Imagining a Liverpool Attack with Theo Walcott in It
Brendan Rodgers' Liverpool attack needs a revamp this summer, so how would it look with Arsenal forward Theo Walcott in it?
Walcott has long been linked with a move to Anfield, and was most recently rumoured to be involved in a swap deal to take Liverpool's wantaway winger Raheem Sterling to north London. The deal would involve Walcott and left-back Kieran Gibbs going the other way, according to a report by Miguel Delaney on ESPNFC.
Walcott's current Gunners contract expires in 2016, and he revealed himself as a Liverpool supporter in 2006, as reported by the Merseyside club's official website.
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Therefore, a move this summer isn't entirely out of the question.
So what would Liverpool's attack look like with Walcott in it?
Theo Walcott
Bizarrely for a 26-year-old, Walcott still represents something of an unknown quantity in the Premier League, as he has missed the majority of the past two seasons through injury—as he reaches what are traditionally deemed an outfield player's peak years, it is still unclear exactly where Walcott most excels.
Predominantly for Arsenal, Walcott has been utilised as an impact wide player in recent years.
He is one of the fastest players in world football according to a FIFA study, featured in Spanish publication Mundo Deportivo (h/t TalkSport), which ranks him at fifth. Although team-mate Hector Bellerin is not featured on the list, and Daniel Prescott of the Mail reported him as being faster than Walcott back in April, so the credibility of such a claim is questionable.
Nevertheless, as witnessed in the Premier League, Walcott is a fearsome attacking player due to his pace.
More recently, Walcott has paired this with a refined finishing ability. Over the past three seasons he has scored 24 goals in 59 league games, at a rate of just 149 minutes per goal; in that same time-frame, Liverpool's Daniel Sturridge—a more accomplished striker—has scored a goal every 136 minutes.
Aiding this, Walcott is remarkably accurate in his passing for a forward, with averages of 83.1 percent, 81.4 percent and 87.4 percent in 2012/13, 2013/14 and 2014/15 respectively.
This is a testament to his quality in tight spaces around the penalty area.
As seen with his hat-trick performance in Arsenal's 4-1 win over West Bromwich Albion in the league in May, this allows him to get into dangerous goalscoring positions.
He completed 100 percent of his 15 passes at the Emirates Stadium in that game, using swift one-touch moves to kick off devastating attacks.
When fit, he is a proficient forward option.
These qualities, though disappointingly sparse in their occurrence due to these injuries, have ensured Arsenal are keen to extend his contract this summer, according to Darren Lewis in the Mirror.
However, as Lewis writes: "The 26-year-old England forward is keen to find a balance between playing out wide and up front."
A regular in wide areas under Wenger, Walcott has long made it clear that he sees himself as an effective centre-forward—with this performance as a striker against West Brom the perfect evidence as to why.
With that in mind, how will Liverpool's attacking line look like next season sans Walcott?
Liverpool's Current Forward Options
As ever on Merseyside, there is a major reshuffle expected within Rodgers' first-team squad, and this could see his forward options change significantly this summer, with Sturridge the only survivor.
Rickie Lambert, Mario Balotelli and Fabio Borini can all expect to leave the club this summer, according to James Pearce of the Liverpool Echo, with the latter being linked this week with a move to Serie A side Lazio, as reported by Simon Jones of MailOnline.
Pearce expects Rodgers to add Burnley striker Danny Ings to his attacking options on the expiry of his contract with current club Burnley, while young forward Divock Origi will complete his move to Anfield after a season on loan with Lille.
Furthermore, interest in Aston Villa striker Christian Benteke could well see him join Origi and Simon Mignolet among the Belgian contingent in Rodgers' squad.
This would leave Rodgers with four strikers, however ill-fitting they may be in terms of style.
Elsewhere in the forward line, however, there may be one player set to depart who can significantly deplete Liverpool's options ahead of next season in the form of Sterling.
Having showcased his ability to play all across the front line—including centre-forward—in 2014/15, Sterling's versatility and blossoming quality as a 20-year-old will make his potential departure, for example with the rumoured swap deal involving Walcott, a big blow for Liverpool's hopes next season.
This would leave Lazar Markovic, Jordon Ibe, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho as Liverpool's only attacking-midfield options in a system that regularly utilises three.
But would this swap deal actually be a sensible move for Rodgers?
Potential 2015/16 Lineup?
Walcott's potential arrival on Merseyside could placate the loss of Sterling significantly, with their qualities relatively similar in terms of explosive pace, fearless direct running and adequate finishing ability.
In theory, he could adopt Sterling's position in Rodgers' squad, playing a varied attack role.
However, one of Sterling's main reported concerns surrounding his unrest at the club, as relayed by Pearce for the Echo in April, is that he is regularly played out of position or, in his words, "sacrificed to play in a more defensive position" when he "trains every day to play up front."
This is similar to the position Walcott finds himself in at Arsenal, although the extent of Sterling being spread thin at Liverpool may be greater.
Sterling played 11 of his 40 starting appearances in 2014/15 as a centre-forward, representing 28 percent of his overall starts, with a blend of wide attacking roles and more specialist defensive roles such as wing-back accounting for the other 72 percent.
Would Walcott consider this a "balance"?
If the 26-year-old fails to settle on terms with Arsenal this summer, and he isn't assured of a regular striker's role at the Emirates Stadium next season, perhaps he would be happier with his likely role at Liverpool.
His pace and dynamism would arguably be more suited to Rodgers' fast-moving attacking game than Benteke's style of play, for example.
If Walcott were to move to Liverpool this summer, he would be assured of a regular role in a fluid forward line, and his qualities would be well suited to the demands that Rodgers places on his attackers.
If he were to remain fit, Walcott would likely be a success at Liverpool.
Statistics via WhoScored.com.
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