2017/18 Theo Walcott

[Big_nev]

Looks a cut above, everything he does is with purpose. Be typical of us to ruin him by expecting him to do a load of donkey work.

 

[CountyRoadKid]

This kid is on a different level. His touch, technique and game intelligence were supreme today. Wow, just... WOW.

We have got ourselves the signing of the January window.

 

[jackyboy]

Wouldn’t believe a lad with that many games for Arsenal would be a good player, would you? Hope our next big signing is from Torquay.

 

[AnyoneSeenTim]

Pure class. This might be our best signing for many years

 

[red1]

Arsenal fan here and closet Everton fan (If that's possible by your standards). I want to give a bit of lowdown on Theo as I take it other Arsenal fans haven't chimed in fairly. It's gonna be a long read so I apologise.

I really hope Theo does well here and scores lots of goals. His biggest strength was finishing and the ability to play balls in (Contrary to what others might fool you to believing). Yes his pace is a big asset but he's a sort of poacher in and around the box. IMO he had the best movement out of anyone in the Arsenal squad barring maybe Sanchez (Ozil maybe too). The issue at Arsenal was that he would make these great runs that were getting the teams goals and himself goals or assists but the Arsenal team stopped playing them. They would prefer to try to go in through the middle and pass the ball around as you guys are often aware. This will bring me on to another point later.

Theo is also a big confidence player. I'd like to ask the fans to support him please as thats when he plays his best. When he's got confidence he can be unplayable but fans would often get on his back often and blame him for everything even if he wasn't playing. He can go from playing like Messi one match to fluffing everything the others. His dribbling is there but he never shows it as like I said he is a confidence player and would not risk it at Arsenal as the fans were always out for him.

Now moving on to the point I was talking about before. What people don't realise about Walcott was that when he was bought into the Arsenal team, the Gunners were playing a more quick counter attacking direct football. His playing style fit in at the time and he was good at dribbling, running fast and finishing. However, Wenger decided to change to a Barca lite philosophy and made the game all about keeping the ball and that required technically brilliant players.

It was unfortunate for Walcott that he came through the ranks in England at the time when direct counter attacking football was important. He was never really going to be all that involved in the Barca lite days and this is what many Arsenal fans don't realise. He was recruited in a team that were known for being strong at the back and quick and lethal at the top. He soon found his biggest strengths being limited but he still managed to put up great numbers from the wing.

Arsenal fans like to moan about him but they can't point to many recent wingers who put up numbers like Walcott. Heck Ox was good but they guy was a headless chicken who had no end product. Anyway I digress. I'd just like to say that Walcott is better than given credit for and I hope he does well here. I think Wenger's coaching didn't help him at all and he would have fared better under a more strict and up front coach.

Anyway sorry for the long read and up the toffees. Good luck Theo, and all the best. Just be patient with him guys, he will deliver. (P.S. F*** the Red S**** and Tottens****)

Really good post and I agree with most of it. I actually miss Walcott because I always liked his attitude, he would always give it a right go and he had an end product (unlike Chamberlain). Chamberlain was truly a headless chicken and I still can't believe he sold for £35 mill. What a steal. Everton definitely took the better player. I hope Walcott succeeds!

 

[Dunc's elbow]

Didn’t show he had only played 60 odd PL minutes all season. Really hope he does well for us.

 

[PhilM]

Good performance pity about the other knobheads around him who do not have a clue.

He played a blind ball on the turn in the second half down the byline towards the corner flag and unfortunately someone wasn't there to meet it.

Some young idiot near me moaned that it was a waste, until I pointed out that at Arsenal he'd have expected someone there to make a run.

You could see the gulf in our play and what he's familiar with as he wanted to play little triangles, flick ons and basically using anticipation.

We unfortunately don't have any of that apart from perhaps Gylfi, who expects similar movements, as our play is so one-dimensionally turgid.

He's clearly a good player who if utilised will make a real benefit, but we don't seem to have the training or confidence to play naturally.

 

[bullybeef]

Can’t help but feel that, despite saying all the right things in his presser, he has joined the best paid retirement home in English soccer.

Although he joked about Rooney selling the move to him on the back of a selection of good golf courses, it probably formed part of the conversation.

Everton are well and truly there for the taking.

Reminds me of QPR when they came into some money and started throwing it around like it grew on trees.

There is only one way this is gonna end I’m afraid.

 

[red1]

Can’t help but feel that, despite saying all the right things in his presser, he has joined the best paid retirement home in English soccer.

Although he joked about Rooney selling the move to him on the back of a selection of good golf courses, it probably formed part of the conversation.

Everton are well and truly there for the taking.

Reminds me of QPR when they came into some money and started throwing it around like it grew on trees.

There is only one way this is gonna end I’m afraid.

You guys should bring in Vardy by any means necessary. Then sign a good holding player and you'll be a serious contender for the top places. That's why selling Walcott to you guys was a bad idea Might finish above us next season.

People were laughing at me over in the Arsenal forum two years ago when I said that Tottenham will overtake us. Nobody is laughing now. I still consider Everton is a serious threat to our top 4 chances. If you sign Vardy and a couple of other additions, it will be game on.

 

[bullybeef]

Mate this club is in bigger free fall than Arsenal right now.

You might be in danger of coming out of the top six.

We are are in danger of falling out of the top flight football altogether.

Rudderless, slowly sinking ship is Everton.

 

[Lad from Vienna]

Mad how a player Arsenal fans were made up to get rid of is on a different level to pretty much our whole squad.

Then again, mad wanting to get rid of a player who scores 19 in 29 starts. From the wing. You English people are a strange lot. I hear there are people claiming Wazza to be an underachiever. No wonder noone wants to play for the Three Lions if ye keep bashing yer own people.

 

[Toffeelover]

He played a blind ball on the turn in the second half down the byline towards the corner flag and unfortunately someone wasn't there to meet it.

Some young idiot near me moaned that it was a waste, until I pointed out that at Arsenal he'd have expected someone there to make a run.

You could see the gulf in our play and what he's familiar with as he wanted to play little triangles, flick ons and basically using anticipation.

We unfortunately don't have any of that apart from perhaps Gylfi, who expects similar movements, as our play is so one-dimensionally turgid.

He's clearly a good player who if utilised will make a real benefit, but we don't seem to have the training or confidence to play naturally.

Quite right, I feel a fully fir Seamus before his leg break would have been an ideal backup, Kenny had better get up to speed and in tune.

 

[PhilM]

Quite right, I feel a fully fir Seamus before his leg break would have been an ideal backup, Kenny had better get up to speed and in tune.

Not wanting to go off topic too much, however I feel that Kenny is due a period out of the squad and I doubt he'll be supporting Theo much.

That's not a criticism of Kenny, as he's a young lad who has been thrown in the deep end, but he was poor again yesterday like other matches.

Nor has he continued to show prowess in his attacking duties; Theo needs someone to link with and I don't think Jon-Joe is ready yet for that.

Nevertheless, with our full back options so short in numbers then no doubt the two will continue to work with each other on the right.

 

[Latchford Lark]

Wasn't sure about signing Walcott initially but have changed my mind after seeing him play yesterday. Head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch.
What really impressed me though, was after the team were booed off the pitch, he stayed on applauding the fans - at one stage he was the only player on the pitch. The lads got guts - I like him

 

[yakublue]

Wasn't sure about signing Walcott initially but have changed my mind after seeing him play yesterday. Head and shoulders above everyone on the pitch.
What really impressed me though, was after the team were booed off the pitch, he stayed on applauding the fans - at one stage he was the only player on the pitch. The lads got guts - I like him

Definitely a good player, although I would rather have brought in players to strengthen our defence and centre mid