Theo Walcott Needs To Help Captain Koscielny To Lead Arsenal

Theo Walcott Needs To Help Captain Koscielny To Lead Arsenal

Time and again since the turn of the New Year the words ‘Arsene Wenger has reached has lowest point as Arsenal manager’ have cropped up, but no one thought it could get this bad.

The Gunners boss is facing fresh questions after his side were beaten 5-1 by Bayern Munich for the third successive time, having suffered the same fate in Munich three weeks ago as well as in 2015.


The north Londoners have been dumped out of the Champions League at the round of 16 stage for the seventh consecutive season, but it has never been quite as bad as going out with a 10-2 aggregate defeat.

Regardless of injuries or refereeing decisions, the Gunners failed to show any bottle on both occasions they lost captain Laurent Koscielny.

Any side will suffer when they lose a key player, whatever the circumstances, but the top sides deal with it. Looking at it in terms of the time their French skipper was on the pitch, Arsenal won the tie 2-1, however conceded eight goals during the time he was gone, that is simply unacceptable.

At times like that, other top sides look to the likes of Michael Carrick at Manchester United, Sergio Ramos at Real Madrid or Xabi Alsonso in the case of Bayern, those that understand what it takes to play for their respective sides.

Look around the home dressing room at The Emirates and, despite having top talents in Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil, there are no characters who embody what it means to be an Arsenal player, no one to see Koscielny walk off and think, ‘I need to take charge.’

Theo Walcott, who has been at the club for half of Wenger’s reign (surprising, I know) has turned heads in recent weeks with some fiery exchanges with opponents on the pitch, showing fight and desire but then shying away from any further confrontation.
The former Southampton youngster has a bark, but must add bite. His comments of letting the manager down are all well and good but, considering he has been with the Gunners for eleven years now, he must translate that to the rest of the squad.

It’s time for the England international to step up and take up the mantle of that man that Arsenal fans can look to and see someone who understands what they want and what the club needs.

If the forward can embody that mind set, and add some fire to the belly of a confidence ridden squad, they may be able to make something of the rest of this season.