Arsenal’s NEW Thierry Henry will cause PROBLEMS for Arsene Wenger in the form of a serious selection headache

Walcott has been out of action since the start of the year

Theo Walcott is almost ready to return, and I, for one, can’t wait for it. Despite not being very impressed by Theo Walcott in his early days, this guy has made some tremendous improvements over the years and is now one of my favourite players.

He stayed quiet when many were labeling him as brainless footballer; he worked hard on his movement off the ball, his crossing and his finishing, becoming the best finisher at the club, in my opinion.

There were days when I didn’t feel comfortable at all seeing Theo Walcott going one on one with a goalkeeper, now I don’t even bother waiting for the outcome of his finish when he’s clear through on goal – I simply know he’s going to hit the back of the net with brio.

Also, I love the way he stretches the pitch as wide as possible before shifting inside between the full-back and the centre-back – none of our other strikers or wingers can do that so well.

Of course he still has a lot to do because he’s virtually unable to take on opponents if he’s not at full speed already, however his improvements should be lauded greatly.

Last season showed us the huge difference between the Arsenal with Theo Walcott and the Arsenal without Theo Walcott; I still remember how hard we were all crying for a fast, direct forward while Theo Walcott was out injured.

All of a sudden, our attacking line looked static, predictable and ineffective without his blistering pace and his runs – with Olivier Giroud unable to pick a teammate with his flicks and Aaron Ramsey short of passing options.

Walcott and Sanchez could be a devastating pair to have on the wings

Here’s why I can’t wait to have him back in the team.

My only concern is where and how Arsène Wenger in planning to play him.

He has options, though: Theo Walcott could play as main striker, second striker, right winger or left winger – hence Arsène Wenger has a plethora of choices and should ensure the Englishman’s main skills will be well highlighted.

Personally, I would love to see Theo Walcott complete his route and eventually become the closest to Thierry Henry’s long-awaited replacement we could imagine.

He has all the qualities to do what Tití was doing on regular basis: scare defenders with his pace from the left wing, score goals and stretch defensive lines with his movement off the ball, allowing teammates to pop into the box untracked.

In my wildest dreams, Arsène Wenger is playing Danny Welbeck up front, Mesut Özil in the hole, Alexis Sanchez on the right and Theo Walcott on the left.

It’s still allowed to dream, isn’t it?

Andrea Rosati

@ClockEndItalia

Andrea Rosati

Italian living in Switzerland, Gooner since mid-nineties, when the Gunners defeated my hometown team, in Copenhagen. I started my own blog and podcast (www.clockenditalia.com) after after some experiences with Italian websites and football magazines. Covering Arsenal Women with the occasional rant about the boys.