Arsenal boss defends treatment of club-record signing Lacazette

Tony Cascarino has slammed the way in which Arsenal have treated Alexandre Lacazette since his big-money move from Lyon this summer, but Arsene Wenger has defended his stance.

The former Chelsea striker has claimed that the club-record signing hasn’t been treated as he should, featuring much less than he should considering his substantial fee, and that the player’s confidence could take a hit unless things change.

“Alexandre [Lacazette] is clearly a talented player but Arsène Wenger must be careful how he uses him,” Cascarino said.

“He came off after 66 minutes yesterday, replaced by Alexis Sanchez, having had little chance to impose himself.

“He was also taken off against Bournemouth and Stoke and didn’t even come off the bench away to Liverpool.

“It’s very easy to have a negative impact on a striker’s confidence and the Frenchman might be at a stage where he’s going out after half-time thinking, ‘If I don’t score in the next ten minutes then I’ll be off’.

“I was substituted a lot in my career and it does affect your confidence.

“Lacazette cost more than £50 million and is meant to be a new star.

“So treat him like one. I’m not sure Thierry Henry would have been taken off with Arsenal 0-0 away to Chelsea.”

Arsene Wenger has come out to claim that the player is in fact not ready to maintain a high level of intensity for 90 minutes, reminding the critics that both Olivier Giroud and Alexis Sanchez didn’t play the full 90 minutes either.

“I felt Lacazette had a very good first half, he worked hard for the team and was very disciplined,” Wenger said.

“It takes him some time to maintain that intensity for 90 minutes.

“Don’t forget I have [Theo] Walcott, [Olivier] Giroud and [Alexis] Sanchez on the bench. After 65 minutes in a game of that intensity it’s normal that you bring fresh legs on.

“Does he understand that? I never ask any striker to understand that he has to make room for someone else.

“You never can do that.”

Does Lacazette look to be lacking match fitness? Why was he left unused against Liverpool? Will we damage his confidence?

Pat J

Tags Arsenal Cascarino lacazette Wenger

13 Comments

  1. I’m thinking the same thing. Why every time he has to be taken off? I don’t think there is a better finisher in this current Arsenal team and if Arsenal and Wenger don’t stop benching and substituting him every 60+ minutes then he might be heading out the next summer transfer window.

    He is good enough to be playing the whole 90 for every game unless you feel it’s time for him to get some rest. I thought the change was going to be Alexis for Iwobi where we would have Welbs – Laca – Alexis but no Laca for Alexis instead.

  2. You can be very sure that Wenger will destroy his confidence with his stupid subs policy. Some players, eg Ozil virtually never get subbed even though he hides much of the time. Others, like Ox are always subbed and had their confidence destroyed by constant playing out of position. Wenger has no central strategy and no forward planning and that has been clear to me, for one , for many years past. It is clear our best finishers are Sanchez and Lacazette and both should start regularly and play the whole game, unless injured.

  3. I thought he had a poor game against Chelsea, so I wasn’t surprised, or upset with the substitution. He missed an open goal, and gave the ball away a lot, although he worked hard for the team. What still baffles, and angers me, was Lacazette on the bench against Liverpool. It made no sense at all, and must knocked his confidence a bit.

    Hopefully we’ll see him link up with Sanchez soon. They need to play together Wenger!

  4. I am getting tired of all these guys who think that sitting sitting in studios on match days, they know players better than their coaches.
    Especially, when it concerns to Arsenal. Unfortunately, arsenal fans, atleast some, have joined what seems to be the fashion of the times, and are feeding the flames.
    I bet you, if Klopp had done same, he would be called “brave”, for having the guts to bench his star.
    Wenger does, it’s the worst substitution in football history.
    Pathetic.
    Wenger can get wrong sometimes, like all other coaches ( they belong to this imperfect animal called humans)
    Just tired of it all.

  5. “Why did AW make Sanchez into a top 9?”. “He is better off and more dangerous cutting in from the LW and inflicting the opponent”. Oopss……I heard all that at the start of last season. But at the end of last season…Sanchez had his best football season and the most prolific in terms of goal scoring. Now he is being covetted by the same coach (Pep) who could not get the best out of him at Barca. It toolk AW to do that. Guys…trust your coach,,,,he knows better. Laca will come good…he was sought and bought by AW!

  6. be honest he deserved to come off didn’t really impose himself in the game, and missed a sitter. sometimes it’s just not happening for a player and the sub was justified. i thought both iwobi and welbeck had a solid game and it would have been unfair to replace them with sanchez, they were tucking in and cutting passing lanes they were both solid, sanchez laca was they correct choice. Also who cares what an unknown striker says tony who?

  7. I real fail to understand Wenger sometimes ,I total agree with Tony why did he buy Lacazette in the 1st place, He needs to play week in and week out so that he can get used of the 90 minutes, Look at Morata that pathetic Conte is playing and Lukaku is playing all the games without resting. I do not understand wenger real even if he missed that opportunity of scoring rebound goal he should NOT have been be taken out, he is going to lower his confidence, Why couldnt he taken ILWOBI ??? wENGER MUST THINK , hE MUST STARTS PLAYING sANCHEZ AND lACAZETTER TOGETHER AND oZIL. Lacazette needs some game time 90 Minutes to get used of the premier leaque and when is he going to score goals when he keeps on taking him out. Wenger must think nicely i think he is old enough .

    1. You can’t include Lukaku in that comparison since he was already used to the PL. On top of that Mourinho purposefully avoided going for Laca because he thought he would struggle with the physicality of the PL and that defenders would easily wear him down due to his small frame.

  8. Dembele is already injured in Barca, possibly due to intensity he’s not used to. I agree we were Lacazette in gradually

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