Pain in the Arsenal
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Theo Walcott has to Learn to be a Striker for Arsenal

By Josh Sippie

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It is clear that Arsene Wenger wants to play Theo Walcott at Arsenal. Maybe he feels he owes it to him. He is the longest tenured Arsenal player and he has always wanted to play through the middle. There is nothing wrong with giving him that shot. It appeared to initially work at the tail-end of last year.

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However, now it appears that playing him at striker is hurting the team. He was completely incognito against Newcastle, as he has been any time he has gotten time at striker. His runs are not geared to be picked out from the front of the formation. Not the way Arsenal is currently playing (ESPNFC has a great piece about this).

Against San Marino, Theo Walcott played 23 minutes for the English National team and scored two goals. From the right wing. Now we must remember that it was just San Marino, but take it as a sign. Walcott had his best years at Arsenal on the right wing. In 24 appearances in 2012/13. Theo Walcott scored 14 goals and grabbed 10 assists. Not at striker, at right wing. But he always wanted to be a striker for Arsenal.

Arsene Wenger has now made the decision that Theo Walcott is a striker. With Danny Welbeck out injured, that leaves Arsenal with Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott as strikers. Unfortunately, with Walcott not even really being a striker, at least not yet, that leaves Arsenal in quite the conundrum.

Walcott has to learn to be a striker now. It may very well be too late to revert back to right wing. Mainly because he would never want to. Although, utilizing him on the right wing would be brilliant. It is where he had his success and it is a position that could give Arsenal so much added width at a time where that seems non-existent. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain provides the same but Wenger seems less inclined to start the younger and to be honest, he has shown some rough patches that still need to be ironed out.

Now that Wenger has placed his faith in Walcott being a striker, he has to become a striker. It is that simple. We need another viable option up front to offset Olivier Giroud and Theo Walcott is our only option.

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It is in times like these that Wenger’s faith can be frustrating. He is always going to give his players a chance over an outside signing. That is a commendable attribute in this day and age and a big reason why he is able to hang onto so many of his players. It is also a big reason why the players refer to Arsenal as more of a family than a team. But the problem comes when it does not work out. When do you withdraw that faith? Does he give Walcott a year? Two years? By then it could have seriously damaged the team.

It is too early to judge if Theo Walcott can be a striker. He is trying to find his place in the team. He is trying to figure out how his play best fits with his team mates when he is on the pitch. But Wenger has faith in him and that faith will keep Walcott at striker. That is unless the Englishman says otherwise.

Here’s to hoping that faith is not misplaced.

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