Why Theo Walcott Is the Arsenal Player Most in Need of the International Break

This international break is, in many respects, an untimely one. The season is approaching its climax, and the international sojourn represents an unwanted interruption to momentum.

Arsenal might feel particularly irritated having recorded a good 2-0 win at Everton prior to the break. They may now feel they have to go back to the drawing board when the Premier League restarts on April 2.

One man who didn’t feature at all against Everton is Theo Walcott. In fact, since he started the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United at Old Trafford, he has started just one of Arsenal’s subsequent six matches.

Walcott was poor against United, and he appears to be paying the price for that display. However, in truth, his malaise extends to well before that particular game. The second half of his season has been largely diabolical.

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Since Walcott scored in the 2-1 win over Manchester City on December 21, he has made 18 appearances for the Gunners. He has found the net in just two of those matches—and one was against Championship side Hull. What’s more, prior to the City game, he had endured a goalless streak of six games. His threat has almost entirely dissipated.

His best attributes are obvious. Walcott is blessed with breathtaking speed and seemed, before this season at any rate, to have become a relatively reliable finisher.

However, there are still big flaws in his game. His touch can be erratic, and he has a nasty habit of disappearing from games when the going gets tough. Walcott is reliant on service—if things don’t go his way, he can become isolated. At times, having Walcott on the pitch has felt like fielding 10 men.

Arsene Wenger’s patience finally appears to be wearing thin. Walcott’s demotion feels significant this time—the fact that a 19-year-old, Alex Iwobi, is starting in his stead is indicative of the scale of his fall from grace. With others such as Joel Campbell and Danny Welbeck also seizing the chance to impress, Walcott faces a real battle to reclaim his first-team place before the end of the season.

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Walcott will be grateful for the international break because it affords him a change of scene and an opportunity to assess his game away from the scrutiny of the increasingly frustrated Arsenal fans. Roy Hodgson remains an admirer, and one of Walcott’s few recent strikes came against Estonia on international duty back in October.

That’s not to suggest he can afford to relax with England. His place in the squad for Euro 2016 is coming under increasing threat.

The surprise emergence of Jamie Vardy gives Hodgson another speedy option up top, while Welbeck’s return presents Walcott with another problem. Like Walcott, Welbeck is able to play both on the flanks and through the middle. However, he appears to be in far better form than the former Southampton man.

Walcott must use this time to analyse how he can improve his game and remind Wenger of his importance to Arsenal. If he doesn’t, he could find his place under threat for both club and country come the summer.

James McNicholas is Bleacher Report's lead Arsenal correspondent and is following the club from a London base throughout 2015/16. Follow him on Twitter here.