Theo Walcott

We are talking about loyalty here according to Ooompa. I don’t see how threatening the club with wage demands or quit and he has to play striker when we needed him on the wing makes him loyal to the club. I don’t find him loyal at all with these kind of illogical requests (edit sorry demand).

Demand, negotiate whatever you want to call it I’m not going to argue the language but the point is that his contract was coming towards an end and the club wanted him to extend. They came to an agreement. It’s no different to any other player looking to extend and as for the wing/striker thing…well for years he’d been talked of as a striker by the manager and I really don’t see any issue with giving him that chance there (other than him not being good enough obviously) and it was quickly curtailed anyway. It’s not disloyal to seek things as a player and it wasn’t disloyal of Wenger when he stopped playing him as a striker/at all either.

I think Theo could easily have got the same/more money at City or Pool when he sighed that contract but there was never any credible story in his entire time here about him pushing to move and here we are now when it’s clear he’s no longer a part of the plan and he’s left without a fuss. I think he was pretty loyal and him asking for certain things while negotiating a contract in no way negates that imo.

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Hasn’t seen this forum, wishing him to go lol.

Wish Theo all the best at Everton and I think he will do really well there, 12 years is a long time at one club and 2006 was the year I started supporting Arsenal, him and Diaby were the first 2 transfers I saw us make. It’s going to be weird without him at Arsenal but it was for the best to finally sell

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We didn’t give him that match one gets for completing 10years right?
Same with Rosicky.

He didn’t get one and I don’t really think he deserved one.

A testimonial. Hard to do at short notice mid season. It’s not always the case but they are more common once someone actually ends their career, or when they are close to. I’d be quite curious to know how many 28 year olds have has testimonial matches.

19 goals in the last campaign should have meant he’d see more action than he did this time around, but it’s impossible not to look at the comments he made after our defeat to Crystal Palace last season when he fronted up afterwards on TV and said that the opposition wanted it more than we did.

However you might think the formation change made him a poor fit, here’s the bottom line: after those comments he started just one Premier League game for us. One start in 31 after he’d started 23 games that season. There have been times, particularly over the hectic festive period, when he could/should have helped eased the physical burden, but it seems clear that things were never the same between himself and Arsene Wenger after that.

Interesting from arseblog today. Didn’t know he only started once after he said that.

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Testimonials come from a time when players didn’t get paid that much and it would act as a retirement fund. It seems pretty redundant in the modern game

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His hunger index was shot to bits and Arsene didn’t like it. All the while, Wenger can deal with a disruptive Alexis day-to-day and still play him because he knows he holds the ability to change the game in an instant. Must have thought Walcott was not little bit world class after all.

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They do indeed. Now it’s a gesture, and a nice one at that. I went to Bergkamp’s and it was lovely to have a day to recognise his achievements and time at Arsenal.

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Hard to dislike Theo, and he’s gone to a club I actually like, so genuinely wish him well.

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Same, I’ve always had a soft spot for Everton.

Don’t know why.

There was a period about 8-10 (and even further back) years ago where Everton, Fulham and Aston Villa were always sort of 5/6/7/8th and I really like all three clubs. Fans aren’t obnoxious, good history etc. Maybe I was nostalgic for when I was growing up in the 90s and I might be rose-tinting these clubs and how long they’ve actually been in the top division for.

Don’t really have any time for the dross that have replaced those teams as mid-table stalwarts like Stoke, Swansea and WBA (although it thankfully looks like all three are getting relegated :joy:). And all the other forgettables like Hull and Norwich and Blackpool etc. I used to quite like Swansea under Rodgers and Laudrup but now I just can’t stand them.

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Lol strange cause I’ve always kinda rooted for Everton as well. Always have liked their kits, Umbro is really good at making a simple but sleek looking shirt. We also pretty much beat them whenever we play so never really have been annoyed by them. Oh and I despise lolpool so it’s kind of a natural fit I guess.

I’ve always quite liked Everton as well.
They had one of the best teams I have seen, in the eighties, when they won the League.
It’s looks like they have a good midfield, with, Schneiderlin, Sigurdsson, Bolasie and Walcott.
With Baines and Coleman behind them, and Rooney upfront, they are starting to get a few decent players together.

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I wouldn’t say Aston Villa or their fans are at all likeable tho :grimacing: A sort of a Liverpool of the Midlands if you will. Was happy when they went down and hope their inevitable promotion back is delayed as long as possible!

Fuck everyone that isn’t the famous London Arsenal :sunglasses:

Like I said maybe it’s my nostalgia of growing up in the 90s and never really interacting an awful lot with their fans, though the Villa fans I’ve know have been nice.

I would prefer them in the prem than say WBA or Stoke.

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