The world of football is intrinsically linked with the antics that occur in a school playground on a daily basis. In amongst the constant barrage of screaming and shouting, there’s arrogance, ignorance, people falling to the floor every 13 seconds and individuals with whistles, who possess very little authority over the events unfolding around them.
When a game of football breaks out there’s always a boy who refuses to pass the ball or those known simply as ‘goal-hangers’, while everyone else tries to avoid being told to go in goal. These traits are understandable given the endearing naivety of children but when did professional footballers suddenly rediscover these petty preferences and specify which position they should play on a football pitch?
The latest example of petulance concerns Arsenal ‘forward’ Theo Walcott, who insists he will not put pen to paper on a new deal until he is given assurances of his future role as a striker. The England international has also stated he wants to emulate club legend Thierry Henry, a player who enjoyed a similar transition from the wing, which has evoked a sense of confusion and hysteria from the national press. Despite measuring just 5 foot 9 inches, it would appear that Walcott has his head constantly buried in the clouds.
The most infuriating aspect about this ongoing saga revolves around Walcott’s potential to be one of the best wingers ever to grace the sport. His pace, agility and formidable dribbling skills allow him to glide past most full-backs with relative ease. He doesn’t possess the physique or ‘strikers intellect’ to flourish in the aggressive battlefield at the heart of the pitch, which leads me to believe he is simply trying to fulfil a selfish desire to grab more of the headlines.
It’s worth pointing out that Walcott isn’t the only player guilty of this crime, in fact many use ‘the manager’s playing me out of position’ as the default response to a poor performance. Diego Forlan recently deployed this exact excuse to justify his failure to make an impact in Serie A with Inter Milan.
“I was playing in a position where I had never played before. I accepted it because I had no other choice. I’m here now [at Internacional], though, and I hope to play in my natural position as striker again,” (Goal.com)
In the Premier League, the familiar names of Demba Ba, Gabriel Agbonlahor and Daniel Sturridge have all voiced similar concerns about the role at their respective clubs. But the truth is, players should be able to adapt and ‘do a job for the team’ even if they feel they would have a greater influence elsewhere. James Milner continues to work tirelessly for club and country despite the fact he’s a right-footed player, playing on the left wing when it was clear at Aston Villa that he performs best in the centre of midfield. He has attracted an unwarranted level of criticism but have you ever heard him complain? The game has not evolved to the extent where players have a greater tactical knowledge than their infinitely more experienced manager.
Barcelona, arguably the greatest club side in the world, are testament to the fact that versatility within a squad breeds success. Every Catalan player has the ability to thrive in a number of different positions, which allows Tito Vilanova to effectively rotate his team in order to avoid fatigue. Arsenal fans criticised Alex Song when he moved to the Spanish giants, but his flexibility allows him to play across the spine of the team and should see him play a considerable number of games.
Perhaps players, motivated by a fear of losing their starting place, try to fashion a new and less competitive role from themselves in the team. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has certainly lured the spotlight away from Walcott with a series of inspired performances, which should help soften the blow should contract negotiations continue to stall. Nevertheless the void left behind by Robin van Persie is still yet to be filled so maybe Walcott fancies his chances up against the misfiring Olivier Giroud and the inconsistent Lukas Podolski.
Away from the pitch, the beautiful game is fast becoming an unsavoury concoction of arrogance and gluttony. It is too much to ask that players leave these traits on the sidelines once a week? Just how many current players would realistically play in any position just to ensure they secured their spot in the starting XI? It’s easy to champion this sentimental theory when talking about the likes of Wayne Rooney, who ‘love playing the game’, but I think the reality would offer up only a handful of candidates.
It strikes me that this is yet another example of a potential shift of power that seeks to give players a greater sense of control. My only hope is that clubs can remain unresponsive to the constant stream of unrealistic demands and the likes of Theo Walcott are the ones who buckle under the pressure. Otherwise these players can look forward to a new role on the bench, as an unused substitute, which is no different from the rest of us really, is it?
Join me on Twitter @theunusedsub where I hope this song is blasted out at the Emirates for the next few weeks.
