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So, another summer transfer season and another summer of agony for Arsenal fans. If last summer the soap opera starred Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, this year it is Robin Van Persie and Theo Walcott. Except that, Theo isn’t quite hitting the headlines like Robin has been. Most of it is mainly because nobody quite polarizes opinion among the fan base like Theo does. While some remember that run against Liverpool in the Champions League quaterfinal and Lionel Messi‘s comments on him, some others will point, quite rightly to the fact, that on other occasions, Theo is just maddeningly inconsistent. But there are several good reasons why Theo Walcott is invaluable for Arsenal:
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Stats don’t lie
Just a look at the numbers will tell you why Theo is such a crucial cog in this Arsenal lineup. 8 goals in 35 league appearances is comparable to fellow wingers Gareth Bale’s 9 in 36 or Antonio Valencia’s 4 in 27. The numbers are by no means stunning, but they are right up there with the best in the league. His strike rate definitely needs improvement, considering that Theo hopes to become a central striker in the future. But even at this moment, his numbers show that he is definitely one of the better right wingers around in the game. And just imagine a situation where Theo is sold and he comes up on the right wing against Arsenal’s current left backs of Kieran Gibbs or Andre Santos. I don’t think there are too many Arsenal fans who will relish that prospect.
Terrorizes defenders around the world
This performance against Barcelona. This run for the goal against Tottenham. This run against Newcastle for his goal. And of course, the one mentioned earlier against Liverpool. Walcott has done it over the years and against some of the best sides in Europe. Defenders are scared of his pace. His biggest strengths are his pace and movement off the ball. His pace makes defenders wary against him and his movement draws them towards him, which in the past, left central strikers like Van Persie and Adebayor or creative wingers like Samir Nasri to work their magic. And if the defenders don’t track his run, he is pretty good at finishing the job himself. With Marouane Chamakh the partnership wasn’t quite as successful, since Chamakh looks to hold up the ball to allow wingers to find their own space. Theo is not the creative winger who can maneuver space for himself. He works best when playing with a striker looking to run into space. And it is only gets better if there is a creative winger on the opposite flank. With new signings Olivier Giroud and Lukas Podolski looking to fulfill those precise roles, Theo is going to be a handful for the opposition defenders.
The age factor
Theo has just turned 23 in March this year. Which basically means he is a player who is still developing. And he still has a good 2-3 years before he hits his peak. Arsenal fans keep looking for their next Thierry Henry. Theo is no Henry. But one must remember that even Thierry didn’t hit his peak until he was 24-25, which is sooner than most players do. But then, that is why he is a legend. Since he has been around for such a long time at Arsenal, most fans tend to forget that Theo is only 23 and still hasn’t hit his peak. Arsene Wenger sees him as a central striker in the future and that is where he might end up. But he still needs to develop for that. It is not that he isn’t improving. Even if you ignore the numbers, which have been improving year on year, even physically Theo has bulked up significantly since he burst on to the scene as a pacy winger. And his injury record has been pretty good over the past seasons.
Non controversial
He has never had a bad word to say about any of the pundits who have repeatedly hauled him over the coals for lacking ‘a footballing brain’. Nor has he ever criticized any manager, be it Sven Goran Erikkson who took him to the World Cup in 2006 and never played him, or Fabio Capello who never took him to the World Cup in 2010. Except for a brief on pitch skirmish with Carl Jenkinson during the 8-2 mauling at Old Trafford, he hasn’t ever publicly come out with disagreements or problems with managers or team-mates. He is generally regarded as a level headed bloke, who takes criticism on board and is passionate about seeing his team do well. Arsenal certainly needs more of his type of quiet, committed players if they are to head back to glory.
