Theo wants to stay + Arsenal want to keep him = Bye bye, Theo? Welcome to football in 2012
August 29, 2012
It’s not about the name on the back of the shirt, it’s about the one on the front.
It was a useful phrase that. A show of defiance, even up to a few weeks ago. You could just declare that in the pub, with your mates, on your Arsenal blog and random people would applaud you, pat you on the back and you’d feel good, you’d feel strong.
Now I fear the phrase is getting a little bit worn. Tattered from overuse. It’s becoming less of a battlecry, more of a desperate mantra to be repeated over and over again as your bottom lip wobbles and you try to reassure yourself that everything’s going to be okay.
‘It’s not about the name on the back of the shirt, it’s about the one on the front. It’s not about the name on the back of the shirt, it’s about the one on the front. God, please, somebody hold me.’
Granted, it’s not like Theo Walcott has been a man to unite all Gooners in a state of mutual love and admiration. I get more angry comments on the blog about our number 14 than I do about anything else, my tendency to ramble at the top of blogs included. Understandable. You see a man running straight into a defender a thousand times in a row without learning his lesson and attempting to push the ball around him and it does something to your brain. Your only real outlet is a spew of invective on some random bloke’s webpage.
But while there’s clearly always a debate to be had about Theo’s ability and worth as a footballer I don’t think that’s what’s grinding people’s gears this morning. It’s the fact that if, as is being reported, talks have broken down between his representatives and the board and the club are threatening to sell rather than meet his pay demands, he would be the sixth prominent first teamer to leave the club in little over a year. Clichy, Cesc, Nasri, Song, Van Persie and now possibly Walcott. And don’t even get me started on Jeffrey Monakana.
It’s an astonishing turnover of first teamers in such a short space of time and completely at odds with Arsene Wenger’s oft stated aversion to changing more than a couple of new faces in a season. I think if you analysed the Theo situation on its own merits most people would agree that the club are acting in an entirely reasonable manner. But it’s very hard not to see it in terms of the bigger picture. A bigger picture of a club unable to hold on to its brightest talent.
But let’s look at Theo as an individual. With the usual apologies for taking estimated figures from the reports we’ve been given, here we have a man being paid around £60,000 a week whose contract has a year to go. Supposedly his people are asking for that to be bumped up to £100k. Arsenal are said to have offered £70-75k. And last night it seems that Theo’s representatives were so unimpressed by the offer that they turned it down and then leaked it to the press that they’d done so in an attempt to a) turn public opinion against the board and force them to up their offer or b) spark a bit of interest in the player’s services from the likes Man City and Liverpool.
The most disappointing thing for me here is that Arsenal’s previous attempts at being hardliners don’t seem to be having the desired effect. If nothing else they must be geting a reputation now for sticking to their guns over wage policy and being prepared to ship players out rather than meet their extreme demands. You’d have hoped that might mean that Theo would accept that he won’t get what he wants, meet us somewhere in the middle and get on with developing his game. But apparently that’s not happening.
I’ve seen a fair few commenters outraged that we’re not prepared to just offer what he wants. What difference, they argue. We can afford it and we can’t continue to shed our most established players. But could you really argue that Theo is worth £100,000 a week? Does he really deserve to be put in that top bracket of earners? Be the most highly paid player at Arsenal Football Club and one of the highest paid in our history?
I like Theo. I accept his limitations as a player but I don’t think we should overlook his strengths. People might say ‘blah blah, he’s just a speed merchant, blah’. Well fine. But that speed can be a devastating weapon. We’ve seen it. Not on a consistent basis but we’ve seen it. And he’s developing. Much more slowly than we hoped but 11 goals and 13 assists last season ain’t to be sniffed at. And what would be most galling of all about this transfer is those six years we just spent developing him to where he is today, six years of frustration and inconsistency, only to see him flourish at one of our rivals.
So it’s a conundrum. What’s particularly irritating about the situation is once again the timing. Why are we faced with losing one of our key players with only three days of the transfer window remaining? Most people would be fine with the idea of the transfer if a well considered replacement could be brought in but we’re given the distinct impression of a club scrabbling around desperate for any sort of replacement due to failing to sort out a contract situation ahead of time. To an extent our hands were tied. We tried to negotiate back in January but they refused, wanting to leave it until the summer when presumably they knew the club would be in a tougher position. But to fail to open negotiations until the very last week of the window smacks of stupidity on the club’s part. Put simply we have to learn to set our own internal deadlines to get these situations sorted out rather than be beholden to FIFA’s calendar.
It’s an indictment of where we are in the modern game when we have a player who according to reports would prefer to stay at a club, a club who would prefer to keep the player, and an offer on the table which is to most observers more than generous and yet we could still see the player walk away.
Unlike some I’m not convinced Theo’s departure is inevitable. I genuinely get the impression he’d prefer to stay. His lack of confidence on the pitch at times suggests an awareness of his limitations and he must know that if he goes elsewhere to pick up his £100,000 a week expectations from crowds and pundits will be even higher. Is he comfortable with that level of pressure?
I suspect he’d prefer to continue to develop his game amongst people who he’s worked with for years and who he knows and loves. Mind you, there might be more of those at City now than at Arsenal.
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28 Responses to “Theo wants to stay + Arsenal want to keep him = Bye bye, Theo? Welcome to football in 2012”
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If we want a speed merchant sign Usain Bolt.Theo is off like RVP and Song.He will double his wages and at City win trophies.But he is not a good player
“Mind you, there might be more of those at City now than at Arsenal.”
Brilliant line, but all so sad and true.
Good write up, as usual.
My take – ship him out.
I’m fed up with footballers dictating to the club.
He didn’t deserve his 60K a week last time and now he wants 100K, Dream on!
I think Arsenal as a club (well.. the fans) just have to realise their financial limitations as a club. We can’t compete and nor should we with the billionaire playthings.
Eventually it’ll end, more than a few clubs will end up like Rangers and I for one cannot wait for that day.
Arsenal will then be the dominant force in the new world of football.
There’s no way Walcott can be paid more than Vermaelen, Sagna, Arteta, Podolski, Cazorla and a few others. Sign or be sold. Interesting story elsewhere of players released from their contracts this summer, they’re offered 10-20% of what they were earning previously. Admittedly lower leagues but economic reality is finally dawning on football clubs. Theo better beware in case he is planning on sticking it out for a year and leaving on a Bosman.
If Theo is to stay he must accept that he is NOT worth £5m per annum. Otherwise please leave now. Simple.
Come on guys all this isn’t Walcott’s doing, it’s his agent. Walcott is gonna sign for Arsenal if we like it or not ofr £75k or more. Theo most likely said to his agent get me the highest salary possible, Walcott aint gonna get involved in these negotiation stages. two days from now Walcott will be signed down to Arsenal, I’m sure Theo’s dad has told him his career is over if he leaves Arsenal.
Theo knows what he his doing, he wants out and looking for an excuse of wages,deep down in his mind he knows himself he doesn’t worth to be paid half of the 100k. Idiot
So the drunken dribbler thinks he is worth 100k? hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!!! i pray he leaves, i have been praying for that for 2 seasons now. he is a fraudster to be collecting 60k right now cos im sure he knows he is crap, he must know, he must watch match videos. unbelievable!
You’re forgetting something.
None of these players have won anything for Arsenal.
Walcott isnt worth the £60k he is currently on, let alone a pay rise. Ditch him, plenty of better wingers than him around.
Well written. Theo thinks it is greener on the other side of the divide. He has to look carefully before deciding where next to go. If he goes on Bosman,no club will be willing to pay him what Arsenal is offering now considering the fact that he is inconsistent. If Theo was really good as we are being forced to believe, he should have had more assists and goals than he did last year. May I remind you that more than 90% of his goals/assists werent spectacular. They cud have been done by anyone. He either takes it or he leave it.
Theo hasn’t even left the club yet there’s no need to start discrediting him for his goals/assists, if anyone could of done them why didn’t they? A goal is a goal, an assist is an assist, does it really have to be spectacular? I sure Wenger didn’t tell Rosicky, Gervihno and Co “DON’T SCORE AND ASSIST”. No matter how inconsistent he was last season he was still one of the better performing wingers in the EPL last season in terms of goals/assists, stats don’t paint the full picture but it paints half of it. At the end of the day Theo will always be a good option to come off the bench for Arsenal in games in the future.
Arsenal play a high defensive line, so if Man City or Liverpool get Theo we’re just gonna look stupid if he’s scores against us, running round the back of our defenders on counters etc.
But I personally think Theo will stay and the agent is just trying to pull out all the tricks in his bag to get Theo the highest wage possible (and get his commission).
I agree completely. I’ve been saying for along time that Walcott won’t leave because he knows himself he won’t be able to bluff his way through a football career at another club. I appreciate there are some fans who like him, I like Bendtner, but I’ve personally run out of patience with Walcott. The arrival of Chamberlain and seeibg also Gervinho play better in that position came after I ran out of patience, so for me Arsenal can’t get rid of him quick enough. If what I’m hearing is true about holding the club to ransom, I want him also punched in the mouth on his way out of the door.
We are losing the best English wide player in the premier league. Football is not what it was 25 years ago, 100k a week, whilst being a lot to the average man, now isn’t that much money. Theo is absolutely worth it, he could get closer to 150k at other clubs. Its a mark of loyalty that he is taking less than his worth to stay at arsenal.
His two closest rivals are Lennon on 72k a week and Young on 120k. He is a better footballer than both of them. The same way we let Ashley Cole go over money we will lose theo, it will come back to haunt us.
if Theo wants to stay why leave negotiations so late? the timing stinks.
gooner- theo has yet to prove his potential.. how the hell can he or his agent demand 100k a week.. and all those who are earning higher pay at man c, man u and chelsea, they dont deserve it..
these clubs have spoiled the entire financial market of football.. its because of clubs like man city, footballers now only care about is money..
the passion for the game is dead.. arsenal football club is the best run club in the world and that is the reason, we are criticised more than anyone else.. i mean come on.. these clubs are in huge debts and the future is not secured.. how on earth can winning a trophy by making huge financial losses be good? to all the gooners.. its not arsene’s fault that clichy, cesc, nasri, rvp and now theo want to leave.. wenger is doing a perfect job…
Gooner, that can’t be true, i doubt Nani is on 100k talk less of 120k, and Lennon, where did you pluck these outrageous sums from, Fifa12?
75k per weeks seems fair enough for a 23 year old winger that is yet to set the world alight. So frustrating to see players act in this manner, i have nothing more to say.
Khalifha, Google searching. According to reports Nani is on 90k/week. whilst scoring the same amount of goals as Theo and picking up 2 more assists in the prem. And according to most news reports Nani was asking for 130k/week on he’s new contract.
But to say Theo hasn’t set the world alight is partially incorrect, yes very inconsistent but he has done it. This year at Chelsea and Tottenham he became unplayable again. I just don’t want what happened with Ashley Cole to happen again, we lose out because we don’t pay that bit extra. Because if Theo does get it together, and as you say he is only 23, it will only be Arsenal that loses out.
I believe he will stay but if he decides to leave, i wish him all the best.
It gives me no pleasure to write this as a neutral but it really is time some of you faced up to whats happening at your club.
The “sustainability ” policy of selling your best players to rivals to pay off stadium interest each year-and the insane wages policy at the club has created a disaster waiting to happen. It is just a matter of time before the long term lack of investment in players catches up with you.
Arsenal were very lucky last year- you were rescued by one extraordinary player who has now left.
The level of complacency at Board and managerial level is staggering-every time a top player leaves he is replaced by a much inferior one- if he is replaced at all.
Dropping out of the champions League is the least that will happen to your once ambitious club-staring the championship in the face is far more likely.
Perhaps you think it can’t happen- but all the ingredients are there for a disastrous season for your team- injuries- too many new players lacking experience of English conditions, inexperienced players in key positions and poor performers capped by an idealistic manager and a Board who don’t care enough to put their hands in their own pockets.
Theo hasn’t even left yet and he’s already getting thrown under the bus by half the fanbase – by all accounts he’s a nice bloke and wants to stay with Arsenal. Let’s wait and see before we all start taking down our Walcott posters and throwing away our T.J books.
A small part of me thinks Arsenal want to sell Theo, because Arsenal only wanted to negotiate recently and has always said he wanted to extend his contract put talks are getting pushed back. Arsenal are probably just saying they want to keep a player who they actually want to sell so is price doesn’t drop. Otherwise why would you decide to start negotiations to extend a players contract in the middle of the summer transfer window when the players on his last year of his contract??? Looks like an Arsenal tactic to get a good price.
Ya,…….i don’t know what has come on to Walcot,as for me is not better than chamberlain.and there’s Verminator out there that play with all he as you Walcot plzzzzzzzzzzzzzz you can go now i beg you i will never missed you i will celebrate it if you live emirate……………b4 now will do say in Arsene will trust,but i will say.in chamberlain i trust i so much love the guy a good football!
The club tried to negotiate a new contract back in January apparently but Theo’s agent wanted to wait until the summer.
Hmmmm I’m sure it was the other way round. But either way I hope Theo stays, he’s a good option to off the bench against attacking teams that play a high line.
The ox is nowhere near Theo’s standard yet, in future maybe. Also I see them in different roles. Too much pressure on him to young could break him, the same way Arsenal fans used to be with Theo – let him develope
A Cabaye shirt was available on the Arsenal store for a few minutes? Could be a hoax…
Hoax, next.
RVP on his way back?
We signed theo around 6 years ago was it, for 12 million. He was what, 16/17 years old, with bags of potential. We are still waiting for that potential to be fully realised. He is no better now than when he walked in the door. I am exasperated with the guy. You cannot rely on him 90% of the time. He will play a blinder then the next 5 or 6 games he is garbage. He doesnt play with his head up. Picks the wrong pass time after time. Cannot put a half decent ball in the box when in good positions and he wants to be played as a striker, the guy couldn’t finish his dinner! Wenger has possibly lost patience with him and these wage demands are just hillarious. Dont get me started on its his agent talking not theo. His agents talks on his behalf. If theo is not behind this then he can speak up and sort it out himself. When he is on his game he can be a handful for defences but sadly that is not often enough. Let him go and double his wages somewhere else. Arsenal are correct on this one.