Why Wenger Needs Walcott, And Why England Fans Need Wenger

Arsene Wenger has chosen his words very very carefully when discussing Theo Walcott this week. When asked about the 19 year old’s hat-trick for England he even used the old “I didn’t see it” excuse. You’ve got to love the classics.

So far Wenger has told the press that Theo’s trio was a one-off – “What happened you have to consider to be an exception” – and that the youngster might not start against Blackburn – “I will have to rotate the squad because you cannot expect players who have played for their national team to play three times in a week.”

It may seem like the Arsenal boss is a little over-protective of young Theo. Definitely he could have played the youngster a few more times over the last couple of seasons. And no doubt England (and Arsenal) fans will be disappointed not to see Wednesday’s hero in action this weekend.

But it’s not just England fans who need Theo Walcott to succeed, and it’s not necessarily a good idea for him to suddenly start playing every week. Wenger has a lot riding on Walcott’s future too. Given the oft noted lack of English talent at the Emirates, Theo is extra important to Wenger in terms of how the English public perceives Arsenal.

And while his usual m.o. is to bring in young players and develop them, he doesn’t usually pay up to £12m for a 16 year old. Arsenal aren’t Chelsea Manchester City, so that sort of investment will be looked after.

Walcott’s going to get treated a lot better than Matthew Upson or David Bentley or, shudder, Justin Hoyte. So if he doesn’t start against Blackburn tomorrow, then no one needs to panic. Just trust that it’s for his own good. England fans might have to adapt one of the Arsenal faithful’s mantras and start believing it – “Arsene knows”.

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Category: English Premier League

Tags: Arsenal, Arsene Wenger, English Premier League, Theo Walcott

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