Gazza M wrote:

hopefully that front 3 can string some games together

It's kinda incredible that we've managed to play a third of the season without any sort or consistency among the players that are supposed to be our backbone, isn't it. I think Spurs was the first or maybe second time that Özil and Lacazette started together, and I'm pretty sure it was the first time those two started with Alexis.

Whatever people think of the individual players this doesn't help any of them. We're seeing partnerships forming at other clubs right now, like the Morata-Hazard-Fabregas one at Chelsea for instance, and it feels like we're still in preseason by comparison.

Our prep is often pointless. We left preseason having established the first player for every single position in our formation. A few games into the season and we start Alexis at CF, Laca on the bench, and Bellerin and LWB just to allow Ox to play in a position he likes more.

Klaus wrote:

Gazza M wrote:

hopefully that front 3 can string some games together

It's kinda incredible that we've managed to play a third of the season without any sort or consistency among the players that are supposed to be our backbone, isn't it. I think Spurs was the first or maybe second time that Özil and Lacazette started together, and I'm pretty sure it was the first time those two started with Alexis.

Whatever people think of the individual players this doesn't help any of them. We're seeing partnerships forming at other clubs right now, like the Morata-Hazard-Fabregas one at Chelsea for instance, and it feels like we're still in preseason by comparison.

3rd time. they started against everton and swansea. still feels like they've barely gotten started though, you're right about that

Klaus wrote:

Think his touch is really poor. We've wasted a good few chances because he can't trap the ball or receive a pass while moving. His movement and eagerness to get forward partly makes up for it though. I don't understand why Wenger paid so much for a striker that he either benches or subs off at first opportunity. We're a better team with Lacazette on the pitch. If we're going to achieve anything this season it's going to come from him, Sanchez and Özil playing together.

I agree, he lacks the quality required for the very highest level. However, he's miles ahead of Giroud and Welbeck. Since beggars can't be choosers, I still think he was a solid buy.

I don't think his touch is nearly as bad as y'all are making out, but I also don't think it's exactly world class either. Not impossible that it improves either.

Reminds me of Suarez

Or Darren Bent

He's certainly no Harry Kane ain't that right flobs

Reminds me of Eduardo. Really good movement at the top of the frontline. It's amazing how little of that we have had post Henry.

Gurgen wrote:

I agree, he lacks the quality required for the very highest level. However, he's miles ahead of Giroud and Welbeck. Since beggars can't be choosers, I still think he was a solid buy.

I agree, I could't stand the thought of Giroud being our first choice striker for the 6th season, I like the guy but a backup player at best for us. Laca like you say isn't world class but he is very good, however for £47m you ain't buying no world class striker, probably at least double that in today's market.

Coombs wrote:

I don't think his touch is nearly as bad as y'all are making out, but I also don't think it's exactly world class either. Not impossible that it improves either.

It's generally fine but it's deserted him on quite a few occasions at key moments. 

It might be a confidence issue as mentioned above. He needs a couple of braces and a hattrick.

JazzG wrote:

Gurgen wrote:

I agree, he lacks the quality required for the very highest level. However, he's miles ahead of Giroud and Welbeck. Since beggars can't be choosers, I still think he was a solid buy.

I agree, I could't stand the thought of Giroud being our first choice striker for the 6th season, I like the guy but a backup player at best for us. Laca like you say isn't world class but he is very good, however for £47m you ain't buying no world class striker, probably at least double that in today's market.

Literally isn’t. Chelsea bought Morata for £58m potentially rising to £70m. We should’ve made that offer early in the summer when everyone else was shopping around. Or bought him any of the last 4 summers. Morata is a top, top quality forward.

He isn't world class though and he certainly wasn't world class in any of his preceding seasons.

jones wrote:

He's certainly no Harry Kane ain't that right flobs

Honestly your insistence on going on about that Spud mouth breather in every fucking thread is getting tiresome. FFS!

I don't think we had much of a chance getting Morata. He was probably cheap because he made his mind up where to go very early on.

Captain wrote:

He isn't world class though and he certainly wasn't world class in any of his preceding seasons.

Who? Morata? I’ve watched a lot of Juve and Real these past five seasons. That boy has been class. He’s just had limited game time because he plays on teams that are stacked with quality players. That’s like saying guys like Isco weren’t class because they were sitting behind galacticos.

Claudius wrote:

Literally isn’t. Chelsea bought Morata for £58m potentially rising to £70m. We should’ve made that offer early in the summer when everyone else was shopping around. Or bought him any of the last 4 summers. Morata is a top, top quality forward.

Morata is far from the finished article, the guy has never scored more than 15 league goals in a season. If offered I probably still would have chosen Morata for the £58m + addon fee but at the time Man Utd & Chelsea were after him. Man Utd were hot favourites but R.Madrid were happy to fuck all of them around until Utd signed Lukaku. Simply a risk that wasn't worth taking and we took the sensible option. Also would he have even joined us with CL football? I think R.Madrid got a bit caught out with Man Utd abruptly dropping interest and signing Lukaku, they were looking to squeeze them for even more money.

Claudius wrote:

Captain wrote:

He isn't world class though and he certainly wasn't world class in any of his preceding seasons.

Who? Morata? I’ve watched a lot of Juve and Real these past five seasons. That boy has been class. He’s just had limited game time because he plays on teams that are stacked with quality players. That’s like saying guys like Isco weren’t class because they were sitting behind galacticos.

I said he isn't and wasn't world class. That's exactly why he was "sitting behind galacticos".

Captain, the authority on who is and isn't world class. Please share your official roster.

our record away from home as a team has been crap for a while. i don't think he's been too bad on an individual basis away from home

Unfortunately we didn't heed this advice by Henry.
https://www.express.co.uk/sport/football/841133/Thierry-Henry-Arsenal-news-Alexandre-Lacazette-Granit-Xhaka-football-gossip
Our best passers, Xhaka and Ozil should be looking to play him through as their first options rather than the "slow build-up" 5 yard side pass.
It's not only Lacazette who suffers this.
Alexis too, ends up in deep positions looking for the ball.
http://news.arseblog.com/2017/12/wenger-looking-for-better-balance-from-alexis-sanchez/
Giroud also suffers the same till desperation sets in when we are losing in the last 10 minutes.

Thats by design though, thats how Wenger coaches them. You can see players slowly become more like that the longer they play under him.

I don't think that's true at all, by most accounts Wenger lets players do whatever they want. It certainly doesn't stop Coquelin.

It comes from not having any runners in the team, Lacazette is the first one we've had in ages and even then it's just 1 player. When you're used to only having short passing options you're going to stick with that bad habit even when you do have an option. This is why I think we should just sell Giroud, I don't like the style of football he encourages. If/when Sanchez and Ozil go I'd like some runners in that forward line. Anyone who's played football should know how much easier they make things for the creative players.

goon wrote:

 If/when Sanchez and Ozil go I'd like some runners in that forward line. Anyone who's played football should know how much easier they make things for the creative players.

Not just creative players, but fullbacks too. 

Walcott at his peak kept opposition fullbacks and (often) wingers pushed back. We had a free out every time on the right wing when he and Sagna were at their best. 

Now, everyone comes short, asks for the ball, and slows everything down. Yet we don't have any players - Ozil aside - of building play when we're pressured / invite pressure.

Runners? Alexis, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette, Walcott. This team has runners aplenty. It just lacks a manager.

Walcott, despite having all the tools for it (you might even say he only has the tools for it) doesn't really make runs in behind though. It's one of the reasons he flopped so badly as a striker. It's also why he hasn't benefited much from having Özil in the team. On paper it looked like a perfect partnership. In reality they have worse chemistry than Edward and Bella. I think Özil has assisted Mustafi more often than Walcott over the last year.

Last year Theo said that they tried to adapt his game to better suit the flank by showing him videos of Ljungberg, but if they did it didn't stick. Freddie was the king of the deep run. Walcott grew up having no need for timing and reading the game because he could outrun anyone. It's been 3-4 years since you really saw him beat someone for pace in an Arsenal shirt though.

Qwiss! wrote:

Thats by design though, thats how Wenger coaches them. You can see players slowly become more like that the longer they play under him.

Coming to think about it, you are on to something there.
It could be the reason they look much better when playing for their national teams.

I think Wenger probably uses to many small sided games in training. All the training vids you see are pretty much all on compressed pitches. Their is lots of benifits players have less time and space it's faster and each player gets way more touches and the goals are smaller so you can't just blast from distance you actually have to work openings.

But it's probaly part of the reason the defense gets torn apart, why to many players naturally gravitate central and why we can't cross.

Claudius wrote:

Runners? Alexis, Ozil, Welbeck, Lacazette, Walcott. This team has runners aplenty. It just lacks a manager.

See Klaus above on Theo. Alexis hardly ever makes a run in behind, almost always comes short. Welbeck’s movement in infamously bad. Mesut is a creator and Aaron is great at it but only from deep, which isn’t the same.

Mesut is our best player off the ball and he makes runs basically all game.

Well he can't pass it to himself can he.

He's a midfielder, the nature of his runs are different. He's not standing on the shoulder of defenders or bursting beyond them consistently over 90 mins.

I've seen enough of Lacazette now to see that there's a really good player there, but we definitely aren't using him right. We seem to struggle much more to create chances than last season even though he makes good runs, though I don't have stats to back that up.

Are you guys saying all of Liverpool’s players do not have these imperfections? Yet they are able to play a very effective run and gun offense. Because they drill it for hours on end. Up and down, up and down at practice until they get it right. Our players practice keep ball circles and then go negotiate contracts.

We have enough runners. These are top level footballers, playing in a top 6 club, not championship muppets. Xhaka and Jack are good passers who can feed them all day long. The ingredients are there for counter attacking football. We just choose not to play this style of football

2 goals in 10 games. We still don't get him involved enough, but he's also trailing off individually.

I’d hate to be in his position. This guy is much better than we are letting him show

Very disappointed he hasn't scored many more goals, but it's hard to be critical when our team has no clue how to use him properly.

I really wish he was had a greater impact in the decisive moments of the game. He is a nearly there player. He should have had more goals, against United, today and otherwise too.

Looks like he'll be one of those players that for whatever reason can't get things to click for him. Seems to have everything in his locker but for one reason or another always falls short.

That murderer Alonso has 2 less PL goals than him this season ffs.