Smile about what?: Picture proof that Walcott has looked less excited year by year
This might be a tongue-in-cheek observation but if profile pictures that players take ahead of every campaign are anything to go by, there are some changes worth making note of.
Walcott, last season’s second top scorer, has been under the spotlight of late due to a contract extension saga which has seen him already turn down an improvement on his remaining one-year deal, citing a need to play as centre-forward regularly.
That said, it is certainly not inconceivable to suggest that Theo’s happier days at Arsenal may be behind him for now, and adding a little more proof to that claim is the image above. Carefully watch the pattern beginning with the picture at the top left to the last one on the bottom right. Noticed something? If not, then go back and check for how Theo Walcott’s bright smile has dimmed over the years at the club.
So here’s a bit of a timeline of Theo’s facial expressions from the winter of 2006 to the eventful summer that just passed.
2005/06: Amazed to be mingling with the likes of Thierry Henry and Dennis Bergkamp, Walcott fashioned the smile of a star-struck youngster who was just witnessing a dream at his new club.
2006/07: Getting to know his surroundings better, Walcott was less camera-shy but still had that humble smile to show.
2007/08: This is when Theo had his biggest ever smile. Thierry Henry had left and the chance to show what he has to offer was better than ever. Indeed, this was his revelation season where he made that run at Liverpool.
2008/09: Talk of stepping into Thierry Henry’s shoes, Walcott was now handed the Arsenal legend’s no. 14 shirt. That also handed him some boost in confidence as the smile turned into a smirk.
2009/10: After an underachieving campaign where injuries limited his contributions – missing action from November 2008 to April 2009 – Theo did not have a bright view of the upcoming campaign by the look on his face.
2010/11: Another season plagued by injuries and sub-par form meant Walcott had missed out on selection for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, but now a young adult and spotting a new tattoo, he posed with an egocentric “me against the world” look.
2011/12: Walcott was now a household name in the Arsenal squad following his best ever tally which saw him net 13 goals in the previous term. But after the sudden exits of Cesc Fabregas and Samir Nasri, his excitement was hard to tell.
2012/13: No expression whatsoever. Robin van Persie was now gone, and “here we go again” was written all over Theo Walcott’s face.
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SELL HIM.The british weather is more consistant than Walcott .
I think we should give him a run at center forward. He cant be worse than Gervinho and who knows he might just take off. We need a center forward, we have a player desperate to paly there. Try it?
you are truly a fan.,,..Wenger is a bastard
I think it’s more a case of him being just happy to be there at the beginning, and at some point in his development he decided to start taking things more seriously.
Convince Walcott to extend contract
This was how rvp was doing all over in training ground as if he was going to sign the thing. i don’t believe that smile as something positive.
I still thinks he deserve a chance in the middle i am not calling for his head just yet give him a few chance in the cup lets see if he has it in him as a striker you cant judge a man until he is found guilty and he came out and say its not the money on offer its the role he needs to play
What at all do people want from gervinho? Is it becos he is african or what? U condemn Eboeue, u condemn song, u condemn adebayor, U condemn gervihno. How many players in this arsenal squad are prepared to take on opposing players when this are not going well? Its about timE arsenal fans begin to support their own rather turning against them anytime they loose form.
I think he stopped smiling and growing more facial hair round the time he wanted to kick the baby face/ young’un look, maybe to be taken more seriously
Stopped smiling and started growing more facial hair*