Patrice Evra has strongly criticized Theo Walcott, insisting the former Arsenal winger should never appear on television again following his comparison of the current Gunners squad to Manchester United’s dominant 2008 team.
Walcott’s Bold Question to Rooney
During a January broadcast on Amazon Prime, alongside Wayne Rooney and host Gabby Logan, Walcott sparked debate while previewing Arsenal’s Champions League match against Inter Milan at the San Siro. The ex-England international posed a direct question to Rooney: “Would your ’08 team compete—well, you would compete against this team, but how does it compare to your 2008 team? Which by the way, was probably the best team that I’ve ever played against. This [Arsenal] squad against that one.”
Rooney responded instantly: “We’d batter them.” The quick retort prompted laughter from Walcott and Logan, with Rooney reinforcing: “I think we would, I think we would.”
Evra’s Fiery Response on Podcast
Nearly three months later, on the Rio Ferdinand Presents podcast with Ryan Giggs, Ferdinand quizzed Evra about Walcott’s remarks. The former United captain delivered a scathing verdict, labeling Arsenal fans “delusional” and calling Walcott a “menace for society.”
Evra stated: “No, I’m leaving. That’s the problem with Arsenal. Now he’s comparing this team with our 2008 team. I think he’s a menace for society. He should not be on TV. He’s dangerous for the kids. That’s why I keep saying they are delusional. I know I talk with my heart, but they are delusional. This is disrespect. He should never be on TV again when he starts asking questions like that.”
Arsenal’s Recent Struggles
Arsenal’s campaign has faced setbacks recently, including a loss in the EFL Cup final to Manchester City, an FA Cup exit to Championship outfit Southampton, and a 2-1 Premier League defeat to City that dented their title hopes.
Rooney recently commented on BBC Sport about the need for stronger fan support to help Arsenal secure their first league title in 22 years. He said: “I think for Arsenal to win the league, the Arsenal fans need to play their part. I thought in the Bournemouth game, the fans let them down. I said this last year as well in the Champions League.”
He added: “I thought the Arsenal fans were excellent against Real Madrid and really helped them, but I don’t think they turned up against PSG, and they went out. So, I think they need to get behind the team a little bit more, support them, but understand that, you know, they might lose games at times. I think that the fans need to be better for the players and back the players a little bit more because the players that will have hurt them (booing vs Bournemouth), Arsenal players 100%.”
