’re not going to get ahead of ourselves. We know that we should be doing better and we’ve just got to remember how good we are.
“That scoreline will show that we’re ready for a fight and that we’ll go all the way until it ends.
“We listened to what the manager had to say. He’s taken a lot of grief recently and we’ve just been in the background doing what we do. We’re the players that go out there very week and try to perform.
“It’s been a tough run, I can’t lie, but hopefully the win can push us on.”
The best image ever used in an Arseblog news story.
Could not agree more. Made my day.
Take spunktastic pre-teen and raise you a: http://news.arseblog.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/wenger_gaga.jpg
Ha!!! I missed that one. The winner ladies and gentleman.
Vitas – 7th Element
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOzxJnUy9yU
I like how Theo has manned up in these last few weeks and put in a good shift for the club.
He’s still complete pony though, mind
This will obviously get thumbed down massively, but seriously he’s been at Arsenal for over a decade now, and only on a couple of occasions has looked like he could sustain a whole season without getting a bad injury or drop off and turn into Aaron Lennon. I think if you still think he’s a great player then you’re seriously deluded – he’s even been dropped from one of the worst England squads in recent memory. He’s garbage and the sort of player we need to get rid of at the end of the season, he’s had 10 years now… Read more »
19 goals this season isn’t bad for garbage
He’s the sort of player who’ll go missing in the big games, then score a couple against mediocre opposition. Then fans like yourself I’m sure will be chanting “Theo, theo, theo” – need to stop giving these guys an easy ride, the longer we do the longer this shit storms going to continue
He has scored in all the big games, what team have you been watching this season?
A really fucking shit one mate, one with a huge change of direction required in the summer
Whilst I completely agree with your point, in all fairness whilst I have been watching Arsenal all season, at too many times it hasn’t actually felt that I have been watching The Arsenal…
Yup, went missing against man city ( 2 goals, home and away), Liverpool (opening goal) Bayern Munich (opening goal) Chelsea (one goal) Basel (both goals) and scored in the only two major finals he’s played in for us….2007 League cup final, 2015 FA cup final….both opening goals….That’s two more than Le Roi Thierry Henry managed for us by the way
He’ll also be the first player to say that they’re all “up for the fight” before games/in the build up and talk a good game, but then put in the sort of performance my Nan’s capable of
jgunner, you’re obviously more j than gunner. It would be helpful (to you in general) if you actually try to understand the opposing point of view and contribute to a conversation than just behave like a keyboard warrior. Cheers.
nullvinho – i thought keyboard warriors were people who abuse and don’t actually contribute to conversations online? i’m simply putting across my opinion, if you don’t like it, don’t read it. I still think Walcott is shit… if you don’t like it, I honestly couldn’t care less
With all those goals he scored this season ? Not taking anything from Iwobi but compare their goals scored and minutes played per goal ratios as wingers. Even compare with top wingers un the league, you will be surprised.
He is very inconsistent but like the other two gentleman say, 19 goals this season. A dismal season where we needed it badly and it was Walcott who turned up and did it for us. For as much as he frustrates people, me included, he has been very useful on various occasions.
I think when Walcott does the basics and plays within himself he is a very good player. Not a great player but very good indeed. If he doesn’t try to do to much and continues to track back and help out defensively then he should keep getting games. Walcott is a frustrating player but 19 goals is not to shabby.
I like Theo. Always have. He’s never lived up to the hype spewed out by the media in his early years and the consequential expectancy put upon him as an England and Arsenal player but I don’t think that was his fault, he’s always been a ‘tryer’ in my eyes despite the erratic form and frustrating disappearances in big games at times. Perhaps wearing the captain’s armband will be the making of him……..finally.
Just do your defensive duties and don’t lose your man, Theo
He has been. And he didn’t.
That’s Monreal, not Walcott.
Walcott has limited technical ability, but he’s actually a very clever player who possesses superb movements off the ball. Yes he doesn’t have the natural ability of Ox, Sterling, etc but he’s certainly a smarter player. The mistake we made was expecting him to be Henry and later judging him as an out and out winger like Bale, Di Maria, etc. Yes last season was disappointing because of a lack of effort; but if we really look at the seasons before that, he has always delivered when fit. Truth is he’s the second best finisher in this team when in… Read more »
This is basically what I’ve always said. In terms of game intelligence, Theo is one of the smartest there is and that’s how he can outscore a player like Hazard (if you exclude penalties but even then). But because his technical ability and confidence lets him down at times, idiots think he doesn’t have a “football brain”. Not surprised we mistake technical ability for game intelligence in this country, it’s how we end up with players like Ross Barkley and Luke Shaw. Bags of ability but without the wit to put it together consistently
I like the new “Comments” layout, Blogs, thumbs up to your tech guys!
Is that James in the picture? ?
Dreaming of St. Totteringham’s day again ………
Forget clean sheets Walcott, keep banging them in. Clean sheet was certainly a positive. We were first to a century of goals this season which shows we have product to score but have been slack defending. I thought Martinez was excellent stepping in but also Mustafi stepped up a gear and Gabriel has also been very good coming in. Bellerin still seems to carry a bit of the weight of his hair out wide but in general, we were composed defending. I think we benefited from West Ham withdrawing into their half after the break. We strung a line like… Read more »
Still think we should consider selling Theo in the summer. He still has good value and although he weighs in with goals, I think we need more invention from a senior player. Particularly as his game is largely based on pace (which will wane in coming years), he needs to be more nuanced now. Of course the summer has plenty of moving parts. It may likely be complicated by the departure of Alexis. Also I’m not sure how settled Perez is (given his lack of opportunities) and it may yet come to us having to keep a stalwart like Walcott… Read more »
On the subject of banging them in, did not think Welbeck did terribly much all game. It could be that the gaffer is playing him to get back up to standard. BUT he missed two sitters and wasn’t particularly effective holding the ball up. All these people going on about pace pace pace. Pace is nothing if you have no composure. We see the much criticised Giroud come on and he was efficient. Lovely goal by the big man. Hopefully his subdued reaction is also not a signal of potential departure thoughts because I think we should keep him for… Read more »
I doubt it’s at that point yet. But it is a notice to Wenger that he feels he should be getting the starts ahead of Welbeck. They’re totally different characteristics, but you can see Giroud’s point if Welbeck keeps getting starts but no goals, and the previous two matches Danny also looked a bit off it. But- it’s hard to deny the extra mobility up there pressures the other team and keeps their defenders more honest from pushing up too high with our pacey front three. Danny really needs to bag a couple or set up a couple quick-like though… Read more »
Theo, a good player who fell victim to a formation change. His technical deficiencies are highlighted as a single striker or a winger. Whereas his strengths (pace, off the ball movement & finishing) are more suited to playing off or with someone. Regardless I think it’s harsh to judge his development without considering the damage injuries have caused his progress. Proud of the kid and hope he goes on to achieve greater things with us.
Spud shits the bed but Theo forgives and makes him a coffee. Then Spud tries to stop Vic Akers taking the sheets to do the washing just as Alexis, Mesut and Begbie walk in. Cue a micro shit storm that only ends after we have a major shit storm when Palace beat us on Monday. Then we’re back to being complete bloody shit. Choose life.