Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Jeremy Wilson: Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger believes he has plenty in reserve if Theo Walcott leaves

Another day and yet another Arsenal first-team regular edges towards the exit door. The obvious interpretation of news that Theo Walcott’s six-year spell at Arsenal is nearing its end is of another hammer blow to Arsene Wenger’s grand project at the Emirates.


At one level, that is true. Wenger does want to keep Walcott and, following the departures over the past 15 months of Cesc Fabregas, Samir Nasri, Gael Clichy, Robin van Persie and Alex Song, Arsenal face being without six of the 10 outfield players who generally started during the 2010-11 season.


Yet, as Wenger has consistently argued, each circumstance is different and should be considered in isolation. And it is clear that the current Walcott situation has far more in common with the losses of Clichy and Song than Van Persie, Nasri and Fabregas. Of the latter trio, Wenger was convinced by their world-class status and genuinely distraught at being forced into a situation where he must sell.
With Walcott – as was the case with Clichy and Song – the position is rather more nuanced. 

1 comment:

Bobbie BS said...

They should sell Theo to a team that will know how to use him properly- Stoke, Sunderland, maybe QPR.