Fans Article: Walcott, Will he ever succeed or is he just over rated?
 G4L_Harry (18 January 2010)
One of G4L regulars, Urakanine asks the Question many of us have mulled over, Will Theo ever succeed? he is over rated or just unlucky with injuries? Over to you Urakanine............................
In 2006 he was hailed as a super talent some said he was the new Gazza / Rooney / Beckham. Theo Walcott was called up to the WC squad at 16, Wenger having brought him to Arsenal in the Jan of the same year from Southampton and he looked to be one of the best players in the world in years to come. He didnt get a chance at the World Cup under Sven as he remained unused, some people still moan about this now.
Since then, Theo Walcott has turned into nothing more than a squad player, in some people's opinions. His hat-trick against Croatia, the run against Liverpool and some other goals are the only achievements in his career. He's only 21 years of age, but many have labelled him as a flop already, seemingly always injured with bizarre injuries.
Is there light at the end of the tunnel?
Walcott's speed is a very formidable weapon. Any team in the world wants that kind of speed in their team, but Theo Walcott is weak on the ball, lacks proper finishing and decision-making. He is known to be injury-prone, and that will have to be that.
So in this Walcott debacle, there are 5 main points to discuss of.
1. Position?
What is Walcott's position? Wide right on the flanks, right through the middle, or perhaps the person who plays in the "hole"?
2. Sub or Start?
Is Walcott a super-substitute or a starter?
3. World Cup?
Can Theo Walcott make it to the World Cup in 2010?
4. Time?
How much longer can Theo Walcott stay at Arsenal? Can he flourish or will he be another forgotten face...?
5. Sink or swim?
Can Theo Walcott truly ever be a good player?
For me,
1. Theo Walcott should be played wide right on the flank. He has the pace for it, and although his final ball is never actually perfect, the 4-3-3 is all about cutting in, and surely he can do that?
2. Theo Walcott will never truly be a starter until he sorts out his decision-making. Slow decisions, bad decisions, or not even being decisive makes him the ultimate SUBSTITUTION.
3. To be perfectly honest, Theo Walcott will have to do something amazing if he is to make it there. He needs to prove his worth against the big teams and score against the smaller teams. Fitness is key. However I believe Walcott can get chosen, but only if he moves on to the next gear.
4. I would say 4-5 years. By then he would be a pretty good player, but something will happen, something major. Then, it will be Theo's decision - to stay or to go?
5. I think he will cut it, but only if he starts fighting for his place NOW. Diaby and Song were thought to be way behind him about 2 seasons ago but they have surpassed him. Now Theo needs to play catch-up and whether he can break in will decide his future. I think he'll make it.
And what about you guys? Will Theo make the cut? Or just another disappointing Englishman? The next Ian Wright? Or the next David Bentley?
Give me your opinions.
Urakanine
Thanks for that Urakanine, leave your comments below and let Urakanine know what you think about his views on the enigma that is Walcott...........
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Comments: | | | gazzap | 18 January 2010 15:12:23 | | | | | | | | | If he was sold now, I would not cry. He is falling further down the pecking order and his injuries are terrible.
At the mo, he can be no better than a super-sub and I think his best position is on the left, not right, and then cutting in, because his crossing is not that good but if he cuts in then he is using his natural strikers instincts that he has worked on since he was a small boy.
But wenger already has better players on the left, Eg. Arshavin and Vela | | | | | | | | | | vall1234 | 18 January 2010 16:08:23 | | | | | | | | | No,hate to say this,but walcott is nothing but an overrated player,never beats his direct player on one on one situation,apart his speed,there is nothing more to gloat about,wilshere is the true footbaLL GENIUS,no comparision between the two,and another thing ,please you who love ARSENAL,stop pestering mr.wenger for new players,thank god,we are covered in every position,and we dont need anymore.. | | | | | | | | | | oldbird | 18 January 2010 17:19:37 | | | | | | | | | Well done guys, this is just what he needs to boost his confidence.
Anyone who saw, and really watched, his cameo appearance against Villa will have seen his potential very clearly. He was fast, sharp, running into good positions, holding onto the ball, confusing the Villa defence and putting in some good crosses one of which created a goal for Cesc. A pretty good 30 mins for a player just back from an injury and who's hardly kicked a ball for 6 months! He also draws the defenders out wide giving more scope for the other attackers.
Give him a chance please. His development has been inhibited by shoulder problems and since his 2 ops he has been really unlucky with other injuries. He hasn't had a good run of games for a long time so lay off him.
I for one (and I'm not alone here) believe he has the potential to be a world class player and he's only 20. | | | | | | | | | | scarlet | 18 January 2010 17:49:42 | | | | | | | | | I agree totally with OLDBIRD,,,he has great potential , we must give him a chance ..I actually think he will make a great player one day | | | | | | | | | | TrexlerRan | 18 January 2010 18:22:10 | | | | | | | | | Very nice article. Theo has an absolute ton of potential and just seems to be hampered by these injuries. Every game he gets in he has an effect on; sometimes an immediate impact. You really get a good feeling for his importance to the squad if you watch the 08-09 season review DVD. Pretty much every game he played his name continually pops up in the highlights as he is instrumental in the buildup; whether he just flies down the wing or works a 1-2 with another player he is always involved it seems.
I think he has the potential to flourish in the 4-3-3 and just needs a good run of games to show it. I think his best position is out on the right with (ideally) RVP and Arshavin also up front. Hopefully he's able to play Wednesday v. Bolton and has a good performance that he can build on. | | | | | | | | | | G4L_Harry | 18 January 2010 18:22:47 | | | | | | | | | oldbird I dont disagree and even the writer of the article thinks he'll make it eventually........ he has been unlucky with injuries, he does need a run of games, the thing I think he is lacking is a bit of extra upper body strength, he is one of my favourites by a mile........... | | | | | | | | | | oldbird | 18 January 2010 18:36:48 | | | | | | | | | Am glad I have some support. I get heartily sick of supposed fans encouraging negative debates with articles like this about our players. Look how Song was rubbished last year and for the start of this season by the blogworld.
I for one will be at the Emirates on Wed night cheering on our terrific team with special support for Theo. Woe betide anyone near me who groans if he misplaces a pass! | | | | | | | | | | westvq3940 | 18 January 2010 21:12:15 | | | | | | | | | Well for sure we all want ALL our players to succeed, but this one lacks courage determination and skill, of course hes only 21, but at that age injury prone obviously gives to serious doubts. I hope he proves me wrong and turns into a genious the odds ten million to one!! | | | | | | | | | | G4L_Harry | 18 January 2010 23:17:09 | | | | | | | | | Good on you oldbird, give him a shout for me, cannot make it, up north. Be to last 4 home games was hoping to make it five in a row, always soemthing gets in the way.
I dont think the article was specifically negative, more thought provoking with an air of concern, I am pretty much positive about all things arsenal, it wasnt my article, but I posted it for one of our regulars, he summised that he thought he would make it. If you want to write a nice positive article feel free, post it under articles tab and I will post it on the main page...........
| | | | | | | | | | AmericanGunnerFan | 19 January 2010 08:14:07 | | | | | | | | | As someone who played a sport at its highest level let me just say this: if an athlete doesn't have the self-confidence to deal with criticism from fans or especially coaches in a positive way, he shouldn't be playing and will never be able to maximize his talent. Valid criticism or critiques should be taken as incentives to improve one's game. Unfounded negative criticism should be used as motivation to prove the critics wrong. "If you can't take the heat, get out of the kitchen."
That said, it is not unfair to point out that, despite his youth, Walcott's career is presently at a crossroads. There is no doubt that he possesses the talent and potential to become a star. He has shown enough flashes of brilliance to confirm that. But, in addition to his inconsistency--which can be seen as a product of his youth and injuries, there are major weaknesses in his game that he absolutely must work on if he is to fulfill his potential. Improvement in these areas is entirely possible and under his control.
Walcott's primary weakness is, well, his weakness. He lacks the core body strength to be able to deal with any physical challenge, let alone fight off defenders. While he will gain some core body strength as he matures, there is a lot that he can and should be doing to add to his strength now. Walcott may fear losing a step or becoming more prone to injuries if he "bulks up", but, with the training techniques currently available, there are ways that he can add strength to his core without losing speed or flexibility or risking worse injuries. He needs to work with a trainer who can devise such a training program for him. Arshavin, Defoe, S.Wright-Phillips and even Lennon have shown that a small player does not have to be as weak and easily taken out of his game as Walcott has been to this point.
A second weakness that Walcott must improve, especially if Arsenal continue to play a 4-3-3, is his defense. Walcott offers so little defensively in his own end that Arsenal is effectively playing a man down when he is on the pitch. He seldom tracks back and, when he does, he almost never attempts to place himself in a position to prevent an opponent from getting the ball. There is no excuse for this. Say what you will about Bendtner, but, before he got hurt, he would consistently drop back, even into the box to help out on defense. Arshavin may not be as consistent defensively as Bendtner, but, when he wants, he has shown that a small player can do a lot to help on defense by being aggressive and using his quickness to harry an opponent. Just taking a man and standing next to him so that he can't be a target for a pass or pick up a deflection can be a help. Defense is all about "want to" and hustle. Walcott stands around and is a spectator all too often, especially when he is not getting the ball or has been muscled around a few times. That simply requires an attitude adjustment on Walcott's part and is something that he must do if he is to become a star. Playing hard on defense doesn't show up on a stat sheet or get headlines, but it is something that coaches and managers must and do place an emphasis on: no team can afford to be shorthanded on the defensive end and still win titles. Not only will the fact that he is a defensive liability cost Walcott playing time, but it will also cost him offensive opportunities as teammates who bust their butts on both ends of the pitch are going to be less likely to want to give the ball to the prima donna who isn't willing to work as hard on defense as they are.
Practice, playing time and experience can improve Walcott's decision-making, passing and scoring, but he's not going to become a factor, let alone a star for Arsenal or England unless he gets stronger and decides to hustle consistently on defense. England already has similar players who are better in both of these areas for their 2010 WC squad. And, if Arsenal has its full squad healthy, A.Wenger will not need to risk being punished for Walcott's weaknesses for a full 90 minutes--which will limit his playing time and ability to gain experience--until he improves.
Whether Theo Walcott becomes a star for Arsenal or a factor for the England national team is entirely within his own hands. He has the kind of quickness, speed and eye for the goal that can make him a star, but, instead of proclaiming that he is ready to replace R.Van Persie's scoring for Arsenal (as it was reported that he did), he needs to realize that there are still serious weaknesses in his game and work diligently to improve on them.
If he does that, in a year or two Walcott could begin to start fulfilling his star potential. If he doesn't, Wenger should give him just enough playing time to increase his transfer value and let him go. The team will know quite soon which direction Walcott is likely to go in because they will see whether he is starting to work on those things now or not. And that's not necessarily something that we fans will end up being privy to until Walcott either emerges as a star or winds up being sold.
As an Arsenal fan, I want to see him become a star and support him. But that doesn't mean that I can't see the weaknesses in his game and point them out to other Arsenal fans. Let's hope he is already at work trying to improve on those weaknesses in his game. | | | | | | | | | | G4L_Harry | 19 January 2010 18:57:40 | | | | | | | | | Welcome on board AGF, what a post and very descriptive of the issues that Theo faces and I fully agree criticism should be used as a positive and he should be able to handle it.
Fully agree the abscene of core strength is at the heart of his weakness, as i did allay to in my response but not to the depth that you did. Some first post that!!! Fancy writing an article on it? or anything else.
On the Core stability issue, you would have thought someone at Arsenal especially Arsene wenger would understand the science of such training and how it could aid theo? | | | | | | | | | | mikejc28 | 20 January 2010 07:36:06 | | | | | | | | | You can't ignore his hat-trick for England against Croatia.
On form, he can produce flashes of brilliance, just wish those were more often! | | | | | | | | | | abusod13 | 20 January 2010 12:47:25 | | | | | | | | | Right now Theo is just 21, and above all that is said.
He needs GUIDIANCE! | | | | | | | | | | AmericanGunnerFan | 20 January 2010 14:32:57 | | | | | | | | | Thanks for the compliment G4L_Harry.
While I have been studied and been a fan of soccer since 1975, not having played the game, I'm not sure that I could write an article about the specifics of core strength and flexibility as it relates directly to soccer. Because the demands on the muscles and how they are used varies from sport to sport, the particular muscle groups that a player needs to work on will not only vary based on body type and the position that he plays, but will be specific to the sport. I am much more familiar with how that relates to certain positions in American sports like American football, lacrosse and baseball that I played. So, while I recognize that Walcott needs to add strength (and probably flexibility), it would take a trainer or someone who has played the game to describe precisely what he needs to do to add that strength without losing his speed.
If I'm not mistaken, the scientific approach to physical training has come late to the game of soccer and there are many teams and players that are still somewhat resistant to it, prefering to stick with more traditional training regimens that have been successful in the past. However, as I understand it, Arsenal was one of the first clubs to introduce individual training and does have a first class facility on its training grounds. So I do think Wenger and the club do understand the value of this kind of training, but, with so many players in the club and the Academy, it may be difficult for the club's training staff to concentrate on making sure that a given player will stick to the program that has been laid out for him--especially if that player has had injury issues and his injury or rehab may interfere with parts of his training or sap his motivation.
That's where having a personal trainer can be very helpful for a player. Someone who knows exactly what excercises need to be done, how much weight and repetitions are required, etc. Someone who will be there at 5 am to make sure that the player gets his running and work in and will be there with him to make sure that he gets through it all, etc.
In addition to participating in the workouts that their teams arrange for them, many professional athletes in the US hire their own personal trainers to do additional work with them not only during the offseason, but during the season as well. I've read almost nothing about soccer players doing this, but there is no reason why they can't or shouldn't. Certainly with the amounts that they are being paid they can afford to hire a trainer. And, I think Walcott, in particular, is one player who would benefit from doing so.
The fact that Theo is so young may be one of the reasons why he is in this position. The club may not have wanted to push him to develop too much physically because he is so young and his body was still developing. Doing too much before the body is ready can do more harm than good. But, Theo is 21 now and his body should be mature or pretty close to it.
The fact that he has shown such flashes of brilliance and become such a star as a youth also may have "gone to his head" a bit. Arsenal's record of developing young players is so good that I have to believe that he has been getting pretty good guidance, but a problem with a lot of today's young players in just about every sport is that they seem to be a little more prone to ignoring the good advice and guidance that they are being given than perhaps players in the past were (I don't know if that's absolutely true, but a lot of former players in other sports have said as much). And, it is possible that, because he was a "star" so early on, Theo may be one of those young players who just isn't listening to the coaches and older players who are trying to give him guidance. I hope that's not the case, but, from some of the things that he's reportedly said, it just might be.
As I said before, there is no doubt in my mind that Theo has the "God-given" talents that could make him a huge star, but there are still things that he has to work on--things that he has to do himself for himself--in order to be able to make full use of those talents at the highest level of the sport (which is what making it into the starting XI for Arsenal is!). And I hope he does those things while he is still wearing the Arsenal crest because those talents are such that he could be a real force for the club on the pitch for years to come. But, IMHO he has to get those things done and soon. | | | | | | | | | | G4L_Harry | 22 January 2010 12:28:59 | | | | | | | | | I agree the science of sport has come to football later than some other sports, with Arsene probably been the fore runner to the change in mentality of football......
Walcott is at the right club for him and I do believe he will succeed.................. | | | | | | | | | | westvq3940 | 07 February 2010 21:03:15 | | | | | | | | | Today proves hes USELESS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | | | | | | | | | | Urakanine | 08 February 2010 09:06:23 | | | | | | | | | I'm afraid west is right today. I would have preferred a half-fit Bendtner starting. It hurts so much that Walcott is given so much time, and yet he refuses to play the way we know he can.
Come on you gunners.. | | | | | | |
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