Gunners in seventh heaven: time to improve Theo's contract offer

By Graham McNorthbank

If there was ever a game that summed up the emotions of football then last night's trip to Reading was that game. A 7-5 victory which took Gooner viewers from the embarassing and utter despondent to pure joy and elation, pride, fear and, thankfully, back to sheer jubilation again.

Keeper Damian Martinez had a torrid night, but to be fair to the youngster, his defence did him no favours in the first 45 minutes. However, a bit more training ground practice on dealing with crosses, under pressure, would not go amiss.

But coming from 4-0 down to secure victory is remarkable and if I hadn't watched the match myself I wouldn't have believed the difference that the half time break would have made to the Arsenal team. From looking like rabbits lost in the headlights in the first 45 minutes, the performance of the team in the second half was nothing short of astounding. The greatest comeback in the history of the competition. Fact. And if that doesn't make you proud then nothing will. I'm not saying we should do a Tottenham by releasing a DVD of the game, but I reckon the people in marketing at Highbury House should contemplate a new Greatest Comebacks DVD which could include our efforts in Reading.

There's no point going over each and every goal. Quite frankly, I don't have the time. If you were not lucky enough to be there, or to be watching live on TV, then I would implore you to watch it back on Arsenal Player via the club website. And if you have the time to watch the entire game, do it.

For those of you who have been regular visitors to Arsenal Addict over the years, you will know that I am not Theo Walcott's biggest fan. But he really staked a claim to being an out and out striker last night and his performance was truly outstanding. If we could get him to put pen to paper and sign a contract extension now, it would be a real fillip for the fans. And if you didn't catch his reaction to Carl Jenkinson claiming the sixth goal and, therefore, robbing Theo of his hat trick and the match ball, then again I'd urge you to find the coverage via Sky Sports. Not only did it show a great sense of humour and gallantry, but it also really showed the fantastic team spirit among the players.

But the last word really needs to go to the travelling support who made the journey to Reading last night. If there were a few souls who gave up the ghost and left the stadium at 4-0 down, I can't say I'd really blame them, given the lacklustre performance up until that point. But the red contingent were magnificent throughout, urging their team to put up a fight from that low point, until the ridiculous high when Marouane Chamakh finally put the cherry on the icing on top of the cake close to two hours later.

Pride for the performance last night was immense, but pride for the perseverence of my fellow Gooners was just as huge.

Roll on the Mancs this weekend...

What the papers say: Wenger's patience running out on Walcott deal

We're all about making your life easier here at Arsenal Addict, where our team of Addicted editors spend every spare second scrutinising news coverage to make sure you're kept up to date with what's going on at our beloved club. So if you don't have the time to trawl through the UK's national newspapers for Arsenal stories, be sure to check back here where we'll do the work for you.

The Sun - Wenger: RVP can haunt us
ARSENE WENGER fears he will be haunted by Robin van Persie.

The Daily Mirror - Mon dieu! Arsenal facing goalkeeper crisis ahead of Champions League clash
Wojciech Szczesny has suffered an ankle injury leaving Vito Mannone to deputise and former fifth choice James Shea to make the bench.

The Daily Mail - Commit to us or else, frustrated Wenger warns Arsenal contract rebel Theo
Arsene Wenger has expressed his irritation at Theo Walcott’s contract stand-off, warning the winger must commit his future to Arsenal as soon as possible.

The Daily Express - ARSENE WENGER: I’M WORRIED FOR THEO FUTURE
ARSENE WENGER has hinted he is running out of patience with the Theo Walcott contract saga – and is worried some Arsenal fans might have turned against the England man.

The Daily Star - WENGER'S PATIENCE HITS A WALL OVER THEO
ARSENE WENGER has hinted he is running out of patience with the Theo Walcott contract saga.

The Independent - Wenger places trust in Bould on his return to familiar territory
Arsenal manager must watch from the stands as new campaign starts with French champions.

The Guardian - Theo Walcott's contract wranglings leave Arsenal manager exasperated
Arsène Wenger's excitement at the onset of another Champions League group stage was undercut by exasperation, and it was not only directed at Uefa, the governing body, which has banned him from the touchline and dressing-room for the first three matches, beginning here against Montpellier on Tuesday night.

The Daily Telegraph - Steve Bould to stand in for banned Arsène Wenger for Champions League opener
Steve Bould will make his Champions League debut as a coach on Tuesday – and also take charge of his first senior football match — as he stands in for the suspended Arsène Wenger.

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What the papers say: Jack is back

We're all about making your life easier here at Arsenal Addict, where our team of Addicted editors spend every spare second scrutinising news coverage to make sure you're kept up to date with what's going on at our beloved club. So if you don't have the time to trawl through the UK's national newspapers for Arsenal stories, be sure to check back here where we'll do the work for you.

The Sun - Crock Jack is ready to rock at last
JACK WILSHERE hopes to resume training with Arsenal this week.

The Daily Mirror - Silent treatment: Arsenal striker Giroud vows to ignore Montpellier pals until after the game
Olivier Giroud has ­promised to give his old team-mates the silent treatment when he returns to ­Montpellier with Arsenal.

The Daily Mail - EXCLUSIVE: Wilshere boost as crocked star returns to training
Arsenal midfielder Jack Wilshere is set to hand Arsene Wenger a massive lift by returning to full training this week.

The Daily Express - OLIVIER GIROUD AIMING FOR WARM RECEPTION...AND A WINNING GOAL FOR ARSENAL
OLIVIER GIROUD returns to the scene of his former glories this week intent on playing the silent assassin.

The Daily Star - ARSENAL 6 - SOUTHAMPTON 1: SMELLS LIKE TEAM SPIRIT FOR THE GUNNERS
Arsene Wenger is picking up good vibrations from his Arsenal side. The Gunners launch their Champions League campaign against Montpellier tomorrow buoyed by their most impressive display of the season.

The Independent - What a difference a year makes for Wenger and his happy Gunners
A year ago this week Arsenal embarked on their Champions League campaign in a state of minor crisis. A narrow win over Swansea had barely blurred the memory of a nightmare start to the season which produced one point from the first three matches, culminating in the 8-2 thrashing at Old Trafford.

The Guardian - Arsène Wenger feeling the 'vibes' as Arsenal fans start to believe
As the half-time whistle blew moments after Danny Fox's goal had scratched some gloss off Arsenal's 4-0 lead, one established in 37 whirlwind minutes, nervousness began to spread around the Emirates, the instinctive reaction of supporters who have been let down so often by their side in recent seasons.

The Daily Telegraph - Arsenal manager Arsène Wenger urges caution after club emerges as Premier League title contenders
So, can a club repeatedly sell their best players and really still get better? It was a question that Arsène Wenger preferred to dodge on Saturday despite Arsenal’s 6-1 demolition of Southampton but it was still possible to detect genuine optimism in his observations of this emerging team.

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