Aubameyang ‘only brings goals to the party’ claims ex Gunner
All has not gone in Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s favour since he signed the multi-million contract extension at the Emirates Stadium in September.
And that has only added fuel to the fire of the critics of the Gabon international. Contributing to the team beside scoring has not been one of the strengths of the 31-year-old this season. By the way, it has never been.
It has just become a stick to beat him with. Former Arsenal forward Paul Merson was the latest person to do so.
The 52-year-old, who made 327 appearances for the Gunners, criticized the former Borussia Dortmund man saying he “only brings goals to the party.”
Merson said in his column for the Sky Sports: “It was another difficult night for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (speaking of the Liverpool game).
“I’ve always said, and I’ll stick by it, unless he scores a goal he’s not bringing much more to the party, and he never has.
“He’s an out and out goal scorer, who plays out wide, and when you play out wide as a footballer, you are working on scraps. You either get the ball so many times you get sick of it or you never see the ball at all, and he’s a goalscorer.
The former Arsenal man who scored 78 goals for the club continued, “He’s a bit like Mesut Ozil without the goals. He’s not going to run back and do a fifty-fifty tackle or chase the ball back and get it back for his side.
“Goals are what he brings to the party and at the end of the day, it is the hardest thing to do, but when you are the captain of Arsenal Football Club, which is a big thing, you need to have a bit more than what you are showing at the moment.
“His confidence is well and truly shot, but he’s a goal scorer and in a big football match against Slavia Prague he could end up on the far post and score. That’s what he can do.”
The Arsenal striker has indeed been short of ideas when playing on the wing this season. He has looked perplexed at times like the Arsenal faithful watching from their sofas.
Aubameyang will be 32 in the summer and certainly he will not be expected to sprint up and down the wing for the remainder of his career at Arsenal.
In the end, his superb athleticism tracking back full backs is not the reason why the North London side gave him a three-year contract extension.
No striker can convert an assist that never came, nor can he convert every single one that does come along. Our problem is not him, but our contracts and transfer policies. The current contract he has been given, and Willian’s, on top of the stupid, STUPID one given to the German (whats his name?) are among the biggest boo boos of all time. I believe that is where the Chairman could do a better job.
Win lose or draw Auba will collect 350k this week
At least Auba plays regularly unlike
Ozil 350k p/w Mustafi and Socritis.
On his day Aubs is world class. If he is in the zone he could win the EL on his own…
AND IF HE IS NOT, AS IS USUAL, HE IS A TOTAL PASSENGER. Reality, which you seem not to like!
Wenger was asked about Ozil’s motivation after signing his bumper contract:
“Most of the time now we think when we sign a player for five years we have a good player for five years. But that doesn’t necessarily mean that they practice, they play their best. Because they might be in their comfort zone.
The above statement applies to MOST players and Aubameyang for me is not exempted.
People have said things like, “how can he score when he is played on the wings?” “Nobody to create the chances for him to score”
I have eyes and I have been watching him since he joined and it is clear that the body language has changed, the motivation has dropped.
Last season I remember pitying him with the way he genuinely defends down that left wing, he even got a red card against Palace when defending but what do we have now?
It is not so much about the goals alone, in my opinion, I believe there is a feeling of “fulfilment” after signing his bumper contract which has now affected his motivation, what I don’t know if it is deliberate or not, psychology can be funny.
Why did his worst form since attaining world class status coincide with signing a bumper contract?
It was generally agreed among the fanbase that he carried us last season so what suddenly changed? He is part of the reasons why Arteta is under fire, he/we depended on his goals but it is now not coming with regularity.
That said, I hate how some of our fans have started blaming the club for his contract extension, because we have the benefit of hindsight.
ALL ARSENAL FORUMS INCLUDING HERE were in support of the contract extension. Lines like “give him whatever he wants” were thrown around but now that he has underperformed, it is the club’s fault, somebody please make that right.
WE are just here always talking as if WE know it all and we can run the club better than anyone but WE rarely admit it when we are wrong- the fans, the club have probably gotten this one wrong and the only one to blame (if we must) is Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang.
Goonerboy,
Just to clarify the situation, I and some others, didn’t object to Auba renewing, far from it, but I remember Wenger’s policy from way back that players of a certain age got contracts renewed on the basis of less money and a one year extension only and I very much subscribed to that view when posting on JA
NOBODY was ever worth the equivalent of £350k pw in their day, let alone double that in some cases. Not Pele, not Best, not Maradona, not even the greatest of them all, Stanley Matthews. Football is still supposed to be a sport isn’t it? Sport is for the masses, not designed for multi billionaires. The whole commercial aspect of the game needs drastically, scaling down but of course it will never happen now. The genie is out of the bottle. Fixed term contracts have killed the sport financially and there’s no way back. Nevertheless, Arsenal could lead the world by setting an example by having better internal policies that govern the top end of the wage scales, taking into account age, appearances, and performances. What’s the point of having academies if at the end of the day it’s going to be down to whoever allows themselves to be ripped off and torn apart by the obscene demands of agents and their players? Let’s start chipping away at the mercenary business aspects of football, and let the academies force the sporting aspect back into the game, with the mountainous transfer fees and silly contracts being the rare exceptions, only when absolutely necessary.
Peter, Great and wonderful sentiments but HOW do we apply those when the rest of football won’t? THAT is the proper question to ask!
We need a sea change from FIFA to regulate and enforce a maximum wage and to defeat a certain challenge to this necessary change in court.
Very well said Peter.I echo your sentiments completely.
He didnt go from Golden boot to no goals overnite.
He has been played as LW instead of a top CF he is for a decade.
He is not a LW, we all know this, as if playing Kane, lewondosky or Suarez as a LW. It will be same result.
Let’s be logic…
I have been seeing another Auba after the Spurs snub. I hope he turns the corner soon.