Arsenal: When Will Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain Supplant Theo Walcott on the Wing?

There is palpable excitement in Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger's voice when he speaks about his tandem of young wingers—18-year-old Ryo Miyaichi and 17-year-old Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

I'm just kidding. I've never actually witnessed the man speak in person. I have read thousands of his press conference transcripts and sat through endless video streams, however, if that counts for anything.

No? OK, well, figured I'd ask.

Back to the story. Wenger has pegged these two wingers as integral components in the future of Arsenal football. It fits, too. Width is one of the most important aspects of any successful team.

While Barcelona are a bit of an anomaly, seeing as how each of their midfielders and forwards appear to work best from a more central point, their wing backs have long stymied opponents with their propensity to get forward and wreak havoc on the flanks.

Manchester United, top of the Premier League table, currently boast two of the most in-form wingers in the world in Ashley Young and Nani, both of whom have been vital in the Red Devils' unbeaten run to start the season.

Arsenal's senior squad has a number of players who can play the wing position—Gervinho and Theo Walcott are the most naturally inclined and Andrei Arshavin has always played on the left flank with the Gunners. 

The Russian also has a more natural inclination to play more centrally—an opportunity he leaped at during the Swansea match two weekends ago—and is deployed in when on duty with Russia.

Gervinho, only 24, is just entering his prime and looks certain to become an entrenched member of the club after Wenger's summer investment and consistent usage thus far. The coach's faith has certainly been justified by the Ivorian's good form in 2011-12.

That leaves the other wing position in Wenger's 4-3-3 as the major question mark.

Walcott's stake in that position is in no way solidified. Still only 22, the English international has largely failed to build upon the considerable talent at his disposal that once had him tipped as a premier European star.

A few more injury plagued seasons short on final product and the man who inherited Thierry Henry's No. 14 could find himself staring at either Oxlade-Chamberlain or Miyaichi from the sidelines.

There is another solution to this potential problem, however.

Walcott has announced his desire to play in a more central striking role, much in the way that Henry once did (isn't the career symmetry just fascinating in its symbolism?) with the Gunners upon arrival in North London from Turin, Italy in 1999.

At the time of the transfer, Henry was also a young international who'd seen his career stagnate out on the wing at Juventus.

Once he was moved to a more central attacking role, it's well known what he did for the club. Which was a lot.

Walcott may well be forced into that role if Wenger wishes to keep him as a contributing member of the side.

It is no knock against the player, but both Miyaichi and Oxlade-Chamberlain look much more well-rounded at this stage in their careers and appear better suited at the wing positions than their club counterparts.

Both have higher technical acumen, tighter control and while they lack the overall pace of Walcott (there are few who can match him in that realm), speed doesn't always equal success—as Walcott has found far too often.

Wenger's use of a 4-4-2 formation in Tuesday's Carling Cup match against Shrewsbury Town could be of far greater importance than first imagined.

Le Boss explained his decision to shift from his customary 4-3-3 in that match in order to best showcase central forwards Park Chu-Young and Marouane Chamakh.

The next question everyone asks is: why didn't he ever do that when Nicklas Bendtner was with the club?

Looking "forward," why not give Theo Walcott a shout at one of those central striker positions during a league cup match?

With this season looking more and more like a transition period (see: long-term injuries to Jack Wilshere and Thomas Vermaelen), it might behoove Wenger to cast an eye toward the future—one in which the former Southampton man (Walcott) might be a revelation as a striker.

If he can live up to even a glimmer of what the languid, pacy Henry once did on a match-ly basis at Highbury, Gunners fans will have considerable reason to delight.