Walcott tells Wenger to put him up front tomorrow – Let’s see how that goes down
September 25, 2012
Theo Walcott seems to be paving the way for his exit from Arsenal Football Club.
As you’ve no doubt seen by now he’s been talking to BBC Sport about his current contract wrangles and denying that his refusal to sign up to this point has anything to do with money but is really more about wanting to get his chance up front:
I’ve been judged, with people saying it’s all about money. It’s never been that with me. Playing up front is important. It’s one of the main factors for me.
I realise he’s been banging the centre forward drum for years now but I don’t believe for a second that the reason this contract hasn’t been signed is to do with anything other than cold hard cash. I’m pretty sure if Arsenal had sat down and agreed to meet Theo’s rumoured £100,000 a week demands we wouldn’t be having this discussion now. In fact do you really think all of those hours around the negotiating table have been spent talking about whether or not Theo has the physical presence and positional awareness to play as a lone striker in an effective 4-5-1?
The uncomfortable truth is that ‘I’m not driven by money’ is exactly the sort of thing that a player says just before they jump ship and join whichever club offers them the largest signing on fee. And I’m not sure there’s ever been a situation where any fan has been the least bit convinced by it. Let’s just say I didn’t hear very many Arsenal fans leaping to RVP’s defence this year squealing ‘He just doesn’t agree with the direction the club is taking. Come on, guys!’.
We could sit and debate whether or not he has a point regarding his best position. I personally feel he could be an extremely effective striker if he could learn to play off the shoulder of the last defender and utilise that blistering pace to get in behind. I know not many centre backs would want that problem to deal with. Whether he could play as a lone striker in the system we play I’m less sure. But my opinions are fairly redundant anyway because what seems evident up to now is that Arsene Wenger doesn’t fancy his chances too much.
He’s had myriad opportunities over the last few years to play Theo up top and he’s consistently refused to take them. I’d be stunned if he changed his mind having been held to ransom over a new contract. In fact he seems to be going pretty far the other way. Not only am I not going to play you as a striker, I’m not going to play you at all. I’m going to put a midfielder on the right wing and another left winger as a centre forward and I’m sticking you on the bench. For six games in a row.
Seems to me like Arsene Wenger has already spoken.
Theo didn’t sound exactly confident that anything was about to change regarding his deal:
It’s been a slow process.
It’s not going to happen any time soon. My last contract took six months to do. It’s one of those things that is frustrating for me. Hopefully it can be sorted.
As I’ve said before I’d be frustrated to see him leave. Especially on a free obviously. I realise he has limitations as a player but people are unbelievably harsh on a 23 year old who’s notched double figures for both goals and assists for the last two seasons running. There aren’t very many who can say that.
People describe him as little more than a speed merchant but they say that like speed doesn’t count for anything. It really does. He may not have the skills of a Messi but he’s a different sort of player and he offers a different sort of threat.
What’s irritating about his claims for a central striker role is that he has so much freedom in this Arsenal set up that he can virtually play as a striker anyway. Look at the way Lukas Podolski has interchanged with Gervinho in recent games. If he decides to leave would he get that same freedom elsewhere? I’m certainly struggling to think of too many top teams that would field him in his preferred central role.
Chelsea? City? Man United?? I just can’t see it.
But then as I said I really think the talk of his position is just a smokescreen. Because if we’d met his pay demands he’d have signed by now. No doubt about it. And he’d be back to playing on the right hand side of a front three and hopefully continuing his development.
He reckons there’s a chance Arsene Wenger may field him at centre forward tomorrow night in the Capital One Cup clash with Coventry:
I could play up front on Wednesday – that would be a nice gesture.
Arsene Wenger doesn’t seem in much of a mood to take any crap from anyone this season. I’m not convinced being told what would and wouldn’t be a nice gesture on his part is going to sit too well with him, especially from a player he’s been extremely patient with over the years. And I’m not convinced he’s going to allow team selection policy to be dictated to him by a player giving an interview to the media.
Maybe I’m wrong. Maybe Theo will start up front in the cup tomorrow and force the boss’ hand with an excellent display and a well taken hat trick.
If not I fear we’re witnessing the dying embers of Theo’s Arsenal career.
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- Wenger suggests switch to 4-4-2 + Cazorlatest
- Theo wants to stay + Arsenal want to keep him = Bye bye, Theo? Welcome to football in 2012
Comments
19 Responses to “Walcott tells Wenger to put him up front tomorrow – Let’s see how that goes down”
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wenger should try him up front if dat’s wat he want, afterall he has d speed. he may do better dan gervinho in dat position. football at times is all about xperiment.
i realy feel that walcot should be given that rool he desire, and i know he can handle it very wel with his past wil giv defenders mor presur and gaol a treat. One love gunners
Agree with all of that. He’s far from the disappointment some fans make him out to be, and I’d add to what you say about him that he’s a big game player. I want him to stay, but he needs to get real. And the media game he is playing is a little distasteful. If you want to stay, sign. If not, fine, but please spare us the bs.
He has improved so much over the years, does he want to carry on improving, is the question he should be asking himself.
@ MH – excellent article.
I watched Theo in that video try his hand at politicking and my first thought was that this lad needs to go. Truth is the only thing I was watching the transfer deadline for, was to see if Man C or someone put in a half decent bid for him. I have spent many hours over the years defending him and now I am just tired of him. The only thing I really want is for us to get some transfer money out of it, the idea that Theo would walk on a free annoys me.
As much as he is well spoken and polite, I question how smart he really is now. As it has been well articulated in this article, there is a freedom in the Arsenal style of play that allows all players to play in different positions in a game across the pitch. Therefore it is peculiar that the only person who feels straight jacketed by their role is Theo. The lad is either in denial that his inconsistent performances are not down to being on the wings, but down to him or he like I said is really not that smart.
I actually think we have already dwitched to using 2 up front and that will suit walcott better than playing wide of a 5 or a 3. wenger has changed to a very subtle 4132 a more flexible version of a 442.it now means that walcott is one of 5 strikers competing for 2 positions. this ever so slight adjustment is a compromise i believe between bould recommending a 442 and wenger wanting to stick to a 4231. i know this all sounds like numbers but as we have seen this season we are far more rigid defensively without compromising on our attacking flair. if giroud gervinho walcott and chamakh can improve their finishing by just 10 or 20% we will have more than enough to see us lift one or may be two trophies this season. i would go for this line up tomorrow night.
martinez
yennaris djourou squillaci miquel or meade
coquelin
gnabry arshavin santos
walcott giroud
shea hajrovic meade or miquel frimpong ebicilio watt chamakh
although i think that wenger might give ramsey and koscielny a few more minutes as they havent played many this season
At present, Theo’s game does not have enough guile, variation or is clinical enough to play as the main striker. Playing of the shoulder of the last man does not really do his biggest asset justice either, so if not speeding up and down the flanks, where should he play?
I feel a bit like the person turning up late for the party, in trying to discuss the Man C draw, but I would just like to say it didn’t take long for some weak fans to turn on Gervinho, after his spurned chances. When the truth is he should be given credit for his ability to create those dangerous opportunities, not just getting on the end of the pass.
Theo was on the pitch on Sunday for about 20+ not that I can really remember what his contribution was. If ever there was a player that could burst forward and keep up with Gervinho, I would say it was Theo. Forgive me if I am wrong, but the only contribution I saw from Theo was him jogging back and forth, I hardly saw him put in a defensive shift either. After Gervinho’s great performances in previous games, he’s earned a bit of grace and I have more confidence in Gervinho improving development than I do right now in Theo’s.
I would like us to recall Ryo also from Wigan as Martinez is up to his old tricks of keeping his talented players benched. I think Ryo is a bit like a sponge and is a fast learner. He has the ability to do what Theo does and with a big smile on his face. Then there is of course Alex OC, who will probably start on the wings when our injured midfield players return.
Theo has now made it difficult to include him at all as I would prefer Podolski, Giroud and/or Gervinho upfront and if he performs badly on the wings he has a ready made excuse that playing him in any other position to his preference is forced labour and therefore that is why he didn’t play well. Under the circumstances I don’t see how beneficial it is to having an unsettled Theo in the dressing room either. I want to have a settled squad, after all as that old adage goes ‘victory through harmony’.
Arsenal have given Theo their final offer whilst Theo’s people think they are still in hardball negotiation. Or at least the interview was supposed to get all parties back round the table discussing. I do think the interview changes even the offer on the table though, in that the interview was Theo’s very own ‘message to the fans’ moment. As the day a junior employee like Walcott makes public team selection demands of the club and a manager of AW’s stature, he is engineering his exit. Hopefully we can get at least £7m for him.
In any event, Theo Walcott should give the No.14 shirt to Alex OC as I think he will show it more respect.
Man Wenger give Walcott a chance tomorrow. Let him prove thats its worthy to renew his contract or not. If money is not the issue then goals will matter in the carling cup.
Mombasa, Kenya.
These comments from Walcott could be the final nail in the coffin of his Arsenal career, Wenger won’t have his hand forced over anything by a player I believe, this could backfire and convince Arsene to sell him in January. Or perhaps they’ll have a private conversation about it and things will work out…I still think these words were ill thought out from Theo.
@ Goona Gal
Arsenal have given Theo their final offer whilst Theo’s people think they are still in hardball negotiation.
You’ve put your finger on it there!
Great article. Something feels like there may be some sincerity in what he is saying though. Maybe I am just bein naive… Hopefully he will get his chance so that the truth can be exposed.
for me let walcott stay we still need him expectialy when we re pressing by an opponet, he will help in canter atack. Walcott can help Giroud to score b’cos he is in assee. Thanks
Can’t help thinking that they could negotiate something different here – ok Theo we’ll play you up front in the Carling Cup. If you do well sign for 75k and we’ll be thinking about league games, if it turns out you aren’t so good, here’s your 50k contract to sign and stay on the wing. Does anyone need my number for contract negotiations?
@ Fungunner – I really hope that Theo has not put in his contract that Arsenal MUST play him up front as unless your a GK, it would be ridiculous to do so. Otherwise if it isn’t about money, there really should be no hold up.
The idea that Theo is demanding Arsene Wenger develop him into the next Thierry Henry in this manipulative fashion really vexes me after the way the manager has stuck by him and supported him. I think Theo needs to find another place of work, Song and RVP did and Arsenal need to move forward with the players who think its a pleasure and a privilege to be selected to play anywhere on the pitch for the Gunners. No strings attached.
@ Ljungberg’s cheekbones – or since it’s not about the £100k per week pay rise, Arsenal say to Theo here’s your £40k contract as we will try to play you as your preferred striker role, but then since you are still learning you will be playing, less so here are your wages that reflect this. Of course if you are successful and get more game time, your wages will go up accordingly.
Though I strongly suspect Theo wouldn’t go for any of these options. Hopefully some other clubs are now making inquiries now the media have an Arsenal losing player story to run with.
@Gooner Gal exactly! Or let him rack up some playing time as a striker for the reserve squad. Surely a player has to prove himself before getting a pay rise to play somewhere else. What if The Ox suddenly decided he wanted an extra 20k and to play in goal or Woj wants to be the penalty taker? Theo might be ok as a striker but not on the strength of his word, Wenger must see something (or not) on the training ground.
It’s possible he’s even putting this out there hoping that any new suitors think they’re buying a center striker instead of a winger.
I’m wary of losing Theo because his natural gifts mean he’s not much improvement away from being scary good, and it’d just be depressing to see him take that final step with another team.
@ Ljungberg’s cheekbones – I even wonder what if anything scoring against Coventry would actually prove. Theo would have to have a game of his life for it to actually make me think he should be moved from the wings.
Even though the manner of delivery was almost placid in the interview, the serious implications like you highlight, would be a recipe for disaster if the club gave into Theo’s public demands. I wonder why Theo doesn’t ask Roy Hodgson if he can play as striker for England?
I hope Wenger puts a contract in front of him offering 65k a week and the opportunity to play up top.
I want to see him get his chance, he could surprise the doubters and turn out to be a 20 – 30 goals a season man.
I would like to see him stay and prove himself, I dont want him to get a penny more than the club have already offered him though.
Give him the chance to take a pay cut in return for a real chance up top with big goal & assist bonuses.
In the real world, I think he has already blown his chances with the boss, causing contract bullshit and now giving 23 year old advice to Mr Wenger and doing it in public.
He might even go and sit in the reserves as an example to all after the way he has decided to negotiate lately.
I like theo and I think he is pushing his luck. Big Time. so I expect him to be f*cking off very soon.
Of course staying and becoming the next Tel does sound promising and yet I cant quite believe he came out and said it! Words of a naive child……….