28 year old Theo Walcott, with over 300 first team games under his belt, says he’ll be offside less in the future after he was offside lots of times during the 3-1 win over Cologne last night.
The England international was caught wrong side too often, although there was one where he held his line very well and was still given offside.
He says he’s got to work on his timing after what was his first start of the season. Speaking to Arsenal Player after the game, he said, “I was offside too many times to be honest, I was disappointed with that.
“I won’t dwell on that too long. It’s just about me timing my runs slightly better, but I say the players are playing it too late, that’s my excuse anyway! I like to make the runs and I’ll definitely be feeling it tomorrow morning.”
In the second half he helped contribute to the third goal, and said the shift to a back four played a part in that.
“We went back to the 4-3-3,” he said. “I like to make the runs to create space for other players and to stretch teams and it seemed to work in the second half especially.
“In the end we got the result which we really deserved, I think. It was a nervous start but it was good to end on a positive result.”
Did he also say the mood around the dressing room is much more positive than in previous seasons?
Walcott bingo !
He consistently mentions in the dressing room mood patches
I am genuinely surprised they even let him say anything in post match pressers these days after his hilarious ‘they just wanted it more,’ comments after we got done 3 nil away at Crystal Palace. I’ve said it so many times, the guy is a joke, the only thing that’s more laughable is the fact we were stupid enough to pay him £140K a week. And his performance last night.. he’s been at Arsenal for 10 years, played over 300 games or whatever, yet he still cant impose himself in the Europa League against a team who sit rock bottom… Read more »
Why are you soo hurt about him admitting that Palace wanted it more than Arsenal? It was the fucking truth! You should be angry with the performance.
Anyone who has been involved in sports knows that you are occasionally on the wrong end of matches like that. The problem with Arsenal is that they are on the wrong end of those matches far too often because they are in a coddled environment and the manager does not push them hard enough or give them a solid tactical plan.
For the following reasons: 1. He was captain of the side on the night. 2. He earns an absolute truck load more money then he should do for a player of his quality. 3. I was at the game. 4. For the points you alluded to in your comment; The fact that he even thought it was acceptable to come out and say that sort of thing in the post match press conference where the side in which he literally just captained, got blown away by a Crystal Palace side who were at the time one of the favorites to… Read more »
10 years and still cant pass worth shit . he shouldnt even play for a top six club much less earn 140k and play for a club with ambition like arsenal. i will never understand why wenger keeps him around and pays him a shit load of money , and sell much more productive players like perez and campbell
You are wrong I think he makes 400K a week. So that must really piss you off more?
Lol Theo 400k a week
This is symptomatic of someone who is losing their edge. There was a time that he was able to time those runs to perfection.
The number of times he fluffed it last night suggests that he is still confident enough to follow his instincts. It’s just that his instincts aren’t as sharp as they used to be.
A sign of a player with his best years behind him.
Probably more to do with the fact he hasn’t played much recently.
I thought he was good last night and we play better when he is in the side in a 433/4231.
Yes his scoring instinct was either rusty or not as sharp as it was (lack of playing time?). However, I agree with him saying the ball arrive late and thus making him to be offside. I counted about 3 times he was free and was signalling our players for a pass and at that instant, the ball was not release. He benefited from Fabregas well-timed passes. Cazorla and Wilshere are another players he can benefit from.
He also was involved in the Kolasinac goal. Not his best performance in an Arsenal shirt but by far not as bad as some would make you believe.
If he could actually cross the ball we wouldn’t have scored so credit where it’s due ?
He miscontrolled the pass into the box and the ball got to Sead on a deflection (pass wasnt even going that way). He had his contributions but i think that “involvement” claim is a little misleading.
He got into the box and got the ball before anyone else! That is contributing to the goal, to me!
Oh Walcott could always run. That’s not a surprise. He can also finish more often than not. That’s where it ends. The day he does anything different I’ll clap for him.
Sometimes its not even about directly being involved like that but just creating space or chaos so teammates can make runs or have space.
he was terrible mate what game were you watching?!
Its beyond ridiculous at this point.. If Alexis hadn’t scored that goal (which off course he did) Theo with all his flaws and outta form would have been the most productive in that strikeforce, as it is he was still directly involved in 2 goals.
Exciting young prospect, if he works on his timing he could be a top drawer forward by the time he’s in his early 20s…
…hang on, waaaait a minute!
he was clearly onside for the best pass and chance he would have but he was flaged wrongly.
No rush, you’re only 45 fucking years old.
I’m slightly worried about going 4 at the back. I’m not sure how we went like 12 games losing once two being abysmal? (Bar playing everyonr in oposite to there usual positions). If we play 4 at the back we really need to go back and work on our defensive game. I worry 4 4 3 will bring out all our common “arsenal” mistakes. But saying that we turned the game round yesterday and as “Arsenal” as you could get we finally showed up after being 1-0 down
Sure that “4-4-3” will indeed make us world beaters.
4 4 3 sounds great to me, gives us a great chance, though the referee might notice we have 12 on the pitch.
No we play the goalkeeper on the wing…
Not its actually a goalieless formation
If only the world was Daveless…
I like Walcott. Effective (albeit limited) player, and our longest serving squad member.
Gets bashed too much on here.
The annoying thing with him is that usually his timing of runs is very good, but he is rather ‘limited’ in his skills and when he has a game like this one where one of his few qualities is ‘off’ then it highlights how poor he is at other stuff…
This exactly.
On the other hand, Theo is often one of the most clinical when presented with, or making, a chance to score (he was our second highest scorer, with 19 goals, last season, after Alexis). He’s definitely looked a bit rusty the last couple of matches, I agree, but that’s hardly surprising since he’s not featured that much, and not as much as, say, Iwobi. And he’s tracking back better, too.
Cut the guy some slack.
The longest serving squad member (and in his prime) could/should be knocking on the door for the potential squad captaincy. Walcott doesn’t look like he’s made of that sort of stuff at all. I agree that he is scapegoated too often for the teams’ failings… but, come on, he is a bit of a shirker.
He was born offside, he just doesn’t seem to have a “football” brain…
I don’t think you could have watched him for very long to say this. His great weakness is his touch, his relatively limited technical ability on the ball. He makes extremely intelligent runs, almost always well-timed, and makes good choices on the ball (which, more often than it should be, he does not always succeed in effectuating).
Actually I’ve watched him for the 12 or so years he’s been at the club, and I’m not sure he’s improved much at all, in fact he was more exiting to watch back then…
The most troubling issue I have with Walcott is that hair. WTMFH is going on there?
Wait. Now 28, 12 years at the club, and he still can’t get his timing runs right? He has become a 28 year old, 140k a week beach warmer. He typifies everything that is wrong with the club, their management, contact negotiations and scouting system (arsenal picked walcott over bale and look how that turned out). Maybe realizing he was becoming like walcott, Ox decided to salvage his career by taking less money and move to Liverpool. Then again, I never rated both Ox and Walcott highly. I think it was all a marketing ploy by the club to sell… Read more »
Who does the running better than him at arsenal? Nobody is even close. I remember 2013/2014 season when he was in great form (remember Tottenham match) and arsenal were league leader by around January/February. Then Walcott went injured. The media said arsenal cannot win the league because the only player who make arsenal to flatter to deceive is Walcott. Then I read a column from 7amkickoff that we still have players that can do what Walcott does effectively. He mentioned Chamberlin, Gnabry and one other player. I was happy after reading this. However, we finished that season as 4th. Even… Read more »
Could be the dumbest player to ever play for Arsenal. He’s learnt absolutely nothing from Wenger, and I’m not sure he has the capacity to learn. His only attribute is pace, and he’s too stupid to even use that efficiently. With his acceleration, he should never need to hang on the shoulder of the last man.
Need to sell before his pace goes, but on his wages who will take him? Giving this dolt a new contract is unthinkable.
He’s 28 with 300 games under his belt. If he can’t time his runs by now he never will. Get rid.
Just needs another 12 years practice
I don’t know what Theo Walcott is even for.
No he won’t, he hasn’t gotten better in 11 years.
28 years old, 12 years a professional footballer. He should know how to look across the line and time his runs by now. Funny how no-one appeared to make a bid for him in the transfer window.
For a player whose main (only?) weapon on the pitch is speed, getting the your timings right far more often that not should be something you’ve got a handle on by the time you reach “First Team Regular” level.
Obv, it’s impossible for ANY player to get it right every time & there are times when the ref/asst will make a mistake that you’re not to blame for but, come on, he’s been offside for most of his career.
The thing about Walcott is he really should be compared to those mainstay players we used to love, because they weren’t expected to be the best, they were on low to average wages, but they were with you for ages and you had a soft spot for them. Like Ray Parlour. He wasn’t your star man, but he would bang in a stunning goal against Chelsea to win you the FA Cup and it wouldn’t spark a debate about whether or not he was World Class because he wasn’t a cunt who demanded £140k a week just because he is… Read more »
He hasn’t played in a while and he is a player who relies a lot on pace & positioning to get ahead of defenders. Being offside a lot in this game makes sense. Theo is a good player and I’m sure he’ll contribute this year.
Heh. Why is Theo Walcott?
Walcott, as long as you,ve got a hole in your arse, you will NEVER get any better.
so you think he is good do you, well you must be blind, that’s all I can say
After watching Walcott I honestly think that at 38 years old (and with no professional games under my belt) that I’m good enough to play in the top flight! Watch out for me lads, it’s my year!!!
I’ve said for two seasons that we should have sold him. That said, I don’t think he was as poor as many would deem to suggest. His runs (at least against this level of opposition) could be lethal if better timed and he made those short burst into the box on a number of occasions which suggest this is his best weapon for us. I thought he also protected the ball better second half which usually is my criticism of him. My beef with him is his lack of nuance at his maturity level. BUT, his pace can still be… Read more »
He needs to dwell on it more and stop behaving as if he was born offside.
I’m not gonna read this shit anymore. The tone of the articles makes it clear what you think of Walcott. Fair play, but you now sway opinion and given that half the people on here are septic tanks with no football heritage and no proper connection with the club, I’m sick of reading shitty comments about a player who, while limited, does alright for us quite often in the face of abuse from his own fans, and if nothing else is a decent bloke. So get fucked. Get your own opinions. Goodnight.
Just need to be given a chance in the CF role to shine. Oh wait he now realised he should stick to being a winger
I’m glad he likes running. It’s all he is good at.
theo “forest gump” walcott
Run Theo Run