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Arsenal crashed out of the FA Cup last night and former forward Theo Walcott has pointed the finger at Mikel Arteta and his coaching staff.
The Gunners saw a winner from Shea Charles shatter any remaining treble hopes they had.
Arsenal’s players simply never got going and with Gabriel also injured on the night, it was a miserable Saturday evening for Arteta and his troops.
However, while the team struggled, Walcott has suggested it is Arteta himself who needs looking at as well.
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Photo by Charlotte Wilson/Offside/Offside via Getty Images Theo Walcott says Mikel Arteta needs to relax to help Arsenal
We’ve all become accustomed to Mikel Arteta and his antics on the touchline. He is a calm head at times but at other times, he is very animated.
Against Southampton, Arteta spent ample time in the technical area with his coaching staff and Walcott believes it simply didn’t help the team.
“They have to not let the season run away from them. Everything they have built this season, don’t let it affect them. They have been in this situation before and they don’t want to relive that,” Walcott commented on the BBC.
“Visually watching Mikel Arteta on the sidelines, it was elements of previous years where that energy reflected into the team. It was a nervous energy, it was very tense. Not just Mikel but a lot of the staff were out there at times.
“It was like too many cooks in the kitchen, too many messages. Play your best team was the right thing to do tonight. It’s easy if I say that now, but you want a reaction off the cup final and it wasn’t that tonight, it was worse.”
Mikel Arteta has to learn lessons from previous years
We have had this before with Arteta and how he behaves on the touchline. Yes, at times he is an inspiring figure for his team but at other times, he is what Walcott points out here.
Arteta was clearly feeling the heat a bit at St Mary’s but he ultimately needs to harness the experience of previous years and look at what he can do differently.
Photo by Glyn KIRK / AFP via Getty Images
Yes, there was a need for urgency at times from his team last night. But there was also a need for calm and sticking to the plan, especially at 1-1.
Football is an emotional game but Arteta is paid the big bucks to manage that emotion within his squad.
If Arsenal lose or drop points next time out, then the boss will have more and more eyes on him.
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