WALCOTT - which position is best etc?

[begeegs]

Have to agree with Donaldo here. If Wenger had actually bought a striker who hit the ground running, no one would be saying that Walcott should get a run of games down the middle. It is only because Giroud has a couple of cement bags for feet and Gervinho had one good game (out of about 10 as a striker) that we think that Walcott could be that guy.

As currently, there aren't really any strikers on the market that would really impress me (Llorente, Huntelaar) without paying what we all know that Wenger will not pay - I'd be inclined to give Walcott a run of games there. Also, I don't trust that Wenger will buy well anyway - look he just gave Ramsey a new contract and the Ox pne as well off the back of about 10 starts.

With us closing on the virtual trophy spots - does anyone expect real transfer business to be conducted (other than some outgoings)?

[markyp]

How many people where saying Wally was a striker a year ago when we had RVP?.No fucking one.Now he is Wrighty and Henry reborn.Its only because we have lost RVP and Wenger has bought in shit to replace him all of a sudden every man and his dog are saying Wally is a striker.By Giroud being shit it has made Gooners call for Wally to be a striker.Its as if the last 6 years of Wally never happened.Now if we had gone out and bought a top quality striker in the summer no one would be talking about Wally as a striker.Its down to Wenger buying crap

sorry fella but ive been sying for two years that Walnutt should be playing centre forward,not on here but amongst my social circles.if Wenker moves him there i think he'd surprise everybody and prove his doubters wrong.if when we had Henry we had kept Anelka who before leaving was looking like he had the potential to become the player that Henry became,if Henry had said he wanted to play CF instead of on the wing would everyone here told him to belt up too just cos we had Anelka up top doing a fine job and a proven CF??Henry got his chance,ok he proved he was good enough and earnt the right but not everbody can adapt to playing out of position,especially on the wing,look at Arshavin.Are people saying Arshavin doesnt deserve to play in the hole cos he hasnt proven himself as a winger??ffs has every attacking player we sign have to prove themselves on the wing before being reverted if lucky into their proper position?and regarding the 100k Wally wants will everybody get over it,its nearly 2013,we are Arsenal,we moved to the emirates to compete with the worlds best,paying decent wages is a sign we want to compete.Walnutt will leave,join chavski,liverpool or united,get 100k + a week,bang in loads of goals and make everybody who doubted him look a bit silly,mark my words

[flash gunner]

Donaldo ive been saying for at least a couple of years to play him up front and if he has a good run of games and still doesnt cut it then fuck him off. Never have i said he's a Wright/Henry type of player - I dont think our already weak squad can afford to lose theo right now

[SteveO 35]

How many people where saying Wally was a striker a year ago when we had RVP?.No fucking one.Now he is Wrighty and Henry reborn.Its only because we have lost RVP and Wenger has bought in shit to replace him all of a sudden every man and his dog are saying Wally is a striker.By Giroud being shit it has made Gooners call for Wally to be a striker.Its as if the last 6 years of Wally never happened.Now if we had gone out and bought a top quality striker in the summer no one would be talking about Wally as a striker.Its down to Wenger buying crap

Mate - we could write enough material to rival encyclopaedia britannica based around if Wenger had signed this player or that player, from all the goalkeepers he passed up in favour of the 3 Stooges, all the commanding centre halves that don't shit themselves in the air, all the dominating midfielders since 2008 when he chose to sell all of ours, through to all of the proven goalscorers he could have signed to replace RVP. The sorry fact is that Wenger hasn't done any of these things, nor will he do any of these things in the future. He thrives on the self harm factor of the forever unfinished project, and as one problem gets solved so another begins.

I liken the situation with Walcott to the GK position and Chesney i.e. we have one bloke that is showing a high degree of promise in his position and a whole load of useless fuckers backing him up. Of course nobody talked about Wally when the likes of RvP were banging in 30 goals - did anyone talk about Upson when Adams and Campbell were CBs, or worry that Kanu wasn't getting much of a run when Henry and Bergkamp were in full flight.

Those days are gone and I would rather keep the best players from the current crop than a crock of shit like Gervinho, a journeyman like Giroud and Wenger's latest wonderboys like Gnabry, Aneke, Akpom or whoever else he has lined up to be the next Aliadiere or Lupoli

[augie]

I'm trying (and failing ) to stay out of this debate now but I still feel that Steve O & Flash are ignoring the obvious issue of wage demands - £100k is not peanuts for a player yet to prove himself to be worthy and ye are advocating keeping him cos (a) we cant afford to lose anyone else (b) he is starting to show potential now. The sad fact of this is that we are against the clock now as the guy's contract is close to running out but I still believe fear should not dictate what we agree to pay him and 6 months ago the stadium would have been burnt to the ground if it was announced that we had agreed to pay him 100k per week If he believes that he is that good that let him agree to a sliding contract that can see his wages hit that mark in 12-18 months if he hits certain targets but if he leaves to go to the scousers then he is showing no ambition or if he goes to manure then for me he is showing that he is happy to play the squad role again and if so it indicates for me he is leaving purely for the money and we have plenty of ex players that have been slated for that in the past so I would expect him to be treated no differently

[SteveO 35]

The debate is almost becoming pointless now anyway - he's going to leave, simple as that, just like the others before him.

When I'm bumping up some of the comments on here come March when everyone finally realises that their new carthorse favourite Giroud is proving to be the new Chamakh, Henry's fucked off back to the States, and a 'little bit jaded' Forehead fresh from his African expedition is still tackling himself in possession.......don't say you weren't fucking warned !!

That is what you are wishing for when Walcott leaves. Forget all these silly pipe dreams about Huntelaar, Llorente or Villa - none of those players are joining Arsenal. The only chance you've got of a new messiah is a 19 year old from Crystal Palace

And when Wally goes on to have a decent career somewhere else the same people who rightly slagged the board for letting Cashley go for the sake of a few grand a week, will be saying "why don't we pay top wages"

Can't be bothered to argue the point anymore. If people fail to see that Walcott is head and shoulders above the other utterly useless fuckwits we've got up front, then heaven help us

[flash gunner]

augie as ive said before i dont care about the money. We need to keep our better players and in this weak/average squad walcott is one of them Pay him the money and put him up front.

having said all that as SteveO has said he's gone

[augie]

The debate is almost becoming pointless now anyway - he's going to leave, simple as that, just like the others before him.

When I'm bumping up some of the comments on here come March when everyone finally realises that their new carthorse favourite Giroud is proving to be the new Chamakh, Henry's fucked off back to the States, and a 'little bit jaded' Forehead fresh from his African expedition is still tackling himself in possession.......don't say you weren't fucking warned !!

That is what you are wishing for when Walcott leaves. Forget all these silly pipe dreams about Huntelaar, Llorente or Villa - none of those players are joining Arsenal. The only chance you've got of a new messiah is a 19 year old from Crystal Palace

And when Wally goes on to have a decent career somewhere else the same people who rightly slagged the board for letting Cashley go for the sake of a few grand a week, will be saying "why don't we pay top wages"

Can't be bothered to argue the point anymore. If people fail to see that Walcott is head and shoulders above the other utterly useless fuckwits we've got up front, then heaven help us

Not disputing that but still not worth the money he is demanding.

If you have given up debating this, does it mean that I have won this debate ? As a married man, it is a long time since I have won a "debate"

[begeegs]

augie as ive said before i dont care about the money. We need to keep our better players and in this weak/average squad walcott is one of them Pay him the money and put him up front.

having said all that as SteveO has said he's gone

And here is the catch 22. If we play him up front and he starts to play well, he will earn his new contract, but also attract more money from elsewhere like Chelsea or City, etc. He solves our problem for a lack of a striker for about 1/2 a season before reaping money elsewhere.

So essentially, Wenger is playing the Flamini game again. Walcott will be motivated to play well as he can leave for megabucks at the end of the year.

[markyp]

The debate is almost becoming pointless now anyway - he's going to leave, simple as that, just like the others before him.

When I'm bumping up some of the comments on here come March when everyone finally realises that their new carthorse favourite Giroud is proving to be the new Chamakh, Henry's fucked off back to the States, and a 'little bit jaded' Forehead fresh from his African expedition is still tackling himself in possession.......don't say you weren't fucking warned !!

That is what you are wishing for when Walcott leaves. Forget all these silly pipe dreams about Huntelaar, Llorente or Villa - none of those players are joining Arsenal. The only chance you've got of a new messiah is a 19 year old from Crystal Palace

And when Wally goes on to have a decent career somewhere else the same people who rightly slagged the board for letting Cashley go for the sake of a few grand a week, will be saying "why don't we pay top wages"

Can't be bothered to argue the point anymore. If people fail to see that Walcott is head and shoulders above the other utterly useless fuckwits we've got up front, then heaven help us

+1 with big danglie bells on too

[supergeorgegraham]

Last winger with pace that became a CF was Henry. Now Walcott is not Henry but his time on the wing can only of helped his progression as a CF.
He gained new skills and now he wants to play in his position. Just based on this season he has been our best forward player. He could have got a hat trick vs Reading but their keeper played well.
Giroud is a sad waste of money because he has no pace. Never going to hit the heights at this club and he is by far our best second CF. Chance that Demba Ba will come in Jan and he will score goals but we reallt must get rid of Arshavin, Chamakh and Gervinho because they are crippling the wage structure not Walcotts 100k demand. Oh yeah and that useless utter shite Squallchi. What was Wenger thinking with all these high paid dud signings. He must be more careful so we dont get into this mad situation again.

[flash gunner]

What was Wenger thinking with all these high paid dud signings. He must be more careful so we dont get into this mad situation again.

Yep mate he's learned alright, just a day after he gives injury prone crock Gibbs and championship standard players Ramsey & Jenkinson new bumper contracts Arsene knows

[1989]

We need to keep Feo simply because the other alternative is that Klingon looking spaz.

[QuartzGooner]

I do not think it is a certainty Walcott will leave.
Only thing certain is a round of tough negotiations between his agent and the club.
I put it at 60/40 that he stays.

AUGIE

(As always these figures are approximate as we do not know for sure what wages are paid), but

We can afford to pay Theo an extra £25,000 per week.
The club has millions in the bank, and some very expensive dross to get off the wage bill when contracts expire, which will make up the increased salary.

[shu]

augie as ive said before i dont care about the money. We need to keep our better players and in this weak/average squad walcott is one of them Pay him the money and put him up front.

having said all that as SteveO has said he's gone

I have changed my mind and now think we should improve the offer to keep him. (not like there is no money) , i know for every good game he has 3 shite ones but on his day he is a match winner. He should be given a run as central striker too.

Glad to see the British 5 all signed up to new contracts. This limits the number of places that these players could go in the future as how many English players are playing abroad ?