I think taking virtually everything away from both his goals then saying you suspect he did nothing else in the game is pretty much slating him. It's certainly not positive or neutral is it.
Again, because apparently reading is hard for you, I didn't slate both his goals, I said the defence all ran out of the way for one I said HE HAD TO FIGHT FOR THE OTHER, that was praise. You've said I said both his goals were poor twice now when I didn't say it. Also I said I SUSPECT he did nothing else, because in 9/10 of his games he does nothing else. However, again you claim I slated him, I didn't, then you claimed I said both goals were down to the defence, I didn't.
SO DM see's highlights of only goals, praises Arshavins all round game and slates Walcott. Standard.
You might have missed it but you linked me ONLY seeing the goal highlights to slating Walcott, its very simple I didn't do this. I can suspect whatever the hell I want, and I told you exactly that, that I suspect he did nothing else. However you are trying to claim that based on a few highlights only that I slated his entire performance. What I said, in so many words was, I WILL slate him IF he did nothing else which I suspect might be the case... when I see more of the game. Guess what, someone can have an epic performance, score two goals, but those two goals are crap tap in's, they aren't mutually exclusive.
Anyway, having watched the majority of the first half, Arshavin only really gave away a couple sloppy passes around the 15 min mark but he'd barely touched the ball before then. He and Giroud barely touched it till 15-20mins onwards and Giroud still almost nothing till half time. From 20 mins onwards Arshavin has barely put a foot wrong, created one golden chance for Walcott, he fluffed it, a great chance for Giroud, a bit too far ahead of him or Giroud a bit too slow, bit of both really a good move and a great turn from Arshavin to create the move.
He was feeding in AOC/Yennaris and another very good chance for Walcott but the final ball from those moves didn't quite happen.
First half still Angha was too easy to beat and his offensive work wasn't good either.
Walcott, airshot, lazy, did well to come out with the ball when it was bouncing around 3 Coventry players but that led to his pretty poor airshot(which didn't have a dramatic spin and fall
I do miss RVP).
Then around the 28min mark Walcott did exactly what makes Walcott crap, got the ball at the half way line, no Coventry player within 15 yards, no one closing him down, jogged a bit, then ran a bit, then with the left back 15 yards away and BACKING OFF, the left back on the edge of the box, with absolute miles of room to cross, to go to the goal line and cross. He just slows down, turns around and passes it to someone back in central midfield, in a far worse position. It was pathetic, he was under zero pressure and had the space to choose to basically make any attack he wanted and he just turned around and said "can't be arsed" basically. Its why he's a crap player.
Miquel looks FAR better than his last few first team performances, though several of those were at left back. Yennaris and Coquelin have looked pretty good, both made mistakes but in general you can see them constantly looking around, being aware of runs and trying to track them, both with a few decent attacking moments. Giroud has had none of the ball given to him, hasn't done anything right or wrong. AOC, started brightly but ultimately his enthusiasm still rarely seems to create much end product, you still get that feeling that he's just a bit of luck/experience from creating a bunch of goals rather than being a Gervinho style headless chicken.
EDIT:- a ways into the second half and Arshavin was brilliant from 20 mins onwards, Walcott as ALWAYS refused to run hard, turned down chances to attack, didn't fight for the ball on 99% of occassions and was complete crap.
Attack near the end of the first half Walcott gets the ball, back four all backing up, Arshavin runs from way behind Walcott and runs well beyond him because.... Walcott is jogging, Arshavin gets the ball and puts a great ball in but Walcott has decided after passing to not run at the defence.... again. By this point GIroud had caught up gone beyond Walcott and was at the far post, Walcott could EASILY have been in the middle for the ball to tap in but just couldn't be arsed, the one I said before where he had more room than anyone on the pitch and just couldn't be arsed, a cross from Santos where Walcott, sure had almost no chance of winning the header, so what, you still try, Walcott however just stops dead and can't be arsed to try. If you get in there, maybe you caused the defender to score an own goal, maybe they fluff it up under pressure and it drops to someone else, maybe you even get the header, if you don't try at all, worthless.
Arshavin tried the right pass 99% of the time, and messed up quite a few, but made many many brilliant passes, I lost count of the amount of times he played a great diagonal ball onto a fullback or wide man to put the cross in. When you try the wrong pass but you make the pass 100% of the time, its still the wrong damn pass. When you try the right pass and fail half the time, you still make 50% of the right passes. Walcott makes the wrong pass, the wrong choice 95% of the time, Arshavin fails with a lot of attacking passes, he MAKES a huge number of them aswell. Players afraid to make a mistake like Walcott who pass up a ridiculous amount of space and time and give it to someone else are worthless, those who make the pass needed but screw it up, and aren't afraid to try again, are rarer and rarer and are needed more than ever.
Arshavin created a ludicrous number of chances for us, Walcott did almost nothing and fluffed multiple chances. Pace is a great tool, when you refuse to use it most of the time, it doesn't do anything for you.
The biggest problem in the first half was our crossing, got in a great position and had loads of time to make most of the crosses and only 2-3 were remotely dangerous.
(despite the coin throwing kids back in February)
Disappointingly we have no ex man u players either..
