After the recent departure of their captain Cesc Fabregas and the speculation regarding the future of Samir Nasri, Arsenal fans may be questioning the strength of their midfield. With the season under way and the transfer window closing in a couple of weeks, there still doesn’t seem to be a great sense of urgency, at least from what we can see, from Wenger to fill the gaps. So this leaves them to cope with the upcoming fixtures with the squad they have, which needs to be utilised in the best possible way.
For a few seasons now, Theo Walcott has struggled to hold down a regular first team place, which is somewhat understandable due to his young age and the talent that Arsenal have had. But now seems like the best time for Wenger to utilise the young Englishman and maximise his potential. It’s not just about giving him game time and helping along his development process now, its about him doing a job in the first eleven and becoming an integral part of the team. The fact that Arsenal’s midfield is thinner than ever at the moment with injuries and departures, should mean that Theo steps up and tries to maintain a level of performance that the fans expect.
Had he not been experiencing problems with a recurring ankle injury, I would have expected Walcott to start the game against Newcastle on the weekend. When he came on in the second half he looked reasonably sharp and one of the most likely to create chances, even if Arsenal didn’t have their best game offensively. He should get the nod ahead of Arshavin in the upcoming games if he is fit, and this is when he really needs to prove himself. Pace and an element of creativity is good, but for Arsenal to work well they need technique and ball control, which has been one of their main tools to building attacks in the past.
Whilst Arsenal don’t have the likes of Nasri and Wilshere in their midfield, I think that Walcott should be looked upon as a different outlet for their attacks. As seen against Newcastle, I just don’t think they currently have the same ability to craft out chances, although they are capable of slick passing and neat play, they need another option which Theo could provide. However, he needs to work at adapting his play at times to suit the tempo of the move and be involved with passing and build up play, as opposed to becoming the predictable option of the winger running aimlessly at fullbacks. For example, rather than just making the mazy runs and darting around off the ball, trying to receive the ball then measure a pass before moving into an advanced position to set up an attack without having to run with the ball so much.
I think Wenger should start Walcott whenever possible in he League so that he can build his game further into the type of role the club want him to play now. He has much sought-after attributes and his pace can be so dangerous against many clubs, all they have to do is work this into the team properly and fully utilise his benefit. If they can get him into good positions, then he can chip in with goals like we saw on occasions last season. An aspect of Theo’s play which he needs to develop is the final ball or passing in the final third. This has come under criticism and he has to be able to pick out the right options. At times last season it looked like he was less comfortable when he had more time to play a pass, bringing his decision making into question.
In general, I think that Walcott needs the chance to grow with the Arsenal squad this season and not be left behind when it could well be in a transitional phase with the midfield turnover. This means establishing him a role and working him hard to improve his game to fine-tune it to what Arsenal need. I don’t think Wenger can take the chance of giving him a light schedule this season as they may have to become reliant on some different players to have an impact, and Theo should be looking to be one of them.
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