If you follow English football, it is likely you've heard uttered the following phrase about the above-pictured Theo Walcott; "I just don't think he's got a football brain". That phrase was said by a reactionary former England international, Chris Waddle, after a dismal friendly wherein England narrowly scraped by an inferior Egypt side, and Walcott was thoroughly abject. That phrase, furthermore, stuck with Walcott for years; a haunting accusation recurrently mentioned following any sort of mediocre performance. 'He has the talent, he just doesn't have the mind for the game', his detractors claimed.
The above indictment was made by Waddle on the 3rd of March, 2010. Theo James Walcott was seventeen days shy of his 21st birthday. He'd already been written off by one of England's finest ever players, and moreover by much of the English media who viewed the young man from London as a luxury player who, frustratingly, would never fulfill his seemingly infinite potential. Three months on, he would (albeit surprisingly) be left out of Fabio Capello's 2010 World Cup roster, four years after traveling with the England squad to Germany for World Cup 2006.
Walcott was 21 years old, and already a forgotten man.
Fast forward to today and Theo Walcott is proving to be not only an essential element for the success of club side Arsenal, but is furthermore demonstrating his worth on a consistent basis for England. The key to his meteoric rise in the eyes of both the viewing public and his fellow professionals has been an ability to compliment his outrageous pace with real production; since the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, Walcott has amassed 42 goals and 30 assists in all competitions. This campaign alone, the mercurial winger has garnered 18 goals and 11 assists, both career highs. Such numbers compare favorably amongst any of Europe's elite in his position as an advanced winger over the past few years; Louis Nani's best campaign ever, for example, was 2010-11 when he managed 9 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League. For his contributions, Nani was viewed as perhaps the true winger on earth, and Walcott is set to best those numbers by quite some margin.
Ironically, the reason for his inability to be generate such universal praise as did Nani lies in his greatest strength, rather than a weakness. Walcott is quite possibly the fastest footballer in the world; such an authority on pace as Gareth Bale has admitted that during his time alongside Walcott at Southampton, even he was second quickest in the squad. However, Walcott's logic-defying speed often makes him appear out of control, and to be fair there are moments when he genuinely is. His raw athleticism often makes him an easy target for those with an inclination to criticize the Englishman's technical capabilities, yet few realize how difficult it must be simply to dribble when travelling at such speeds, let alone finish or cross the ball successfully. In that respect, his level of technique is drastically under-rated, as he routinely manages to ghost past defenders in full flight.
Granted, a younger Walcott often failed to utilize his speed in an optimal fashion. Too often did his lung-busting runs on the right flank end in spurned crosses, or wayward efforts at goal. But crediting such growing pains to his 'lack of a football brain' rather than the ups and downs of a burgeoning professional career is woefully dismissive. In the past three seasons, Walcott has learned to balance his moments of devastating speed with a thoughtfulness to slow down play when needed. One might point out the presence Santi Cazorla in the Arsenal side for helping to aide this progression, yet credit must be paid to Walcott himself for such a noticeable improvement in his overall game. Clearly, the man has spent ample time working on his crossing, particularly at pace, as well as his finishing in and around the box.
Furthermore, the fact that many members of the English press now view Walcott as a legitimate option as a center forward is a testament to his growing intelligence as a footballer, as well as his obvious physical attributes. He can no longer be deemed strictly a touchline-based player, something he has fought against for much of his career, and one must acknowledge that the ability to play multiple positions is a sign of maturity and understanding of the modern game.
Still, his true worth resides in his refined ability to rampage down opposition flanks. One need simply to look at last week's friendly between England and Brazil to see how far Walcott has come since his 2010 disappointments. Not only was his pace instrumental in opening up the left side of Brazil's defense, but furthermore his capacity and willingness to track back on defense help nullify the threat of Neymar on his side of the field. Complimenting these efforts was his noticeably improved understanding with Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere and Glen Johnson, who provided outlets when Walcott appeared primed to regress into the head-down, dead-end running that plagued his youthful days. Though Wilshere gained the most plaudits at Wembley on the day, it was Walcott's movement and indeed intelligence that created both of England's goals.
Theo will need to be instrumental in his national side if England are to have a successful World Cup campaign. Similarly, one could argue that his performances for Arsenal will dictate if they remain a top-four side in years to come.
At 23, Mr. Walcott now appears ready, and more importantly capable, of duly handling both of these weighty responsibilities.
Fast forward to today and Theo Walcott is proving to be not only an essential element for the success of club side Arsenal, but is furthermore demonstrating his worth on a consistent basis for England. The key to his meteoric rise in the eyes of both the viewing public and his fellow professionals has been an ability to compliment his outrageous pace with real production; since the beginning of the 2010-2011 season, Walcott has amassed 42 goals and 30 assists in all competitions. This campaign alone, the mercurial winger has garnered 18 goals and 11 assists, both career highs. Such numbers compare favorably amongst any of Europe's elite in his position as an advanced winger over the past few years; Louis Nani's best campaign ever, for example, was 2010-11 when he managed 9 goals and 14 assists in the Premier League. For his contributions, Nani was viewed as perhaps the true winger on earth, and Walcott is set to best those numbers by quite some margin.
Granted, a younger Walcott often failed to utilize his speed in an optimal fashion. Too often did his lung-busting runs on the right flank end in spurned crosses, or wayward efforts at goal. But crediting such growing pains to his 'lack of a football brain' rather than the ups and downs of a burgeoning professional career is woefully dismissive. In the past three seasons, Walcott has learned to balance his moments of devastating speed with a thoughtfulness to slow down play when needed. One might point out the presence Santi Cazorla in the Arsenal side for helping to aide this progression, yet credit must be paid to Walcott himself for such a noticeable improvement in his overall game. Clearly, the man has spent ample time working on his crossing, particularly at pace, as well as his finishing in and around the box.
Furthermore, the fact that many members of the English press now view Walcott as a legitimate option as a center forward is a testament to his growing intelligence as a footballer, as well as his obvious physical attributes. He can no longer be deemed strictly a touchline-based player, something he has fought against for much of his career, and one must acknowledge that the ability to play multiple positions is a sign of maturity and understanding of the modern game.
Still, his true worth resides in his refined ability to rampage down opposition flanks. One need simply to look at last week's friendly between England and Brazil to see how far Walcott has come since his 2010 disappointments. Not only was his pace instrumental in opening up the left side of Brazil's defense, but furthermore his capacity and willingness to track back on defense help nullify the threat of Neymar on his side of the field. Complimenting these efforts was his noticeably improved understanding with Wayne Rooney, Jack Wilshere and Glen Johnson, who provided outlets when Walcott appeared primed to regress into the head-down, dead-end running that plagued his youthful days. Though Wilshere gained the most plaudits at Wembley on the day, it was Walcott's movement and indeed intelligence that created both of England's goals.
Theo will need to be instrumental in his national side if England are to have a successful World Cup campaign. Similarly, one could argue that his performances for Arsenal will dictate if they remain a top-four side in years to come.
At 23, Mr. Walcott now appears ready, and more importantly capable, of duly handling both of these weighty responsibilities.
No comments:
Post a Comment