Born and bred in the fine academy of Southampton, known for producing some of the world’s spectacular players, both speed demons, Walcott and Chamberlain, were brought into the club as promising teenagers with hefty price tags. The Englishmen promised with their talents and to many, were the stars for years to come. However, only one has been on the path of his upward trajectory, and the other, on the path of aberration.
Theo Walcott was brought into the club in 2006, and at a tender age of 16, became the youngest player to score a hattrick in the World Cup. Under the wings of Wenger, he developed into being Arsenal’s main offensive outlet with his raw breakneck speed that tormented any left-back in the world.
What was apparent though, was his technical ineptitude and decision making (so often the case of fast players when they realise they’re way ahead of play) which was often masked by his efficient finishing infront of goal.
Walcott was especially priceless both to the team and Arsene Wenger, for he was one of a kind, the player that the squad heavy-loaded with a plethora of creative attacking midfielders needed. His pace and finishing, stood out for him as a player and it seemed that the right-wing position was destined to be his for years to come, until of course, the desire of playing as a striker and the inclusion of better players in the team, hampered his development.
His best year came in the 2012/2013 season, the year which Wenger had to rebuild the whole structure and tactics of the team to accomodate the departure of Van Persie. Walcott was the gem of the team, the only one that provided sheer raw pace to get behind teams. Goals flooded in as he improved his decision making. This gave him an upper hand in negotiations to play centrally, and in his contract.
Wenger was strapped with both hands to his back. Walcott was a player he couldn’t risk losing. He was the only player with his own specific set of skills. He began pacifying Walcott into signing a new contract by playing Walcott centrally at times, and Walcott excelled in it, in a very destabilised Arsenal team at the time, whose tactics and structure were still fairly ambiguous. This also made Walcott gain talking rights in being Arsenal’s highest earner.
Last season, the signing of Ozil and the prospect of the German linking up with Walcott left many salivating. Theo did relatively well, improved his decision making, but could no longer mask his technical deficiency. An anterior cruciate ligament injury hampered his growth as a player, and things have changed since then.
In between those things, Chamberlain signed for Arsenal in 2012. Brought in as an understudy and disciple of Walcott, the Ox has grown admirably, with a potent mixture of strength, pace, and great technical abilities, it was clear that he would eventually nurture into Wenger’s vision of him as a midfielder, and surpass his mentor Walcott.
He too, has suffered many injuries, but he buckled down with determination this season, and for me has been thoroughly brilliant. For most part of the first half of the season, although Alexis was the outstanding sublime player, the Ox grew massively in his game, being intelligent in contributing to play, and driving at the defence with menace, pace and strength. It looked like Alexis galvanised him, as he admitted, and he was looking more of a bright spark. He was humble and always willing to learn, which probably wasn’t something the egoistic Walcott would consider. What set him apart from Walcott, was his more in-depth contribution to the team, both offensively and defensively, with his willingness to track back and drive forward.
Walcott, more often that not this season, has just been a mere outsider in the game, and his contribution is peripheral, which is something that will hamper the team’s ability. If anything, he has taken the role of Podolski. To make matters worse for Walcott, he no longer is that special player in the side anymore. There are far better players than him with his set of skills, and more. Players like Alexis, with world-class dribbling skills, pace and drive, contributes to the team with huge buckets of goals and assists, and is ever enthusiastic in closing an opponent down. Welbeck, with athleticism and pace, offers something different to the team, with his physical build also allowing him to play centrally, and he too, doesn’t shun away from defensive duties.
