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Arsenal fans classic comments on Joe Willock – Before AND after scoring 5 Newcastle goals

3 years ago
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Back at the start of February, I thought I would check out what Arsenal fans had to say about Joe Willock moving to Newcastle United on loan.

I had no idea what to expect, probably thought it would be along the lines of needs regular football and hopefully comes back a better player.

That wasn’t though quite what I found.

However, the vast majority of Arsenal fans were quite scathing about Joe Willock as a player.

Indeed, I was quite surprise / shocked at how over the top some of the comments were, considering the midfielder is still only 21.

On Friday night Joe Willock was instrumental in Newcastle’s 4-2 win at Leicester and scored an excellent solo opening goal.

The Arsenal loan player’s stats for Newcastle United now read – 8 starts, 3 sub appearances, 5 goals, 715 minutes played, averaging a goal every 143 minutes from midfield!

I thought I would repeat the exercise and just over three months after searching out comments from Arsenal fans on Joe Willock, I revisited the same Arsenal fan message boards to see what they were now saying about the 21 year old…

Arsenal fans commenting via their Arsenal-Mania and Gooners World message boards:

AT START OF FEBRUARY AFTER JOE WILLOCK SIGNED ON LOAN FOR NEWCASTLE UNITED:

‘Great news, good riddance!’

‘Seconded. Nothing against the kid, he tries and he did well in the Europa but we have to stop carrying sub par players.

Madrid are loaning out Odegaard ffs, a guy we’d probably take full time, Willock wouldn’t even get into the Bernabeu car park.

Levels, we need to up ours.’

‘If we could get 15-20m now then I’d bit peoples hands off.’

‘Will struggle to start even at Newcastle.’

‘If Newcastle interested send him there, Steve Bruce football poverty but he’ll play at least.’

‘Reiss is actually incredibly talented and could still explode whilst Willock and Chambers have never been particularly good to begin with, especially Willock.’

‘Willock needs to play regularly so we can get a decent fee for him.’

‘Willock, Nelson and AMN could help fund the summer rebuild.’

‘Willock is the biggest load of trash on our books.’

‘Willock is fortunate that he’s come through during a period which we have our worst midfield in ages, realistically this guys a championship/bottom half bpl player at best.’

‘This guy is actually the worst midfielder I’ve ever seen since watching Arsenal, doesn’t have any footballing intelligence or ability.

He works hard but that’s about it, you can find plenty of players in non league football who could do the same job and you wouldn’t notice the difference.’

NOW IN MAY AFTER JOE WILLOCK SCORED HIS FIFTH GOAL FOR NEWCASTLE IN THE 4-2 WIN AT LEICESTER:

‘We must keep Joe Willock and raise funds from the others. Willock is clearly not an ‘Average Joe’.’

‘If Steve Bruce has been able to tap into Willock’s true potential, it just shows how bad Mikel is.’

‘What a goal from Joe Willock.

High pressing, then outpaced Soyuncu and a neat, neat finish. All pure instinct.’

‘Not just instinct but brains and technique to execute.’

‘Yeah, it’s an overall beautiful goal. I mentioned instinct but meant in the context of football intelligence. Because it’s something you can’t really learn.’

‘Willock has shown how beneficial a run in the team, played in the right position with a little freedom can be) Youngest player to score 4 goals in a row for Newcastle since Andy Cole.

It just does my head in to think of all this mistakes Arteta has made with regards to the youth.’

‘Need to convert Joe Willock to be a CF with Martinelli.

For me, he has the physique and finishing to flourish there.

Just need a manager to realize that.’

‘Willock is more creative than the current Arsenal midfield.’

‘We really have a top midfielder on our hands. People again forget he had a massive growth spurt and was challenged with that for a couple years. He’s still so young but he’s a top player.’

‘Hopefully we hire Rafa and he plays all these kids like Joe Willock.’

‘I’d be absolutely shocked if we don’t sell him. Out of contract in 2023 and the club will be delighted if they get £20-30m. Joe is too good for Arteta..

‘Keeping hold of Willock makes much more sense than selling him and wasting the money on some Chelsea reject.’

‘I want MOTM performances for the rest of the season and I want it to be impossible to sell him.’

‘Commentator says at halftime…Willock has been immense. That was his summary of the first half. The kid created and scored the goal out of nothing. Superb footballer.’

‘So happy for Joe but really p.sses me off watching him and AMN playing really well at so called sh.t teams whilst we’ve had to put up with rubbish in midfield all season.

They should be doing that for us not WBA or Newcastle.’

‘Our Ramsey replacement lighting it up at Newcastle whilst we have no midfield. Life isn’t fair as a Gooner.’

‘We could do so much with this type of player; big potential!

Need a proper manager first!’

‘Joe Willock is absolutely the real deal.

How on earth is Steve Bruce able to get this much out of him yet Arteta just scratched his head and put him up front.’

’21 years of age. You’re looking at a Goretzka like impact when he’s 23.

Get on board the Willock train, or regret it.’

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