Theo Walcott: At times, more important than Van Persie

Arsenal’s most under-appreciated player

Continuing the review of the team for the coming season, from left to right we go into our attack. As your midfield maestro, I now collect the ball on the left and play it over the top to the onrushing grease lightning of Arsenal: Theo Walcott.

In the first years after arriving at the Emirates, Theo was always suffering from some injuries. We may have forgotten about it, but I do remember that he had some troubles with returning from shoulder injuries. I think two operations, lots of rehabilitation work, learning how to run again and how to balance again hampered him in his first years.

He wasn’t as bad as Robin Van Persie on the injury front, but he had his share of troubles. The season before the last he started like a hurricane only to get injured and after that it was more like a soft breeze. But still he managed to score 9 goals and get 7 assists in that season.

The season just gone by was in fact the first season where Walcott was almost fit during the whole season. He started in 32 games so you could say that when he is fit, he will start on the right front. He scored 8 goals and assisted 11 more. So that is a return in goals in total of 19 last season. Or putting it in other words: Walcott was directly involved in 25% of our goals.

And yet…. yep….yeah…sigh… let’s get on his back, shall we? Just a number to compare with his involvement in 19 goals last season. His predecessor with the same number. When he was 23 years old (some 11 years ago), he then was involved in 20 goals that season in 35 matches. He scored 17 and assisted only 3. No need to start shouting blasphemy about this comparison but just to put some things in perspective. I really don’t think being involved directly in 19 goals is bad. No, I think it is great. If our left side of attack would have had the same stats…well we would have been a title contender.

Because Walcott did on his own better than all the players that we used at the left flank. But let that not stop the AAA from saying he is useless of course. And if you keep those stats in mind, I hope that now some people start to understand why we bought Podolski. Because Podolski is a striker who can score some 10-15 goals on his own and has an eye for his team-mates also. So maybe the goals will come from all sides next season and our attack will be more dangerous from both sides.

So where do we go from here? If Walcott signs a new deal, he will be the main man on the right hand side. And a flank combination of Podolski/Walcott will make any central striker score goals. Whoever that striker may be, he will get his chances to score goals. Lots of goals. So I really hope that Theo will stay and continues getting better with each year. He is stronger than before, as fast as before, and he is starting to get a bit more relaxed.

Of course he has missed chances, but name me one striker who hasn’t! No, not even Messi. I have seen him miss the easiest of chances (not many times true, but it happens). Of course he will take wrong decisions sometimes. Sometimes a shot was the best option and he will pass. Sometimes he will shoot and miss when another player was better placed. That is part of football.

And some people on Match Of The Day like to highlight those wrong decisions a lot and so they create that image even more. I really do think that Theo will score more than 10 goals himself this season (I think around 15 in fact) and add to that another 10 assists at least, he will be involved in somewhere between 25-30 goals next season.

But he enters his final year of his contract and the negotiations keep on running and running. So we might end up seeing him leave. And to be honest that would be maybe a bigger blow than Van Persie leaving. I know the Ox could play there. But then we risk that we burn him next season. I would rather have the Ox playing in different positions as a back-up most of the time for now. But if Theo would leave, the temptation to start him would be there and well, no more Jack, if possible. Let the Ox slowly become the player he will become. And I think he can become an even better player than Theo. But not yet now!

So if Theo stays, I think we will be fine regardless what Van Persie does. If Theo goes we need another extra striker. Unless Wenger plays Podolski on the right flank? Well if we can believe the media (difficult one), he has mentioned that possibility. Hmm come to think of it Podolski coming in from the right to the middle with the ball in front of his left foot unleashing a rocket. He is capable of doing those things.

But I really do think that having a flank combination of Podolski/ Walcott will be the best option for next year. They have speed, strength, a bit of madness and most of all they can score goals and give assists. And if they switch flanks during the games they could drive their defenders nuts at times. I really would like that idea.