The Banter Thread

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The quarter-final draw for the Fifa Club World Cup was made in Zurich today and Chelsea will play the winners of the Asian Champions League or Mexican side CF Monterrey on December 13th in Yokohama:

 
While that is just a story and people can say anything they want publically and say something different in negotiating, assuming that's true he's right.

He's an awful winger, he COULD be a good striker but could be crap, really don't know. Since half way through his first full season I've been saying, give him a half season upfront and if he still sucks get rid. He's not a winger, he can't play on the right, he can't reliably take the ball from the right and either get in the box to score or cross for someone else to score. He's insanely poor defensively, the worst work rate in the team, doesn't give a damn, never fights for the ball and rarely bothers attacking properly.

I still remember him being subbed off for Bendtner against Barca, shortly after Bendtner who had been back defending inside our own box managed to get 2-3 yards from the Barca goal line so that RVP had the option to pass for a tap in, as it happened their keeper stepped out slightly to block that pass but left the door open for RVP to shoot.

This is a HUGE guy who isn't fast and all he did was work his balls off killing himself running his hardest to get in a position to score, RVP may of scored anyway but without Bendtner there the keeper wouldn't be covering that pass. Theo, playing higher up the pitch and never getting as far back to defend failed to once try a similar run in that game. He see's RVP up there on his own and he just jogs assuming he won't score so doesn't even try.

It's not that he's crap, its not even he's poor on the right because Wenger chooses where he plays... its that playing there he barely puts in any effort. Bendtner is the least likely striker moved to winger in the league with his size/build/lack of pace, yet we moved him out there, he was successful and he tried his hardest all game every game. If Theo did that his pace coupled with simply trying his hardest would end up successful, he's too much of a lazy **** though so rarely makes any impression on a game. The fastest player in the world is useless if he doesn't use that speed most of the time.

I still say try him upfront before getting rid, but getting rid of him before offering him a new contract and playing him on the wing for another 3-4 years is definitely the better option.
 
The thing is at the moment Wenger seems to favour a 4-3-3 formation which means only 1 spot available through the middle, and IMO, Podolski is a better centre forward than Walcott will ever be (bear in mind he's 23 so not like we can expect some sort of massive upturn in his ability). True, you could play Pololski on the left but I just don't see it as a good move to acqueisce and try to build a team around Walcott, he lacks composure in front of goal and doesn't offer any sort of aerial threat (unlike, say, Van Perise who while being no Drogba could at least score headers from the right ball). Possibly in a team that plays a more direct style with balls over the top to run on to, he could prosper, but I don't think it is right for Arsenal.

The front 3 for Arsenal based on ability should be Arshavin, Podolski and AOC (possibly not his best position but more than capable IMO) so there is no starting berth for Walcott irrespective of whether he is in the centre, or on the right. If rumours are to be believed he wants £100k/week but even the supposed £75k/week being offered by the club is arguably too much for a player who shouldn't be starting games. Realistically, Wenger seems to have finished with Arshavin but even then I can't see him wanting Walcott through the middle, if that was in his plans then why buy Giroud?...

IF Arsenal were to try a 4-4-2 then you could pair Podolski with Walcott and maybe he might be OK in that role but you'd then have a nightmare situation in midfield, only one real candidate to play on the wing (AOC) meaning Santos(?) on the left and you'd have to leave out one of Wilshere, Cazorla and Arteta (or put one wide in a 4-4-2 which I can't see being ideal). Essentially, I think in order to accomodate Walcott as a striker too much would have to be jigged about around him, it might even mean needing to buy/sell some players to find something that works. For a player with Van Persie's ability - fair enough. But Walcott?... I don't think so.

Bottom line is I think if Walcott were to be developed as a central striker than it should have happened a couple of years ago, it is a bit late in the day now. If he'd played a few seasons up front at Saints, banging in 15+ goals a season, proven track record in the role then OK maybe there would be a case for giving him more of a shot at it, but Arsenal don't have the luxury of being able to experiment with middle aged players with questionable track record in front of goal in the hope it might come off.
 
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I'm not saying Walcott should be our striker, I'm just saying, he shouldn't be our winger, at all. There is no point playing a guy who is woeful on the wing just because you decide to play a formation that doesn't have room for a second striker upfront. Even if he played there I think you'd find he was more Hernandez than RVP, limited and capable of very few things, there are better players around.

The idea of letting him continue to pee around on the wing when he's the laziest most inept winger at the club is laughable. Arshavin got 10 goals, 18 assists then was randomly dropped and basically ignored from then on. Because he doesn't run around much, Theo runs around even less, makes less tackles, scores less goals, gets less assists and turned up against the bigger teams FAR less than Arshavin. Arshavin is also MUCH slower than Theo and as short, yet he uses what pace he has far more effectively, he does more defensive work and he works harder to get involved in every attack.

There is still no reason we play 4-3-3. Strikers work better in pairs, wide players work better with two strikers to play off, central midfield works better with 2 great players than 2 good players with one inept moron, though with Wilshire fit we might for the first time since trying 4-3-3, have 3 great central midfielders and that would be something too see.

The first squad/fit and available team since we moved to a stupid formation that actually might have the proper team to make use of it, only took 6-7 years.

Don't forget though that Wilshire spent every day including his time at Bolton on the wing till his first game in his first full year at Arsenal, he was always a wide attacker and he was supposed to be moved into the role Santi is playing now. Great players can play just about anywhere, Wilshire showed that when having never played there before he made Song look completely awful when he started and then played a full season at DM for us looking like the best DM in the league almost instantly.

This is the thing though, I said the year Walcott joined, not a winger, AT ALL, try him upfront or move him on, and we're still in the same situation. I'd still prefer to waste 6 months with him upfront than 6 months playing on the wing, but even upfront he'll still rely on everyone else putting everything on a plate for him, he wont' help the team per say. You can have a striker who both can put anything away gifted to him, and set up other people and just be a good all around player.

The idea of Walcott getting a contract on more than £50.. not K, JUST £50 a week to do absolutely smeg all on the wing that I couldn't do ****es me off. At full pelt I'm no where near as fast as him, the amount he stands still and doesn't bother running... I can do that no problem and I can cross exactly as poorly as he can also.
 
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