Arsenal winger Theo Walcott seems to be proving his value to the team whenever he comes off the bench.
But his greatest impact has come from his current role out wide.
We have heard in recent weeks that Walcott is reluctant to sign a contract extension until he is assured he will play in the no.9 role and less as a winger.
With his contract set to expire at the end of the season, it is perhaps something worth taking into consideration. When asked about the progress of a new deal for the 23-year-old, Wenger said:
‘No progress is good progress.’
News has surfaced in recent weeks stating Wenger may be ready to give Walcott the chance to play as a striker, as well as prove he actually deserves a regular run of games as a starter in that role.
When asked about the prospect of playing Walcott as a striker, Wenger added:
‘I did it with Henry and Van Persie and I think I will do it with Walcott.
‘I have no set date in mind, but I will try it.’
But is it really time to give the England international the chance to play as a striker? In my honest opinion, I don’t think so.
Walcott is effective where he is being deployed at at present – cutting inside from the wide position into the opposition box with the ball, catching defenders out with his pace and finishing off runs with the occasional goal or assist.
The main reason why I don’t believe he is ready for the striking role is simply because he doesn’t have a ‘football brain’ big enough for the task. He relies mainly on his pace to beat defenders. He does not have the ability to trick the opposition defenders if he’s tight up against one, or playing with his back facing the goal or even link up with players like Santi Cazorla and Mikel Arteta, the same way Olivier Giroud does and more recently Gervinho.
I’d really like to see Walcott play as a striker, but only if he can acquire a few more skills to aid him in that role because unlike Thierry Henry and Robin van Persie, Walcott isn’t exactly showing that he has the ability to seriously play as the team’s top man. The pressure at the top may simply be too much for the Englishman.
Only time will tell if Wenger will in fact give him what he desires.
Has the time finally come for Theo to be deployed as a striker?
Give us your thoughts on the matter below
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Don’t think he needs more skills.. M Owen wasn’t the most skilfull player and he did alright
‘Doesn’t have a football brain’. You do not have a brain at all.
When Walcott takes on a chance, and has to think about it, he often misses, when he shoots instictively he tends to score. You can coach a football brain but you can’t coach instict. I say give him extra finishing training and bring him on as a striker off the bench and see how it goes. To be fair to him he has scored some very well placed goals.
@tom
Walcott had plenty of time to think about his shot before his goal against WHU. Your comment is stupid. Walcott is obviously a more mature player then he has been in the past.
With Theo he can score instictively like I said, also if he’s sprinting (like against West Ham) and the momentum is with him he can finish. It’s when he’s standing or got a defender near him he can’t
Football Brain… Is such a lame cliche… Everyone’s just jumped on the bandwagon and ran with that stupid phrase coined by that brainless Wally (Waddle)!!! Walcott is actually a very intelligent footballer, everyone makes mistakes sometimes but he does more good things on the pitch than bad.
In my opinion he’s definitely good enough to be a decent striker and he’s letting his football and goals do the talking at the moment and shutting all these so called EXprats up… Keep doing it for Arsenal Theo!! COYGS
Finally, some straight thinking people who think Theo is not a brainless footballer as those fools keep saying. He is a better finisher than Gerv and yet Gerv is given the chance to play upfront. Why cant he be tried? We have only Giroud as our striker. Theo can give us other option.
No brain, can’t play linkup??What are you smoking over there. Come over here to Cali where we have the “kind”..Ask Van Persie if he cannot link up. His speed and ability to turn in tight spaces gives him what the team needs.. YOu are generally pretty cool but on this you are wrong.
All hail Wenger the genius!! Take a 16 year old striker, turn him into a 2nd rate, no end product running man then try and turn him back into a striker and pretend you have made him into something special instead of what you have actually done, which is cherrypick a promising young talent, stifle him for several seasons and try to take credit for turning him back into what he was when you bought him. No wonder the lad wants out, just like Cesc et al!
Walcot is good bt I hv never heard a player cant extend contract coz of playing position I thnk its always the manager’s role to select players and thre preferd positions basing on the day’s game
Walcott should be given the chance like gervinho,maybe he can surprise everyone of us nobody knows how it might work,but if he fails to deliver,we will sell him for free to kenya league