Walcott's finishing was rubbish aged 20. Sterling is scoring more goals now than Walcott was at the same age. Sterling is better aged 20, than Walcott is aged 26.
There's some serious crack smoking going on around here. The 2013 Season shows what a fit Walcott is capable of. 23 Goals 11 assist - That's World Class for a wide player.
The thread is not to debate the qualities of Walcott. Indeed I think he's very, very good and I really like him. I think he's far better and more useful than Welbeck. The thread is whether you'd straight swap him for Sterling. And I don't see how you could argue against a swap if it was net transfer fee neutral given their respective ages.
But maybe not so much crack as the organisers of this game... http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-isle-of-man-32115112 damn manx...
You think 26 year old Walcott is a better player than 20 year old Sterling? And you think I'M on crack?!
Walcott in the summer will have 1 year remaining on his contract and thus will be worth 25mn, maybe 30mn if city want him. Sterling has 2 years left in the summer, liverpool are hard bargainers, he is english, he is 20 and is arguably one of the most talented 20 year olds on the planet. He will cost 50mn, especially if going to another english club. Wage wise i think the salaries will be comparable theo will want maybe a 20% boost to 120k and Sterling will probably agree to a similar amount if he joins us. So it really is not a straight swap. That being said i think when both are fully fit and on form Theo could be a better player but that doesn't account for the 6 year age difference and the fact that Sterling has the potential to be far superior to Theo. I would do the swap even with the 50mn price tag any day of the week. If Theo stays and finds form I would be more than happy as we don't have anyone quite like him in our team and he has proven before that he can perform for us. However I would take that deal.
Already broke this down, he scored 21 goals that season, and 6 of those goals were against Championship teams, not a world class season by any stretch of the imagination. Also Walcott is hardly a classical wide player, he is more of a forward who plays out wide but tends to drift into the middle. A player like that is expected to score goals.
Personally I think Walcott is on his way out,I.get the impression there's been a fall out between him and Wenger.Past experience has shown us what happens when players fall out of favour with Wenger.
Of course i would, anyone can see he has struggled this season. I hope for better next season if he is still with us
Not sure Walcott has the bargaining power that he had a while ago. He would be better pressed trying to stay fit and forcing himself in the side. It doesn't bode well that Wenger is choosing Welbeck ahead of him. I can understand Sanchez, but Welbeck? Other than his workrate and his defensive side, he doesn't have any noticeable advantages over him. I'm wondering whether his days are possibly numbered. All I can say is if he wants a future with Arsenal then he better not pee Arsene off!
Break it down anyway you like. He was sensational that year. He hasn't had a decent run of games since. However, last Season he still managed 6 goals in 12 starts(and 4 sub apps)and this time round he's got 3 goals in 5 starts. (and a bunch of 5 min cameos) - He is basically averaging one goal every 2 starts - which for a wide player is TOP CLASS.(especially when you consider how many of those appearances he hasn't been fully fit) If he doesn't sign with us I guarantee he ends up at City,Chelsea, possibly Liverpool or even Bayern... and guarantee we will regret letting him go. Walcott is one of the few WF's out there capable of getting a 30+ gaols a Season.
Personally speaking I don't think Sterling will take us to the next level, if it was him or Walcott, I'd choose Walcott. I don't see Sterling as an upgrade on Walcott.
