Will Theo ever step up?

[fabo]

We've all talked about formations/line-ups for next season and I personally don't see Theo fitting into any of them, at least if the team is to funcion effectively. To me he's still a square peg in a round hole no matter the position. Clearly won't be a RM for ever but can he actually cope up front. I'm sceptical. Perhaps the RF role in this 4-3-3 could suit him without as much emphasis on his link-up play.

Looking for an overall evaluation of Theo's game at this point and where it could go. Where is his best role? More importantly will he step up this season?

 

[alboots101]

super sub, fabo....like you i`m struggling to see a place for him but does AW?

 

[Biggus]

Will any of them ever step up?

 

[Arsegum]

Right now Theo is just a winger, if he wants to be a side midfielder he needs to step up with the following:

He needs to learn to cut inside if he's playing at the right flank, learn to use both feet effectively, shield the ball better, bring other teamates into play so he doesn't need to dribble that much etc etc. Defensively he isn't that good either, providing very little protection for the fullback.

I wonder if Theo is willing to put in so much effort to become our dedicated RM.

Or rather, stick him upfront. So we can utilise his speed to run behind defenses. He times his run well, his finishes are quite good. He lacks the body strength so the ball has to be supplied to him to feet or to space. Theo said it himself he ultimately sees himself as a striker. I see that as well, I hope he grabs his chance and make that Right wing/Left wing spot this year.

I think he will thrive in our 433 system. He will step up for us, and for England as well.

 

[Invincible]

Theo will be deadly on the right wing in this new 4-3-3 formation.

 

[Anzac]

Theo will be deadly on the right wing in this new 4-3-3 formation.

Wing/forward as opposed to AMR/Winger.............

 

[banduan]

When will he step up? When he stops getting injured midway.

 

[fabo]

Or rather, stick him upfront. So we can utilise his speed to run behind defenses. He times his run well, his finishes are quite good. He lacks the body strength so the ball has to be supplied to him to feet or to space. Theo said it himself he ultimately sees himself as a striker. I see that as well, I hope he grabs his chance and make that Right wing/Left wing spot this year.

I think he will thrive in our 433 system. He will step up for us, and for England as well.

Not sure about up front - gets brought up by many that he's a striker when he's struggling to make an impact out wide but I'm doubtful he has the overall game to thrive up there. How can we utilise his pace in behind when teams play with 10 men behind the ball? The days of teams playing high-lines against us are over long ago.

Hope you're right about him making that RF spot his own. If we can get him as high up the pitch without relying on his poor build-up play, he could be an asset. Not that he'll have alot of competition for his place.

 

[asajoseph]

Our new style of play is taylor-made for Theo - more so than how we've played in previous seasons, as it will lessen (though not eliminate) his defensive responsibilities, and allow him to focus more no what he achieves in the final third of the pitch.

I find this whole thread a bit odd, to be honest - I thought he improved a lot, last year. He's still not the finished article, but he's showing the right kind of improvement that you want from a young player.

 

[Shadow Moses]

Will any of them ever step up?

I'm thinking of just changing the players name in the title to Denilson or Diaby or Nasri or Eboue or Bendtner or..

Very weak thread. The kid is 19 and has yet to have a full uninterrupted season.

 

[True Gooner]

No, he's peaked at 20. :|

 

[Raider]

Theo is reliant on too many non technical aspects to be able to play well.

Fitness, Weather conditions, form, average defenders (lol)

He doesn't have that naturalness of a footballer to be able to step it up to a certain level and then maintain it like the great players can.

I may be wrong, but I just can't see it. Like the lad, but give me hleb over him every single day with out a shadow of a doubt.

 

[sabret00the]

He's a striker being played on the wing. Think of how Wiltord never ever quite fulfilled his potential here and times that effect by about ten. Because Wiltord was about ten times the player Walcott is.

 

[asajoseph]

Wiltord was ten times the player Theo is?

Rubbish.

Wiltord was only slightly less streaky than Theo was, but, no top of that, he taught Ade everything he knew about the offside rule.

 

[fabo]

I'm thinking of just changing the players name in the title to Denilson or Diaby or Nasri or Eboue or Bendtner or..

Yet he gets half the criticism they do though is just as culpable for our poor play in midfield.

Very weak thread. The kid is 19 and has yet to have a full uninterrupted season.

Simples. Don't post in it or think of other quality threads to get us by 'til the proper football starts.

 

[hesham]

Well if were going to play this 433 system, it really suits Theo's game alot, if he cant make it in that position then I don't really see him making it here tbh, he should Arshavin's understudy/replacement this season...

 

[Shadow Moses]

I'm thinking of just changing the players name in the title to Denilson or Diaby or Nasri or Eboue or Bendtner or..

Yet he gets half the criticism they do though is just as culpable for our poor play in midfield.

You are probably new

Simples. Don't post in it or think of other quality threads to get us by 'til the proper football starts.

Don't make a silly thread if you don't want silly replies.

 

[Klaus Daimler]

I find this whole thread a bit odd, to be honest - I thought he improved a lot, last year.

Me too. Up until he got injured I thought he was one of our best players. A 4-3-3 will probably benefit him more than a 4-4-2 too. There's no reason to think he's peaked at 20.

 

[patrick42uk]

Our new style of play is taylor-made for Theo - more so than how we've played in previous seasons, as it will lessen (though not eliminate) his defensive responsibilities, and allow him to focus more no what he achieves in the final third of the pitch.

I find this whole thread a bit odd, to be honest - I thought he improved a lot, last year. He's still not the finished article, but he's showing the right kind of improvement that you want from a young player.

Yeah, I mean its not like he's 23 anything. If he was we should definately sell him!

Sabre exaggerates, but the Wiltord we saw at Arsenal was a more accomplished footballer than Theo. The impatience with Theo is because he has been here a long time and what let him down is his technical ability. Thats been improving and is now at quite a good standard as we saw last season. He'll continue to improve will become the player we'd all like him to be.

Cant wait to see how he fits in the new formation.

 

[asajoseph]

Wiltord used to frustrate the hell out of me - the reason he kept playing in midfield (apart from the fact that we didn't have enough midfielders) was that he never really cut it for any stretch of time up front. In his time here, I think he ever only really went on one stretch where he was good and effective, but for most of the time he was a really patchy player for us.