As we're unlikely to see terraces again at football, this is the virtual equivalent where you can chat to your hearts content about all football matters and, obviously, Arsenal in particular. This forum encourages all Gooners to visit and contribute so please keep it respectful, clean and topical.
Why do people assume that playing theo in the strikers role is going to be his salvation ? Did anyone see his finishing at the tail end of the season when he couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo ? I can understand (to a point) that people want the young kids to make it big and even more so if they are english but this guy is miles away from being ready to play as a striker in my opinion
OneBardGooner wrote:Well! Le Boss did try and explain to pearce the feck halfwit - That it was NOT a good idea to have Walcott play in both teams....I wonder why Pearce wouldn't / Didn't listen to someone who is Obviously a far more knowledgeable Football Manager than he! - Jeeeeeezzussss!
Yeah, why did Pearce (beaten in three games in two years. One on penalties, one against Ecuador full team, two semi finals in two years) not want to throw the uncapped Driver and Rose in as his reserve wingers? Why did Pearce want to give Walcott a winning mentality and a chance to stretch himself against some of the best youngsters around? Why did Pearce want his side to have the best chance of winning the tournament and a basis for future success?
We owe Pearce for his help and encouragement when Walcott was struggling with Arsenal, Walcott hasn't played that much this season and can develop from this. Wenger should have concentrated on Walcott getting picked for the senior's when Capello had more options then Pearce's injury hit (though not like Serbia) squad.
Pearce is a big fan of Walcott but he was poor against Finland, had Milner and Adam Johnson as well so if one wasn't performing he could swap them out. Think he also wanted Walcott's pace specifically against Spain from the bench and it worked, he got an assist after all
Be intresting to see who Pearce picks in the semi's as we won't be able to read too much in the Germany lineup
augie wrote:Why do people assume that playing theo in the strikers role is going to be his salvation ? Did anyone see his finishing at the tail end of the season when he couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo ? I can understand (to a point) that people want the young kids to make it big and even more so if they are english but this guy is miles away from being ready to play as a striker in my opinion
i always think that before any player starts to REALLY perform for AW. the go through a crap bit. just like Henry and more recently Song and Bendner. maybe that was Theos crap bit and next season he will rise like a Phenix(spelling) from the flames.
augie wrote:Why do people assume that playing theo in the strikers role is going to be his salvation ? Did anyone see his finishing at the tail end of the season when he couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo ? I can understand (to a point) that people want the young kids to make it big and even more so if they are english but this guy is miles away from being ready to play as a striker in my opinion
I wouldn't say moving him is going to be his salvation but I strongly feel it is the only way he is going to make it at Arsenal or any club looking to continuously challange for major trophies. On the right wing for us he has been very very disapointing. When is he at his most dangerous? I would say that it is when a through ball is split between centre back and full back giving him acre's of space to run into. But it's at this point the danger ends. His final ball is usually pretty woeful and when he does decide to take it on himself he seems to get more confused and his finish suffers. Given a fully fit playing squad he wouldn't get anywhere near my first choice starting XI.
Played through the centre getting in behind would at least narrow his options to solely going for goal. And giving him the whole goal to attack rather than just a diagonal angle from the right would improve the size of his banjo. I agree he is miles away from being ready to play as our main striker but after 3 years on the wing it's very clear to me his is never going to be recognised as a truely excellent player playing there. Most likely he'll end up another Jermaine Pennant which would be a sad state as watching the 16 year old Walcott at Southampton he really did remind me of Owen at the same age, had he been given the same opportunities I shudder to think how good he would be now.
I agree Number 5 that he will only be a striker if anything and that is Wenger's plan. He can finish well and I remember some excellent composed finishing against Germany U-21's a few years back, Villareal, Wigan and Slavia Prague amongst others. If he had been played through the middle for a few years (injuries notwithstanding) then we would have something different on our hands by now. I know that AW wants him to strengthen physically before moving him into the centre, it just unfortunate that he is not a winger/wide-man and is essentially a guy who you can play the ball over the top to or to get in the box.
The problem is that the style of play is not really designed for a centre-forward with all this interpassing and changing of position.
Galasso wrote:I agree Number 5 that he will only be a striker if anything and that is Wenger's plan. He can finish well and I remember some excellent composed finishing against Germany U-21's a few years back, Villareal, Wigan and Slavia Prague amongst others. If he had been played through the middle for a few years (injuries notwithstanding) then we would have something different on our hands by now. I know that AW wants him to strengthen physically before moving him into the centre, it just unfortunate that he is not a winger/wide-man and is essentially a guy who you can play the ball over the top to or to get in the box.
The problem is that the style of play is not really designed for a centre-forward with all this interpassing and changing of position.
If that's true how the fuck is Adebayor offside so bloddy often.
By having a true pacy front man the oppostition defence would not be able to hold such a high line and bunch the middle against us. This would give more time and space for Cesc, Arshavin, Nasri, Van Persie, Rosicky ( ) to build the play from there and look for the killer pass moving up the field. We do play a lot of through balls in our play now, it's just they usually result in a free kick to the oppo, so maybe that's why it doesn't look like we do.
Number 5 wrote:If that's true how the fuck is Adebayor offside so bloddy often.
By having a true pacy front man the oppostition defence would not be able to hold such a high line and bunch the middle against us. This would give more time and space for Cesc, Arshavin, Nasri, Van Persie, Rosicky ( ) to build the play from there and look for the killer pass moving up the field. We do play a lot of through balls in our play now, it's just they usually result in a free kick to the oppo, so maybe that's why it doesn't look like we do.
I agree that we do play balls over the top (Ade ) but it seems to me more of an afterthought than a gameplan, or a game like Stoke where we dropped just about every attacking midfielder that we had. Whereas in Wenger's first team we were more direct with Bergkamp to Wright/Anelka/Henry with wingers it is much more of a "creative centre" in front of the midfield that encourages the opposition to stand off. As you say, the tactic of using Adebayor like this seems wasted most of the time.
Look at the problems a "dynamic" forward like Torres gave manu last year - and with our talent behind that then who knows...?
augie wrote:Why do people assume that playing theo in the strikers role is going to be his salvation ? Did anyone see his finishing at the tail end of the season when he couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo ? I can understand (to a point) that people want the young kids to make it big and even more so if they are english but this guy is miles away from being ready to play as a striker in my opinion
Radford can only agree with this post. some seem to think AW should play him up front but in place of who?
the lad form Radford's point of view is way short of even thinking about being a good player at the moment.
Did anyone see his finishing at the tail end of the season when he couldnt hit a cows arse with a banjo ? 
I can understand (to a point) that people want the young kids to make it big and even more so if they are english but this guy is miles away from being ready to play as a striker in my opinion
) to build the play from there and look for the killer pass moving up the field. We do play a lot of through balls in our play now, it's just they usually result in a free kick to the oppo, so maybe that's why it doesn't look like we do. 
) but it seems to me more of an afterthought than a gameplan, or a game like Stoke where we dropped just about every attacking midfielder that we had. Whereas in Wenger's first team we were more direct with Bergkamp to Wright/Anelka/Henry with wingers it is much more of a "creative centre" in front of the midfield that encourages the opposition to stand off. As you say, the tactic of using Adebayor like this seems wasted most of the time.
