Arsenal: In two moments, Jack Wilshere exposes Theo Walcott

In two disparaging moments during Arsenal’s draw with Red Star Belgrade on Thursday night, Jack Wilshere exposed the dumb, helpless, uninspiring movement of Theo Walcott.

During Thursday night’s gritty 0-0 draw with Red Star Belgrade, there were two moments of contrasting play, one from Theo Walcott and the other from Jack Wilshere, that serves perfect signifiers as to the disparaging footballing intelligence of the Arsenal pair.

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Both were extremely similar scenarios. Both had Wilshere and Walcott start in very comparable positions. Both offered a chance to open up what had been a stubborn Belgrade defence. But the behaviours of each player were very different. One was dynamic and clever; the other was absent-minded, drifting, and unapplied. One required vision and creativity of movement; the other lacked any semblance of thought or intention. One was good; the other, not so much.

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The first came after a smart Francis Coquelin interception. He broke forward at an exposed Belgrade defence, with options aplenty. All his options, though, including one Wilshere, were to his right. So Wilshere, seeing this, made his move. He slowed his run, looped behind Coquelin, before scampering down the left channel, stretching the pitch as wide as possible as Arsenal looked to counter. Coquelin, unfortunately, made the wrong decision — he should have slipped in Wilshere. But the run was nonetheless an intelligent piece of play.

Then we come to Walcott. This time, it was Joe Willock who was breaking forward. Although options were a little more limited than for Coquelin, Walcott did not help the situation. Standing inside the full-back and on the shoulder of the centre-half, Walcott posed an intention to dart in behind the defence. But rather than ever commit to any run, he gradually drifted into the channel, never really making a run with any intensity. He started, then stopped, then mistimed a second effort, before being stood two yards offside. The move was subsequently snuffed out.

After the break down of the attack, Walcott was visibly frustrated with Willock. He was annoyed at the midfielders apparent lack of vision and decision making to play the early pass. But the angle was never there. Belgrade defended the dangerous situation well and Walcott did not change the angle of attack. What was Willock supposed to do?

Contrast, then, Walcott’s lack of intelligent, decisive movement, to the creativity, ingenuity, and fluidity of Wilshere’s run. Wilshere was smart. He showed vision. He exploited space and offered Coquelin an option. Walcott did none of those things.

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Walcott’s lack of footballing intelligence has always been an issue that has been levelled at him. It has been a doubt that he has always struggled to dispel. And it’s moments of play like this that are why. Wilshere exposed Walcott badly. It might be time for the latter to leave.