The ONE key reason why Theo Walcott has yet to fulfil his potential

Written by Josh Sheridan for FootballFancast.com: In January, Fabio Capello uncharacteristically admitted to a mistake; omitting Theo Walcott from his finalised squad for last summer’s World Cup in South Africa. “He can play 25 minutes and be dangerous,” Capello said. “I made a mistake not selecting him. He’s one of the players who can make the difference. I should have taken him.” At the time, Capello avoided widespread criticism because in fairness, a series of injuries had limited Walcott to just fifteen starts for Arsenal last season and he disappointed when selected for England’s pre-tournament warm-up games against Mexico and Japan. In hindsight, the former Southampton forward might have added an element of flair which was so lacking in Capello’s charges, but is unlikely to have made an impact significant enough to have seen England progress further than the first knockout round.

An extended summer break rejuvenated the 22 year-old who, despite a disappointing season for his club as a whole, has started and featured in more Premier League games than any other campaign, and scored 12 goals overall, his best return for the Gunners by a distance. What’s more, Walcott has featured in five out of England’s 8 matches this season, and is now greatly valued by Capello who also conceded that, “he [Walcott] is one of the players [since] the World Cup that I think about a lot.” So why, considering his fifth season in English football’s top flight is nearing its end, is Walcott still talked about with considerable caution and in terms of his development, when the likes of Gareth Bale and Javier Hernandez – all three born within months of each other – are almost considered established talents? What has, and is, stopping Walcott from becoming the potent force we all expected he would be by now, and what can change to ensure that he not only maintains his terrific form, but improves on his best season heading in to the peak of his playing days?

Duncan White (Telegraph) recently articulated modern Premier League football’s great contrast aptly, explaining: “They [footballers] drive to their quiet, isolated training centres behind the tinted windows of their sports cars only to then emerge from a tunnel into an environment of intense focus and brutal noise on match day.”

The difference between good players and great players is the ability to control the emotions and remain focused in an aggressively passionate and critical environment and the confidence to express oneself while neglecting the desires of most spectators for you to fail. Some players appear naturally unfazed by such overwhelming attention and Walcott’s team-mate, Wojciech Szczesny, has handled the pressure of playing in goal for one of Europe’s top sides between the ages of 20 and 21 with remarkable refinement. The recurring view of Walcott lacking a ‘football brain,’ whatever that means, is unfounded when it is considered that footballers, and anyone who has played football even once at any level will concur, base almost every single decision during a game on instinct. The problem is, Walcott is so consistently gripped by fear that even a stray pass in the opening exchanges can impact on his confidence for the rest of a game. It doesn’t take a football brain, or a even a very large one at that, to notice the deep-seated anxiety in the Arsenal forward’s face as he emerges from the tunnel on each occasion. In matches where Walcott relies on his basic instinct he usually attempts first-time shots and passes to greater degrees of success, as evidenced most profoundly in Arsenal’s 6-0 defeat of Blackpool last August where he completed his first professional hat-trick and could perhaps have added more. This isn’t an isolated example as such, but these occasions are far too rare for a player of Walcott’s natural ability. His lack of consistency is due to an as yet unidentified psychological barrier that perhaps could be eroded by trusting the precocious winger in a more traditional striker’s role, a transition that Arsene Wenger has publicly declared more than once is imminent, rather than to be decided. We will have to wait patiently, perhaps even beyond next season, to see whether the Frenchman implements this alteration in Walcott’s positioning, but the player must first confront the mental restrictions inhibiting his quality before fans get the chance to experience his inner greatness on a regular basis. If you think it’s time for Walcott to be employed up-front, follow me on Twitter 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. To have a peak at the top SEVEN available FREE TRANSFERS this summer, click here.