My response to pundits who think Arsenal can’t live without Gabriel Jesus by Patrick S
“Gabriel Jesus is out for a while and that will be a big loss for Arsenal,” Mark Lawrenson told PP News.
“I’m going to go for an upset here and go 2-1 to West Ham. All that momentum that Arsenal built up before the World Cup counts for nothing now because of the layoff.
I don’t really understand what Lawrenson was thinking when he made this prediction. Perhaps he seems to think that all of Arsenal’s success this season was down to Jesus and that without him, they’d definitely lose their way!
Now, I find such a claim absolutely wretched, especially coming from a man of Lawrensen’s experience. Arsenal are a team not blessed with superstars all over the pitch and it is hard to compare their players to the likes of Man City’s in terms of their individual quality. What they have in plenty though is togetherness, work ethic and a solid structure. That has not gone away.
Yes, Jesus is now out and it’s a huge blow as his value to the team is clear for all to see. But there’s a solid foundation for the team to continue to perform.
1. The resources in defense are all there as no Arsenal defenders were used at the World Cup (except 40 mins for Saliba)
2. All the midfield players are still as they were before the World Cup, with none out with injury.
3. Emile Smith-Rowe is inches away from a return to action.
4. Jesus’ injury came at a great time when there was no competitive action, which allowed Arteta all the time he needed to figure out how his team would play without their talismanic forward. Additionally, the January window is two games away from being open, meaning that Edu and Arteta have the opportunity to address the challenges the team is faced with by looking at the market. Indeed the manager has confirmed that he’ll be active.
5. Gabriel Martinelli. If Arteta wants a replica of Jesus, he already has one in the young winger. He possesses all the attributes that Jesus does. He runs all day, defends, dribbles, harries defenders, creates chances and scores goals, just like Jesus. If Arteta opts for a slightly different type of striker, he has Nketiah who showed at the back end of last season that he can score goals.
6. The market is littered with all sorts of options. Wilfried Zaha, Marcus Thuram, Moussa Dembelé (all those coming to the end of their contracts) while Joao Felix is being touted around after falling out with his manager Diego Simeone and finally, there’s Cristiano Ronaldo who’s a free agent.
So, there’s absolutely no need to panic!
Ssekatawa Patrick
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Don’t ever mention C.Ronaldo ever again in connection
with Arsenal again on this site ..
I still maintain hes better then Eddie
What I think you understate DANIEL, is how VERY MUCH older players, esp forwards who need pace and work rate in spades, can QUICKLY REGRESS in effectiveness from mid thirties and often from far younger too
Ronaldo of THIS seaon is nowhere near the Ronaldo of LAST SEASON.
And last season he was miles worse than when he was much younger.
Young players improve, BUT older ones regress, however great they may once have been. REALITY.
YOU NEED TO BE ABREAST OF RIGHT NOW, NOT TALKING ABOUT THE PAST.
A move for C. Ronaldo on six months contract is not a bad idea no matter the assumed negative impact he may have. With good midfielders, Ronaldo can still get us the goals that ensures we challenge the title. Like him or hate him, Nketia is not on the same level with him. Having said that, arteta has options upfront. He can play martinelli top nine. He can go for Wilfred Zaha or Thuram. So, there is no cause for alarm. All the coach and players need do is to remain focused. Arteta and Edu MUST NOT depend on Nketia as a replacement. If they want to challenge for the title and eventually wins it, they must get any of the above mentioned quality players including C. Ronaldo.
I absolutely agree!! Not only does Ronaldo play only for Ronaldo but the rest of the team have to too. He would wreck team harmony!
Ronald’s might be a better player but he is absolutely toxic. Arsenal should not go anywhere near him.
Ronaldo is better than Nketiah when it comes to finishing chances but that’s really about it. You could say exactly the same when comparing him to jesus, but it’s all those other things that have made our team competitive this season.
Ronaldo is now a very similar player to aubamayeng, but probably far more disruptive – I’m not sure which i rate more highly in their current states, but i wouldn’t want either in this team.
Six months contract for CR7 won’t be a bad idea. Six months long enough for him to score 20 goals and six months too short for him to cause any disruption in the established system.
Disruption would start as soon as he walked through the door, 600 grand a week for someone who possibly could not last the pace of a complete game. Anyway, have you seen the size of the contracts he’s being offered by the Arabs? I wouldn’t write Nketiah off just yet.
No chance Arteta will not take the chance to destroy everything he’s building to allow a prima dona to ruin everything!
Thankfully, you are right Mark. Arteta is not so stupid that he would ruin all his good work on a crazy gamble like Ronaldo.
Jesus has been involved in play all over the pitch and has had more touches than any other Gunner in the opposition’s penalty area. Hopefully Nketiah can replicate those
As for Martinelli, he started an EPL game as a CF and he was bullied by the opposition’s CB. He’s also been training more as an LW
The seventh reason is that Arsenal have not been over reliant on Jesus for goals. The goal scoring task has been very well distributed among the frontline players. As a matter of fact, our leading scorer and captain is not even a “striker”.
Having said that, I still hope we can add a forward player to the squad. And my preference would be Joao Felix on loan, at least for starters
That’s abit ignorant from you @Coporarte man! You need to watch our goals again, you’ll realize a vast majority of them are down to GJ’s chaotic play and trickery. It’s a very serious blow to our overall play
Let’s all hope Lawrensons opinion is wrong!!!! Because thats all it is, his opinion.
I’m sorry but this article repeatedly ignores the fact that;
1. Gabby plays on the left and Mikel wont chsnge that
2. Eddie cant do what GJ does for the team so mentioning him is abit ignorant/myopic
3. Telling ESR to do what GJ does is asking for trouble, he wont last five games. It’s the truth, his body cant stand the abuse GJ withstands in 90 mins
4. Bottomline: no one is overexaggerating GJ’s role in the team. You dont know what youve got till it’s gone.
1. Arteta told you that did he?
2. No but Martinelli can with ESR filling in on the left and calling others on here ignorant is down right rude and out of order!
3. I don’t think he would be asked to do it.
4. The only point I agree with.
Only Lacazette comes near to Jesus style of play and all round contribution, and he sport the dark art as well.
Ronaldo is a massive risk and further more he hasn’t done anything at the world cup to kick on from.
Re martinelli: “He possesses all the attributes that Jesus does”
No he doesn’t. He doesn’t have Jesus’ balance and ability to hold off larger defenders, nor quite the same first touch and close control, from what I’ve seen. Most importantly, he doesn’t have the experience of playing the position at the top level, and so might not know instinctively where to be during different passages of play. We’d be better off keeping him on the wing imo, we know he’s class there.
Eddie is clearly our next best CF, but we’d be wise to find another, as I wouldn’t want to rely on one player until February, even if he proves good enough. It’s too many games.
To be clear, Ronaldo is not an option – doesn’t fit our style of play and would be disruptive, as there’s no way arteta would treat him as an untouchable first teamer
Davi, Jesus’s influence will be missed, his goals wont. There is an opportunity to tweak a system and spring a real surprise for the next few weeks, using the likes of Martinelli, Saka and Nketiah. I have said earlier, Eddie doesn’t have to play striker, Martinelli can do that but we have options.
You’re right Reggie, arteta could figure out something that works with those players by tweaking the system. Contrary to my previous post, it is feasible that martinelli could work as a kind of CF if we played to his strengths – I was mostly focused on the statements that suggest GM has very similar qualities to GJ, which i just don’t agree with, but maybe my suggestion that martinelli can’t be considered as a CF alternative is a step too far. I do believe Eddie will be starting the next couple of games though (assuming he’s fit of course).
I remember years ago a strong roma had a very successful spell playing without a recognised striker for a time, due to injuries, using Totti and multiple midfield players in a dynamic attacking system that really worked for them
Nketiah could play off the left also.
Plus at a later date we have ESR, hopefully.
Nobody believes that young Martinelli can be as good as his compatriot but in Jesus’ absence he can be a short term solution together with Nketiah and Bukayo Saka. The three of them together with Xhaka and ESR, when he returns, can give us the goals in the interim period as we await Jesus’ return. Furthermore, If what Arteta has pledged comes to pass then we could have one or two quality signings which would give us ample options up front. We should not be despondent.
I totally agree with the submission of Patrick S.
Lewton was biased in his prediction that Arsenal will lose by 1 goal to 2.
The team will continue it’s upward mobility despite Jesus abscence.
Best of luck. Up Gunners?
What’s the point of a backup players if we gonna mistrust him and go all hell broke loose attitude? Arteta’s confidence in Nketiah is obviously based on training ground and now the 23 year old got the opportunity to justify his wages during the time the club needs him the most. I’m absolutely sure the Nketiah issue will be solved this season. If he does well until Jesus comes back, he got a future at the club. Well, if he doesn’t, the No 14 shirt will be available next season. Knowing Edu and Arteta, there will be no more free loaders. And I agree.
Nobody believes that young Martinelli can be as good as his compatriot but in Jesus’ absence he can be a short term solution together with Nketiah and Bukayo Saka. The three of them together with Xhaka and ESR, when he returns, can give us the goals in the interim period as we await Jesus’ return. Furthermore, If what Arteta has pledged comes to pass then we could have one or two quality signings which would give us ample options up front. We should not be despondent.
Ronaldo keh ?
The coach should just find the right mix of players to keep winning.Nobody can do what Jesus does but they have their own quality to bring on board.Football is a team game …Go on goonner… KEEP WINNING