Arsenal Show Both Sides of the Modern Player (Video)

There's always a big result during the Christmas congestion and this year Arsenal (or Newcastle depending on your view) provided it. Podolski and the Ox got good goals, and the big man Giroud got himself a brace with an energetic and confident performance. But the headlines are all about Theo Walcott and his hat-trick.

Perhaps one of the biggest symptoms of the modern player is his demanding nature; 'I want more money' or 'I want to play up front' are common phrases now, phrases that used to see the player out on his ear but now give him all the cards to hold.

Walcott wants to leave his right-wing position and head inwards for a dab at being a striker. Suitable to get in behind and capitalise on lofted through balls with his blistering pace, and with a knack of finding the goal from narrow angles, he seems a good candidate for the job. Why Lukas Podolski, who has a 100 caps for Germany, should be relegated to the wider berths is anyone's guess though.

When told to prove himself by Wenger, and when goals were demanded by the expectant crowd after Theo issued his order, he has proven himself and delivered the goods, albeit on a small time scale. He also deserves kudos for staying on his feet to score the third goal (4:43), a very bright side of his game.

So perhaps the modern player isn't always wrong, though he, or his agent, is probably angling for a pay rise on top of trying to play manager. Another issue fans have with modern players is their lack of grit- the way they don't get stuck in, the way they don't get in to their opposition.

A few weeks ago we saw Samir Nasri shy away from a free kick and be a major contributor to his team's demise and he was rightfully lambasted by women and children alike. This is not the behaviour you would expect of the no nonsense Jack Wilshere, but it's what you got (0:59). I have No idea why he is making a one man wall of his own, but when the ball comes at him he has got to plant a firm head on it and not dodge it a child catching a water balloon.

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