Arsenal: Roy Keane’s Theo Walcott Caution Fair

After two excellent performances, praises have been gushing for Arsenal’s Theo Walcott. Roy Keane, however, is offering a more balanced perspective.

The past two matches from Arsenal have been utterly phenomenal. The high press suffocating, the passing, precise and intricate, the finishing, ruthless and all without sacrificing defensive solidarity. What has been evidently clear has been the speed and intensity with which the team has played. You may say; laced with pace.

Related Story: Arsenal Vs Basel: Player Ratings

In particular, the right-hand side has been wonderful to watch. Hector Bellerin is back to his marauding best while Theo Walcott looks a new man, reinvigorated and rejuvenated, sharp going forward and industrious working back. The England man has been the star of the show and has consequently been the subject of some rather gushing praise of late.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

• 3 observations from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park
• 3 standout players from 1-0 victory over Everton
• 3 positives & negatives from Goodison Park victory
• Arsenal vs PSV preview: Prediction, team news & lineups
• 3 talking points from Arsenal’s victory at Goodison Park

However, one man is not so easily excited. While the media frenzy has – in the sensationalised way that only the British media can – heaped praise on the performances of Walcott, Roy Keane has been far more pessimistic, and perhaps more realistic, in his assessment of the change in the winger’s game. Speaking after the demolition of Basel on Wednesday night in which Walcott scored twice, Keane stated:

"“It’s took him a while to get settled. Listen he’s had a good week. The guy needs to relax. Try to play well for the next seven or eight months. But the crunch games are still to come for them, when the cold nights come in, with half the Arsenal players with their gloves on, so I wouldn’t be getting carried away with Walcott. He scored some lovely goals tonight, with the simplicity of his movement, it was outstanding, but he’s got to do it over the course the next year or two.”"

Many may see such comments as harsh or miserable amid a run of such good form. However, two games a career does not make. As they say, Rome was not built in a day, and it would be naive and illogical to simply disregard the years of disappointments regarding Walcott in favour of only two games. Walcott played his 350th game for the club on Wednesday. Why should only the last two count?

I have been a huge defender of Theo through his struggles in recent seasons, pointing to the inconsistencies in his position and fitness as reasons for his unfulfilled potential. Now he is finally playing at a level that I always expected of him, suddenly the world is hailing him as the world class attacker that he is not. The Independent even stated that Walcott and Sanchez – the man who he has linked up with so effectively these past two games- could become Arsenal’s greatest strikeforce. If that isn’t overhype, then I don’t know what is.

Next: Arsenal Vs Basel: 5 Things We Learned

The form of Walcott is undoubtedly encouraging and there’s no reason to believe that he cannot maintain such high standards for an extended period of time barring injuries. However, before we place Theo on a mantle of unheralded expectations, let’s see him perform consistently for more than a week. It may seem like a downhearted, pessimistic statement, but two games is not enough to evaluate a player.