Although he was taken off at half-time on Saturday, Arsene Wenger has backed Alexis Sanchez to come good when he’s properly match fit.
The Chilean striker struggled to make much of an impact in a first half in which the same could be said about most of his teammates, and the Arsenal manager believes he’ll regain his confidence when his fitness improves.
“At the moment he is not completely ready physically,’ said the boss said. “He knows he is not at his best physically but when he is his confidence will come back.”
The manager also gave his backing to Olivier Giroud. The Frenchman was the subject of criticism in midweek after his poor display against Besiktas, but made a vital impact in the second half at Goodison Park, as well as scoring the Gunners equaliser.
“You never have to set any limitations for any player,” he said of the former Montpellier man. “For me, he’s improving every year and don’t rule it out that he scores 25.”
Wenger went on to suggest that he might be in the market for another forward – particularly if Lukas Podolski leaves – but outlined the difficulty.
“All of our opponents look for strikers as well and nobody finds a world-class striker available who is better than the strikers you have.”
I thought he was ok on the weekend. Give him time to adjust to the pace and get fit and all will be well.
Don’t know about adjusting to the pace. He didn’t look particularly unfit to me either, what with his crazy workrate and speed against Everton. (That run back to snuff out the counterattack after Chambers had been caught out of position in the middle of the Everton half, for example. He was back making runs up front just a couple of seconds later.) Seems to me like his main problem at the moment is his short passing, what the manager likes to call the ‘zippy’ stuff. So its probably more to do with integrating into the team than about coping with… Read more »
“5-2 on the 27th” : love it mate. Maybe 5-1 this year?
Form is temporary
Skills are parmanent
Alexis will come good.
Spelling is difficult 🙂
and you are the spokes-person of all pedants 🙂
*spokesperson
Whats going on? No newspaper reports of flying pigs or hell freezing over today. Thought I’d better check cos the Spuds are top of the league. Never thought I’d see that in my lifetime.
It’s a rare event but can occur at the start of the season when fixtures are kind to them. Scum can rise to the top for a brief moment.
Over time their true natural shiteness will emerge as always and drag them down towards the arse (Man U) end of the table.
Setting aside the impact that Alexis has had so far, the work rate that he is putting up on the pitch even at his less than 100% level is highly impressive
I agree. Did anyone notice that huge sprint he made down to defend during the Everton match?
Even something as simple as the goalkeeper having to pump it into the stands can gain back possession and start an attack. Nothing makes me respect a player more than when I see them sprinting at the goalkeeper
Except when that player is Tevez 🙂
Yes Rambo that was one of the high points of the match for me. Seeing a star who sprints back to make tackles: class.
hope it rubs off on ozil a little.
Ooo laaa laaa !!
Stupidly impressed with Alexis work rate closing down and defending. We should really sign more Barca players if this is their philosophy. In regards to a striker – if Poldi, and assumedly Ryo are off out, then personally I wouldn’t be against bringing in Remy. I know this is has already been downvoted at this point. But Wenger is right in that who can we sign who is better than Giroud? Who would be available? If no-one (I hope there is someone!) Then why not a PL experienced striker who can bench Giroud from time to time. Its undeniable that… Read more »
Why not Reus?
Because that’s completely unrealistic. Let’s go for Cavani instead!!1!!1
I got a creative solution to all our problem. Take DNA sanples from Henry and Tony Adams and clone them. While we are at it why not Bergkamp Overmars and Viera.
Or we could be priactive in the next few days
I meant proactive. Finding difficult to adjust to this new phone
Sell podolski?! WHY?!
If diaby is still in the team, surely poldolski derserves his place, especially when you consider that he is by far the most clinical finisher we have!
Bobs
Podolski is moving because he wants to play in the first team while we can only keep him on the bench for mega-bucks.
Diaby on the other hand cannot be moved on because there are no takers given his injury record.
well considering cazorla isn’t getting any younger and seems to have lost a yard of pace AND campbell is new to the league and will probably need time to bed in, surely podolski deserves to start on the left, at least for time being?
He’s hardly going to come out and say he’s spunked £35mill on a pile of horsecrap.
Yeah, I mean, probably because he didn’t.
Why would he have to, when that’s a load of bollocks anyway?
Suarez scored 4 goals in his first six months in the EPL (played 13 times), so it’s clear that even the best need time to adapt. I am sure Sanchez will come good once he adapts and will be a regular scorer come the end of this season. Even without goals, his workrate is just amazing, the guy just don’t know how to walk!
And when he was calling teammates to close down everton players when we lost the ball. Impressive
With him and Rosicky we can press teams to death
Yeah I 100% agree. I think even if we dont win it this year which we can I definately think next year when Alexis has had a full year to settle in and learn how his teammates work, Chambers will be more experienced, so will Oxlade, Gnabry, Joel Campbell, Sanogo, hopefully everyone will have a good pre-season next year i.e not missing players like Theo, Ozil, Per etc and perhaps most importantly Shad Forsythe will have had a year to implement his methods and will hopefully be paying dividends by then. Patience my fellow Gooners.
anyone else hear the story of alexis when he went shopping and lost his keys, tells you a lot about him…
Arsenals trophy cabinet will also shine at the end of the season
I thought Alexis played well closing down the rest of the team wasn’t up with his pressing ! Lis I think everton were lucky to be winning if Chamberlain had his shooting boots on he could have put us well in front
“don’t rule it out that he scores 25….”
Wenger means to add “….however small that chance might be!”
Guys be real. Giroud is a great link up man, but even Wenger himself is not counting on him to bang in 25. Wenger is counting on Giroud to facilitate his midfield goal scorers. I am not short shifting him as his total productivity (goals + assists) is very respectable. When he says something like this, he is trying to protect and turn attention away from his players to himself.
Alexis coming back, coming back from what?
Of course Harvey Spector will shine, oh I mean Sanchez will shine.
how long before we start reading articles on how Alexis Sanchez is ‘nicking a living’ from neil ashton and his fellow shortsighted morons?or are they busy asking why wenger bothered to buy Mesut Ozil,’a man who cant tr
ack,cant defend,cant run about’ instead of Grant Holt and Chris Samba?
BBC Sport has already put out a moronic ‘article’ on Arsenal’s ‘problems’ following Saturday (which, lest we forget, saw a spirited comeback) and said ‘article’ already implies that the ‘journalist’ has made up his kind about Alexis after a match and a half of football. The only heartening thing about it is (for the first time ever) the comments section, where a wide range of supporters call out the author for his idiocy.
is it not stupid for people to keep making the same mistakes-call a player a flop after a few games before he ends up disappointing them?they did it with BERGKAMP and PIRES.anyway i am tempted to run onto their website and call them names but i wont give them that pleasure
What an asinine article. Apparently, according to the BBC, Alexis doesn’t possess the ‘physical presence’ to play up front. This is the expert verdict on a man whose pecs are bigger than my wifes tits. And she is lactating.
But then, not quite as asinine as the experts who thought Arsenal were top of the league due to a ‘friendly fixture schedule’, and continued to make that stupid claim when more than 18 rounds had been played.
Fitness aside, when his English and relationship with others improves, he will feel more at home.
Just like Wenger, I don’t worry about Alexis. He’ll surely come good. As for the striker issue, how I wish we could pull off another ‘Eduador like’ signing.
As good as Eduardo. as big as Ecuador???
Great idea, let’s hope so.
Grant Holt lives up to the latter requirement, but sadly I don’t think he’ll ever be as good as Eduardo, even if he decided to cut down his commuting time and just camp out in a bakery.
Cue headlines tomorrow morning”Wenger targets Grant Holt to replace FLOP Gunnersaurus as the club mascot”
Its so unrealistic but I wish we could add another striker who is at the least on par with Giroud – 25 could become 40/50 goals. I mean you know i am Italian and i would have welcomed Balotelli but once he has his issues, falcao… Yes please, cavani…. Yes please…. But hey being a arsenal man doesn’t come so easy and luxorious. We believe in our players and stock by them.
Sorry i just woke up so excuse any ignorance/misspelling etc….
I’m not a major Balotelli fan if we had to have paid big money …but I have to say for 16m he would’ve been a great addition.
It’s not a question of Alexis will come good. He already is. Has some parallels when Bergkamp (god ) arrived and the players took a while to get on his wave length. THAT turned out ok in the end didn’t it.
well Mandzukic was availible in the summer.. but..
.. in Wenger I trust.
Unfortunately, Wenger is correct when he says:
“All of our opponents look for strikers as well and nobody finds a world-class striker available who is better than the strikers you have.”
This is very much the case. It’s hard to find good strikers. Which is why it would be completely insane to sell Podolski at this point.
I remember when Eduardo joined he initally struggled a lot, but even early on Wenger confidently predicted an ‘Eduardo explosion’ come Christmas time when he’d had a chance to settle. And guess what, from about December/January, Eduardo started scoring and would not stop.
I have no doubts that Alexis will follow suit and in time show us all how good he is. We ain’t seen nothing yet.
Good point. Do we think that we will get a Sanogo explosion?
Would love it, though not overly optimistic.
I can see sanchez flopping, loses the ball way too much.
Sanchez was rubbish at Goodison Park, and so far hasn’t set the world on fire; but to be fair to him he needs time. I seem to remember a certain Dennis Berkamp having a rough start at our club – and turned out to be ok. For me the problem is simple: we need a 30-goal-a-season striker – and Sanchez isn’t one. His record at Barcelona was about one in three, which is ok but not good enough to win us the title. Until we sign an Aguero or a Luis Suarez or any other top goalscorer we continue to… Read more »
#ComeOnYouChilean!!!
.
You made us all fucking happy by signing…
Now make us all fucking proud!!!
#COYG!
He will definitely take more time to adjust, but lot a lot. A front three of Alexis, Walcott and Giroud for me is the best combination.
You could see from a couple of breaks we had he wasn’t quite sure where to make his run, due to not knowing his teammates yet, predicting a pass etc..he does have a wonderful change of direction with the ball, he did pretty much a full 360 with the ball and left their defender/midfielder for dead, he’s going to turn defenders for fun real soon!
I seriously hope Sanchez becomes the next Bergkamp because….
…Ozil is the next Arshavin. He doesn’t look interested at all
I couldn’t give a shit personally. Just happy to have players like Sanchez around! Would love Podolski to stay though… pretty sure he’d provide plenty of goals. How about using him in a 4-4-2? Alongside Giroud. It’d give us more strength across the middle, stopping the other team breaking so easily. And with two dedicated strikers we’d probably damage teams. Giroud and Poldi up front… ouch. With Sanogo and Campbell as other options. Maybe Sanchez. Cazorla, Sanchez, Özil, Ramsey, Theo, Ox, Rosicky, Wilshere, Diaby, Flamini, Arteta, across the middle in any particular order. Surely there’s enough there to be creative… Read more »
Yep Podolski is the most clinical finisher we have. If he goes, I want someone else in who has a similar strike ability.
I like Podolski but :
Frankly he should be sold on.
1) We will need to make space and balance the books slightly should we still want to add quality at end of window…which we should.
2) he is 29 and coming to last season left on contract.
3) We have Campbell, Ox, Walcott, Santi, Alexis AND Ganbry on the wings
4) he does not (for whatever reason) play regularly enough for us.
proviso we spend on another CF, it will be a good sale to egt anything upwards of 10m for Poldy.
I think sanchez and giroud would work well together in a 4-4-2 or sanchez being behind him in a CF position
What I really like about Alexis is his work rate.
“All of our opponents look for strikers as well and nobody finds a world-class striker available who is better than the strikers you have.”
Shots fired at Pool haha
The selection available drops thereafter several big names when you consider the progress sanogo and Campbell are making. No Remy or mediocre players please. if we are going to spend up top, we either go for the best or none at all. IMO Falcao’s situation is likely being watched. A lot depends on the Di Maria sale pending and what RM want to do with thereafter. I’ve seen rumours of similar Balotelli loan deals for an Italian club. We should be able to beat that should we have the gumption to buy Falcao. he is the perfect fit up top… Read more »
We should not laugh at Pool and Balotelli. They have to be taken seriously.
United will likely also re-arm.
We need to add firepower up top IMO before we even think of ‘DM’
And before either, we should get a Cback. That would be crucial.
OTOH 😀
Seems like the press never learn.
Like Spurs last season ( or for the matter 18 seasons and running). Liverpool this season. 7 new players + Balotelli and they are favorites to win the title suddenly. A ‘no brainer’.
Indeed. They can’t even beat City.:)
Shorn of Giroud and Sanogo, Alexis most suitable strike partner IMO could be Campbell. Alexis is frankly wasted as a CF where he gives us more mobility attacking players from RW cutting in and given space to exploit/roam. Campbell is likely (at 5’10”) better in holding the ball back to goal and creating space (as he did for Costa Rica) An Alexis/ Campbell combo (with maybe either of Santi or Ox in close attendance from LW) couold be devastating. We will have sufficient nuisance in the box with Campbell (as we have if with Sanogo) but the added threat of… Read more »