It must be said that the initial rumour that Theo Walcott would not be boarding the plane to South Africa did come as somewhat of a surprise. Clearly the fate of the English national football team is second priority to my Gooner allegiance, hence my thoughts are mixed on this topic.

Theo Walcott has shown his capabilities in quick bursts for Arsenal, there are moments in which he can destroy a team, notably when his lightening pace and football brain are on the same wavelength. However it is fair to say that a combination of injuries and inconsistency have lead to the rather honest assessment that at 21 Walcott has not progressed as much as Arsenal fans thought he would. Gooners will point to his goals against Chelsea and Barcelona along with his mazy run against Liverpool in the Champions League quarter final. However therein lies the problem, they are so memorable because he cannot produce on a match to match basis.

The hat-trick vs Croatia was another example of a sudden spark of form, but Walcott is so unpredictable that Capello is quite right to leave him at home. Name seven consecutive games where Walcott has shown the same level of form at club level. Now reconsider whether Capello was right to leave him out.

Walcott seems a humble enough young man to know that for all his natural ability, he must develop his game and work harder than ever so that not only is he a key Arsenal player, but also a name that England coaches going forward would never consider leaving out. He has a whole summer where he can rest and grow stronger, so perhaps the break will do him good. It will also benefit Arsenal as a number of key players will not be going to South Africa, namely Vermaelen, Campbell, Nasri, Arshavin and Walcott. Especially considering our poor injury record.

Walcott is not the first player to miss a World Cup for not being quite up to standard. Correct me if I am wrong but Lampard, Cole, Defoe, Wright-Phillips, Ferdinand and Terry to name a few have missed the cut for big tournaments in the past and have re-emerged stronger for it.

The ball is in Walcott's court now, he must asses what he can do to improve.