Arsenal Need More Than Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski to Boost Their Attack

Theo Walcott and Lukas Podolski could both soon be ready to start for Arsenal. However, even their presence may not be enough to provide Olivier Giroud with the support he needs.

Against Southampton on Saturday, Arsenal welcomed Walcott back into the fold. On Tuesday, he could be set for his first match in more than six weeks against Marseille.

It’s certainly a huge boost to Arsenal’s attacking threat. Without Walcott, Arsenal haven’t had a player with the pace to run in behind the back four. Instead, they’ve had to rely on their intricate passing and intelligent movement to try to break down entrenched defences. Walcott’s presence allows Arsenal to be less subtle and more speedy.

Arsene Wenger is understandably excited about the return of a player who scored 21 goals in 2012/13. He told the Metro:

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Theo gives us qualities that other players haven’t got. It’s a different option. Theo also gives us an opportunity to have a mobile striker.

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Walcott will soon be joined in Arsenal’s matchday squad by Podolski, who is stepping up his efforts in training as he seeks to come back from a serious thigh problem.

Thus far in 2013/14, Olivier Giroud has carried Arsenal’s striking burden alone. However, Wenger is hopeful that Walcott and Podolski will take some of the strain—so much so that he is considering abandoning any plans to sign a forward in January. Wenger has said:

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I think we can win the title without signing a striker. Podolski is not back but he shouldn’t be too far now. They make it less critical to sign a striker.

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By contrast, Wenger definitely wanted a striker in the summer. He pursued Gonzalo Higuain and Luis Suarez at length, and even failed in a deadline-day bid to sign Demba Ba on loan.

However, he appears to have revised that strategy.

It seems Wenger is put off by the difficulty of finding value in midseason:

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It is always difficult in the middle of the season. If somebody is doing well somewhere the clubs do not necessarily want to sell him. They can wait until the end of the season. Most of the time it is because we didn’t find.

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Wenger is not even planning a temporary move for Thierry Henry—the Arsenal manager revealed to Arsenal.com that the veteran is merely training with the club.

However, Wenger’s confidence in Podolski and Walcott is misplaced. Both are excellent players but are better-suited to playing on the wing. They were handed opportunities in a central role on several occasions last season and failed to convince as pure No. 9s.

Walcott might offer the option of fielding “a mobile striker,” but he does not solve the persistent problem of directly replacing Olivier Giroud. Arsenal need someone who can come into the side and do the job that Giroud has made fundamental to the Gunners’ style of play.

Wenger has bought established attacking talent in January before. One immediately recalls Jose Antonio Reyes, Emmanuel Adebayor and Andrey Arshavin. If Arsenal are to sustain their title challenge, he needs to do so again.

For all his talk, Wenger must know that bringing in an out-and-out centre-forward during the transfer window is essential.