FA Cup| Arsenal vs. Middlesbrough| 15/2/15- KO:4:00pm

[Vinci]

Walcott at his best gives you assists and goals. He finishes off the chances he gets. However, even at his best he can be invisible in a game. The problem currently is that he isn't providing assists and he isn't scoring his bread and butter chances. If you add his lack of defensive contribution and his constant need to drift inside and inability to take his man on the outside, what does he currently bring?

Those clips were in respond to this, although I'm not sure if you are talking about his current or his best form in the last sentence. Anyway, it doesn't matter much.

Theo can do a lot more than finish. He is one of the best crossers in the team, has great movement which drags defences out of place even if he doesn't get the ball and he can still be useuful without having to take on his man, because if we pass it well enough sooner than later he gets the chance to put a good ball into the box.

 

[onetowatch]

Can't believe the flak Theo gets. Arseblog has it in for him too.

The guy gives you goals. He's probably our most effective player and tends to rise to the big games too. Even now, despite being out a year he's scored 3 goals and 2 of them being decisive. Can't wait to see Özil, Sanchez and Theo tearing it up consistently.

As for Welbeck, he's a solid squad option. No complaints.

Our squad is in the best shape its been for years. We are playing the best football we have in years. Now is not the time to be complaining!

 

[ScotVieira]

Theo in form is probably our most lethal forward.

Welbeck offers something different though.

 

[Toast]

Theo >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Welbeck.

 

[Jury]

When Welbeck's plying his trade with Sunderland in a couple of years time, people will refuse to acknowledge he played for Arsenal.

 

[celestis]

Can't score if he has to think means he's bottling it. Theo has plenty of bottle . There have been plenty of goals where Theo has had to deliberate.

 

[Rex Stone]

Seriously don't understand how people don't rate Theo? Were you all criticising him when he first got in the team and even though he's now world class you still don't want to admit you're wrong? A bit sad really

 

[Iceman10]

@Rex, you have to trace the flow of comments. The general sentiment is in line with what onetowatch says above. Theo wasn't necessarily bashed by playmaker (primarily talking about form and match fitness), it was a reaction to overbashing of Özil and Welbeck prior, with regards to Welbeck something that celestis acknowledged a bit earlier.

Welbeck is a squad player, but the stuff that some are saying to do him down says more about them than him in my opinion. He's not going anywhere, as in the case of all our players until the end of the season, so some of the stuff attacking some of our players is way OTT really, particularly after a 2-0 win against a team that was not to be underestimated.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

In Walcott's last full season he got 22 goals and 13 assists (I think those were the numbers or pretty close to them...), how can people not rate a wide man with that scoring record? The consider almost every time he starts he either scores or assists, his goal per game ratio in the last few seasons has been nothing short of astonishing.

Besides I became aware along time ago of this weird needing to bash one player based one a few performances and keeping with that even if they're playing well (or have proven their quality in the past) it's incredibly boring. If people want to think Özil and Walcott are rubbish then let them, but it's 12 year old stuff really.

 

[Rex Stone]

@Iceman it's not just in this thread, since he's come back people have been criticising him quite a bit. Gets a lot of hate in the match threads IIRC. Personally don't have any favourites in the squad, in fact I actually like what Welbz brings to us. It's just seems delusional to try and ignore the quality player Theo's become.

 

[Iceman10]

I rate Theo high, the only concern I have is discipline and work-rate in maintaining lines when we are out of possession against top sides (e.g. our win at Citeh). A good example to look at is Hazard - a highly talented player but still is not given free rein to attack only. I think Theo is highly capable, but in this respect this is perhaps where he needs to be on top of his game in terms of match fitness (out of possession as well as in possession), and that is what he is working towards. I know Welbeck is hardly perfect in terms of positioning when out of possession, but I'm talking specifically about Theo here.

Personally, have said it earlier I would have started Theo instead of Sanchez for this one, but we won comfortably, and Sanchez came out fine, so what can I say.

 

[Rex Stone]

I think Sanchez is better down the left, Theo/Ox is the real battle for me. I love Ox's acceleration, the way he beats defenders and really stretches teams. Hasn't got the end product of Theo but in the transitions he's lethal.

Theo though is a baller in the big games, always grabbing a goal which none of our other guys really do.

 

[Iceman10]

That's true, one of the things Theo does as well as anyone in our squad is that of performing in the big matches, and it's not just related to counter-attacking, it is more than that. In that sense there is a bit of a paradox with what I said above about defensive discipline (in big matches against top sides). Theo is just a rare type of player I suppose.

For Ox, agree, hope he gets match time he deserves when he comes back based on his performances and development earlier this season.

 

[a_fourteen]

United at OT next.

 

[bingobob]

The start of the season said it all about him, he was given a long, extended run at CF and managed like 4 goals, Giroud came back and within weeks equalled his total and then bettered it. Giroud catches a lot of stick but what does that then say about Welbeck?

The best thing about the deal is that it was relatively cheap at £16M. He's a solid squad option now, that's about all his ability is worth.

Could it be that the arrival of someone like Welbeck as opposed to say a Benzema type has spurred Giroud on rather than undermine him. A Benzema type would have dislodged him and perhaps eroded confidence whereas Welbeck is beatable competition and has pushed Giroud on?

For what it's worth I'm happy with our attacking options from Giroud down to Welbeck and everyone in between just feel we need the balance in midfield defensive midfield especially.

 

[GDeep™]

Giroud has been excellent but we all he's such a player when performing at peak or close to peak levels, issue comes when his level drops a little.

Anyway, job well done against Boro, trip to the Old Toilet in a few weeks, we're due a game where we piss all over them.

 

[cannonade]

Giroud has been excellent but we all he's such a player when performing at peak or close to peak levels, issue comes when his level drops a little.

Anyway, job well done against Boro, trip to the Old Toilet in a few weeks, we're due a game where we piss all over them.

Yes. We can't be ****e forever at OT. Time's up. We're due.

 

[beck]

The problem currently is that he isn't providing assists and he isn't scoring his bread and butter chances.

He scored 3 goals in his 4 starts this season........

Exactly at brighton fa cup villa and leicester 3 goals in his last 241 mins

 

[beck]

The problem currently is that he isn't providing assists and he isn't scoring his bread and butter chances.

He scored 3 goals in his 4 starts this season........

Exactly at brighton fa cup villa and leicester 3 goals in his last 241 mins

 

[beck]

Walcott is one of the highest paid players at the club, he held the club to ransom securing a massive wage rise for frugal contract extension which he is within his rights to do but I'm still so unconvinced by him.

He has spent most of that expensive contract extension with a busted knee admittedly but still often looks to me like a scared little boy. He was in good form before that injury but we're talking a matter of weeks not a full season. He always feels to me like he's on the periphery of the game, I've never known an Arsenal player to be so hard to judge as he'll go from one moment to looking great to the next looking like a player from a division below.

Three times just from memory in the last three matches he's been clear through on goal, two of those times he's produced really poor, meek finishes and the other time in the closing minutes at Sp**s when we really needed him to deliver he miscontrolled the pass and the game passed us by. It wasn't an easy ball to take but those for me are the defining moments, when it really matters and the pressure is at it's highest, that's when you see the difference between good players and great players - cruel maybe but unfortunately that's what being at a club like Arsenal is and what he's paid so handsomely to do.

He has a particular skill set which is useful and like I said he has great moments, but I think in general terms he will always have big flaws and a lack of composure when he has anything more than a couple of seconds to think about what's he's doing.

Walcott has missed 311 of the 763 days since he signed his contact extension
He has scored 16 goals and has 12 assists