In a recent program, former Arsenal star Theo Walcott defended current manager Mikel Arteta, specifically addressing the controversial practice of Arteta hiring pickpockets to steal players' cell phones. According to Walcott, this unique management style of Arteta's is not just about keeping the players on their toes, but also about deflecting undue attention from the outside world on the team's internal problems so that the team can focus more on the game itself.
Walcott mentioned that this approach by Arteta, while it may seem a bit extreme to outsiders, is actually a brilliant strategy. He explained, "It gives you lot something to talk about, doesn't it? This discussion takes us away from the actual soccer side of things and gets us talking about something completely different and unusual." According to Walcott, this is exactly what Arteta is trying to achieve by making his players realize that they need to be on their toes at all times, not only on the pitch but in life as well.
In addition, Walcott recalled his experience of working with Arteta when he played for Arsenal. He particularly mentioned a training ground incident, when Arsenal in the fight for the road to the top four encountered difficulties, Arteta locked the whole team in the dressing room to lecture. Walcott said the conversation gave him a deep sense of Arteta's potential as a future coach: "He wouldn't let us go out, he really pulled the whole team together and said some real things. After that conversation, I knew he would be a coach in the future."
Walcott is very optimistic about Arsenal's prospects of winning the title this season. He believes that Arsenal is now more structured and the players have more experience in the title race. He particularly mentioned the change in the team's psychological level and Arteta's strict requirements: "I've seen how organized they are as a whole, and psychologically, I've also seen how strict Mikel is with his team. I think they'll get lucky this time, they're more eager to win and are ready."
