Arsene Wenger says the fact that new boy Alexis Sanchez can play in a number of positions up front was a key factor in his purchase from Barcelona.
Looking to boost his team’s attacking potency, the manager eschewed the purchase of a more traditional central striker, and splashed out £30m+ on the Chilean who can fill a number of roles in the Gunners front three.
Speaking to the press ahead of today’s Emirates Cup, Wenger said, “He is a striker and he’s a good finisher. He made a great impression in Italy – I saw him there and he was really outstanding.
“Then at Barcelona it was a bit more difficult. But it’s like you could see with Neymar at Barcelona, because there you have Messi. You see Neymar with Brazil and Neymar with Barcelona and it’s not the same. I like the fact he can play left, right, up front and that’s why I went for him.”
And it looks is the Arsenal manager is going to use his early appearances to gauge his most effective position.
“At the moment I want to see him in both positions. But I took him because he is a player who has the qualities of Walcott, he goes behind the defenders off the ball. And with the quality of his runs he can be very important for us.”
Sanchez is pencilled in for an appearance against Monaco tomorrow, but those in attendance today may get the first glimpse with Wenger hinting he could use him in the game against Benfica.
Fun times.
Go rip em up Sanchez
Why all these ads with Russian underneath?
They think you’re an Arshavin fan. Which you should be. 😛
Wenger you are a Magician.
“But it’s like you could see with Neymar at Barcelona, because there you have Messi” – has Wenger had a stroke? I really didn’t understand that whole paragraph.
You might have noticed that Neymar for Brazil is significantly better than Neymar with Barca, because at Barca his job is to tee up Messi. He’s saying that since Sanchez had to set up Messi at Barca, he couldn’t shine the way he probably will with us.
He went on to say
“You see Neymar with Brazil and Neymar with Barcelona and it’s not the same.”
Basically he’s saying that Neymar is a different player when not having to play in Messi’s shadow.
He was comparing Alexis’ situation at Barca with that of Neymar. Now that he’s free, he can express himself on the pitch to his full potential.
I’m so excited by the Sanchez signing. But if you guys will grant me a little moan. He said the same of Podolski! Hopefully he’s right this time around.
I think Sanchez suits our playing style much more than Podolski. Not that Poldi has done poorly in my opinion
Want Sanchez to play today
Going to have a punt on Sanchez for top scorer in the premier league this season. Only £5 bet mind don’t want to get carried away
I’d like to think Ramsey has that nailed-in already.
I gave both these posts a thumbs up, maybe I am hedging my bets or maybe they will be JOINT top scorers.
Up The ARSEnal
Plus, he also pets rabbits. I wonder if that was what AW meant about versatility.
So excited about the season but worried about the first few games without some key players.
Reassuring words please folks….
there, there…
Thanks x
Always Fancied Alexis… Always Felt Barca reduced His Abilities… There Was a Time When Whenever Barcelona Played against Madrid and Alexis got a Clear Cut Chance, He Just Puts it away with Ease (Lots of the Kind Oli’roud sorta Missed Last Season against the “Big” Teams) All of That Would be More Appreciated if there wasnt a Messi Doing alot More Magical Things… I hope He Replicates that Here For Us, the Guns… And Scores hat-tricks From the Three Positions Wenger Mentioned. Left Wing, Right Wing and Centre against Bale Money FC., Abramo’B*tch FC., Glazers United Investments Plc., Sheikh Mansour… Read more »
This was one of the most cringeworthy things I’ve ever read. Why Are You Capitalizing The First Letter Of Every Word?
Because I Fucking Can!!! Lol…
I Happen to Find write Ups Looking like this one Attractive… 😉
Can’t wait to see him in an arsenal shirt, I’m there on Sunday so hope he gets a run out. If someone had said a year ago we would have Sanchez and ozil in the squad I would of laughed in their face. Great times!!!!!!!’
If Sanchez stays fit, I don’t see anyone beating him to the golden boot with the amount of chances we make.
Except if Sturridge takes penalties for the mugsmashers. Nobody can beat those statistics…
I wonder if the conjecture surrounding a Reus deal being agreed pre World Cup are true? Alexis certainly has the quality and versatility do push us forward and can rotate. Both would be nice.
We have been sleeping to long……time for this fucking giant to wake up and claim back whats ours!! COYG
Phew…
My gut feeling is that Sanchez is not a striker. He’s too small, especially for the premiership.
He looks a lot more like a Pires/Ljunberg/Overmars than a Henry/Wright/RVP type of player.
This is my only concern about our squad right now. Giroud is still our only legitimate striker. (Too early to count Sanogo or Campbell at this point)
And as much as I love Giroud the truth is I personally can’t imagine Arsenal winning premiership or champions league with Giroud leading the attack.
@JimmyJames I don’t think it’s about size, it’s about strength. Yes Sanchez is small, but he’s small like Aguero or Suarez. He’s a fighter, it’s part of his game, and he also has the technical ability to hold up play. He should actually make a very good striker, just perhaps not the hulking number 9 you’re thinking of.
He’s not small like Aguero/Suarez, he’s in fact much smaller.
Also he has never really played as a striker, right wing being his most common position followed by left wing and “behind striker” role. And its probably too late in his career to covert him. (he’ll be 26 this year)
Not criticising him by the way, just pointing out Alexis Sanchez is simply not a striker.
Suarez 5’11”
Aguero 5’8”
Sanchez 5’7”
more?
Eduardo 5’10”
Owen 5’8”
Messi 5’7”
Nasri 5’10”
Silva 5’8”
Hazard 5’8”
Coutinho 5’8”
Sterling 5’7”
I don’t know why jimmyjames is getting thumbed down above, all he said was Sanchez is not a striker, or more specifically a center forward. It’s true, he has mostly played on the wing as a wide forward.
But he is not much smaller than Aguero, and plenty of similar sized players do just fine.
I think he’s too big, too round too square. I mean there’s never been any awesome small strikers like Nobhead Owen or Suarez or Aguero or Soldado
i think us gooners need to forget about another thierry henry playing for us again.
he was a one-off, i doubt anywhere in the world will we ever see a striker like him again.
physique, pace, power, strength,dribbling, passing, finishing, skill, vision, control, the king had all of this in his locker.
Yes Messi, Ronaldo haven’t got any of that. Blinkers much?
Come on, man. You a Gooner or not?
I clearly said a “striker”.
Ronaldo is a winger. Messi, regardless of where he plays, will always be a playmaker to me.
Any chance we can all use the same charming sentence that we apply to john terry for Stephen gerrard. He gets on my tits. The only thing that can be levelled at the gooners is the European cup and I think we would have won it at least 5 times in those years that english teams were banned from Europe because of the mugsmashers. Other than that we are second to none for history and class (no team t shirts supporting racists here) plus ignoring history we have the best manager and stadium in the uk. Gerrard by rights should… Read more »
Wengerout.
You don’t know what you are doing, mister Wenger.
Why the hell did you waste £30m on a player you didn’t know which position he will play in.
Wengerout
I seems like half of the readers at Arseblog news do not understand irony
Might be a Gooner that doesn’t mean I’m stupid enough to think that Henry was the best player ever. I do agree that Sanchez is not a striker though. I was just being miserable earlier..
He’s short and not very stocky. He’s about 9 and a half stone. Suarez is nearer 6ft. He’s also never played as a striker apart from for Chile and they don’t really have a formation.
I’d like you to point where anybody said he was “the best player ever”.
Umm I think he played up front almost exclusively at udinese.
so you guys aren’t happy about what he has to offer? Truly are you arsenal fans? Lamenting on everything he isn’t instead of the fantastic things that he is?
shame on you.
Some folks just don’t get sarcasm
Mcgooner, especially when it’s not funny 😉
And Lamb Bhuna (think I’ll have that for dinner tonight), while Messi an Ronaldo may have all those listed attributes, the one thing neither of them have is an Invincible Premier League Winners Medal.
Had my jersey on today and walking to my car after lunch at rosecrans & sepulveda. Barely know any soccer fans here and these old lady in her 70’s yelled out at me ” “Did u see the match today 5-1. yipeee, this is our season” that felt a special kind of good.
Y’know, people have said how much Osil will enjoy playing with Alexis as an outlet for his incisive passes, but I think the bigger benefit of signing Alexis is that it takes the pressure off Osil.
I think Osil feels pressure a bit, and now that he’s no longer the “big name signing” he can get on with just being fucking brilliant.
Which is… fucking brilliant!