Alexis behind Giroud could be something special by KJ
It’s been somewhat of a revelation. After Özil’s three month injury, Wenger had to find a solution for the team and with the new formation (4-1-4-1) not working at all, he had to make a decision and it seems like playing Alexis as a no.10 in a somewhat more conventional 4-2-3-1 is his answer in the time being.
Alexis has played in a similar position before at Udinese with Di Natale as his strike partner. But he’s grown as a player and become far more interested in pressing the opposition leaving most position maps after the game of him as the furthest forward player.
The Chilean has been in sensational form as the no.10 with 4 goals in just the two Premier League games. But his overall performance off the ball has also won the fans over. His relentless pressing is causing the opposition centre backs all sorts of problem as they just aren’t used to the strikers pressing them that relentlessly.
But the problem is, I think Welbeck isn’t the best partner in such circumstances and with Giroud reportedly on his way back sooner than expected, I can see Wenger opting for Giroud as the striker with Alexis just off him. This will work simply because the Frenchman loves one touch play with little dinks and Alexis can work with that because he’s interested in pass and move. Welbeck wants to turn or play in wide positions whilst Giroud will be interested in staying central and laying it off for Alexis . This could work very well against the smaller teams at home.
I think things are starting to finally look up and Alexis behind the striker is vital to us moving forwards until January at least. With Giroud coming back soon, it could really be interesting to see tactically how we deploy our two strikers in certain situations to cause the opposition the most problems.
Arsenal wouldn’t be any better it will jus add more options up front…… #IN17WETRUST! !!!
Hold up play back in the mix, i just hate hold up play. I had already forgotten Giroud plays for Arsenal
Welbeck has scored 5 goals in ten leaque and cup games. He is fast, dribbles well and tracks back also. His overall contribution has been positive thus far. Giroud brings something different and it would be wise to choose either of them depending on the opposition and the tactics they are known to employ.
Very cool. #BringBackHoldUpPlay
giroud had a good 2012/13 season because podolski and theo were whipping in crosses and giving him cut back passes, now with sanchez and theo on the flanks and possible squad rotation with welbeck from time to time he’ll have a good season.
The problem i that we live too much in fantasy. I do not see all our players available simultaneously. We need not worry as some will pick up knocks here and there.
For instance, Poldoski will always have play time in Europe this time around as Giroud is out injured!
So, I worry-less.
Giroud is NOT a Top Class Striker. Wenger promised the Fans a Top Class Striker so the lies just keep going on.
sanchez?
this relentless complaining is starting to get on my nerves…. complain abt the right stuff and at the right TIME. wc striker has come, ur still talking bs. get behind the team
OG who. Come on he is not the answer for arsenal. We had that dick saying we can buy any player? Then do don’t talk just do it. We all no who is world class but we are not AW come on he thinks sanagogogogogo is a great player and what I have seen he can’t even get the ball from his feet. DW is a raw kid that can be word class. And playing with ARSENAL’S 100 mill A S he will be just fine yes I price alexis at 100 mill coz he is ripping shit out of the EPL
How long will it take for Sanchez to get bored of passing the ball to Giroud when he wastes so many chances that Sanchez could score?
It won’t be long before Sanchez runs around Giroud instead of seeing his hard work wasted.
We could all see Ozil’s face on numerous occasions last season when he slotted a beautiful ball through only to see it kicked into row Z by Giroud the cart horse.
How quickly people forget how thoroughly wasteful Giroud was of the chances created by the team.
My enduring image of Giroud is of him pulling a stupid face as the ball sails away into the crowd.
Simply not good enough to start for Arsenal.
Dont worry, if Sanchez gets the feeling that his passes are being wasted he wont pass the ball but instead do things himself.
@ks-gunner
Exactly. Sanchez only relies on Sanchez. He doesn’t just come to the party, he makes the party.
Alexis should thrive with Oliviers hold up play. It means he can get into the box even more and in even better positions. While Olivier is holding off defenders, Alexis is poachin and puttin em in the back of the net. Olivier should be happy to have someone who makes runs off of his hold up play, instead of lobbin it to him and looking on like the rest of those dudes usually did…
Completely different scenarios. The reason Giroud couldn’t do anything was because he was a lone striker taking on two CBs without the pace to get away from them and engineer a shooting chance, Ozil on the other hand is a guy who likes to slot in the perfect pass to a runner already in at goal. They are not compatible unless our wingers are trying to also get in behind the defenders (which without Walcott and with Cazorla constantly on the wing or Ozil wasn’t happening at all). Sanchez on the other hand is perfectly content with Giroud doing a one two with him and then shooting himself, Sanchez is also someone who wants to shoot, wants to get into the penalty box which means the CBs won’t just be focused on Giroud which gives Giroud more space and time and also adds the extra threat of Sanchez in the box.
They might very well fit together brilliantly. In addition there is Walcott with crosses, pace, and finishing and Welbeck who brings something different to Giroud. We actually look like a dynamic attacking force now, just need to get that extra defender cover and hopefully a proper DM.
@Tidan2
Exactly…
“The reason Giroud couldn’t do anything was because he was a lone striker taking on two CBs without the pace to get away from them and engineer a shooting chance”
And there we have it, a completely flayed way of thinking from Wenger setting the team up for failure.
We now have a team with lightning pace that could unleash incredible counters but at the head of that attack is the slowest striker in the league, really, that will work?
So tired of seeing one of our players break and if it isn’t Sanchez he will get to the edge of the box and stop when he could have a go.
Attack fizzles out, defenders arrive, ball goes back up the pitch chuckle brothers to me-to me – to you-to you style.
Kills me to watch how blunt our attacks have become.
Wenger should use the international break for negotiating move for Rues and Hummels and also a Dm.
Rues should play only for Arsenal.
We don’t have that much money. Our absolute maximum budget realistically is around £40m. Hummels alone is 25-30m, Reus even more. A good DM will be at least another 15m. Beyond our budget I’m afraid. Only way we can get that money is by selling players. No one I’d really want to sell, though Podolski and maybe Campbell look like they may go.
A common sense opinion, which I agree with, let’s sell Campell, wenger doesn’t like him there’s 10m
Sell Podolski 10m
Then get hummels and a top DM
This will secure top 3 and maybe pressure City , then next season we can have real go
Reus is cheap. The big factor will be whats his choice is going to be. The best choice would be him choosing Bayern, but if he has any symphaty for Dortmund he wont do it.
So we buy Reus and then what? So that means we will have Giroud as the striker, Waclott on the right, Reus on the left, Ozil in the #10 , so where does Sanchez play?
I would love to see a welbeck and Sanogo combo couple times before Giroud gets back and chambers, Gibbs and ox putting in more crosses it would be very interesting,
Yes in a sense Giroud offers another option against teams who love to park the bus, Welbeck has not develop that ability to deal with physical defenders especially aerially, that is his only flaw so far
OT: It makes me laugh to see media’s obsession with Manu. After manchester Derby, there have been at least 10 headline articles on Manu: what are their weaknesses, why Smalling’s dixk so small, why is rooney going deep into Van Gaal, why Van Persie no longer wears crap pants , what an awesome fu#ker De Gea is blah blah blah. I mean give me a break. There are at least a dozen managers and their clubs in England who if given 200 mil to spend will fu#k the shit out of you. Stop sucking the dixk of a team comprising of a bunch of overpaid and overrated players and manager. Get some grip media. Talk about lesser teams too. They deserve some attention as welk you know.
Depends on the opposition, if we’re playing the other big teams then Welbeck is a must seeing as he’s pacey. Against the Stokes and what not you’ll want Giroud because we all know Giroud is useless against the big teams.
what Giroud lacks isn’t just pace, he’s also not very agile and lacks the smart sharp thinking that a striker needs to score great goals with.
Welbeck isn’t exactly more street smart so far, but he is younger, quicker and does give arsenal more options up front than just “ping pong” passes that works only once in a while.
best keep OG12 on bench and play him as a rotating option.
OG is still more likely to score than Welbeck and gets in better goal scoring positions. Welbeck has his qualities, but he’s always drifting out wide or looking for the pass. Giroud has more of a presence in the box. His goals against smaller clubs are largely unappreciated, but they did help us pick up a ton of points last year. Two different types of players, Wenger will have to use them correctly.
You lot chat rubbish.. Giroud has proved that he can score 20 goals a season, he can provide 8-10 assists…
What has Welbeck proven so far? He has been like Sanogo, he has the worst first touch ever, he hardly gets in behind the defense. Remind me of the last time Welbeck was caught offside? He spends more time outside and away from the opposition penalty area than inside..
Welbeck has no awareness, no anticipation, go watch the Burnly match again, he is so slow to react or clock when a pass or a cross is coming in.. Chambers and The Ox kept crossing but he was nowhere near the spot, Sanchez the smallest player kept getting to the crosses..
Re-Watch our previous matches online, and then you will see what I am saying..
I am going to laugh for a minute if Welbeck will score a brace tomorrow.
overall i prefer Welbeck over Giroud. Welbeck loses the ball way less, though Giroud is still more of a goal threat. It depends on the opposition I suppose, though Wenger isn’t exactly great when it comes to team selections. Let’s see if our forwards can all stay fit at one time first…
I see Giroud as an “impact” sub, just like Poldi.
When we need to score, play Poldi.
When we need to defend a lead, play Giroud.
i could suggest and suggest and suggest 4 all i care, but in the end, wenger will always pick his favourites 4 each game…….. But really, what’s the point in this debates? Giroud is out injured 4 now…. TaLk bout the avaiLable options we’ve got at our disposal at d moment
let me face the topic first.
when OG returns, i believe arsene will want to deploy sets of midfielders that will suit his game…….Alexis______Ozil_______walcott, and the quality of the opponents will determine the team we field also.
when welbeck plays,i believe we will see more of alexis in the “10′ role and ozil at the wing for those crosses.
OT>
for the 1st time,i can say that arsenal fc and arsene wenger can field 3 different teams (without the defense), so many attackers who are a little bit above average and some of them are world-class!
all we need to sort is the defense and possibly,the DM department. i would have loved to display 4 or 5 different combinations of our midfielders and attackers but i will leave that honour to you guys (and ladies).
COYG!!!!!
People who say Giroud is useless against big team obviously didn’t watch the community shield against Manchester City.
Also real Arsenal fans shouldn’t bad mouth our decent players. Criticisng is fine but some comments go beyond that. Giroud has scored 40 goals for us since coming here and every one of those 40 goals is well appreciated
Giroud is better than Welbeck… Welbeck gives us nothing going forward..
When everyone is healthy and fit, I’d like to see somewhat of a 4-1-3-2 formation, with Welbeck and Giroud up front, Ozil right behind them in number 10 role, and Sanchez/Theo on the wings. Of course, That would require a beast of a DM, which we absolutely MUST sign in JTF.