Arsenal fans are growing frustrated with the lack of goals in recent weeks, and have been calling for Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang to get given the nod in the centre of the attack.
Alexandre Lacazette or Eddie Nketiah usually fight it out for the chance to lead the line since the Spanish boss took charge, although against Manchester City we watched Willian used as a makeshift CF.
The Brazilian certainly left a lot of questions unanswered with his display, and it is almost unthinkable that Aubameyang can not be considered for the role.
Since Arteta took over as head coach back in December, Aubz has taken to the field once in a central role, when coming off the bench against Liverpool in July, and hasn’t started a single Premier League match in the role, which begs the question ‘why?’
Aubameyang is the most clinical goalscorer in the Premier League, backed up his amazing consistency in front of goal since joining the club, scoring 22 league goals in each of his two full seasons with the club.
His record speaks for itself, and Arteta will surely have to address this should the team continue to struggle in front of goal, especially as Alexandre Lacazette had three chances in the Leicester game which deserved a better effort.
Will the manager be forced to reconsider playing the Gabonese forward centrally, or will he stick to his guns despite our struggles? Maybe the Englishman Nketiah should get a return out wide where he was enjoying some fine form earlier in 2020?
Patrick
It does not matter if you are the most lethal striker if you are not getting the ball you cannot score or even have a shot.
And if you are playing lazy, like the man is doing right now, you won’t score the goals
👍
Interesting points ruined by the assumption that what Patrick wants is what the fans want. I’d hazard a guess that what fans want is for Arteta to find a way to get his team scoring goals in a way that suits his tactics.
When I say fans, I’m going on what I see in the comments section on this page mostly. Anyone who watches closely enough knows Mikel Arteta has no intention to make the switch. Do think it is strange that he hasn’t started him once there though
AUBA scores his goals on the left the last thing we want is to stick him in the middle he will get NO freedom there
Mikel knows football probably a million times than I do but I have never understood the reason to play Pierre in the wings.
And is there anyone better than him on the left wing side in our team? No!!
I keep telling my friends that even if we have Auoar in the team, we still have this same issue. When a creative midfielder drives ball and there is no one positioning in the right place for the ball, then all is still a waste. Even our striker (Lacazatte) positioning is poor.
We need to get a good, skillful and solid left winger (Similar to Mane or Saha) that can help Auba out, so he can go back to his right position. Or maybe Arteta can build confidence in Saka, he might be our Mane or Saha for now
Abu plays with more freedom on the wings than on the middle of the park. He scores more goals from the wing than from the middle
Our problem lies in the midfield area. Little or no clean supply at all to the wingers and to the forward.
Xhaka is most capable of slowing our attack as well as sideway passes. Elnin is better
LW Saka
CF Auba
RW Pepe or Willian
Laca can come off bench.
Bellerin and Tierney have been really good they just need the full support of our wingers.
I’d give Saliba a go very soon and see how he gets on because Mustafi, Luiz and Sokratis are useless until Holding is back.
We will regret not putting Ozil in this team to CREATE at will while Xhaka or Danny play alongside Partey. He would be excellent with this sort of defensive unit in Partey defensively supporting him and feeding him the ball. Silly move in my opinion but to not even have the option to play him was sheer stupidity.
Agree with you about the omission of Ozil. Yes he is past his prime, but he is still better creatively than most of our midfield. He could have helped here and there if used judiciously.
If all fit, I think this is our best team and would be a hadful for anyone in the league;
Leno
Bellerin
Saliba or Holding
Gabriel
Tierney
Partey
Ceballos
Pepe
Willian
Saka or Martinelli
Aubamayang
Funny how not an issue last season when he was playing on the wings?
Time to cut our losses on Laca & Pepe & go after Zaha in January?
OT.. Oh joy, we have Mike Dean on Sunday…..
So AM is a very new Manager and us Arsenal fans and supporters have accepted him as all wise and competent on the FA cup success . I am becoming more sceptical on his tactical abilities and team selection. There is a certain boring and static pattern to Arsenal which is fundamentally at odds with the style and beautiful football Arsenal is revered for . It has become taboo to question or criticize him here because their is a culture of name calling and bullying which has become common on this site. I am not convinced by AM and I would bet that if results don’t drastically improve by year end there will be a wave of his current support calling for his head.
SA Gunner, I know where you’re coming from and as suggested he needs a full season before we judge him. However, if he persists with the current style of football I’m going to switch the telly off. To be fair, most EPL teams are boring me rigid at the moment and maybe the lack of crowds is one of the reasons behind it. I think Sky & BT should halve their subscriptions.
I’ve always said and I will keep say it. Aubameyang is not a winger and will never be.
If we had a real good striker like Aguero I would understand if we played Auba out wide but we don’t.
I still don’t understand why on hell MA still playing him as a winger.
May I remind you of the west ham away last year ? Or the Sheffield game when Pepe came in for Laca. I really hoped that one would convince MA but I’m still waiting
Lord I certainly hope that if Arteta moves Aubameyang into the middle that his decision is based on his tactics and observations at training and not because of our collective whinging.
Y’all seem like lovely people but I wouldn’t trust our combined managerial acumen with a Sunday Pub side.
Agreed. Arsenal fans want Auba in the middle, they want Ozil back, they want Bellerin and Xhaka dropped, they want 4-3-3, they don’t want us playing from the back, etc.
I don’t envy Arteta right now, having to deal with all the specific fans expectations. Thank goodness, he doesn’t visit here…lol.
Very good Maxis!
Can’t please most people most of the time🙂
It’s funny because I remember Emery started with only one of Laca or Auba, until he caved to fan pressure to start both.
We looked a lot more balanced with only one of them.
I agree TMJW- we are certainly more balanced with just Aubamayang in. free Role in a 4231 lin up. Could I ask you who you would play in the 2&3 midfield riles
“The most clinical goal scorer in the Premier League”.
Not at present, sunshine!
As for caving in to the fans? How on earth would he know what us fans want, please enlighten us Patrick?
Auba cannot play thru the middle. His speed is better used on the wing.
Oh please stop with this none sense. Speed is not the only attribute to play on the wing . You need a lot more than just speed. Auba is a natural finisher and his place is down the middle. Speed can only be a plus
Auba scored goals when he played through the middle in Emery first season, I can assure you bro if we keep playing Lacazette we will keep dropping point
Leno
Bellerin
Holding/Saliba
Gabbi
Tierney
Partey
Maitland -Niles
Reiss/martinelli
Smith Rowe/martinelli
Saka/martinelli
Auba
Auba has scored maximum goals playing on the wings. The problem is the number of chances created and converting the chances the forwards get. If the attackers are more clinical, the midfield shows better transition from defence to attack, the defence holds its own and is reliable, I dont see any reason why the preferred formation of MA i.e.343 should not work. It workd against good teams last season and it must work now. The main reason ,according to me, why we lost to Leicester is not taking our chances and poor man marking. If we are solid in our defence, fast in transition in midfield and clinical in attack I am sure we are bound to see better results. And finally we have to trust in MA, he has definitely shown he can lead Arsenal with his results. He knows best.