best role for Theo

Herd · Post by **Herd** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 9:54 am

I'm sure he could do it ,but sad to say we rarely break with any pace anymore,we shuffle it either down the side where he gets met or we play it so slowly down the middle he ends up getting a square ball and has to progress from a standing start with a defender up his gazoo.

We dont have a Pires ,Berkamp,Vierra,Petit type who can either knock one over the top or on the slant.

I always think you should play to the strengths of the players you have available to you,one of my personal criticisms of Wenger is that the formula is applied whatever the mix of players you have available.
As an Example we could have played some straight 442's last year (actually last 3 years )with Bendy up front and would have slaughtered some of the weaker shit we drew or lost against .

However the thread is about Theo ,IMHO he should play direct and up front !

augie · Post by **augie** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:03 am

LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:Same old same old here, certain posters have their pet hates and cannot wait to get on a players back, they are then given an argument that said hated player is playing out of position but dismiss it out of hand because they KNOW IT ALL. Funny though that these haters defend arshavin and profess that he is played Out of position. Truth is.......they don't know it all no matter how protracted and dogged their argument because until said hated player is played in their preferred position no one knows My own view on Walcott is that he is a half decent player and at times is clinical and puts in better crosses than he's given credit for, unfortunately we don't have a gerard/lampard type midfielder or an alan shearer type forward who time runs into the box and attack the ball. If we did we might just have someone to get on the end of a cross rather than try and pick out one player amongst five defenders, even beckham would struggle to pinpoint someone with those odds. Our players all hang about ten yards outside the area waiting to play tipy tappy again and prove to the world that we can have 70 per cent of the ball against manure ( but still lose, oh the injustice of it all) because stats like that win matches......right? Give theo a chance in his preferred position and for that matter arshavin too and see what they can do, if they don't produce then sell them to shitty next season But what do I know (fuck all was the cry) I have never played FM.

You see that is exactly my view......he is half decent but that is not good enough for a club at our level

From my own point of view there are a few different factors in my lack of belief in theo - (1) he came to the club as THE outstanding young prospect in the whole country and really has come nowhere near to reaching that level. Maybe putting that level of expectation on him was a bit unfair but that is the nature of the game nowadays plus if he wants to avoid pressure maybe he shouldnt be pushing himself into the spotlight in hello/ok magazines or in the papers telling the world what he is gonna do. (2) he is not developing at all imo - he still hasnt improved his technique and is still running down blind alleys

I do agree that 90% of the time there is no *word censored* in the box to cross the ball to but at the same time his ability to cross the ball is woeful anyway.

Last season I watched him play as a striker for last 20mins v brum in the grove - he did not know where to run or when to run which adds to my belief that he lacks the intelligence to play the position. It also struck me how easily he was crowded out in the middle and for such a small lightweight player that also has to be a concern

SteveO 35 · Post by **SteveO 35** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:07 am

His best role would be playing the lead in Forrest Gump 2 - Forrest's secret love child running in continuous straight lines all over Europe, undetered at bumping into random objects (e.g. opposing full backs).

"For no particular reason, I just felt like running. I ran down the tunnel, straight down the touchline and then, when I'd reached the byline.....I just kept on going"

augie · Post by **augie** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:14 am

Percy Dalton · Post by **Percy Dalton** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:23 am

Whatever you say about Theo at least he isn't one of the mercenary *word censored* trying to force himself out of the club that everyone seems to adore!

He wears the shirt with pride and never moans when he is the first dragged off despite others playing far worse. He has had the bollocks as a kid to stand up and take penalties in CL shoot outs and he never hides during a game.

Get off the kids back I say.

LeftfootlegendGooner · Mon Jul 18, 2011 10:26 am

augie wrote:
LeftfootlegendGooner wrote:Same old same old here, certain posters have their pet hates and cannot wait to get on a players back, they are then given an argument that said hated player is playing out of position but dismiss it out of hand because they KNOW IT ALL. Funny though that these haters defend arshavin and profess that he is played Out of position. Truth is.......they don't know it all no matter how protracted and dogged their argument because until said hated player is played in their preferred position no one knows My own view on Walcott is that he is a half decent player and at times is clinical and puts in better crosses than he's given credit for, unfortunately we don't have a gerard/lampard type midfielder or an alan shearer type forward who time runs into the box and attack the ball. If we did we might just have someone to get on the end of a cross rather than try and pick out one player amongst five defenders, even beckham would struggle to pinpoint someone with those odds. Our players all hang about ten yards outside the area waiting to play tipy tappy again and prove to the world that we can have 70 per cent of the ball against manure ( but still lose, oh the injustice of it all) because stats like that win matches......right? Give theo a chance in his preferred position and for that matter arshavin too and see what they can do, if they don't produce then sell them to shitty next season But what do I know (fuck all was the cry) I have never played FM.

You see that is exactly my view......he is half decent but that is not good enough for a club at our level

From my own point of view there are a few different factors in my lack of belief in theo - (1) he came to the club as THE outstanding young prospect in the whole country and really has come nowhere near to reaching that level. Maybe putting that level of expectation on him was a bit unfair but that is the nature of the game nowadays plus if he wants to avoid pressure maybe he shouldnt be pushing himself into the spotlight in hello/ok magazines or in the papers telling the world what he is gonna do. (2) he is not developing at all imo - he still hasnt improved his technique and is still running down blind alleys I do agree that 90% of the time there is no c**t in the box to cross the ball to but at the same time his ability to cross the ball is woeful anyway.

Last season I watched him play as a striker for last 20mins v brum in the grove - he did not know where to run or when to run which adds to my belief that he lacks the intelligence to play the position. It also struck me how easily he was crowded out in the middle and for such a small lightweight player that also has to be a concern

But I believe that our club is full of only half decent players and theo is at the same level as the rest imo.

I only rate RVP and Cesc as truly great players at our club, the rest are average and theo is as good as the rest, no worse (in his current position) and if we don't strengthen this summer we really will be royally fucked.

But I won't blame particular players as it is not them that give out the contracts, of course they will accept the money, who wouldn't.

What I can't stand is not putting in the effort even if you are played out of position and in the main Theo puts effort in unlike arshavin who looks like he couldn't give fuck most of the time.

I actually think arshavin will have a better season this time round as he will look at time running out on his football career and want to go out being remembered as a talented and effective player.

But I disagree that Theo can't put in a decent cross, I have seen him put in some very good crosses (as well as some duffers but running at his pace and crossing the ball is in itself more difficult then anyone on here can imagine as he is very very quick) but as stated we don't attck the ball in the box, if we did we would score a lot more from crosses.

Like you pointed out Augie I think he is half decent as a winger but played up front he could become a very good player if it doesn't work then sell him but at least give him a chance, I for one want him to succeed.

exiledgooner · Post by **exiledgooner** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 1:39 pm

'you're going to see Theo play forward more'

quote by Arsene in an Arsenal programme...in 2007

Deise Gooner · Post by **Deise Gooner** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 3:15 pm

exiledgooner wrote:'you're going to see Theo play forward more'

quote by Arsene in an Arsenal programme...in 2007

You have to love Wenger and his book of recyclable quotes

ThomasMitchell · Post by **ThomasMitchell** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 4:26 pm

A nice, decent young man but simply not good enough for Arsenal. The lack of real talent at the Club fools us into believing that he is better than he really is.

Post by **flash gunner** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:51 pm

exiledgooner wrote:'you're going to see Theo play forward more'

quote by Arsene in an Arsenal programme...in 2007

Arsene Liar at it again!!! Its all the boards fault

Deise Gooner · Post by **Deise Gooner** » Mon Jul 18, 2011 5:58 pm

ThomasMitchell wrote:A nice, decent young man but simply not good enough for Arsenal. The lack of real talent at the Club fools us into believing that he is better than he really is.

Until he is played down the middle in his proper position i refuse to say he isnbt good enough for us. Just watching back some of the games last year and if you look at the Chelsea home game our goals in the second half came from him in a central position on the shoulder of the defender ready for a through ball to run onto. That is when he is at his best not out on the wing.

MEDINABOY · Post by **MEDINABOY** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:05 am

it hurts to say it but the geordie with the mullet was right,walcott aint got a footballers brain.so if he cant make the right calls out wide where he's got time how can he improve in the pressure cooker of the middle.

1989 · Post by **1989** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 12:10 am

Deise Gooner wrote:
ThomasMitchell wrote:A nice, decent young man but simply not good enough for Arsenal. The lack of real talent at the Club fools us into believing that he is better than he really is.
Until he is played down the middle in his proper position i refuse to say he isnbt good enough for us. Just watching back some of the games last year and if you look at the Chelsea home game our goals in the second half came from him in a central position on the shoulder of the defender ready for a through ball to run onto. That is when he is at his best not out on the wing.

Spot on.

Post by **Barriecuda** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 2:01 am

Here's the problem with CF Theo Walcott:

His best skill is his speed. Everybody knows that. Which means every team in the Prem would hold a deep line so not to get burned by his pace. He is not technically gifted enough to dribble through, and his finishing is good but still generally inconsistent (he's improved on this recently though).

It's not like Odemwingie, for example, who often breaks past aggressive defensive lines... because few teams are going to sit back deep against WBA.

RVP offers a greater range of skills in the box and is more versatile for that reason. If Theo could learn how to cross, he could be an exceptional winger who could sneak into the box to poach goals on occassion too. However, he seems to spend more time whinging about wanting to play in the centre instead of improving himself as a winger. I don't know what he thinks is going to happen if he plays at CF... I think the results would be disappointing. Though it could make for a potent tactical switch midway through games where teams are playing the trap aggressively; but that's beyond Wenger's abilities

Post by **DB10GOONER** » Thu Jul 21, 2011 7:12 am

Kissogram? He would be an uncanny Tony Daly. Just throw a corner flag in the room and watch him run at it.