Arsene Wenger confirmed that Theo Walcott is available to make his return from injury in the FA Cup encounter with Southampton this weekend.
The former Saints youth product has been out since the middle of December, but had been a regular started in the team prior to his absence.
Walcott was a key cog in the system which allowed Alexis Sanchez to thrive in a centre-forward role, and I believe that his injury was key in persuading Arsene Wenger to drop the Chilean back to his wide role, in order to promote Giroud from the bench.
The Frenchman has been in fine form since being reinstated, but you could argue that his inclusion has had a knock-on effect on the rest of our team, and we seem to be scraping by at present.
With a fit Walcott available, Wenger may well be keen to revert back to his previous system as he looks to chase down Premier League leaders Chelsea, who currently hold an eight point gap over us in second.
We don’t appear to have that fear factor playing with our current set-up, but were strongly dominating teams regularly with an in-form fit Theo Walcott and Alexis Sanchez combining earlier in the season, and Mesut Ozil was even finding the space to get into more regular goalscoring opportunities also.
I know it is hard to consider dropping Giroud when he is constantly scoring, only failing to find the net in one of his six Premier League starts this term, but the team as a whole needs that lift.
For the Chelsea game especially, with us needing a win at Stamford Bridge, I can’t help but believe we will need that something special to come away with the three points, and at present, we don’t have it.
Should Walcott’s return see Alexis returned to a centre-forward? Does Giroud’s form mean Wenger won’t drop him?
Pat J
I honestly do think Giroud is stellar off the bench. I would start with Walcott and if needed bring Giroud in. Walcott’s pace gives us an outlet specially in an away game like Chelsea.
You must be kidding. How many times in a season does Walcott actually use his pace. One thing you are right about Walcott though, he is the outlet, so what does he do when he is found as an outlet on the wings and facing opposition fullback? He passes back/sideways and then jogs into a position in CF.
This is the problem in the team. We have too many players that only have one strength.
Walcott = pace. Most of his finishing this season have been from near or in 6yard box, guess we can add poacher as a quality as well.
Just to note Walcott started the season great, defending when not on the ball but that soon disapeared just before he got injured.
We all know that a fully fit and inform Olivier Giroud who is at the top of his game for Arsenal won’t be dropped from starting by Le Prof in any Arsenal’s game he should be started. Not even for any Gunner who has just recently returned from the sidelines to start would Le Prof preferred such a preference.
Le Prof has said in his press conference today that Walcott has returned to the squad. But we don’t know if by tomorrow he would have had a full week full training or not. Even if he had, I think Le Prof should start him from the bench for our FA Cup match away to Southampton on Saturday to give him a competitive game runout as a substitute in that match. And also in our PLs home match against Watford and away to Chelsea too to enabled him recover fully from match rustiness before considering if to start him in our PL home game against Hull City Iater on. I would think. I don’t think Le Prof should rush him back to be starting so soon since he’s not under pressure that.
Giroud was better as a Super Sub anyway
Earlier this season we were excellent with Theo on the right and Alexis up front
Alexis is having his best season because of that. Also, Alexis up front will preserve his legs and health because there is less running up front than on the wing.
Walcott…. Ozil… Lucas/Iwobi
……………. Alexis
SuperSub: Giroud
We all know that a fully fit and inform Olivier Giroud who is at the top of his game for Arsenal won’t be dropped from starting by Le Prof in any Arsenal’s game he should be started. Not even for any Gunner who has just recently returned from the sidelines to start would Le Prof preferred such a preference.
Le Prof has said in his press conference today that Walcott has returned to the squad. But we don’t know if by tomorrow he would have had a full week full training or not. Even if he had, I think Le Prof should start him from the bench for our FA Cup match away to Southampton on Saturday to give him a competitive game runout as a substitute in that match. And also in our PLs home match against Watford and away to Chelsea too to enabled him recover fully from match rustiness before considering if to start him in our PL home game against Hull City Iater on. I would think. I don’t think Le Prof should rush him back to be starting so soon since he’s not under pressure to do that.
Walcott gets a free ticket to starting eleven. Again I point out he was cast out of the team back end of last season ‘everyone fighting for their place’ Wenger said then. Start of this season Walcott walks back in first team, and it is the player that benched him that is on loan at Sporting Lisbon.
Walcott’s more than twice the player Joel was last season. Oxlade is having a similar season to Joel’s.
Why is everybody already talking about Chelsea like other games before that are just a walk in the park? One game at a time please. 90% of Giroud’s goals comes in the second half,so why not start him from the bench? He’s not that mobile,so coming off the bench when the defence is a bit weaker would benefit him and Arsenal.
He always seems to score the 1st goal.
Wenger will more than likely put out a weak team against Southampton,
so that a ready made excuse is already in place for when we get knocked out.?
What makes me laugh is how some of the fans on here are still deluding themselves with hope for a trophy season.
Q) What has old mother Hubbard and Mr Wenger got in common?
A) Bare cupboards.
Dude you said Arsenal should get Vincent Jansen in the summer.
So why can’t we win UCL or PL?
We don’t have enough ball winners in the team that is the biggest worry going into the business end. When we play Bayern Munich I guess we will again have 27-35% possesion.
No winning mentality (collectively), go into games only playing 30-45 minutes.
Either have good defence (Atletico, Juventus) or good pressing (Barcelona,Bayern Munich). Real madrid are inbetween both half pressing half good defence. We aren’t good at either.
Like I said in another post at the top, too many players with one quality.
These are the main factors, it’s come to a point where it’s not even about getting quality players in transfer windows.
Hull 2-1 united
And yet they are in the finals and we are not.
I don’t see Arsenal beating Chelsea at Stamford Bridge if Giroud starts.
Cech; Bellerin,Mustafi,Koscielny,Gibbs; Coquelin,Ramsey (instruct to sit deep) ; Walcott,Ozil,Iwobi; Alexis