Theo Walcott believes Arsenal's players must look at themselves and take the pressure off manager Arsene Wenger, while he has tipped Jack Wilshere to become a better player than Cesc Fabregas.
Wenger's
position as manager has come under scrutiny this season and his decision to replace
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain with
Andrey Arshavin during the loss to
Manchester United on Sunday proved particularly unpopular with supporters.
While Wenger has shielded his players from the worst of the Gunners faithful's frustrations, England international Walcott says now is the time for him and his team-mates to stand up and be counted.
"The manager will take all the stick," he told the
Daily Telegraph. "He looks after us. He believes in us.
"As players we need to look at ourselves. We need to take responsibility. The last few games haven't been good enough.
"The worst thing is we have a lot of regrets. There are games we could have won. When you go to Swansea and score two goals you should win."
Great captainArsenal captain
Robin van Persie appeared to disagree with Wenger's substitution but has this week played down talks of a rift with the manager.
And Walcott has praised the Dutchman's leadership in the dressing room as he revealed the team's culture of reflecting at length on the good and bad points of their performances.
"We always like to reflect on the game in the dressing room, even at half-time, sharing our feelings on the game," he said.
"Robin is a great captain who wants to win. He believes in the team and knows the team can do better."
Surpass the SpaniardWhile injuries to key players have played their part in Arsenal's failings, Walcott insists that cannot be an excuse - though he concedes
Wilshere has been particularly sorely missed.
The teenager is expected to take on the mantle of being the midfield talisman at Emirates Stadium over the next few years following Fabregas' departure last summer, but Walcott believes he could even surpass the Spaniard.
"We've missed him. He's an important player even after just that one year (in the team)," he said.
"People compare him to Cesc (
Fabregas). I think he can be better than Cesc, definitely. It's just a shame he had that massive injury.
"Injuries don't help but we can't just look at injuries."
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Originally Posted by dazthegooner
