Arsenal fans must have been fearing the worst; 2-0 down against their deadliest rivals Tottenham Hotspur and their recent worries showing no signs of regressing. As the 11 red-and-white shirted men on the pitch soldiered on in the face of adversity some of the fans took their frustrations out on winger Theo Walcott. It’s not that the 22-year old was lacking effort on the field; it’s that he wasn’t making the correct decisions when receiving the ball. In simple terms, his final ball was wretched.
Oh, how the tables turned in the second half. Arsenal’s number 14 came to the fore in a stirring comeback, scoring two fine goals and proving instrumental in the Gunners’ revival. The man that was so vilified in the first 45 was given a standing ovation as he was substituted for Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain on 81 minutes. For me, this type of game summed up the enigmatic Theo Walcott – a player who is still some way from reaching his peak but one who can be a real match winner, should he play to his full potential.
Walcott, signed for £5 million from Southampton in January 2006 as a raw 16-year old talent, has spent six-years now at Arsenal and has, more or less, been a regular in that period of time. Originally brought in as a pacey right-winger, Wenger has continued to nurture and hone Walcott into a central striker – a path followed so successfully by Arsenal’s previous number 14, Mr Thierry Henry. The only slight problem is that Henry’s boots are very hard ones to fill and the youngster shouldn’t let this type of thing deter him as he tries to make himself one of Arsenal’s key danger men.
He has proven himself to be integral to the Gunners’ front line this season – often playing as part of a three-pronged attack with Robin van Persie and Gervinho. Superb finishes against Udinese in the Champions League qualifying stages and against Chelsea in the Premier League back in October demonstrate his raw pace and prowess that he sometimes displays in front of goal. That said, there are some areas in his game which still need some fine-tuning and have often come to the fore this season – his final ball needs a lot of work and, despite the two aforementioned goals, his finishing is sometimes quite tame (an area in which Thierry Henry often excelled). As a result of this, he can bear the brunt of the Arsenal fans’ frustrations.
Such is the enigmatic nature of the player; Arsenal simply cannot afford to exclude him from their plans. His raw pace and ability to get at defenders are something which all teams need. As Alan Hansen once said, ‘If there’s one thing defenders are scared of it is pace’. Yes, he can be very frustrating to watch – take a look at the first half of the North London derby last Sunday to see the clearest example of this. But, on his day, he’s an absolute menace of a forward. Given time, he can become a very important player for Arsenal – and for England. With Wenger’s astute coaching and playing in conjunction with RvP (the most in-from striker in the country), Walcott can only improve. At only 22 years of age he still has much to learn; Arsenal are the perfect club to steer him in the right direction.
Introducing the neat little app that’ll pay you to view content tailored to your interests:
ThisisFutbol.com are seeking new writers to join the team! If you’re passionate about football, drop us a line at “thisisfutbol.com@snack-media.com” to learn more.
I belive walcott needs more tym. Hez still young and still has alot of years ahead. So lets give him time.