With Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang suspended for the next three games, the goalscoring burden will lie heavily with Alexandre Lacazette when we face Sheffield United, Chelsea and Bournemouth.
The problem right now though is that the Frenchman isn’t scoring and hasn’t found the net since early December. He’s working hard for the team, something Mikel Arteta is impressed with, but with goals hard to come by, the lack of finishing is a bit of a worry.
Asked if it was something that was troubling him, the Arsenal manager said, “It’s a concern for me if he’s concerned about it.
“In relation to his performances, I am really happy with him. The way he contributes to the team, I’m really happy. He’s setting up goals for the rest, he’s creating chances for the rest of his teammates, his work out of possession has been phenomenal.
“He has missed chances in those games, he could have put four or five goals together easily, and for him that’s a bit strange, but you have these ups and downs, and he’s still going to be a very important player.”
It’s not uncommon for strikers to go through fallow periods, and while accepting that his players need to make chances for the 29 year old, Arteta also made it clear that the onus is on Laca to finish them.
“You can help him by talking to him and giving him confidence, but that ball has to end up in the net,” he said.
“I think that’s the best medicine for strikers. What we have to try to do is put Laca in positions where he can have as many opportunities to do that as possible during a game.”
I have to say if the rumours are true then I’d welcome his departure, I would bloody miss him no doubt, but he isn’t really for me one of those players who I think should never leave – not sure we have many of them left.
The money would be welcome, a decent midfielder and a centre half would be welcome. Eddie getting a lot of games would be welcome.
oh how the tide turns – we’re talking about changing the player of the year for a newbie who didn’t break through at le*ds. Laca’s role is most often similar to what Giroud’s was like and he’s getting no love same as the latter was. every forward goes through dry spells – and our build ups were recently aimed at giving most of the chances to Auba as he’s on fire. let’s see how we restructure without him – it’ll actually be a good show of Mikel’s abilities. Auba won’t be on such a streak forever – and when he’ll… Read more »
I don’t have a problem with the player at all. I like him a lot. But we just cannot afford to carry assets on our books while not having the money to strengthen where we need.
It is pragmatic. It is understanding where we sit as a club and knowing what we need to do.
In a different time I would give him a pay raise but these are hard times.
that’s why i’m saying we should sell Auba in the summer, as asset-wise it makes more sense given his age and value compared to Laca.
Laca is much more of a utility man, with additional knack for scoring goals, who would command smaller value whilst leaving a bigger gap to fill (assuming Auba can’t keep his scoring streak forever, which i think it’s only fair).
then we’d need to find someone akin to Alexis to chip in whilst being more of an actual winger than Auba is, which would also sort our structural imbalance out.
Yes let’s sell a world class striker in the summer and gamble with a replacement. What a crazy idea
Auba’s a speed merchant and will steadily decline with age. he’s also not good at playing with his back to the goal, which is essential to play centrally, whilst also missing winger’s attributes to be.. well, a winger. i’m a big fan of him, honestly, but agree with AussieGooner that we need to be pragmatic – and even if we don’t sell him this summer for a sizable fee, he’ll become much less important in two years’ time if he stays. if we were rich and famous, i’d keep him. if we’re rebuilding – and we are – i’d sell… Read more »
I think its fair to say auba is the utility man out of the 2, haven’t seen Laca play anywhere else but striker for us, Auba on the other hand… Both these guys are losing their pace slowly but surely, maybe laca more so even though he’s younger, they both have relied on their pace throughout their careers, so it’s a bit worrying how we rely on them so much…
We could just bring Alexis back, he would stroll into arteta’s starting eleven
I agree with your statement about how the tide has turned. We fans are sometimes way too fickle – anyone remembers it was Laca who gave Auba the chance to take a penalty last season to regain his confidence? Now the situation is the other way around. Laca will get back to his best. Everyone is worrying a bit too much about Laca’s lack of goals.
I think it was actually Auba that gave Laca the penalty chance, not the other way round. Maybe all Laca needs is just another penalty?
It sounds like you talking about our German superstar.
There’s no way we should let Laca leave. He’s one of our very few decent players. Plus Eddie and Martinelli, although having a lot of promise, are still very young. Letting Laca go could put us in a similar situation to Sp*rs, should Auba get injured – without a senior striker.
i’d love to be a fan of Eddy, given he’s our own, but i just can’t see a player of his type in the modern game. he doesn’t seem suited to a centre forward role given his (lack of) physicality and was never developed as a wide forward. he could work in a messi-like role of false 9, but he would really need to be a wonderkid to have the team’s structure built around that, and then i’d still be unsure of this setup can work in PL. i’d be delighted to be proven wrong, but i don’t have high… Read more »
Eddie*
He has the attributes to be a decent winger, I believe arteta will build him into a player ready to play anywhere along the front 3, watch this space.
I’d prefer to see Martinelli taking up any slack really. 8 goals this season when he has had marginal time on the field and a great attitude.
I think we should improve the defence and midfield to match our 200m attack not sell bits of it to reinvest elsewhere
If one leaves sign (or promote) somebody equivalent
I don’t Laca’s recent diving and play acting and generally attitude. He needs to stop moaning and get on with the game.
Agreed
Loved his assist and general link play v Palace though, much improved from last few games, hopefully he keeps that going, he needs to do a firmino type job if he wants to stay in an Arteta team, especially as he seems to have lost his ball carrying ability.
He will pick up, I’m sure, the sooner the better. Class player, we need more goals.
Fucking monster of a footballer, he might not be getting the goals at the moment, but his contribution is first class, I think he’ll thrive without Aubameyang just as much as Auba thrives with Lacazette.
Form is temporary but class is permanent laca is a class striker who is going through a rough patch right now, but the talent is there for all to see.Am optimistic he will play with his scoring boot over the weekend.COYG
I’ve said before that I found Lacazette a much better and more complete player than I expected when he arrived. Much stronger on the ball, very good, quick short exchanges, good vision, good runs, uses much more of the pitch on the ball and creates space for others. Deserved to be our player of the year last season. Of course, he needs to score, but let’s not get hysterical.
It would be better to sell Auba than Laca. Considering their ages and contract situation.
Lacca brings more than goals to the table, He is very all rounded, I can see him playing in any forward position to great effect. You cannot say the same for Auba, if you take away his goals…he can go games where you do not see him at all…not the case with Lacca even if he does not score, you will see him in the game
Yet laca never gets risked on the wing, he has lost his pace early
So never mind the goals he is scoring for us. Anyone who wishes to sell Auba is not thinking straight
Kinda shocked to read that Laca is 29 all the same, thought he was about 27. Makes a big offer seem more tempting
I like him, he’s a real worker, he is lacking confidence in front of goal…I can’t understand the huge confidence in Eddie who although he has much promise, L***s didn’t see fit to play him regularly…
Different styles/philosophy perhaps. Doesn’t mean he is not a good player. Maybe Bielsa wouldn’t fancy Auba too
I see his role being similar to Firmino for Liverpool, focused more on dropping deep and linking play than on just scoring goals. We’ve seen Aubameyang struggle to hold the ball up and bring others into play in the same way but it’s pretty important for a lone CF. There’s a reason that Arteta starts him up top ahead of Auba instead of dropping him like Freddie did. The onus needs to be on our other players to chip in more, Ozil and Pepe especially could do more in front of goal.
Unfortunately Laca is no where near a 10 nor a skilled dribbler like Firmino. Arsenal can’t replicate a team’s playing style like Liverpool or Man City with current squad.
Just a thought, is Arteta keeping Eddie till the end of the month as back up whilst Auba is suspended and then sending him back too Leeds. Can he do that? Bamford is seriously underperforming and this could make Leeds more willing to give Eddie more game time?
We recalled him because Leeds weren’t playing him. Was linked to Bristol before being kept on by Arteta as he impressed in training.
A player can’t play for more than 2 clubs in a season s
The assist for Auba’s goal against Crystal Palace is a thing of beauty…and the way Aubameyang received it and slightly changed its trajectory to nullify the defender’s threat, before shooting…time and space…Wenger’s gospel as practiced by Bergkamp, Thierry Henry, Mesut Ozil and now Lacazette. Sad that he’s hit a bit of trough in his form but it happens to all players at some point.
He can and should be scoring. Seems half a second slow on the trigger. Otherwise the work rate and the combative effort he puts in for us solely justifies him being up top in the central role where he can harass defenders, compete for high balls and act as a node to draw in the wider strikers. He’s been superb for us. Hopefully we can keep him another season at least bc he will be prey to poaching (Athletico apparently has an eye on him). We are no longer it seems just vulnerable to the Rmadrids or Citys of this… Read more »
He’s 28 until he’s 29
There should also be goals in Martinelli and Pepe (Nelson). Laca is adept at playing others in from a central position.
We just need to be taking more shots and scoring more to alleviate whatever defensive frailties.
I had a dream last night that we beat Man City 5-3 and Laca scored with a fucking rocket from behind the half way line! He has to stay so he can do that!