There are a few bones of contention among the Arsenal fanbase, with the perennial argument between the Wenger Out Brigade and the Arsene Knows Best faction usually the biggest of them all. For the last few years, though, this has been given a close run by the debate over our strikers.
The Chile international Alexis Sanchez does not really come into it, even though he did not have the same impact last season we accept that there were reasons for that. But there are always questions about the quality and influence that the likes of Olivier Giroud, Theo Walcott and Danny Welbeck can have for Arsenal over the course of a season.
It is by no means a clear cut situation, as Giroud and Walcott in particular can blow so hot and cold. Take last season as a prime example, because just at the halfway point of the season when the big Frenchman was on fire and was well on the way to proving all the doubters wrong once and for all, it all turned around and Giroud then endured his worst period since joining the Gunners.
The same is true of Theo, who has showed us often in the past that he can be deadly in front of goal and almost unplayable at times, but then he can look second rate and it is all so frustrating. So what to do about it? Rather than giving up on these clearly talented players, how about bringing someone in to help them?
And who better to do it that the club legend Dennis Bergkamp, especially after reading his words about what he does on the coaching side of things for Ajax these days. The Dutchman clearly has a passion for getting the best out of attacking players and especially strikers and I cannot think of anyone more suited to helping out the Arsenal forwards.
Bergkamp told Arsenal Player, “I’ve been in coaching now about seven or eight years, or nine maybe, but the best thing for me is being on the pitch, especially with the strikers, that’s my kind of thing, to teach them the details of football.
“How to control a ball, how to shoot a ball, how to pass it, how to look for other players. That’s my main thing, my ambition is not to be a head coach, to be the top coach, but more our work now in the coaching staff and play my part within the room.
“I’m giving my opinion and tell them how I feel about it, but in the end there is a head coach who decides what’s happening and my part is more on the pitch with the players, especially the strikers.
“The first thing when I watch English football is I want to see Arsenal, I want to see how they are doing,” he added. “I played 11 years at Arsenal and I tried to give something back to the players that I’m teaching now.
“I want to teach them the mentality and the way English football is and how we used to play at Arsenal and what the coaches would say, what Arsène Wenger would say.
“How the players would play and would approach me and visa versa, that’s what I try to bring to [Ajax] as well.”
Do you think that our former striker could help the current crop with their form and consistency?
Bob