Theo Walcott is about to mark his first anniversary as an Everton player but his lack of goals is worrying Evertonians. The Street End takes a look at the former Arsenal man’s form and asks is Walcott the player that Everton thought he was.
Goals Galore No More
Sam Allardyce cited goals as the primary reason for signing Theo Walcott last January. At that time, Everton were goal shy. Wayne Rooney was the clubs’ top scorer but he had scored the last of his 10 goals that season before Christmas. Goals were hard to come by and the defence was shaky. Allardyce brought in Theo Walcott and Cenk Tosun to provide the goals which would secure Everton’s future. He had a history of scoring goals at Arsenal and the pace to cause defences problems. The transfer seemed like a no-brainer. Or was it?
In truth, Walcott’s performances have been patchy, which is illustrated in his goals record. Walcott averages just over a goal every 4 Premier League goals in his career. Since joining Everton, however, he has scored 6 goals in 31 league starts, which averages a goal every 5 games. His recent goal against Tottenham was his first league goal since August, in the 2-2 draw with Bournemouth. The lack of goals is a clear sign that all is not right with the former England winger. The look of relief when he scored showed a player whose confidence is low.
Partnership
Another attractive aspect of the Walcott signing was the possibility of him forming a partnership with Seamus Coleman. Seamus Coleman was one of the top right backs in Europe before his unfortunate injury. The Irishman’s relentless energy and will to win made him a firm favourite with the Goodison fans and a feared opponent in the Premier League. The idea of Walcott and Coleman linking up on the right hand side promised goals and assists galore. Unfortunately, it has not turned out that way.
Between them, they have contributed 4 goals and 2 assists, a poor tally. At times, Walcott and Coleman have looked like they don’t know each other. If Everton are to get something from this season, they need both players at top form. There is a danger, however, that both players have peaked. Walcott scored 14 league goals with 10 assists in his best season. That was over 5 years ago. Coleman scored 6 the following season, his best total. At 29 and 30 respectively, it is unlikely that Walcott and Coleman will better these seasons.
In contrast to Coleman and Walcott, Steven Pienaar and Leighton Baines were the perfect partnership. Their telepathic understanding was the main creative force for Everton for a number of years. They built that partnership on the training pitch and worked together to create something special. The Walcott/Coleman partnership has been much less successful. Coleman was dropped against Leicester. Walcott played. So why is Marco Silva persisting with a player whose form has been so poor?
Pace
The simple answer is pace. Walcott has this in abundance and this still makes him dangerous. The former England international has always been a dangerous prospect because of his ability to get behind defences. This is a valuable weapon, especially away from home. According to www.premierleague.com, Theo Walcott has missed 7 big chances this season. This statistic suggests a loss of confidence for the former England winger. It also suggests that Walcott may start taking these chances sooner rather than later. His pace on the break is a major part of the way Everton play. Marco Silva is gambling that the former England forward will find his confidence in front of goal again. There is no doubt that Walcott is a dangerous player, even when he is off form. Everton don’t have another player like him.
Lack of Options
Another reason why Marco Silva has not dropped Walcott is the lack of like for like options that he has at his disposal. Richarlison is better cutting in from the left. Bernard is more of a link man with clever movement and a through ball. Ademola Lookman likes to take people on and shoot or cross. None of them have the direct pace and finishing of an on fire Theo Walcott.
The absence of a pacey striker has also contributed to Walcott’s playing time. It has is also a reason for his loss of form. A natural striker with pace or a forward who could hold the ball up would make a massive difference to Walcott. Once more, Marco Silva is suffering from the failures of the Walsh/Koeman debacle. The lack of balance in the squad will take time to work out. Everton have been linked with the Barcelona forward Malcolm in recent days casting doubt on Walcott’s future. Marcel Brands must figure out the future. Marco Silva must deal with the present. That means getting the best out of Theo Walcott and bringing goals back to Everton’s right hand side. Theo Walcott still has the attributes to be a very good player for Marco Silva. Evertonians hope to see the real Theo Walcott in the coming months.
Can Theo Walcott regain his form and become the goalscoring threat that Everton need? Is it time for Marco Silva to leave out the former England forward? Let us know in the comments section below.