In particular, the former Tottenham boss has got striker Christian Benteke firing
in front of goal again.
Not exact matches
Perhaps this
goal for Spain will settle Cazorla down
in front of goal and we could soon see him scoring
again for the Gunners.
No sooner had we gone
in front then we were pegged back
again, conceding another
goal from a set - piece just a minute later, Steve Archibald continuing his annoying trait
of scoring
in derby matches.
We need better though but I'm
in full 100 % support
of the purchase
of Shkrodan Mustafi and Lucas Perez.Mustafi can help Koscielny now.I've been saying it here time and time
again that it's not a world clsss striker we have needed but a clinical finisher which we have lacked for several seasons and counting.Hopefully this guy puts Giroud where he belongs which is on the bench.Though a world class striker is good what we have lacked is someone who puts the game to bed
in clinical fashion but Arsene Wenger has listened to many people to the extent that if he can't get a world class striker then he can get anyone.If Arsenal had a clinical finisher for some five seasons or so we coulda won the EPL then.Giroud has cost us matches and will continue to cost us matches.Giroud is half decent as someone said here the last time.I expect Perez to be much better if he can take on his man and be clinical
in front of goal.
The San Paolo side sit
in third spot and Cavani is once
again unstoppable
in front of goal having scored 14
goals in 15 matches
in all competitions.
We were
again wasteful
in front of goal and poor at moving the ball out
of midfield and keeping possession.
There was more good news for Arsenal with the performance
of our players as well, most notably from the centre forward who has been struggling
in front of goal for a while now and who Wenger could really do with finding top gear
again.
And am sick
of the he needs game time after injury argument... He's been match ready for two months or more and should be willing and able to prove he is a first team contender... instead each time he appears it's the jogging around plus the ocassional darting run on display
again along with the demonstrated ability not to be able to dribble with the ball the failure to give real defensive support to full back and the persistent fragility
in front of goal... Should be part
of a buy one get one free package with wenger
wow are we sterile up top,
goals need to come from defense
again, ozil & cech were great, mert once
again taking the brunt
of bad comments meanwhile a clean sheet and did nothing wrong, open
goal that was saved was kos out
of position and monreal caught up the pitch too high, giroud has great ball skills, issue is his position on the pitch, watched the match
again focused on giroud, he tends to camp behind the defender from the ball, this only works when you have the quickness to break, he does nt, I have screen shots where ozil is 25 yrds farther up the pitch then giroud, thisis the problem, he is rendered useless unless ozil holds up, and thats not ozils strength, thus very few sog's from giroud on the run, when giroud gets lucky w space
in front of the defender, he is lethal, but needs to get into that space,
This does nt mean a thing its a case
of somneone told me that someone else said...... fill
in the blanks, Iwobi is a great player BUT he's not a proven
front man and if put
in a position
of extreme pressure could fold like a paper bag, its unfair on the kid to place him this role so early on
in his career Also much like Welbecks promising end to the season which was cut short
again he just is» nt the
goal scoring monster that we really really need.
This is an incredibly difficult question to answer for a variety
of reasons, most importantly because over the years our once vaunted «beautiful» style
of play has become a shadow
of it's former self, only to be replaced by a less than stellar «plug and play» mentality where players play out
of position and adjustments / substitutions are rarely forthcoming before the 75th minute... if you look at our current players, very few would make sense
in the traditional Wengerian system... at present, we don't have the personnel to move the ball quickly from deep - lying position, efficient one touch midfielders that can make the necessary through balls or the disciplined and pacey forwards to stretch defences into wide positions, without the aid
of the backs coming up into the final 3rd, so that we can attack the defensive lanes
in the same clinical fashion we did years ago... on this current squad, we have only 1 central defender on staf, Mustafi, who seems to have any prowess
in the offensive zone or who can even pass two zones through so that we can advance play quickly out
of our own end (I have seen some inklings that suggest Holding might have some offensive qualities but too early to tell)... unfortunately Mustafi has a tendency to get himself
in trouble when he gets overly aggressive on the ball... from our backs out wide, we've seen pace from the likes
of Bellerin and Gibbs and the spirited albeit offensively stunted play
of Monreal, but none
of these players possess the skill - set required
in the offensive zone for the new Wenger scheme which requires deft touches, timely runs to the baseline and consistent crossing, especially when Giroud was playing and his ratio
of scored
goals per clear chances was relatively low (better last year though)... obviously I like Bellerin's future prospects, as you can't teach pace, but I do worry that he regressed last season, which was obvious to Wenger because there was no way he would have used Ox as the right side wing - back so often knowing that Barcelona could come calling
in the off - season, if he thought otherwise... as for our midfielders, not a single one, minus the more confident Xhaka I watched played for the Swiss national team a couple years ago, who truly makes sense under the traditional Wenger model... Ramsey holds onto the ball too long, gives the ball away cheaply far too often and abandons his defensive responsibilities on a regular basis (doesn't score enough recently to justify): that being said, I've always thought he does possess a little something special, unfortunately he thinks so too... Xhaka is a little too slow to ever boss the midfield and he tends to telegraph his one true strength, his long ball play: although I must admit he did get a bit better during some points
in the latter part
of last season... it always made me wonder why whenever he played with Coq Wenger always seemed to play Francis
in a more advanced role on the pitch... as for Coq, he is way too reckless at the wrong times and has exhibited little offensive prowess yet finds himself
in and around the box far too often... let's face it Wenger was ready to throw him
in the trash heap when injuries forced him to use Francis and then he had the nerve to act like this was all part
of a bigger Wenger constructed plan... he like Ramsey, Xhaka and Elneny don't offer the skills necessary to satisfy the quick transitory nature
of our old offensive scheme or the stout defensive mindset needed to protect the defensive zone so that our offensive players can remain aggressive
in the final third... on the
front end, we have Ozil, a player
of immense skill but stunted by his physical demeanor that tends to offend, the fact that he's been played out
of position far too many times since arriving and that the players
in front of him, minus Sanchez, make little to no sense considering what he has to offer (especially Giroud); just think about the quick counter-attack offence
in Real or the space and protection he receives
in the German National team's midfield, where teams couldn't afford to focus too heavily on one individual... this player was a passing «specialist» long before he arrived
in North London, so only an arrogant or ignorant individual would try to reinvent the wheel and / or not surround such a talent with the necessary components...
in regards to Ox, Walcott and Welbeck, although they all possess serious talents I see them
in large part as headless chickens who are on the injury table too much, lack the necessary first - touch and / or lack the finishing flair to warrant their inclusion
in a regular starting eleven; I would say that,
of the 3, Ox showed the most upside once we went to a back 3, but even he became a bit too consumed by his pending contract talks before the season ended and that concerned me a bit... if I had to choose one
of those 3 players to stay on it would be Ox due to his potential as a plausible alternative to Bellerin
in that wing - back position should we continue to use that formation...
in Sanchez, we get one
of the most committed skill players we've seen on this squad for some years but that could all change soon, if it hasn't already
of course... strangely enough, even he doesn't make sense given the constructs
of the original Wenger offensive model because he holds onto the ball too long and he will give the ball up a little too often
in the offensive zone... a fact that is largely forgotten due to his infectious energy and the fact that the numbers he has achieved seem to justify the means... finally, and
in many ways most crucially, Giroud, there is nothing about this team or the offensive system that Wenger has traditionally employed that would even suggest such a player would make sense as a starter... too slow, too inefficient and way too easily dispossessed... once
again, I think he has some special skills and, at times, has showed some world - class qualities but he's lack
of mobility is an albatross around the necks
of our offence... so when you ask who would be our best starting 11, I don't have a clue because
of the 5 or 6 players that truly deserve a place
in this side, 1 just arrived, 3 aren't under contract beyond 2018 and the other was just sold to Juve... man, this is theraputic because following this team is like an addiction to heroin without the benefits
With Ozil
in great form
in front of goal and with Giroud fit
again, can Wenger stop worrying about Alexis Sanchez and make sure the Chilean is at no risk before playing him
again?
It definitely looks like the Arsenal and France international forward has got it going on
in front of goal right now, after Olivier Giroud came up trumps for the Gunners once
again today.
I would also love a tippety top striker to improve our potential / threat
in front of goal but I suspect
again Wenger feels he holds an adequate pool to choose from.
As reported by The Mirror the striker, who enjoyed a fantastic first season with Leverkusen where he once
again proved his powers
in front of goal with 26
goals from 40 games, spoke this week about his future and suggested that he might be set for another late move, which happened to him when he left United and Real Madrid.
players like Ozil always present the fans with a bit
of a conundrum, especially when times are tough... if you look around the sporting world every once
in awhile there emerges a player with incredible skill, like Ozil, Matt Sundin or even Jay Cutler, who have a different way about themselves... their movement seemed almost too lackadaisical, so much so that it seemed to suggest indifference or even disinterest on the part
of the player... their posture always appears somewhat mopey and they generally have an unflattering «sour puss» expression on their face... for some their above average skills are enough to keep them squarely
in the mix, as their respective teams try desperately to find a way to get the best out
of them visa vie player acquisitions or the reworking
of tactics... when things go according to planned the fans usually find a way to accept their unique disposition, whereas when things go awry they become easy targets for fans and pundits alike...
in the case
of Ozil and Sundin, their successes on the international stage and / or with their former teams led many to conclude that if we surrounded such talented individuals with players that have those skills that would most likely bring the best
of these players success would surely follow... unfortunately both the Maple Leafs and our club chose to adopt half - measures, as each were being run by corporations who valued profitability over providing the best possible product on the field... for them, they cared more about shirt sales and season tickets than doing whatever was necessary... this isn't, by any stretch, an attempt to absolve Ozil
of any responsibility for his failures on the pitch... there is no doubt oftentimes his efforts were underwhelming, to say the least, but this club has been inept when it comes to providing this prolific passer with the kind
of players necessary for him to flourish... with our poor man's version
of Benzema up
front, the headless chickens
in Walcott, the younger Ox and Welbeck occupying wide positions far too often and the fact that Carzola, who provided Ozil with great service and more freedom to roam, was never truly replaced, the only real skilled outlet on the pitch was Sanchez... remember to be considered a world - class set - up man
goals need to be scored and for much
of his time here he has been surrounded by some incredibly inept finishers...
in the end, I'm not sure how long he will be
in North London, recent sentiments and his present contract situation seem to suggest that he will depart at season's end, but how tragic would it be if once
again we didn't put our best foot forward and failed to make those moves that could have brought championship football back to our once beloved club... so when you think about this uniquely skilled player don't be so quick to shift all the blame on his shoulders because he will not be the first or the last highly skilled player to find disappointment at the Emirates if we don't rid the club
of those individuals that are truly to blame for our current woes
Time for some brutal honesty... this team, as it stands, is
in no better position to compete next season than they were 12 months ago, minus the fact that some fans have been easily snowed by the acquisition
of Lacazette, the free transfer LB and the release
of Sanogo... if you look at the facts carefully you will see a team that still has far more questions than answers... to better show what I mean by this statement I will briefly discuss the current state
of affairs on a position - by - position basis...
in goal we have 4 potential candidates, but
in reality we have only 1 option with any real future and somehow he's the only one we have actively tried to get rid
of for years because he and his father were a little too involved on social media and he got caught smoking (funny how people still defend Wiltshire under the same and far worse circumstances)... you would think we would want to keep any goaltender that Juventus had interest
in, as they seem to have a pretty good history when it comes to that position... as far as the defenders on our current roster there are only a few individuals whom have the skill and / or youth worthy
of our time and / or investment, as such we should get rid
of anyone who doesn't meet those simple requirements, which means we should get rid
of DeBouchy, Gibbs, Gabriel, Mertz and loan out Chambers to see if last seasons foray with Middlesborough was an anomaly or a prediction
of things to come... some fans have lamented wildly about the return
of Mertz to the starting lineup due to his FA Cup performance but these sort
of pie
in the sky meanderings are indicative
of what's wrong with this club and it's wishy - washy fan - base...
in addition to these moves the club should aggressively pursue the acquisition
of dominant and mobile CB to stabilize an all too fragile defensive group that has self - destructed on numerous occasions over the past 5 seasons... moving forward and building on our need to re-establish our once dominant presence throughout the middle
of the park we need to target a CDM then do whatever it takes to get that player into the fold without any
of the usual nickel and diming we have become famous for (this kind
of ruthless haggling has cost us numerous special players and certainly can't help make the player
in question feel good about the way their future potential employer feels about them)...
in order for us to become dominant
again we need to be strong up the middle
again from Goalkeeper to CB to DM to ACM to striker, like we did
in our most glorious years before and during Wenger's reign... with this
in mind, if we want Ozil to be that dominant attacking midfielder we can't keep leaving him exposed to constant ridicule about his lack
of defensive prowess and provide him with the proper players
in the final third... he was never a good defensive player
in Real or with the German National squad and they certainly didn't suffer as a result
of his presence on the pitch... as for the rest
of the midfield the blame falls squarely
in the hands
of Wenger and Gazidis, the fact that Ramsey, Ox, Sanchez and even Ozil were allowed to regularly start when none
of the aforementioned had more than a year left under contract is criminal for a club
of this size and financial might... the fact that we could find money for Walcott and Xhaka, who weren't even guaranteed starters, means that our whole business model needs a complete overhaul... for me it's time to get rid
of some serious deadweight, even if it means selling them below what you believe their market value is just to simply right this ship and change the stagnant culture that currently exists... this means saying goodbye to Wiltshire, Elneny, Carzola, Walcott and Ramsey... everyone, minus Elneny, have spent just as much time on the training table as on the field
of play, which would be manageable if they weren't so inconsistent from a performance standpoint (excluding Carzola, who is like the recent version
of Rosicky — too bad, both will be deeply missed)...
in their places we need to bring
in some proven performers with no history
of injuries... up
front, although I do like the possibilities that a player like Lacazette presents, the fact that we had to wait so many years to acquire some true quality at the striker position falls once
again squarely at the feet
of Wenger... this issue highlights the ultimate scam being perpetrated by this club since the arrival
of Kroenke: pretend your a small market club when it comes to making purchases but milk your fans like a big market club when it comes to ticket prices and merchandising... I believe the reason why Wenger hasn't pursued someone
of Henry's quality, minus a fairly inexpensive RVP, was that he knew that they would demand players
of a similar ilk to be brought on board and that wasn't possible when the business model was that
of a «selling» club... does it really make sense that we could only make a cheeky bid for Suarez, or that we couldn't get Higuain over the line when he was being offered up for half the price he eventually went to Juve for, or that we've only paid any interest to strikers who were clearly not going to press their current teams to let them go to Arsenal like Benzema or Cavani... just part
of the facade that finally came crashing down when Sanchez finally called their bluff... the fact remains that no one wants to win more than Sanchez, including Wenger, and although I don't agree with everything that he has done off the field, I would much rather have Alexis
front and center than a manager who has clearly bought into the Kroenke model
in large part due to the fact that his enormous ego suggests that only he could accomplish great things without breaking the bank... unfortunately that isn't possible anymore as the game has changed quite dramatically
in the last 15 years, which has left a largely complacent and complicit Wenger on the outside looking
in... so don't blame those players who demanded more and were left wanting... don't blame those fans who have tried desperately to raise awareness for several years when cracks began to appear... place the blame at the feet
of those who were well aware all along
of the potential pitfalls
of just such a plan but continued to follow it even when it was no longer a financial necessity, like it ever really was...
The boss is once
again going for three at the back, with Mertesacker
in the middle, Monreal on the left and Bielik on the right
in front of Cech
in goal.
And
again, a total flop
in front of goal in his Premier League career so far, how would Manchester City's Stevan Jovetic dislodge Olivier Giroud
in the Arsenal attack?
Am never one to excuse our continuous failings and Wenger's general ineptitude but all this talk
of Afobe been another one we missed out on is a bit preposterous and very very premature... yes he's scored a few
goals for Bournemouth but can we all take a step bck and recognise that playing for a team who will be happy just to avoid relegation is very different from playing for a club which demands trophies and high achievements every season (yea, I know we have been found wanting on these
fronts for a long time)... some players are better
in small clubs with limited expectations and very neat to no pressure... that is why history is littered with stories
of good players who went to big clubs and flopped only to go down a few levels and find their form
again....
The Gunners threatened
again when Lacazette and Alexis Sanchez both found themselves bearing down
in front of goal, but the former elected to shoot instead
of passing to his Chilean teammate, and goalkeeper Mathew Ryan made a comfortable save.
Jose Mourinho's men were once
again victims
of their own profligacy
in front of goal, a recurring problem that has begun to concern the Portuguese boss.
Just as he had been
in the first leg, Luis Muriel was wasteful
in front of goal, which begs the question as to why Vincenzo Montella started him over Wissam Ben Yedder yet
again.
His struggles
in front of goal have once
again returned to Schalke
in the 2015 - 16 season.
The mis - firing Mario Gomez has failed to make an impact this season and the loss
again of part time professional patient Guiseppe Rossi has left them longing for
goals at
front, for the team that some had tipped to be challenging for the final Champions League spot, they have been failing to get the crucial
goals in games they should win — 0 - 0 draws
of Sassuolo and Genoa should have been won and a 1 - 1 draw with Torino is not good enough.
Mo Salah was on the score sheet
again in midweek and he, along with Roberto Firmino have both been going well
in front of goal recently.
Simon Mignolet — 6 Let
in three
goals for the second game running, but was let down by those
in front of him yet
again.
He was once
again ruthless
in front of goal, much
in the same way as he was against Liverpool.
Nasri: Rosicky like, but then
again, he lacks fast run and
goal minding sense, we need those kind
of players who can accelerate the game and the passings
in the box spreading toward the
goal: Pass the ball and go fast, cutting from side to side, or from behind to
front, so that Fab can really have the choice on who to pass the ball.
Liverpool have been impressive
again already this season
in front of goal, while Manchester City haven't quite clicked everything together yet, maybe down to getting their new players integrated, but they do look more solid at the back.