Alexandre Lacazette says he’s still coming to terms with English football, and that some of the refereeing decisions in the Premier League verge on ‘dangerous’.
The French international has scored four goals since his arrival from Lyon, and revealed he studies his performances for the Gunners so he can improve at his new club. However, it seems the willingness of English referees to allow some of the physical aspects of the game go unpunished has taken him by surprise.
Speaking to SFR Sport, the 26 year old said, “I have not totally adapted yet, there are things that still surprise me, but I am trying. I’ve watched quite a few matches to understand English football.
“I watch quite a lot of my matches with Arsenal and when I look back and see what I didn’t do right, I try to learn from it, which hopefully facilitates my progression.”
Asked what has surprised him about life in English football, he continued, “The refereeing decisions. Sometimes I think it is a bit dangerous.
“But then I see that nobody is shocked, so I tell myself it must be normal.”
It is definitely one of the things new arrivals to the league speak about, but he looks like he’s getting used to it.
Let’s hope he comes back after the international break ready to start racking up the goals.
I think it’s safe to say he’ll take a bit more time to adapt and understand his new team, then hopefully come Christmas/New year he can properly push on start getting some important goals.
Saying that, I can’t fault his attitude so far. 4 goals in 7 isn’t a bad start. Maybe Ozil and Wilshere (based on what he’s shown so far this season) coming back in will help as well? He strikes me as someone that can really benefit from having a great passer in behind him.
He is great at finding space whenever we are in the penalty box. Just that rest of the team is yet to figure him out. Yesterday there were a few instances where he was in a batter position to score. Especially when Sanchez was carrying the ball. If it was ozil,he would have passed to Laca. But I like him. He doesn’t need much time to think what to be done.! Instantaneous! Been a while since we had a good shoot-at-sight striker!
And obviously it didn’t stand, but he had that perfectly legal banger against Stoke robbed of him. I think he’s made a great start.
Its not that we aren’t shocked Alex! its that we’re powerless against incompetent referees.
4 goals in 7 matches, not to mention an goal ruled out for offside by the length of a pube, a couple of post rattlings, and missing what I’m sure he will admit was a sitter against Chelsea.
I can’t wait to see how prolific this guy is when he adds a bit more consistency to his game and things start falling his way!
Isn’t it weird when your club actually signs a striker, despite knowing very well the lack of options in that role for many years.
Well, tbh we did try to sign Suarez and higuain, but those 2 potential transfers had issues with their clubs and agents that’s what led to the breakdowns.
Also knowing Wenger, and prolly due to the board owners (read: kroenke), he’s had to penny pinch and wait for an actual player that can upgrade rather than getting stop gap solutions.
Would you really call that miss against Chelsea a ‘Sitter’? I don’t think so. It happened so suddenly that it took him by surprise. It was also coming at an angle, and at an awkward height toward his left leg. At least, his first against West Brom shows that he knows a thing or two about poaching.
Some pubes can be quite long. I’d say width of a pube (if at all). As even the thickest pube can’t be very wide
you haven’t seen mine!
TMI guys!
what i like about having lacazatte is that he is more than capable of churning out chances for himself. Giroud is a service based striker and for a change it’s nice to have some-one like laca.
I also like the idea that laca will get a rest over the international break, with giroud starting and getting some more minutes under his belt.
Yes, although it may not be ideal from each of their perspectives, for us the beauty is that if one plays, the other doesn’t in most cases!
Yesterday’s ref was pretty poor in my opinion summed up by two corner decisions he gave one to Brighton when neither him or his linesman could have possibly known whether the whole of the ball was out of play the replay showed in fact that Bellerien had indeed kept the whole of the ball from crossing the line yet the ref gives a corner but when a far more obvious corner for us occurred with a Brighton player running the ball completely over the line quite visibly he waves play on ! He also did his level best NOT to… Read more »
I thought the refereeing was poor, but I would not harp on end-line decisions. The linesman has to be in line with the offside “line,” and when a fast attacking winger/wingback/fullback runs by, it is impossible for the official to keep up with him and to get a good angle to be certain the ball is in or out–and this is especially true of a play on the other side of the goal. So, three choices: another official to watch the penalty area (UEFA’s method, though bizarrely the officials are stationed on the same side of the goal as the… Read more »
They can easily use the same technology used for the goal line tech to determine if the ball is over the end line or not. Simply have the watch mechanism worn by the linemen instead. That said, kevin friend had some real difficulties telling if the ball was over the line or not, and he always seemed to give the visitors the benefit of the doubt in this area. Also, dunk wasn’t booked for six fouls which stopped play- two of which were either cynical (pullback during a counter attack, or downright reckless (when he went through the back of… Read more »
Great start to his afc career. But don’t think he or the team have adapted to each other yet. Lots of improvement to come yet
It’s funny how much the referees let happen when its against less physical players. Alot of times, you see players like Alexis or Hazard, get kicked after having released the ball, without the defenders getting punished.
Also noticed that Lacazette yesterday was clearly being pulled in the arm in the penalty box, yet nobody mentions it as a potential penalty, because he decided not to dive, eventhough the defender was clearly outpaced.
Dunk – The Shirtpuller General
I loved his early shot that hammered off the post. Such a clean strike and its promising that he is looking to take those kinds of shots right from the whistle. A few inches to the left and we would be really singing his praises today.
Rumour has it that the post has yet to stop rattling and has been on the blower to the union of goalposts seeking changes to the maximum amount of force that shots can cannon off it.
There is one football and one way to referee! I wonder why the English feel free to handle football in a special way. And we can see how successful it is for the national team…
Wenger has been careful with him by substituting/resting him regularly.
I hope Giroud continues to start for France, both giving him the playing time as well as further resting Lacazett. Lacazette will not be used to playing without a winter break.
Maybe the PL needs to consider reffing in a more standard way. Maybe this has something to do with England under-performing due to a style of play that doesn’t work on a European and Worldwide stage…
Wenger tends to buy well in market. Lacazette has been an excellent signing as has Kolasinac. Lets not forget it isn’t the media that signed these two. Wenger has had his poor signings but he tends to pay low so they have minimal impact on our finances (bar Debuchy maybe) Where we can level some criticism on him maybe if he doesn’t go the extra step and buy enough. Perhaps as well, he tends to give wantaway players a bit too much leeway but you have to say the market has been absolutely insane last summer. Sure we have a… Read more »
Didn’t take him long to discover that the refs either useless or curupt.
Can’t wait V.A.R will make refs up their game our catch them cheating
For V.A.R……..
Welcome to the real world,Bro.