Tweet
<SPAN class=heading>WALCOTT WAITING IN THE WINGS</SPAN>
<SPAN class=italic>By Simon Stone, PA Sport</SPAN><SPAN id=intelliTXT>
When Sven-Goran Eriksson announced his 23-man World Cup squad, most pundits declared: "Theo who?''.
And when England's sorry campaign reached its tepid conclusion they observed: "Theo, why?''
Having selected Theo Walcott on the recommendation of Arsene Wenger without actually having seen him play in the flesh, Eriksson proceeded to completely ignore the teenager once he got to Germany.
The consensus was Eriksson had made a disastrous mistake, not the first, but probably the last of his stint in the England hot seat.
But, while he continues to be used sparingly by Wenger, the world is starting to wake up to the talent everyone at Southampton knew Walcott possessed long before his high-profile switch to north London.
Quick, brave, blessed with two good feet and exceptional balance, Walcott has already established himself on the fringes of Arsenal's first team. If the Gunners' travails continue, expect him to be involved much more.
Wenger has pledged to let Walcott further his footballing education on the wing rather than let him loose in the more orthodox forward role he prefers.
The idea, according to the Gunners chief, is to hone Walcott's dribbling skills, get him to learn how to respect possession and beat men one-to-one, all the while maturing physically and mentally.
It is the same route Thierry Henry took to superstardom and if anyone can help him successfully navigate the journey it is Wenger.
The French coach is a master at developing young players, commands respect from his players in the same manner as Sir Alex Ferguson, and is committed to playing football in the 'proper' manner.
Never afraid to give youth its head, don't be surprised if Wenger regularly lets Walcott loose on the Premiership in 2007, with spectacular results.</SPAN>
<SPAN class=italic>By Simon Stone, PA Sport</SPAN><SPAN id=intelliTXT>
When Sven-Goran Eriksson announced his 23-man World Cup squad, most pundits declared: "Theo who?''.
And when England's sorry campaign reached its tepid conclusion they observed: "Theo, why?''
Having selected Theo Walcott on the recommendation of Arsene Wenger without actually having seen him play in the flesh, Eriksson proceeded to completely ignore the teenager once he got to Germany.
The consensus was Eriksson had made a disastrous mistake, not the first, but probably the last of his stint in the England hot seat.
But, while he continues to be used sparingly by Wenger, the world is starting to wake up to the talent everyone at Southampton knew Walcott possessed long before his high-profile switch to north London.
Quick, brave, blessed with two good feet and exceptional balance, Walcott has already established himself on the fringes of Arsenal's first team. If the Gunners' travails continue, expect him to be involved much more.
Wenger has pledged to let Walcott further his footballing education on the wing rather than let him loose in the more orthodox forward role he prefers.
The idea, according to the Gunners chief, is to hone Walcott's dribbling skills, get him to learn how to respect possession and beat men one-to-one, all the while maturing physically and mentally.
It is the same route Thierry Henry took to superstardom and if anyone can help him successfully navigate the journey it is Wenger.
The French coach is a master at developing young players, commands respect from his players in the same manner as Sir Alex Ferguson, and is committed to playing football in the 'proper' manner.
Never afraid to give youth its head, don't be surprised if Wenger regularly lets Walcott loose on the Premiership in 2007, with spectacular results.</SPAN>
Comment