Arsenal: Theo Walcott Defiance Odd But Necessary

Theo Walcott remains defiant amid the criticism surrounding Arsenal and his teammates. His comments are rather odd but are equally necessary.

Arsenal have won just two Premier League games since the start of February. The first was a home win over Hull City thanks to two Alexis Sanchez goals. both of which came with a tinge of controversy and good fortune. The second was on Wednesday, at home to West Ham United.

There were certainly many signs to be positive regarding Arsene Wenger’s side’s performance. After they found the all-important breakthrough, they were far more fluid in the final third than in previous displays, showcasing a ruthless creativity in their interchangeable attacking play.

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However, it is little more than a good end to a terrible period, one that has seen the club, the manager and the players come under intense scrutiny from fans and the media alike. But when asked about whether this criticism affects him; whether he pays any attention to the thoughts of the outside world; whether any of the negative comments infiltrate the psyche of him individually or the collective dressing room, Theo Walcott profusely dismissed such suggestions, stating that he never even looks at it:

"“I haven’t heard anything. Criticism, I don’t even bother looking at. I only listen to people I want to listen to. Who are those people? The manager and people at this club are the best people to listen to. And the players. That is all I care about at this moment in time. I don’t mind people talking; they can talk and it doesn’t bother me at all.”"

In reality, this is probably little more than lip service. In the social media day and age where opinions are so easily publicised (take this blog for example), it is difficult to think that such a high profile figure can shelter himself from ever taking notice of what is said.

Having said that, Walcott’s defiance in the face of adversity is admirable. He himself has been the subject of much vociferous criticism throughout his own career, often labelled as a sprinter in football boots, wrongly attacked for struggling when injuries are the deep-lying reason, and he does have extensive experience in how to block out the external world and focus on what is necessary.

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It is a perspective, ‘Us against the world’ that Jose Mourinho often looks to inspire in his dressing rooms. While Arsenal do not need to be so melodramatic, engineering a collective rebellion and resistance would not be a bad thing whatsoever, especially given their need to haul their way back into top four with little time and a lot of challenges.

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