• Fabregas ruled out of Shakhtar clash
Walcott has enjoyed a blistering start to the new season, netting six goals in seven games to prove he has added an end product to the explosive pace that has long been his best asset.
And Wenger believes that Walcott has demonstrated the sort of potential that he saw in Thierry Henry, who transformed from a talented young winger to one of the world's most feared strikers under the French manager's tutelage.
"He is very, very close to playing that striker role," Wenger said. "He is more of a natural striker [than winger] as he likes to put the ball into the net himself. Theo is 21, give two more years to Theo and imagine what he will be.
"And don't forget that when Thierry came here, he was a winger. When I first played him as a central striker, he said to me, 'I can't score goals'. In England, you are very impatient. Theo can be a prolific goalscorer as once he is a yard in front of the defender nobody can catch him.
"Before he rushed his decision but now he is different. It looks to me that Theo has a calmness in front of goal. Is Thierry a replica of Theo? Is Theo a replica of Thierry? No. But they have in common tremendous pace, they are good finishers and both are intelligent.
"Theo is the quickest player I've ever seen whereas Thierry is a player who likes the ball more. To go through what Theo has gone through, live it, as he has lived it, is incredible. No matter whether he has gone through - good or bad times - he shows commitment, intelligence, respect and humility."
Wenger's glowing commendation of Walcott is sure to lift the confidence of a player whose progress has often been hampered in recent years by injuries. The former Southampton man has thus far been guilty of inconsistency, though at just 21 he certainly has time on his side.
Henry was the same age when he joined the Gunners from Juventus in 1999, and while his impact was immediate in terms of his goal contribution, it was not until Arsenal's title-winning campaign of 2001-02 that the plaudits really started to roll in.
But while Henry had Dennis Bergkamp as a strike partner in a 4-4-2 formation, it is difficult to see how a central Walcott would fit into the 4-2-3-1 currently favoured by Wenger, in which Marouane Chamakh - or a fit Robin Van Persie - provides a physical presence as the lone striker.
Wenger suggested instead that Walcott would most likely switch to a central role to boost his side's counter-attacking options when they were ahead in a game, with a taller starting striker preferred. He said: "When I play with one up front you like a guy good in the air."
No comments:
Post a Comment