Time to Walc the Walc
WENGER WANTS TO SEE THEO SHINE CLASSY BARRY SETS RECORD STRAIGHT
ARSENE WENGER believes this could be the most important season of Theo Walcott’s career.
With the World Cup in Russia looming, the Arsenal forward, 28, has got nine months to force his way into England boss Gareth Southgate’s plans.
The Three Lions chief left Walcott out of his squad to face Germany and Lithuania in March, claiming he had not taken his early-season form into matches for the national team.
And so far this season he has only started two games, against Cologne and Doncaster in cup competitions.
Walcott scored the winner against League One Rovers on Wednesday night but needs it to be the start of a good run of form.
Wenger (right) said: “This is his chance. It is a vital season for him. He is focused, determined, hungry and is always in the squad.
“He doesn’t talk a lot but he works very hard.
“He talks when he has something to tell you, ‘Boss,
I want to play’ is something
I hear many times from everyone but that is what you want.
“This is a big year for him because he is 28 and he was at the World Cup when he was 16 and then missed the next two.”
Wenger also sees it as a big campaign for Wales star Aaron Ramsey, whose career has been blighted by a string of injuries.
The midfielder was very impressive in his
side’s draw at Chelsea and ahead of tomorrow’s game with West Brom, his boss said: “His display was well balanced.
“That is what we wanted and he had a very structured game against a physical and talented midfield like Chelsea – he was absolutely outstanding.
“The handicap he had last year is if you look at the number of games Ramsey played in the league, it is very low. “Last year in October we lost Ramsey and Cazorla together. It was a handicap and hopefully this season he can be much better and have more games. The target for him will be to have 30 games. “Aaron has maturity and he has got better technically. He is more conscious of the importance of his technical qualities. He has huge power and a huge engine.” There will be a familar face coming up against Ramsey and Walcott when the Baggies arrive in North London tomorrow. Kieran Gibbs returns for the first time following his move to the Midlands and Wenger said: “When he went it was like losing a son.
“It hurts to see players like him and Oxlade-Chamberlain leave the club.
“More so with Kieran as he had been here since the age of 10. He did not ask to leave, the decision to leave was mutual.
“It was a tough decision but you cannot keep three left-backs.”
Arsenal v West Brom, Tomorrow, 8pm, Sky Sports Main Event GARETH BARRY is finally getting his name into a book that makes him proud.
The West Brom midfielder, 36, will go top of the Premier League appearances chart tomorrow evening if, as expected, he lines up against Arsenal at The Emirates. But while he is understandably thrilled to be eclipsing the current record of 632 games, set by Manchester United’s Ryan Giggs, there is another list Barry is less chuffed to be at the top of.
Since the Premier League began in 1992 Mar 2017: West Brom 3 Arsenal 1 Dec 2016: Arsenal 1 West Brom 0 Apr 2016: Arsenal 2 West Brom 0 Nov 2015: West Brom 2 Arsenal 1 May 2015: Arsenal 4 West Brom 1
Arsenal – 70 wins West Brom – 38 wins Draws – 31 nobody has received more yellow cards than the ex-Aston Villa, Manchester City and Everton star.
He has been pulled up by referees on no fewer than 119 OCCASIONS during his long career in the English top flight.
Although that could be taken as a sign he is an old-school midfielder unable to stay out of trouble, the veteran has dismissed such talk.
Ahead of his history-making night in London, Barry (left) said: “I am definitely not a hardman. I’d like to go through the bookings because I don’t think many of them were for crunching tackles. They’d be more tactical fouls.”
Asked if his disciplinary problems are more to do with the position he plays, he added: “Yes, that’ll be it.
“The biggest collection of my cards come from the end of my Villa days through to Everton. This year I have not collected one.
“Look at the card-per-game averages and you’ll see that I’m not going to be too high on that list.”