Theo

[Saint Garrett]

To lighten the mood a bit after tonights result, here is a nice Theo article talking about Saints.

 

http://www.arsenal.com/news/news-archive/walcott-saints-gave-us-all-a-great-start

 

Walcott – ‘Saints’ gave us all a great start

 

North London has a lot to thank the Southampton academy for, according to Theo Walcott.

 

The striker himself rose through the ranks with the south-coast outfit before being signed as a 16-year-old by Arsenal in 2006.

 

Walcott believes Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain’s emergence, together with the impressive form of Tottenham’s Gareth Bale, is clear proof of their success in developing players.

 

Of course, Arsenal has played a massive role in bringing their duo up to Premier League standard but the England international believes he received a great grounding with the ‘Saints’.

 

“Imagine if the whole team had stayed together, it would be fantastic,” said the 22-year-old. “It's just a sign that they do things right - they are such a great family club.

 

“They look after their players and it shows, especially with how Gareth [bale] is playing at this moment in time.

 

“Southampton was a great start for me and the other boys but not just for us - there is also Nathan Dyer and Andrew Surman [at Swansea and Norwich]. I could keep on going with that list. It's just nice to see.”

 

Oxlade-Chamberlain impressed in Saturday’s 7-1 win over Blackburn as the youngster scored his first two Premier League goals against Steve Kean’s side.

 

The 18-year-old has produced fine form for both club and country since his summer move from Southampton and Walcott is confident the youngster will keep his first-team place if he continues to shine.

 

“He's very direct and he likes to get at players, which is what any Arsenal fan likes to see,” he said.

 

“He has plenty of confidence and is young - he's a player who nobody in the Premier League has faced before so he's totally new to the game.

 

“He's learning every day in training and you can see now that he is getting games, which is very important. I think with the way he is playing at the moment he will keep that position.

 

“It was nice to see [us both playing well] and hopefully we can just continue to do it for Arsenal now. You never know what might happen with England.

 

“We have plenty of pace in this England team now. It's not just Alex and me, it’s the likes of Stewart Downing and Ashley Young too - there's so many I don't want to leave anybody out.

 

“There are plenty of options for the manager [Fabio Capello] so he's going to have a good headache I'm sure.”

[Mattio]

It'll be interesting to see them in the same team if they're picked (and choose) to play in the olympics.

[S-Clarke]

Was nice to see Theo > Chamberlain - GOAL! over the weekend. Made in Southampton etc.

 

We're probably the first club at this end of the country that parents look to for bringing through their kid. Our reputation is huge and our turnout of players is so impressive, we're having such an impact on English football as we're producing future premier league stars.

[LaptopSaint]

Yeah, but i'd like them to stay at St Marys. I saw both Theo and AOC on their debuts and remember that ridiculous goal Bale scored at Derby when he was about 13 and a half...

 

Now we're at the top end of the Championship rather than in League One I hope we'll fight really hard to keep hold of Shaw and others. AOC was never going to stay while we were in League One and not certain of going up. Now we can at least see the Prem just above us.

[Saint Garrett]

Just think if we had a team with

 

GK

RB, CB, Mills, Bridge,

Dyer, Ox, Surman, Bale,

Walcott, Best

 

We really do have an academy to be proud of and lets hope there are a few more on there way through...Chambers/JWP, Reeves, Shaw, Stephens....

[The Kraken]

Just think if we had a team with

 

Poke

Baird, Monk, Mills, Bridge,

Dyer, Ox, Surman, Bale,

Walcott, Best

 

We really do have an academy to be proud of and lets hope there are a few more on there way through...Chambers/JWP, Reeves, Shaw, Stephens....

 

Finished it for you

[supersonic]

To be honest, the "one that got away" was Tim Sparv. A tall Finnish central midfielder who played with Walcott, now a regular with FC Groningen in the Dutch league and is, at 24, a regular in the national team.

 

I've seen him play a few times and he is a real talent, box-to-box, great engine, great tackler and passer. Think Cork or Chaplow's box-to-box work ethic, with Morgan's passing and Hammond's defensive side

[Saint Garrett]

To be honest, the "one that got away" was Tim Sparv. A tall Finnish central midfielder who played with Walcott, now a regular with FC Groningen in the Dutch league and is, at 24, a regular in the national team.

 

I've seen him play a few times and he is a real talent, box-to-box, great engine, great tackler and passer. Think Cork or Chaplow's box-to-box work ethic, with Morgan's passing and Hammond's defensive side

Sounds like what we've needed for a long time...I remember him on FM a few years back but never saw him play, what happened to him? When/Why did he leave ? Why was he never given a chance ?

[Greedyfly]

Still hear fans moaning about Theo, yet every time I see Arsenal he's probably their most dangerous player. May not have the best cross but he's always creating chances and scores a few. Arsenal will only slip up again if they bring back the likes of Arshavin and Gervinho. Walcott and AOC up front with RVP is good enough to hurt any defence.

 

With good reason. He has, by his own admission, been 'below par' (I'd say ****ing awful) this season. He has no brain footballing wise which is what frustrates them.

 

Can't argue with 'the games you've seen' part as I don't know what they are. But by comparison AOC has had a bigger impact this season. And as for 'always gets a few'. His goal against Swansea was the first in months and only his third this season.

 

So many times Theo plays the wrong ball it's ludicrous. So they are moaning for a reason. He really should have 'come on' a lot more than he has.

[Saint Garrett]

I'm surprised they haven't got Theo working constantly on his final ball, and if they have, then im surprised that it hasnt really improved. Some games he'll be immense, tear defences to pieces and assist 2/3 goals like Saturday, but other times he is so wasteful it's unbelievable.

[The Kraken]

I'm surprised they haven't got Theo working constantly on his final ball, and if they have, then im surprised that it hasnt really improved. Some games he'll be immense, tear defences to pieces and assist 2/3 goals like Saturday, but other times he is so wasteful it's unbelievable.

 

Now they have Ox really coming through I wonder if there is more likelihood that Walcott will get a chance up front. You can just tell that he only started playing football relatively late in life; he's very good when being instinctive, but really struggles when he has time to think about what he's going to do. Andy cole used to get a lot of criticism for the same type of thing. Chamberlain shows what a winger with a footballing brain can do; Walcott gives off the appearance that he's making up as he goes along.

 

Much like Thierry Henry when he went to Arsenal, I see Walcott as more of a striker than a winger. He played up front for us in the youth team and first team; only since going to Arsenal has Wenger tried playing him out wide. Sometimes it works out there, a lot of the time it doesn't. I think if he had been developed along the lines of a Michael Owen type player things might have worked out much better for him.

[supersonic]

Sounds like what we've needed for a long time...I remember him on FM a few years back but never saw him play, what happened to him? When/Why did he leave ? Why was he never given a chance ?

 

we were over loaded with central Midfielders so he never got a look in and the chance came up for him to return to Scandinavia (Sweden) and he took it and hasn't looked back since. It makes me laugh/cringe to think Jermaine Wright and David Prutton were keeping him out of the side

[Saint Garrett]

Yer, I don't see why he hasnt been played as a striker, the only problem is that Arsenal play a 4-2-3-1 and RVP is always going to be the 1. Walcott isnt strong enough to play up front on his own,

[Saint Garrett]

we were over loaded with central Midfielders so he never got a look in and the chance came up for him to return to Scandinavia (Sweden) and he took it and hasn't looked back since. It makes me laugh/cringe to think Jermaine Wright and David Prutton were keeping him out of the side

To be fair to Prutton he had just played a season in the prem for us, and I always thought he was good enough. Jermaine Wright on the other hand...