Walcott should not play for England, or Arsenal

Paul Merson calls it. When he talks about Theo Walcott, he always says he's "one good pass" away from coming into form.

It's an interesting way to say it, and it captures the full dilemma of Theo.

First up it says very well that Theo is not a player who, by himself, can make things happen. He needs the right ball, played the right way at the right time to use the one asset he has: burning pace.

Second up it says that Theo in himself has no real skill, that his capability, speed, is something that needs to be used by other players. That's a subtly different point - because it creates a burden for players playing with him to try and open up the pitch in a way that suits a player who will always want a ball played in between the left full-back and left centre-back.

That's all he's got. Used correctly, it's a devastating weapon, and something Arsenal or England might get to work once or twice per game. But when it's the only way to turn a severely limited player into someone with real value in a World Cup or league campaign, then you've got to say enough is enough and move on.

He's a nice kid, we all know that, but unless there's a line leading striker in there we've not yet unleashed, for Arsenal and England he offers far too little.

But who to replace him with?

For England the answer is probably Lennon, who might just about have enough consistency in his game now to make the role his own. Even with the stupid hair.

For Arsenal though it's the other two players competing for a squad place who I would look to as options on the right hand of our attacking three: Shaun Wright-Phillips and, principally, Joe Cole.

Joe Cole would be a fantastic signing for Arsenal. Smart, gutsy, skillful and in need of a fresh challenge and a chance to be a leader. He'd make a big difference.

SWP has lost his way even more, and a potentially great career looks to be running out of momentum altogether. The benefit he would bring, more than Cole, is unpredictability. Of doing random things and sometimes pulling them off. Whether that's something we really need when the even more unpredictable Arshavin is there to be that rogue element already is a moot point.

So if the two I would choose Cole as an option, and I would make Walcott the sacrifice - because what both Arsenal and England need to be championship contenders is to be able to do more than one thing well. And Walcott can't.

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