Ian Wright has urged Alexandre Lacazette to play further upfield to give Arsenal a target man in matches.
The Frenchman is skilled at linking the play and playing with his back to goal.
This helps him to bring other Arsenal attackers into the game and to exploit gaps in opponents’ defences.
However, the former Lyon striker sometimes comes too deep to get the ball, and Wright doesn’t like that.
The legendary striker believes it limits the damage Arsenal can do to opposing teams and wants him to play much closer to the opponents’ goal and give Arsenal someone to aim at.
He said via The Daily Mail: ‘I’d like to see more goals from someone like Lacazette. I think some of the time he’s coming way too deep. We need a focal point because we’ve got players who can run off of him.
‘I’d like him to stay up there a little bit more, we know he has to link but stay up there a little bit more, give us someone to hit.’
Just Arsenal Opinion
Lacazette has become our main striker, and he needs to get his positioning right before he can help the club.
The Frenchman is one of the key players at the club now and we need him to contribute to the goals.
If he takes this advice, he could improve his goal-scoring record at the moment.
Slightly off topic but if I was a top striker looking for a move this summer, I’d be looking at recent Arsenal performances and the number of chances created, and be thinking “I could be the difference maker in one of the biggest clubs in the world”
Anyone got Erling’s number on speed dial?
Back on topic (and reality), I loved Lacazette’s effort yesterday and do think the goals will start to come. I’d be happy to have him back on a one year deal but am sure he and his agent are looking for a bigger deal.
I have addressed this concern in the past, but have more recently done a bit of an about-face on this matter, in that without him doing so we have little to no physical presence in the middle of the park when we’re playing out from the back…unfortunately this whole back to goal endeavor has turned into a bit of a slapstick comedic affair with his seemingly endless flopping and dropping
Martin Odegaard is the name I reckon you were fishing for Voyageur and you never know
Back to reality, I think Laca is doing what the team needs from him right now and for the rest of the season
I believe Laca is following the instructions of Arteta. I think the guy is playing like a false 10 at the same time. And he has the energy to do that.
He got a ball which was destined for Odegaard from Martnelli whereas he would have been in the box at that moment. This is one of the reasons Wright is complaining.
Laca has simply been coached out of it…
He was prolific before Joining Arsenal.. He always had a good and lovely turn, He was making runs behind defenders, was a near post predator, and had good accurate shots at goal…
Alot of his traits are missing since Arteta took over, He is often criticised about not utilising his head so often, but his first Arsenal goal was an impossible header against Licester..
I just think Laca has changed priorities to suit with the demand of the manager and the team, inorder to bring the young players into the game, he is sacrificing his own game to suit others.
One doesn’t score all those goals at Lyon over the years only to come to Arsenal and suddenly doesn’t know where the goal is anymore… His simply doing exactly what the manager is demanding… No elite finisher would work so had and still be expected to score at a regular rate… it’s only one for another, just like we saw with Aubameyang…
interesting take…not sure if I totally concur with all the conclusions you’ve drawn, but I strongly believe that there’s definitely some merit in your overall assessment of MA’s role in the decreased effectiveness of our Strikers from a goal-scoring capacity…Cheers
TRVL- Am not criticizing the player or manager, Rather my comments is saying we shouldn’t criticize them..
That’s simply the manager’s vision of the role of his center forward.. We know MA is a big fan of Liverpool and how they set-up, so it’s common logic to know that he models Everything about them including the roles of their players example Firminho… Laca is playing exactly like Firminho.
They both don’t score often, but rather work tirelessly and bring their wingers and advancing midfielders into the game… That’s exactly what Laca is doing at Arsenal… If Firminho isn’t scoring much at an experience, quality and creative team like Liverpool, how more Lacazette with an inexperienced team?
It’s the system and roles not really the player, yes he misses alot of chances but some of them might be attributed to poor positioning which again he tries hard to be there in the first place.. It’s not so easy positioning yourself for a goal after coming away with a tackle or running back from midfield positions, especially an attack that he won by himself.
Just stop playing with 2 CDM and push ESR, Saka, Ode and PePe all together for once with Laca infront and ask each of them to help Partey when we are in defence, and see how it goes!
Our formation is clear to everyone, we lack of creating chances because of our “heavy” CDM players and they need faster players upfront.
Let’s go ARSENAL!