The bad ball often worked wonders when I used to play cricket. Every now and again I’d throw a loose one down the track and you’d be surprised how many times it came good. Theo Walcott reminded me of the ‘bad ball’ during the Celtic game over the weekend by assisting two goals. If you watch Theo enough you’ll understand the first was a shot that happened to find Carlos Vela at the back post. Then, having untangled his legs he managed to scuff a pass into Samir Nasri’s path for the third. If Walcott was playing cricket, everything else he did would have been a wide ball.
It was as if the sheriff was out of town and Walcott had been given the keys to the county jail, with the job of guarding the most notorious prisoner around. He had one shotgun but was nervous to use it; such was the clumsy marksmanship of his general crossing and assisting against Celtic. Gradually, Walcott will be expected to take on more of the deputy duties around the Emirates stadium as he becomes a senior in a young side. At the moment though, Walcott has his gun permanently aimed at his prisoner instead of standing boldly on the porch, showing front, ready to take on any bandits outside.
There is still a restraint within Walcott. Sure, he can run, and off the ball he is doing it more effectively by getting inside his full-back. But still the same problems occur when it comes to lifting his head and making a purposeful final pass, rather than his typical hit and hope routine. This further reminded me of my cricketing days as a batsman. My portly Indian team-mates would indulge in Durga Sweets and always take one too many samosas from Carol’s tea. I was the fastest scurrying between the wickets then, but lacked any confidence playing shots with the bat. Walcott’s technique suffers the same self-assurance. How productive will his speed alone prove, when Arsenal require four’s and sixes?
Maybe the bad ball will work for Theo if he keeps getting into the right positions regular enough. Perhaps just getting into dangerous areas to use his trickiness and quick feet will upset defences sufficiently. Persistence might be the key to Walcott being an important player for the team this season. Still, it’s disappointing that in an impressive pre-season screening where the squad looks to have taken on a collective evolution, Walcott is trapped in the inconsistent past. A polystyrene plate heaped with samosas, Battenberg cake, cocktail sausages and Frazzles might be the change Walcott needs.
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