Walcott starting to prove he's not a lost cause at Arsenal

Towards the end of last season, the thought grew that Theo Walcott might be best served leaving Arsenal. He was 27 and one year into a four-year deal but there was a sense he had lost his way. This season, he has started every league game so far and his goal in the 3-0 demolition of Chelsea was his third of the season. The transformation has been remarkable.

Arsene Wenger used to be regarded as a master of youth development. It was something he believed in and did well. His willingness to give youth its chance was what gave the early rounds of the League Cup some point, the opportunity to see another generation of lightning-fast kids rip apart a Championship side with devastating football. But more recently, doubts have been raised.

It’s not just Walcott. It’s Kieran Gibbs, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Jack Wilshere, perhaps if you were being very harsh, even Aaron Ramsey. They emerge (or are signed), they show promise and then like Peter Pan’s Lost Boys, they get stuck, existing in a world of pure potential, everybody just waiting for them to finally make that one final step, treating them like promising teenagers even as they move into their late twenties.

Alex Ferguson, whose record in youth development is as good as anybody’s, tells the story of how he got to Manchester United in 1986 and kept hearing about the “potential” of Peter Barnes, only to find he was 29. Barnes ended up being drummed out of the club following a poor display at Wimbledon when Ferguson was so furious with his performance that Barnes ended up hiding in a cold bath to avoid him. From then on, Ferguson said, he decided never again to be swayed by potential.

Walcott seemed the classic potential player. It’s ten years since he joined Arsenal from Southampton and he still hasn’t quite delivered. It’s early days this season, of course, but it feels as though something has clicked. Wenger saw a change in him after he was left out of England’s squad for the Euros.

“I said many times at the start of the season that we would see a different Theo Walcott,” he said. “I could see he made a decision and sticks to it. I spoke to him about the disappointment of not going with England. He is a special case. He went at 16 to the World Cup. We are now at 2016 and he hasn't been to another World Cup. He has matured, when a player survives this type of disappointment from what was promised for him at 16, the way he dealt with the situation, I always felt there was something special in this guy.

“I think he used to be 90 per cent forward and 10 per cent defending. Today he is 50-50. He does the job both ways and he does it both ways with commitment. And I always felt there is character and intelligence in this boy. He is a guy with a good assessment of his performances and qualities.”

As well as three goals this season. Walcott has registered an assist. He’s completing 80.8% of his passes, winning 0.7 aerial duels and making 0.8 interceptions per game. Perhaps most strikingly, he’s making 2 tackles per game, four times more than he’s ever previously averaged over a full Premier League season. A total of 12 tackles is one more than he mustered over 42 appearances across the previous two league campaigns.

This is a new more committed Walcott, one prepared to operate on the flank rather than seeking a switch into the middle. He’s worked with the personal trainer Bradley Simmonds through the summer, improving his fitness and core strength. He’s stronger and tougher than he’s ever been before, and it shows. The biggest change, though, seems to have been one of attitude.

Whatever the reason, it’s working for now. Walcott may not be one of the lost boys after all.

Will Walcott continue his fine start to the season and prove he can still be an important player for Arsenal? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below