The Gunners have begun negotiating a contract extension with Theo Walcott. Despite several stellar performances, he still lacks the consistency of a top-quality footballer.
According to The Telegraph, Arsenal have discussed a new deal with Walcott’s representatives, though no formal offers have been proposed yet. Theo’s current contract runs out at the end of next season, which happens to be the same time that Robin van Persie’s deal ends. Arsenal are keen to sign both players to new contracts. A repeat of last summer, when both Cesc and Nasri left the club, could prove catastrophic.
While Walcott has consistently been a part of Arsene Wenger’s starting eleven, his performances have been anything but similar. For example, against Chelsea, Theo was terrific. His goal was probably the best of the five we scored at Stamford Bridge. At other times, he has looked lost on the pitch like the game against Fulham.
The reason Theo Walcott has struggled to perform consistently is because of Arsene Wenger’s system. It is known that Wenger does little teaching. He prepares the players physically and mentally for the task ahead while also building chemistry and timing on the pitch. This system works wonders for intelligent players like Robin van Persie or Jack Wilshere, but it is not ideal for players who need specific guidance, like Walcott or Johan Djourou.
On one hand, the blame can be pointed at Wenger for his reluctance to adapt to the different needs of the players. On the other hand, Walcott also needs to [...]
Wilshere posted this picture on his Twitter account after the surgery.
Jack Wilshere is set to miss “four or five months” after undergoing ankle surgery. He sent out a message to Gooners after the surgery.
The 19-year old midfielder’s recovery will take “four or five months” according to Arsenal.com. His ankle surgery on Monday was successful. Wilshere wanted to notify his fans of his status (from Arsenal.com):
“I’ve had my operation this morning and all went well. My ankle is little bit sore, but I’m already looking forward to working hard to get fit and playing again.
“I would also just like to say thanks for the many messages of support I have received from you – the fantastic Arsenal supporters. See you all soon at the Emirates.”
I am starting to wonder whether we will see Jack on the pitch this season. At first, his injury was deemed fairly minor. A month or two seems to be added to his recovery time daily, and Arsene Wenger will not want to see Wilshere’s career tarnished by injuries. Maybe Wenger and the medical staff give Wilshere a year off and start fresh next season.
Most are predicting that Jack will return in late Feburary or early April. It is possible that he could provide a boost for the next North London derby on 25 February. Wenger and his squad will face Spurs at White Hart Lane on Sunday.
In other injury news, Theo Walcott will not feature on Wednesday night [...]
Robin van Persie scored four for Holland. Park Chu-young had a hat-trick for South Korea. Aaron Ramsey scored the winner for Wales in their European qualifier. Theo Walcott played very well in England’s victory over Bulgaria.
Holland defeated San Marino by a score of 11-0, and RVP contributed four goals for the Dutch. His first tally came in the 7th minute. Van Persie controlled a beautiful cross and then calmly slid it past the San Marino keeper to open the scoring. The Dutchman’s second goal came after he tapped the ball into an open net in the 65th minute.
Van Persie hammered home his third of the match in the 68th minute. After a shot bounced off the keeper, RVP finished the job by scoring the 7th goal of the game. His last goal came after a brilliant string of passes in the 79th minute. Van Persie finished off the total football with a hard, low finish.
San Marino were humiliated in the match, and it was tough not to feel sorry for them. Van Persie went through a similar struggle when Arsenal lost 8-2 at Old Trafford. After the match, many jokers on Twitter compared the Gunners to San Marino.
New Gunner Park Chu-young helped South Korea pummel Lebanon 6-0 in a 2014 World Cup qualifier. Nine minutes in, Park opened the scoring with a fantastic volley. A long pass was floated towards Park, and the captain decided to pop it into the net before letting it drop. Hopefully, we [...]
Arsenal narrowly defeated Udinese in the first leg of the Champions League Play-off on Tuesday. Theo Walcott’s early goal was the only tally of the match. Arsene Wenger may face action from UEFA after he contacted the bench during the match.
Theo Walcott broke the tension at the Emirates early with a goal in the 4th minute. Aaron Ramsey made a run down the flank, and then curled a low cross into the box. Theo Walcott volleyed the ball into the net. It is was good finish from Theo, who looked dangerous the entire match.
Udinese were clearly not afraid to play at Ashburton Grove. They lived up to their billing as a free-flowing, counter-attacking side. Antonio Di Natale lofted beautiful chips into the box for his teammates, but the Italians were unable to convert. Pablo Armero, a quick wing back, was the best performer from Udinese, using his work-rate and pace to create a variety of chances.
Gervinho seems to be unable to cross or shoot without hitting the nearest defender. The Ivorian has great ball control and pace, but once he approaches the box, he either holds onto the ball for too long or smashes it into the closest opponent.
Udinese decided to play four in the back instead of three, which was customary for them last season. Their attack was fluid, particularly in the second period, and was fueled by a number of skilled wing players, like Armero, Mauricio Isla, and Giampiero Pinzi.
Arsene Wenger will again be subjected to the ire of [...]
Arsenal will be taking on Boca Juniors of Argentina and New York Red Bulls during the next two days. Thierry Henry will make an emotional return to the Emirates. Arsene Wenger has good news on the progress of Theo Walcott’s injury.
The Emirates Cup is a two-day, four-club tournament that takes place at Emirates Stadium. The four teams are Arsenal (of course), Boca Juniors, New York Red Bulls and Paris Saint-Germain. This preview is centered around Arsenal, who will take on Boca Juniors later today and New York Red Bulls tomorrow.
Cesc Fabregas will miss the Cup due to on-going transfer negotiations with Barcelona. Theo Walcott will sit out due to an ankle injury, but Arsene Wenger does have good news: “It is better than expected. He is ten days out.”
When asked if Walcott will be healthy for the start of the season, Wenger replied: “He could, we are hopeful.”
Arsenal will play Boca Juniors today at 16:20 BST. Juan Roman Riquelme plays for Boca now but he was starring at Villareal when the Gunners played the Spanish side in a 2006 Champions League semifinal. Jens Lehmann saved Riqulme’s penalty late in the match which could have brought Villareal level. Here is what Riquelme said yesterday about the incident:
“It was one of the saddest memories of my career and one I will always remember. I thought we were stronger than Arsenal and deserved to play in the Final. We were quite unlucky, I missed a penalty and Arsenal managed [...]
Theo Walcott has been forced to leave Arsenal’s training camp in Germany to receive treatment for his ankle in London.
Arsene Wenger broke the news, telling Arsenal.com: “Theo went home early and was due to have an MRI on Tuesday. It is an old ankle injury from the end of last season. It’s one that comes and goes.
“We need some more investigation because sometimes he’s completely free of it and sometimes it affects him. But we had to send him back because he couldn’t practice anymore.”
Depending on the tests, Theo could miss the start of the season, which kicks off in 16 days at St James Park. Hopefully, this is just a precautionary move, but Wenger’s comments are not the brightest. Walcott has been struggling with the injury, but has practiced anyway, and now it hurts so bad he can no longer practice. Does not sound good…
And another thing, why was this issue not dealt with during the break? Walcott is just getting this ailment checked out even though it has been hampering him since the end of the season. Theo should have been undergoing treatment on the ankle this whole time. These footballers need to be a bit more responsible.
Theo Walcott believes he is a striker first and foremost:
“I was signed as a striker and I want to play up front. I think I have done my trade out on the wing. I think a lot of people forget that I’m not a winger. I see myself as a striker, although if I get played up front, it will take me a few games to get used to playing there again because I haven’t played there for about five years now. I think I have done a fairly good job on the wing for Arsenal and I will play anywhere for this team but, hopefully, the fans will start seeing me a bit more up front.”
Walcott is pushing Wenger for chance at striker. Theo is excellent on the wing using his pace, but is he physical enough for the modern English game? Strikers are constantly being bumped around and kicked by the best centre-backs in the world. Dealing with an attacking left back, like Gael Clichy, is a lot different than dealing with a strong centre-half like John Terry.
Walcott should remain on the wing. He tends to wear down in the second half of matches, and moving him into the center will only wear him down more. Theo’s pace is electric, and he still makes darting runs into the middle from his spot on the wing. If Wenger moves him to striker, those runs diagonal runs will have to be made on the flanks, making Theo less dangerous.
2 July 2011: The question has now shifted from “Who will leave Arsenal?” to “Who will stay at Arsenal?” Many Gooners are fearing the worst as news outlets around the country feast on Wenger’s “demise.” Reports are now saying that Theo Walcott and RVP will leave if Cesc and Nasri are allowed to leave.
The tabloids love writing up stories about the next player to leave our club. Who is next? Could it be Wilshere? Or maybe Song? At this rate, Gervinho could leave before even playing a single match.
Alright, I will stop with the sarcasm. The reality is that nothing is official, and many reports from the tabloids are not supported by any evidence whatsoever. Broad generalizations like this from The Telegraph fill the articles:
“Van Persie’s apparent unhappiness is understood to be more tactical, with the player’s camp keen to remind senior figures of his importance alongside Fabregas and Nasri, but confirmed interest in the Dutchman from a leading club could lead to another unwanted saga.”
What utter speculative speculation! A bunch of “ifs” like “apparent,” “understood,” and “could.” Why was a piece like this necessary? No proof just a bunch of nonsense under an eye-catching headline.
Daily Mail are saying the Chelsea will launch a bid for Theo Walcott. Apparently everyone is feeding on the rubble surrounding our club. Not just the media, but the other clubs as well. The Daily Mail article states that Walcott is displeased with his playing time. Possibly so, but not in this past season. [...]
The question for Arsenal supporters may change from “who should we sell?” to “who will stay.” It is quickly becoming apparent that many players are not happy with their current situations at our club. Samir Nasri and Cesc Fabregas may be making a departure from the Emirates. Denilson and Bendtner have already expressed their desire to leave.
Theo Walcott had this to say yesterday to Sky Sports News: “I don’t like getting involved in people’s careers. We need to keep hold of our best players – but it’s up to Samir, it’s his decision. He had a great season, he showed people what he can do. He’s a very important player to Arsenal and we’ll see what happens in the summer.
“Yeah [I'm expecting players to be signed], the manager’s said so. Hopefully we can keep hold of our best players, as we need to be winning something next season without a doubt. It’s been so long and the fans have waited so long. And players don’t like seeing every season go without winning anything.”
Nothing said there hints at Walcott’s exit. But this may be a key season for Wenger. If he cannot hold onto to either Cesc or Nasri, more and more players (at increasingly younger ages) will be looking for a new employer. In fact, Theo wants Arsene to splash the cash (BBC Sport):
”It will be interesting to see who comes and goes in the summer, the boss has said he is going to spend. We [...]
Arsenal were well-represented in yesterday’s European qualifier at Wembley Stadium. Jack Wilshere and Theo Walcott suited up for England while Johan Djourou lined up for Switzerland. The match ended in a 2-2 draw which did not really benefit either team. Walcott and Wilshere had flashes of brilliance, while Johan Djourou looked poor throughout the match.
Jack found it hard to get involved early on. Switzerland came out in with an attacking mentality and shocked Wembley by scoring two goals in a manner of minutes. Wilshere earned England a much-needed penalty when he was brought down in the box by a lazy tackle just minutes after Switzerland extended their lead. Johan Djourou was the one responsible for the careless challenge that was a clear penalty.
Djourou showed a real lack of awareness. The Swiss team had just gone up by two and Wembley was stunned into silence. There was no need fro Johan to make a rash challenge on his Arsenal teammate. Doesn’t he know that Wilshere never pulls the trigger?
Theo Walcott is essential to this England squad. He provides the pace along the wing. Sure, Milner, Adam Johnson, Downing, etc. are fast but they are not Theo Walcott fast. Every defender is scared of his pace and the potential embarrassment of getting burned by him.
Wilshere really showed his class during one period of play in the second half. Jack glided past two Swiss players before sliding a beautiful ball through to Darren Bent but the keeper charged out [...]
