Theo Walcott – The Waning Star With No Further Scope Of Expectations?
The talent possessed by Theo Walcott has never been questioned. His desire to perform and willingness to give everything to the cause are the things that have often come under the scanner. Signed from Southampton as a 16-year-old in January 2006, he was even taken to the 2006 World Cup in Germany. Blessed with blistering pace, Walcott’s performances have always been questioned and something that raises quite a few eyebrows.
The 28-year old has been at Arsenal for 12 years now and has 104 goals in 383 appearances. It is a respectable tally, but doesn’t necessarily stand out as impeccable. He has barely featured for the Gunners of late, especially after the change in formation which sees Wenger deploy wing-backs as opposed to wingers. Thus, the decline of Theo Walcott began as he managed to coup up just 11 minutes of playtime in May, not even featuring in the FA Cup success over Chelsea.
All the signs point at the waning star that Walcott has turned into. Walcott’s career has always seen one stumbling block or another. Be it his injury worries or his desire to play as an out-and-out striker. His demands of being played as a striker were not met, quite understandably though. He started off the season in fine form, starting the first 16 Premier League games before a calf injury briefly haunted his campaign.
What’s even more baffling is that Walcott was captaining the side until April, which suggests that all is not well between manager and player. All of this points at a departure for the man from Southampton. There seems to be no place for Theo in Arsenal’s starting line-up, as Ozil and Sanchez are the men that are preferred to flank the main striker. Alexandre Lacazette’s arrival at the club further dampens the prospect of Walcott.
He has failed to live up to the promise that he once showed as a teenager. Hence the fans and the manager likewise will be losing patience with the Englishman. At 28, he still has enough time to make up for his botched up career, but whether that will be at Arsenal is a question for ages. His chances at Arsenal will undoubtedly be limited in the forthcoming season and a move elsewhere could be beneficial for all parties involved.
A move abroad could also benefit the once-overhyped man, where he could enjoy the freedom of not having a burden of expectations on his shoulders. Whatever said and done, his career at Arsenal seems to have come to a standstill. He has reasonable time on his hands and should look to make the most of an opportunity to move elsewhere.