Thierry Henry has claimed that Theo Walcott’s 10 years at Arsenal should have been more fruitful, and insists his playing position is still unclear.
The 27 year-old joined from Southampton back in 2006, but has started less than 150 league matches in a decade, and still has a number of questions to answer.
Theo has regularly been used out wide, or more recently in a centre-forward role, and despite starting the season in top goalscoring form, has ended the year under intense scrutiny.
The speedster was awarded Arsenal’s Player of the Month award for September, having scored four goals within the month, rivalling Olivier Giroud for a central role. An injury seemed at the end of October seemingly ended such form, and he has struggled since his return.
The scrutiny is now set to continue throughout the summer, or until an exit is confirmed, and Thierry Henry has opened up about his thought on Walcott.
“He has struggled,” said Henry.
“His 10 years at Arsenal have been a weird one. Apart from one season where he played more than 30 games, he wasn’t really a starter. If Welbeck is out and Oxlade-Chamberlain is out, we all know how important pace is in the way [England manager Roy] Hodgson wants to play.
“If you go, you have to have performed.
“I always have a mixed reaction, Theo Walcott has been in the game for 10 years, you should know about him. You always have something to prove, he should know what he can offer to a team.
“By now he should know what his position is, but it is not clear.”
West Ham have been most strongly linked with his signature, but following Welbeck’s injury, his exit appears much less likely.
Do you think Theo’s main problem at Arsenal is his failure to affirm himself in a position? Are his injuries simply too regular to hold down a regular place in the team?