If Arsenal can play Gervinho centrally and win games, there is no reason why Theo could not be successful in the central striker position.
I am not sure what to think of Theo. I have been one of his biggest supporters during the last few years, as I admire both his incredible skills (and I am not blind to his shortcomings) and his mental strength (that young man has a very thick skin which has continuously helped him to shrug of periods of doubt and criticism in his developing years).
It is both a courageous and dangerous strategy by Theo to request a more central role at Arsenal when he is in his last year of his current contract. He says that money is not overly important to him and I tend to believe him. It seems that football itself is the main driver in his life, and his strong inner conviction that he should be a central striker at Arsenal appears to be overriding every other sentiment. I think this is courageous, and I applaud him for it.
However, it looks like he is unable to convince Arsene to play him more centrally and yet he is, apparently, making this a key condition for signing a new contract. This would be a very dangerous move by him.
Of all the top managers in the world, I have no doubt that Arsene is one of the most open-minded/democratic ones: always willing to listen to his players and consider new ideas. If Arsene is not convinced as yet, he definitely will not bow to the (indirect) threat of a player not signing a new contract for not getting the central striker position.
Let’s face it: bigger and better players have been allowed/forced to leave once Arsene realised they did not fit into his philosophy of football anymore, or simply were not singing from the same hymn sheet any longer.
When you are only 23.5 years old, it can be really hard to find the right balance between the inner passion/ the conviction about who you should be and what you should do, and the judgement and advice of wise old men (and women). I have been there myself around that period in my life and maybe that’s why I have some sympathy for him.
But let’s have a look at whether Theo in the middle could work at Arsenal.
For me, for a big part, this all centres on Arsene’s style of football and his preferred formation for Arsenal this season. Will Arsenal play with a central striker around whom we pivot our forward play, or will we play more and more with a ‘fluid-three’ up-front?
From the moment Arsenal announced we bought Giroud, I was convinced we would go back to the first half of the 2010-2011 season, when Brave Sir Robin was injured, and Chamakh played centrally; as a holding striker, which allowed the midfielders to both set up attacks better and score plenty of goals. During that period, Arsenal scored about 2.4 goals per game, compared to 1.95 goals per game since the traitorous Dutchman displaced the Moroccan (for the rest of that season and the following season).
I reckon Giroud is a better, more all-round striker than Chamakh and I could see us playing 4-5-1 football this season. Even when we play 4-3-3 there is a strong tendency now for our ‘wingers’ Gervinho and Podolski to sit deeper; often supporting their FB’s and the three midfielders to make us more compact which allows for better pressing and passing around of the ball.
Giroud, although not properly used yet in this capacity, is the perfect pivot up front; the ideal ‘holding striker’, who can hold on to the ball and allow the midfield to both ‘bounce the ball off’ and come forward a bit more, in order to create the next attacking move and/or come close enough to the opponent’s box to score a goal themselves. He is also great in the air and with his feet, although we still have to witness his deadliness in front of goal, which I am sure will come soon.
I still believe this will be our plan-A and I don’t think Theo will have a chance in this sort of formation. In case of injury to Giroud, the likes of Podolski and Chamakh are better options.
However, if we were to opt more regularly for a fluid front three, I can really see Theo do well. In a fluid front three all players interchange with each other: one moment they are on the left or right wing, the other moment they are in front of goal or on the other wing. The attackers, or let’s call them multi-disciplined strikers, need to work closely together, and the longer they play like this together the better they become as an attacking machine.
With a ‘fluid-three’ up front we would not play with a typical pivot in the centre of attack, and therefore, different qualities are required of our multi-disciplined strikers. Gervinho and Podolski have already proven this season they have the versatility for it, and I reckon Theo would suit this as well. He can do wing-play, especially if space is not at a premium, he has a good first touch, he is a predator and finishes well in front of goal, and he has a great engine.
I don’t think this would suit Giroud very well, just as it didn’t/ doesn’t suit RvP very well. The man from Montpellier is a typical central striker, good at holding on to the ball, winning battles in the air and on the ground, laying off balls and finishing off chances himself.
So, let’s see what will become Arsenal’s Plan-A formation and whether there will be a future for Theo in the central striker position. Maybe we will get a strong indication if there is a future for Theo as a central striker by him starting in that position tonight. I hope he does, so he can show us all what he is capable off, and take his last chance to save his career at Arsenal.
Total Arsenal.
Bergkampesque 
You really are good at this posting stuff ! hahaha