da betway： For a long time Theo Walcott has begged Arsene Wenger to be a centre forward. Each time it looked like he may be granted his wish, either a new player got the nod ahead of him or he was told his best position for the good of the team was elsewhere.
da dobrowin： Injuries have slowed down his development and it would have been logical to assume he was never going to be the main striker for Arsenal.
Then something changed. Wenger went from doubter to believer. Walcott persisted and gave glimpses it wasn’t just some schoolboy fantasy to lead the line but ability driven belief.
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Olivier Giroud has had to accept a shared role as standalone striker. When he was at his scoring peak for the Gunners this wouldn’t have sounded feasible. A common belief is that Giroud is good but lacks the next level attributes to make him one of Europe’s finest. It’s this acceptance that has made Arsene’s lack of movements for a world class striker in the transfer market all the more infuriating for Arsenal fans. Perhaps he was holding fire on a giving away a large transfer fee because he’d seen true potential in Walcott.
There comes a point where a young player becomes the talent his club hopes he can be and reaches his potential, or fades into mediocrity. The idea of potential being a marketable commodity has allowed for large fees and long periods of patience in recent times, Anthony Martial and Mario Balotelli respectively fulfilling those roles.
More often than not a player gets nowhere near their perceived ceiling (Aaron Lennon) and becomes a squad player. There was a danger this could have happened to Walcott. Instead he has come of age.
His days playing in less preferable roles have added to his game. He displays good link up play, at times doubling up as an extra midfielder, whilst always having an eye to attack and take the lead of the forward line again. He showed early on with a hat trick for England against Croatia, when he was just 19-years-old, his killer instinct. Now he has been unleashed as a matured player as part of the forward line expect him to grow into the monster he always threatened.
It’s not just Arsenal that will benefit, England will too. How does a striker that can put in a shift as well as scare defenders when on the ball sound? Well, it used to sound like Wayne Rooney but the reality is far removed from the description. Walcott has a chance to seize the lead line for country now he has demonstrated his worth for club.
The boy Walcott has gone, replaced by a successful graduate of the game ready to dominate through his adult years.
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