Alexandre Lacazette at Arsenal 2017/18

Great header.

 

He looks a good player. His movement yesterday was very good.

 

Wow this guy looks dejected. Got to be some sort of record from Wenger to take a french icon, who's a legend at his own club, wanted across Europe, and within only 6 months absolutely kill the lads confidence, hope and future. What an achievement. He must be looking around at iwobi and co and thinking what have I done? Only four more years to go Laca dont worry!

 

French Icon? Wasn't even in the national squad when they signed him.
Wanted across Europe? By who?

Lacazette was what Wenger had to take because he couldn't get anyone else all the other big strikers were being snapped up by better clubs so he finally took the plunge on Lacazette.

 

Athetico Madrid were pretty annoyed the transfer embargo killed it. They arent a bad team. 100 goals for Lyon goes a long way with the fans, in only 200 games for them as well. Made the last 9 french squads. The only player not from PSG to win the french golden boots in the last 6 years. Not bad pedigree in my eyes. Looks a shadow of that player after working with Wenger for 6 months.

 

True but Atletico Madrid are a club who have to take gambles because again they're not one of the big boys and while they've got a good record when it comes to signing strikers they still pick the odd dud like Jackson Martinez.

I don't doubt he was a legend at Lyon but he had the whole team setup for him and Lyon never really challenged PSG for the title and it's a league where the defending just isn't as good as it is in England.

I wouldn't put it on Wenger if you're doing that has Mourinho ruined Lukaku or Conte ruined Morata? Lacazette has actually scored in big games think he's netted vs Liverpool, City & Utd this season.

I think the big thing at Arsenal now is the myth that Arsenal play good football is finally being exposed for the last 2-3 seasons they've not played attractive football they've basically relied on the brilliance of Sanchez to get them results.

 

Some of that I get some I dont. I think Wenger has to shoulder alot of Lacazette's poor form. How many times has Wenger subbed him this season? I know it upsets Arsenal fans. I've seen them booing at it when it happens. He does it when they are winning, losing or chasing a game. That lack of trust that his going to get the 90 mins will play a part in his mind. Whereas as Lukaku and Morata know they are the main men at their clubs. Regardless of the score they will be out trying to get a goal until the end. Strikers more then anyone wanna play, if the teams losing they want to pull it back, if they are winning comfortably they want to score more goals. You keep dragging someone off and their confidence just goes simple as that. That's why I think mismanagement from Wenger is to blame for the fact his not scored in 8 games now.

Athletico Madrid are big boys now. Maybe their transfer budget hasn't been the standard of a big club. But their results have more then proved they are up there on the top table. They've gone deep in the CL. Won the Spanish league. And pushed Barca and Real. They've got one of the newest and fanciest stadiums in Europe. They've got all the makings of something big and have for a while. They would have had to go big for Lacazette because lyon weren't letting him go easy if that would have cost Athletico 47 million I dont know because English clubs pay a premium but still it would have cost big money.

 

I think the substitution stuff is fair but we don't know what his fitness levels are like does he have a habit of fading in games and when the team is ahead does Wenger think he's better off having a big man like Giroud up top to hold the ball up rather than Lacazette. I think Morata/Lukaku are playing so much because both these clubs don't have alternatives whereas Wenger does he has Giroud/Welbeck as alternative CF's. First season in the prem so maybe feels he needs to protect him a bit as it's a more gruelling season than he's used to so he didn't want to run him into the ground in the first few months.

Atletico are an interesting one they've done a great job of building a side that has no doubt been one of the top 5 sides in Europe for the last 5 years but that side has grown old together and bits are starting to show signs of fading and need to be replaced. They didn't make it out of the group in the CL this season for example and if they'd signed Lacazette it would've been as a replacement for Griezmann who's had a tough season this year. The real test of how good Atletico now are is can they rebuild the squad and maintain that high level again. In Spain you have the big 2 but Atletico/Valencia/Seville look like 3 clubs who could fight it out every year for the other 2 European spots on a regular basis and in a good year they could make a run at the league.