Southampton fan in peace. I am going to try my hardest not to wind anyone up here but here goes... My flat mate is an Arsenal fan so I have no choice but to keep tabs on your lot and to be fair I hoped you would win the league but (now the groveling is over)... Theo Walcott... I've been a saints season ticket holder for 10 years and I saw Theo in the youth team, the reserves and in the first team and let me tell you what he aint... He aint a bloody winger. He is a striker. I feel sorry for him, I feel sorry for the fact he mentioned that Henry was his favourite player and that Wenger therefor decided to nurture him on the wing like he did Thierry. Except he didn't. Henry was an average winger that Wenger had the forsight to turn in to, at the time, the worlds best striker. All that we had learned is that Henry had played his career in the wrong position and Wenger recognised that. It happens, we released Kevin Phillips when he was a youngster because we thought that he was a crap right back What I'm saying is where is the sense in taking a promising striker and making him an average winger. Imagine Fergie deciding to nurture Hernandez on the wing. That's just plain daft. The Theo I knew was devastating and direct. He is a great finisher, played off the shoulder of defenders, would take them on and just wanted to score. Now when he gets in the box he looks like he feels his first priority is to pass, dithers and then buggers it up. I dont buy that he doesn't have a footballing brain. He's a natural, it's just Wenger has beaten it out of him and confused him instead of letting him play HIS natural exciting game. That's why I was glad to see his goal yesterday. When he burst through I was just shouting "dont look for a pass go on your own son" I know that Walcott has had a relatively good season and is in double figures for goals but I just wish that Wenger would play him in his natural position and trust him more. If he did I think you and England as a whole would have something very exciting on our hands. Rant over. Good luck for next season
Keep the faith. Trust me given free reign he can be what you expected, I feel so sorry for him because there is far more in his locker than you get to see, mainly as has been said above, the system that you play or should I say over play and the fact that he has to play out of position. He will never be Henry but who will. On another note - Please get Wenger to leave our academy alone (Alex Chamberlain & now Luke Shaw) and get Arsene to spend some money on some established players so that you can actually win the trophies that you crave and deserve (it's not like you cant attract them). He is so concerned about the future, about tomorrow but remeber tomorrow never comes. See you in the Premiership in 1 to 2 years.
Walcott seems like a winger with his speed though, you wouldn't of guessed that he used to play as a striker.
I think Walcott is being played on the wing at the moment to improve his all round game; his dribbling, timing of runs and crossing has improved as a result of this. I think Wenger has said that he sees Theo's future position as that of a striker and whilst he will never be as good as Henry he can still become a very good player for us. In our current system Walcott cannot play as our striker as he doesn't have the link up player required for it and probably never will. however if we went to 442 with RvP in behind then I could see it working out. The problem is I want someone genuinely world class in that role, and i'm not sure we can afford to put that much faith in him to perform in it well enough to score 20 or more goals a season, which is what we need.
I'm still not convinced he has the type of poaching ability needed. We know he is a good finisher but his movement isn't exactly perfect is it?
Everyone apart from Wenger knows he should play up top. I really don't know why Wenger tries to transition players. Yes, it worked with Henry, but Henry was a special case.
Don't think Arsene feels he is ready to make things happen upfront like Henry. But maybe he doesn't have to, with RVP behind him in the Bergie spot, why not just nurture the direct sledgehammer approach he can show No pretty passes or playing others in, just bulldoze in and shoot He can show intelligence in this role in his own way
Agreed, ideally pay up and buy a proven poacher. But ai just can't see Arsene doing something like that, even Chamakh is now less direct
