The Arsenal captain Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang had his worst goalscoring season for the Gunners in the last campaign, and was beaten by Alexandre Lacazette in the scoring table despite signing a new mammoth contract in pre-season.
We all know that he had various problems including malaria and worries about his mother’s health, but we fully expected him to return to form this season.
But sadly he has not improved and at the moment has now gone 5 games without scoring, but has also been guilty of missing many simple chances as well as half-chances he would have converted with ease a few years ago.
It has been repeated many times that perhaps Arteta should give his captain a rest and bring in any other of our large contingent of strikers, but ahead of the Everton game, Arteta has suggested he will keep faith with our highest paid player.
“You are always [concerned] when your main striker isn’t scoring goals but he is trying his hardest,” Arteta said.
“He is aware of how much we need him as a team to score goals and, at the moment, they are not coming but the rest of the things we are asking him to do, he is trying his best.”
Perhaps, with Everton out of form and conceding oodles of goals, this could be a chance for Auba to regain his confidence.
Let’s hope he is right…
He will produce the goods tomorrow , and prove the doubters like me wrong I hope.
For the 2 past seasons, we have relied on him and he has let us down. How will he suddenly change? We need a striker who can score goals like Balogun and also a winger like Dominik Szoboszlai who can score and also assist
Grandad You hope at the minute he couldn’t score in a brothel with a fistful of £50 notes
Aubameyang missed sitters and couldn’t make good chances for himself, but he worked hard to press high up the pitch and to fight in aerial duels
Unfortunately, his efforts weren’t good enough, so he might need some rest for a couple of games. If he is a good captain, he’ll surely understand what’s best for the team currently and the benching time won’t affect his income stream or the twilight years of his career
However, only Arteta and coaches know whether Balogun, Nketiah and Martinelli are ready to replace Aubameyang or not. If they’re still not ready, we shouldn’t force the youngsters to play as a CF in EPL
But at at least Lacazzett can replace for game or two
Yeah, unfortunately Lacazette can only hold off the opposition’s CBs up to a certain extent and he is awful in high pressing
There is no excuse or reason why Laccas should not have replaced him before now. He is at best out of form and has been for months. Different players, Different Rules, NOT GOOD!!!!!
The captain should ask his manager to let him sit for 2 to 3 games just for him to reflect on the previous misses and build on from that for the good. MA should take bold step and throw Balogun in and let young express himself. Continuing with Auba in this manner is of no help for the team to collect points. He could be the reason the team is not winning. He’s in the field and not playing his part, that could be a disappointing thing for the team.
Aubameyang played his best when utilized on the lw, this is when he scored all his goals and not as a lone ST.
You can not bench your captain in football I don’t think it will transmit a good energy to the team.
False. He’s messing up!!! Play Martinelli there.
“…but he is trying his hardest”, to quote Arteta!
Well, if THAT is “trying his hardest” then my cat would be a better choice!
It is simply a falsehood to claim that Auba tries at all. IF he plays at Everton and MARTINELLI does not start, then MA will go down IMO.
IT WOULD BE A HUGE MISTAKE AND AN UNDEFENDABLE CHOICE.
WE HAVE BEEN EFFECTIVELY PLAYING WITH TEN MEN FOR WEEKS ALREADY.
He may well score against Everton but I do not believe he is the long term option for the club so we need to look for a replacement in January. But it probably won’t happen because he has 21 months left on his mega contract which could prove an impediment to selling him. He has every right to see out the contract the club offered him, or should I say, implored him to sign. Mind you it might help him if we can sign a creative, attacking midfielder (with pace) in January.
I agree that he may score against Everton but he isn’t the long term option Andrew
I thought that Eddie should have come in for him when he was on his bad run last season and think the same now, whether it’s tomorrow or the game after etc or for AFCON (if it goes ahead)
However, of course he is trying, I would never doubt that about anyone who plays, he has a different style than some that can look like that but in his own way he is still giving 100 percent, he has always been like that, when he was scoring regularly it was OK now he’s not it’s not, that’s his role within the team
I believe that he is one of those goalscorers that goal scoring comes easily to them, they don’t know how they’ve done it so can’t easily put it right when it’s not happening like maybe a Vardy could
We need to find a solution for the remainder of this season for sure
By the way, the bloke down the road is similar this season, 1 goal in 12 games against Auba’s 4 in 13, so their new Manager has a similar challenge and it will be mildly interesting to see whether he can improve it or not persevere with it for as long, being an experienced, top name winner and all
Aubameyang is not the long term solution; many will agree with this. The obvious issue is that there is no other proven goal striker (at this level)in the team.
There are many fans calling for Arteta to try Nketiah, Balogun or Laca when none of them have proven particularly effective in a central role. If he were to give any of them the role again and, as is likely, it doesn’t work there will be many fans back on here to complain.
Would any of those players scare a top team in the premiership?
If Aubameyang does not find form Arsenal need to get a new striker fairly urgently or will have to find a new way of playing.
I really won’t be surprised to see Nketiah/Aubameyang leading the team tomorrow, when it should be Martinelli and Lacazette,
Who says a captain can’t be benched, he’s costing us a lot at the moment , he needs to be benched, he could come in the 2nd half, atleast he would know he needs to either increase the score line or equalize,
As for our issues, I believe we should get strong , fast and skillful midfielders before we consider a CF,
We already settled the defense but we struggle against top teams because we lack independent and courageous midfielders, who are able to dribble and sling through balls,
I doubt Sterling for January but we could get Dennis Zakaria, Renato Sanchez, Bruno Guimaraes, Pedro Goncalves, Emil forsberg .
the problem is not auba not scoring but more that we keep relying on him to do so. in the meanwhile we have Martinelli who ran his socks off last game, the lad is happy to do whatever is thrown at him without complaining. I see no problem in benching the captain, if he doesn’t see that it’s best for the team then he is not captain material. Saka right, Martinelli left and Laca through the middle, I really don’t see the problem for a few games at least. Let him rest a bit, it’s not like he is 20 yrs anymore
He is definitely “trying”
Very trying!!!!
He plainly doesNOT try hard enough!
That is blindingly and consistently obvious in game after game after game.
How many more times this strange and plain wrong picking of a non tryer can happen before fans turn against him and the man who picks him too.
He MUST NOT play at Everton and Martinelli MUST PLAY in his stead.
Not only is Auba trying, he is VERY trying.
He has been so bad that a cynic like me wonders if he is trying to engineer a move.
Auba isn’t the problem alone. We have created far too few really good goalscoring opportunities for him and the other strikers. We must create more chances, thebn the goals are more likely to come.
You guys want the apprentice to drop his darling out-of-form captain?
That ain’t happening!
Only injury can force the apprentice to drop his darling favourite. Unfortunately, auba ain’t injury prone.