I genuinely wonder if some fans truly appreciate the baffling spectacle that Arsenal provides the BPL through perpetual mediocrity when I hear responses like this.
In what (other) elite team’s starting XI can Theo Walcott enter?
What other “captain” of comparison willingly asserts that the opponents “wanted it more”?
Do you also think that Troy Deeney would be a suitable player for the lineup, considering statistics prove he was instrumental to goal-scoring efforts at Watford, much like Walcott is apparently at Arsenal?
I highly doubt you genuinely believe his goal-scoring record from last season is enough to warrant his place in the team after what has been persistent mediocrity and inconsistency the last 5+ years besides the 12-13 season. It feels futile to even explain this. The lack of creativity and flair we have from Theo Walcott on the wing is extremely blatant and notable in games and has been detrimental to Arsenal’s offensive flow the last few seasons. And no, Walcott’s speed is not enough to make up for this deficiency.
Contrasting this flaw of Walcott’s game with KDB’s talents highlights our loss when we fail to fill our right wing with a player of a versatile attacking skillet. KDB’s ability to penetrate space with his “flashy” or “skillful” dribbling attributes forces defenders to collapse onto him and creates opportunities for open channels to find other players. Combined with KDB’s substantially more technical passing ability and vision, this provides a devastating player the other team must contain.
The difference here is obvious - KDB’s strengths (vision, passing, dribbling, flair, technique) allow his teammates to ultimately flourish when he has the ball. Walcott’s, meanwhile, require our tactics to complement his one-dimensional skillset and style in order to receive an “end-product” or production (i.e. some goals). Sure, complementing Walcott may allow him to get a decent goal scoring season total, however, it’s ultimately fruitless to create specific offensive strategies (which are dull) to complement an attacker who isn’t of absolute world class talent (the Messi’s, Ronaldo’s, etc) And this limitation routinely gets exposed whenever Walcott and the team plays against a top defensive team in the league.
At the end of the day, I’m tired. I’m tired of settling for mediocrity. I don’t post here often, but I frequently read through the threads, but I must remind you all that as Arsenal fans, we deserve the absolute best - the best management, the best coach, the best *players, the best period. We are a team with a history of greats, success, and a winning culture. I refuse to normalize the uninspiring and second-rate football we’ve produced the last decade. It’s time for change. Players like Theo Walcott must go.