Winter Transfer Speculation

[I am invisible]

I think you've summed up the problem with Welbeck already in this post. What I wrote was just a comparison on how long both have played up front and what they produced. As said with Welbeck, he needs time to adapt to the team and learn the role. Which is why I'm hesitant to say we should play him up front right now. He really needed a pre season to work on his game but injury has robbed him of that and it's very risky to play him up front now. He's had games where he looks totally ineffective and anonymous. In theory he should be the guy to take the role. He has the physique and speed to come short to link up play, hold up the ball, win it in the air and play on the shoulder. But I also thought Podolski would make an ideal striker.

When a striker gets zero chances and looks totally anonymous, I worry. More so than a striker that isn't clinical. My problem with Giroud now is the lack of shots he's getting on goal when we're playing ball to feet. I have a similar problem with Danny up front but hopefully he can work on that this summer. But it still leaves us with problem up front this season. Also, I don't want us going into the summer again waiting on Theo or Danny to play well up front which is what I fear Wenger will do. I think the way Theo is playing right now on the wing rules him out as a winger. We haven't seen enough of Welbeck but I'd rather not take a risk with him up front. Except maybe for a cup game or even Barca. Just not the league. I also hear what you're saying about Theo and Giroud's limitations and I wish we'd adopt a two striker system. I think they'd work well as a pair up front. But it's unlikely we'll change that.

Yeah, perhaps this isn't the time to be playing around with that idea either, and Theo or Giroud are the best bets for now?

To be honest though, when you look at this...

http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/statistics

...then I think you've got to be pointing the finger at pretty much the whole of the midfield and attack when it comes to goals? I know we've been hampered by injuries, and to a certain extent we've just had to muddle through the last couple of months any which way we could, but it still makes for pretty dismal reading. Giroud and Sanchez have weighed in with their fair share (which isn't to say that they can now put their feet up), but no one else even looks close to breaking double-figures at the moment, and that's just not good enough. At this point, I'm pinning my hopes more on returning players giving us the numbers and options we need to allow us to put everyone back in their proper place again, but we need to rediscover our shape and cohesion bloody quick! Like 'before we go to that shit hole up the road in a couple of weeks' quick! That gives us a bare handful of games to get something figured out.

With regards to our summer plans, I could live with us taking a gamble on working with Welbeck or Walcott as CFs, if - IF - we bring in another world-class wide forward for the right. As long as we bring in a world-class attacker somewhere across that front line, I think we'll be OK...

[selassie]

I think Walcott has frustrated us repeatedly over his career but there are far too many of our fans who have pointed to us playing well without him as proof we don't need him whilst ignoring the fact that we have played best when he has been on the field this season.

He's not popular at the moment but the fact we seem to see the best out of our 2 best players in Sanchez and Ozil when he plays is ignored at our peril. If pace really is all you need then Man ure really should sign Usain Bolt who is shamefully a fan of theirs and regularly whores himself to them.

Whilst we have the options we do I'd prefer we use Walcott up front a little more than we have been.............. but yes, sign Aubameyang this summer FFS.

Think that ship has sailed now, Wenger chances it in the market, he's known for putting offers in then walking away if they are not accepted.

It will take a massive offer to get Aubameyang in the summer and I suspect we'll face heavy competition for his signature.

Wouldn't be surprised if we go into next season with the same set of forwards. Welbeck will phase out Giroud, that's how I see Wenger operating.

[Niall_Quinn]

Utd are lining up a £70mill deal, according to the newspapers. So definitely true. But in this market that's what it will probably take.

[Power n Glory]

Yeah, perhaps this isn't the time to be playing around with that idea either, and Theo or Giroud are the best bets for now?

To be honest though, when you look at this...

http://www.arsenal.com/first-team/statistics

...then I think you've got to be pointing the finger at pretty much the whole of the midfield and attack when it comes to goals? I know we've been hampered by injuries, and to a certain extent we've just had to muddle through the last couple of months any which way we could, but it still makes for pretty dismal reading. Giroud and Sanchez have weighed in with their fair share (which isn't to say that they can now put their feet up), but no one else even looks close to breaking double-figures at the moment, and that's just not good enough. At this point, I'm pinning my hopes more on returning players giving us the numbers and options we need to allow us to put everyone back in their proper place again, but we need to rediscover our shape and cohesion bloody quick! Like 'before we go to that shit hole up the road in a couple of weeks' quick! That gives us a bare handful of games to get something figured out.

With regards to our summer plans, I could live with us taking a gamble on working with Welbeck or Walcott as CFs, if - IF - we bring in another world-class wide forward for the right. As long as we bring in a world-class attacker somewhere across that front line, I think we'll be OK...

We’re really not getting much out of our midfield. No goals for Cazorla, 2 for Ox, only 6 for Ozil and Ramsey. Walcott only on 6 and it may be worth switching him back to staring on the right but he really needs to step his game up and be more productive. But yes, we really need to get our midfield scoring.

[selassie]

Utd are lining up a £70mill deal, according to the newspapers. So definitely true. But in this market that's what it will probably take.

Aye, think a lot of their recruitment depends on them securing CL. They have a lot of work to do to fix up their team IMO.

[mastermind84]

Hard to judge Theo in that Chelsea game because we had 10 men and it looked like he was still playing on the wing for most of the game. Giroud has done well but we're a team that plays ball to feet and he's more suited to a direct style. We have to compromise somewhere. But agree with some of the other points. I think Welbeck needs time but he might not get that.

the heat map has him in the left penalty area mostly and mostly in front of goal

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/95...rsenal-Chelsea

The fact that we were playing 10 men and Chelsea sat so deep is the best example of why you cant play Theo at CF all the time.


Also Giroud has one of hte best first touches in the league at striker and loves playing those slide rule passes.

We dont have the ideal striker on this roster.

[Globalgunner]

Time to go back for the one that got away: Serge Aurier. Him and Bellerin could do double duty on our RH side for 10 years

[Kano]

He was suspended for three games for abusing a ref and putting it online and then the recent news.

I don't think Wenger would go anywhere near him.

[Globalgunner]

He was suspended for three games for abusing a ref and putting it online and then the recent news.

I don't think Wenger would go anywhere near him.

He would be cheap (relative). We all know how Wenger loves a cheap deal.

[Power n Glory]

the heat map has him in the left penalty area mostly and mostly in front of goal

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/95...rsenal-Chelsea

The fact that we were playing 10 men and Chelsea sat so deep is the best example of why you cant play Theo at CF all the time.


Also Giroud has one of hte best first touches in the league at striker and loves playing those slide rule passes.

We dont have the ideal striker on this roster.

Is it wise to pick out a game where we had 10 men coupled with the fact that we had the worst and least creative duo in the middle of the park (Flamsey)?

It's not really worth going deep into this game. The heatmap shows he was more so on the left and that corresponds with where he mostly received the ball. You can see his touches below. All down the left.

https://www.whoscored.com/Matches/95...rsenal-Chelsea

But you're right certain games he won't be suited for but there is too much of a wide assumption of what he can't do without the game time to back it up. People assume he couldn't hold the ball up and link up play, but the Man Utd game says otherwise.

Or he can't play against teams sitting deep...West Brom game says otherwise.



Walcott really hasn't had enough games to say what he can or can't do. We won't agree on him but if you look at that West Brom game, that's want from a striker when teams sit against us. Someone in that mold. Someone that posts up against defenders like it's basketball to receive the ball only to look to lay it off isn't what we want. It's too dependent on other players making runs unmarked into the box and having space to shoot. By the time the balls been pass the space has been closed.

We don't have the ideal striker in the roster but we need to find a solution this season. Someone needs to find their second wind, a player needs to come back from injury or Wenger needs to do something tactical. We're scraping by at the moment.