Since joining from Premier League rivals Arsenal, Theo Walcott has struggled to really showcase why Everton decided to bring him to Goodison Park.
In the 78 games that he has played for the Toffees, the 30-year-old has managed just ten goals and provided a further eight assists. He has had his flashes of brilliance, not least that injury-time winner against Watford earlier this year.
But against Manchester United on Sunday afternoon, he proved once again why Carlo Ancelotti doesn’t appear to be his most ardent of fans.
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Since the Italian took over the reins back in December, Walcott has started his fair share of games in the top-flight, making the starting line-up on six occasions out of the nine he has been available for. But only once in that period has he completed the full 90 minutes, and against the Red Devils at the weekend, he managed just a little more than an hour.
And when you look at his performance, it’s easy to see why Ancelotti decided to take him off when he did. As per Sofascore, his 6.2 overall match rating was the worst of any player on the pitch, and it was hardly surprising. He managed a quite shocking nine passes in total, at an accuracy of 60%, and failed to deliver any key passes, crosses or long balls.
Who is that?! Nobody has been able to name the teams all of these obscure managers were once in charge of…
Not to mention the fact that he also didn’t attempt a single shot on goal, and lost possession 12 times in the time that he was on the pitch. It was the kind of woeful display that would have left Ancelotti in no doubt that his repeated decision to take Walcott off before the close of the game is completely justified.
The former Arsenal ace just doesn’t show anywhere near the kind of consistency that is required, and for every moment of excitement like the one against Watford, he will have a run of games of doing virtually nothing. Sunday’s display was yet more evidence of why Ancelotti has yet to give Walcott his full trust and play him for the full 90 minutes more than once.
Meanwhile, Everton fans have been questioning this man’s inclusion against Manchester United.