Former Celtic manager Gordon Strachan insists that Odsonne Edouard likes to play alongside another striker, which Arsenal may have to take into consideration when planning their summer splurge.
The Gunners have recently grown comfortable and confident playing in a 4-2-3-1 formation which is working wonders at present, with our club having won seven of the 12 matches since the switch.
While that form may not be out of this world, you have to consider that we were on a winless run of seven matches before the change.
While a return to 4-4-2 appears to be out the window, the system in place does usually include Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang however, which could be perfect for Edouard, but Gordon Strachan is insistent that the Celtic star is more of a second-striker, than the guy you line up to score all the goals.
“I think Edouard definitely needs somebody up beside him or more people around him. He’s basically a Bergkamp rather than an Ian Wright,” Strachan told the Football Pass. “I know for a fact that Edouard likes playing with another striker,” he added.
Interestingly, while Strachan insists that the French Under-21 international isn’t the out-and-out goalscorer, his numbers would seem to insist that he can be.
Edouard may play in a front two for Celtic, but it is he who is the main outlet for goals with 19 goals from his 29 appearances this term, while his numbers for last season were crazy.
The 22 year-old bagged himself 28 goals and 19 assists DESPITE the fact that Scottish football was cut short thanks to the Coronavirus pandemic. Edouard finished last term with 21 league goals and 12 assists in his 27 appearances, more than one goal contribution a game on average, while this season he has 15 goals and four assists in 21 Premiership outings, just shy of one GC per game.
I certainly wouldn’t be worried about Edouard’s ability to play at CF with those numbers, albeit in the Scottish league, and while his signing this summer may only see him enjoy one season alongside Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to help contribute up top, we have the likes of Gabriel Martinelli (and hopefully Folarin Balogun) to help out in the following years.
Would Edouard be the ideal replacement for Lacazette, or do you think he would need us to change the way we play?
Patrick