If only we could afford to buy Barca strikers who bang in Liga hat-tricks.
ESR got man of the match in our last game playing in the position Auba played and he only played there because Martineli was suspended. Thus far i can grin and bare that hatrick.Originally Posted by Ganpati's Goonerz--AFC's Aboriginal Fertility Cult
Feck Cultural Marxist BLM
Slightly annoying. But, yes. Agreed.
"Plenty of strikers can score goals," he said, gesturing to the famous old stands casting shadows around us.
"But a lot have found it difficult wearing the number 9 shirt for The Arsenal."
Wasn’t really a hat trick…final one was a shot from outside the area he ducked away from but it clipped the top of his hair piece so he was credited with the goal.
Oh, he was playing wide left. Cheers, that does make it slightly more palatable.
Yes, he was great for us there, too. But as you say the new 3 from Gabby, Odin, Saka and ESR is what the attacking side of our game must be based around.
FFS, Laca's been superb dropping deep and also using his strength in and around the box to keep possession and play short passes. We need that more than a traditional goal machine. If he could just score 1 in 3 of the good chances he has, we'd have top 4 nailed on if the other 4 {in 3 positions} behind him keep playing at this level and I'd even give him a contract extension.
If he could take 2 in 3 of the good chances, he'd score 30 a season and if we had no injuries, Partey played at his best all the time and we upgraded GX, then we'd be top 3 and possibly contenders.
But he's scoring less than Gervinho did. Look at that chance 2 games ago at 1-0 up after we'd just gone down to ten men. Should have buried that. Auba would have done.
We need a striker than can do the work of Laca but take chances like Auba and I don't know where we'll find one.
Also, Laca should have had a pen again. But I worry that refs don't like him nipping in front of donkey CHs and getting fouled, even though that's how the game works.
All good points - especially the last one. He is very good at it but refs don't like to give those. Even the one he did get against Villa the ref didn't want to give. Mind you, we'd have more chance of Antonio Conte giving us a penalty at the Lane than Lee Mason and John Moss
He was getting them earlier in the season, but once it started happening every game, they've been more and more reluctant to give them.
It's like one of those tricky wingers back in the day who'd cut inside and draw the foul as soon as he got into the box. But Laca's very good at what he does - he has the strength and foot speed to get there first and they go through the back of his foot and he goes down cos they've fouled him and why should he stay upright if the foul has made him lose his balance? He's not diving. He's not even really drawing the fouls. He sees that he can get his foot in front first, and if he wasn't fouled, a short pass or drag back could create a penalty box scramble and create a chance or a corner.
But now they think it fine to foul him in the box like that. Yet if White or Gabby did it, it would be a nailed on pen.
Oh, PS, LA.
2-3 months ago, I read an article about false 9s and said why don't we play ESR there? Everyone here rightly pointed out that while he'd take loads of the chances Laca's missing, he couldn't do the "dropping deep and also using his strength in and around the box to keep possession and play short passes" bit Laca does so well.
Yet yesterday, Mikel was saying ESR could be a very, very good 9.
But I now agree with what you lot say. A major part of ESR's skill set is that he'll track back and cover to the edge of our own box and then spring forward on the counter. He can do that out-wide or No.10, but couldn't if he was playing as a 9. When we counter in that way, we often end up playing via Laca in the centre circle.
Also strange that he said ESR could play left wing, left AM, right AM and no.9 but not 10 which is what I think his best role would be, though I fully accept Odin's been great there and we should work the other 3 around that.
I'm also not sure what the difference is between a left winger and left AM, and why he can play right AM but not right wing.
I'd still be wary of using him at false 9 because I don't think the team is strong enough for him to play that role - not just him. Interesting about the right wing. I would say attacking midfielders are old-fashioned inside forwards which I think he is perfect to play the role. On the right maybe Arteta doesn't think he has the ability to hog the touchline and play as orthodox winger - were as on the left he has the element of surprise to do that as his left foot is surprisingly good (check out how many goals he scores left-footed). Not really sure though
I've said before that both Wes and I were dreaming of TP5 as DM, Odin and ESR as inside forwards and the front 3. But the two times it was tried, it didn't really work.
I don't watch other teams and stick with what I know so I just want a new Laca who can also take chances. And then we can use any of GM, Odin, Saka and ESR for those 3 positions behind.
2002 worked because we had a front 4 with 5 players - Titi, Dennis, Bobby, Freddie and Skiltord. So if there were injuries, suspensions or substitutions, whichever 4 played could play with each other. Think barring Titi, Skiltord played more games than the others that season, despite him no being theoretically first choice.
So having our current 4 all happy playing with each other cos they can get a rest, come on and off the bench etc and all be contented starting 75% of games and coming on in the others, then this gives us that cover we had in 2002.
Just like I really hope Saliba comes back and comes good. When we could choose 2 of TA, SB and O'L, we won things. As we did when MK replaced O'L. But after SB left in '98, and we only had 2 top notch CHs, we didn't win again until Sol was added to TA and MK. 2003 no league. 2004, have Kolo with Sol and MK. Win.
3 top CHs for 2 starting spots. 4 top no.10s/widemen for 3 spots. New striker and MF. Then have cover at FB and MF.
That's what I'd like.
That's why I'm so annoyed Laca can't score when he's done everything else perfectly. If he could get 15-20 we could give him a contract extension. He's only 30. Then spunk all the summer cash on a MF {and a young gamble striker like Gabby M was} and have another season or two to find the perfect no.9
I just worry MA will do something silly. Like dropping Gabby for Willian after he'd come in at the same time as ESR on Boxing Day the year before, played great for 2 games, then got dropped.
Has young Balogun done anything on loan?
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