Theo Walcott

[Ross]

If you are going to isolate one specific point and treat it as that is the only condition, then no, I cannot, which is why as a combination of the several reasons I gave, this will hopefully help him to kick on. Playing week in, week out clearly isn't the answer either. You seem to have quite a binary attitude towards this. I don't get why you seem to think that DCL won't be playing anymore, because I certainly didn't say that.

We've only scored 25 goals, so while the 40% stat you provided sounds good, that's actually 10 goals, and he's only scored 3 of them. Which for a striker is pants really.

But I don't think I've dissed him, he's done well for his age and experience, but we've been crying out for someone to lead the line all season. DCL is a decent player, but he's nowhere near as good as Lukaku when he first arrived.

You can’t compare him to Lukaku at 20 because the teams set up completely different with different criteria and the role they both have in those respective teams is completely different. 25 goals so far is the clear indication of this as is 4 shots on target in our last 5 games. Unless we’re signing Suarez circa 2013/14 a new striker won’t change that.

Anyway this is about Walcott, who’s an upgrade on what we’ve got but not likely to be the sort of transfer to push us closer to the leading clubs. It actually reminds of something we’d have done under Moyes expect the figures are a little different and it’s Arsenal and not Utd.

[blueToffee]

Deeply, deeply unimaginative.

Also very short-term thinking.

Another nice player who goes missing when it's a fight, and who has no edge or snide to his game, things that we've lacked.

I don't believe 'is he better than what we have?' should be the defining criteria because every other winger in the league has a better goal scoring record than Aaron Lennon over the last two seasons, but that doesn't mean we should sign them.

We should be looking at players like Lozano or Pavon. The next generation of superstar wingers. Theo will need replacing and moving on in 18 months probably.

Also we need more players with football intelligence. He is severely lacking.

Anyway, that's my view and I'll leave it at that and not badger people with it.

I'll submit a full apology and retraction later on the season when he's banging them in for us.

I like Walcott. However, it does smack of the same limited thinking behind the Sigurdsson move, which had similar issues. I don't blame Allardyce as clearly and for good reason (his contract) is thinking short term, so this is all at Walsh's door. He does (for me) get leeway for this one as I think he has enough in his locker for a good few years of service, but we simply have to get better at targeting the type of up and coming players that are that next stage beyond the likes of Lookman, who I feel is a year or two shy in his development of what we need and it does him no good sitting on the bench.

[brap2]

265 PL aps
65 G (24.1%)
48 A (18.2%)
42.3% G+A contribution

Robbed from reddit

[Dr. Sponge]

I like Walcott. However, it does smack of the same limited thinking behind the Sigurdsson move, which had similar issues. I don't blame Allardyce as clearly and for good reason (his contract) is thinking short term, so this is all at Walsh's door. He does (for me) get leeway for this one as I think he has enough in his locker for a good few years of service, but we simply have to get better at targeting the type of up and coming players that are that next stage beyond the likes of Lookman, who I feel is a year or two shy in his development of what we need and it does him no good sitting on the bench.

Unimaginative is true. But Sigurdson is starting to show his quality, I hope he gets more chances to play central in the next few games. So if Walcott can also bring his strengths to the team; pace to burn and a decent finisher, then we'll be much better off and teams won't push up so high against us. Which will mean more space for us to play etc.

Not my first choice by a long shot, but I'm warming to the idea.

[blargins]

You can’t compare him to Lukaku at 20 because the teams set up completely different with different criteria and the role they both have in those respective teams is completely different. 25 goals so far is the clear indication of this as is 4 shots on target in our last 5 games. Unless we’re signing Suarez circa 2013/14 a new striker won’t change that.

Anyway this is about Walcott, who’s an upgrade on what we’ve got but not likely to be the sort of transfer to push us closer to the leading clubs. It actually reminds of something we’d have done under Moyes expect the figures are a little different and it’s Arsenal and not Utd.

The only fact we need to know is we need better than DCL. Walcott is a definite upgrade as is Tuscon.

DCL can develop more naturally now.

[kramer0]

At this point... it is what it is. We've hired boring, mid-table people to make decisions and we're getting boring, mid-table outcomes.

[KoemansNumberTens]

At this point... it is what it is. We've hired boring, mid-table people to make decisions and we're getting boring, mid-table outcomes.

We've signed 1 player under allardyce. It seems like a quite imaginative signing too. Am I wrong?

[Ridge]

Tell Walcott to have a word with Giroud.

[Duncs_a_legend]

265 PL aps
65 G (24.1%)
48 A (18.2%)
42.3% G+A contribution

Robbed from reddit

So based on that, he averages about 6 assists a season and about 9 goals a season, it's not bad stats like.

Be interesting to see how many chances he creates rather than assists.

[themilkycoffees]

On one hand, Walcott is a pretty good player and a decent addition to the squad. On the other, I'm worried he's not good enough to take us to the next level and his signing will ensure that two of our most exciting young players in Lookman and Vlasic get far less playing time. Surely with the season being pretty much over, given we're going to finish somewhere between 7th and 11th, it would be better to play the young lads.

[Lxxx]

Not that it’s solely a reflection on him but in less than 18 months the £100m attacking midfield three of Bolasie, Sig and Walcott will all be in their 30’s. They hopefully might still be doing the business but it’s not great long term planning as they’ll all be declining together so we’ll be looking to phase them out at a similar time with very little resale value between them.

[dax78]

Not that it’s solely a reflection on him but in less than the 18 months the £100m attacking midfield three of Bolasie, Sig and Walcott will all be in their 30’s. They hopefully might still be doing the business but it’s not great long term planning as they’ll all be declining together so we’ll be looking to phase them out at a similar time with very little resale value between them.

Is that not why we bought Lookman and Vlasic etc?

[blargins]

Not that it’s solely a reflection on him but in less than the 18 months the £100m attacking midfield three of Bolasie, Sig and Walcott will all be in their 30’s. They hopefully might still be doing the business but it’s not great long term planning as they’ll all be declining together so we’ll be looking to phase them out at a similar time with very little resale value between them.

You can make any investment sound bad by including Sig though. He's the only bad investment. Walcott at 20 mill and Bolasie at 27 doesn't sound so bad. Sig is the freak in the calculation and we paid well over the odds.

[KoemansNumberTens]

Got to say I'm warming to Sigurdsson a little even at the price. He's improved of late and the market is making an attempt to catch that deal up now.

I guess if courtinho is 145m then Sigurdsson at 45 ain't that bad.

[Lxxx]

Got to say I'm warming to Sigurdsson a little even at the price. He's improved of late and the market is making an attempt to catch that deal up now.

I guess if courtinho is 145m then Sigurdsson at 45 ain't that bad.

I must admit I'd like to see Sam tell him the No 10 position is his from now on and let him grow with the new attacking options he's got around him. We won't see what he can bring until he's able to find players with his passes and get on the end of things coming from deep centrally.