Andy Townsend has hailed Mikel Arteta for making the tough call to drop Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, the right decision for Arsenal supposedly.
Auba is the club’s captain, the club’s highest earner, but at present he isn’t representing our most important player, and his performances of late have left big question marks over his head.
At his age, it could well be that he is on the retreat, backed up by his inconsistencies in recent seasons also, with his goal output dropping season to season.
The 32 year-old has now failed to score in any of his last six appearances for the club, missing a penalty and a shocking miss against Newcastle from close range during that time, and manager Mikel Arteta has finally taken it upon himself to drop his star to the bench.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t the greatest performance from our side in his absence, and the Spaniard will now have to decide whether he brings him back in or not.
Townsend believes it was ‘the right call’ for the manager to make however, regardless of the end result.
‘Fair play to him (Arteta for dropping Auba),’ said Townsend as quoted by the Metro.
‘When it’s your captain as well, then it can present a bit of a dilemma towards a coach, particularly a coach trying to find the best solutions and the best part forward for his club.
‘I think it’s the right call. With Aubameyang, I watch him some days and I see a real predatory striker, then other days it’s like you are playing with ten men. He is so far off his game.’
As much as I wasn’t complaining about Auba being dropped, with his confidence appearing to be low as well and his struggles are beginning to affect the team, I don’t believe the blame can solely be on him at times. We have lacked creativity at times, and an extended time without scoring can hurt one’s confidence.
At the same time, I’m all for someone like Eddie Nketiah getting his chance to shine, especially from what he showed in pre-season and in the cup competitions this term, and with what Arteta says he is seeing on the training field, he should be playing more often than he is regardless.
Is Auba our main weakness at present? Who do you believe is most deserving of minutes at CF while Auba isn’t doing it?
Patrick
Along with Danny Murphy, I think Townsend is one of the more knowledgeable pundits and I concur with his views on Auba, who basically needs a kick up the backside.
We were playing a high tempo system where Lacazette was playing the link up role, supporting Partey and Lokonga in midfield and supporting the front 3 in attack. Just because Liverpool who we were no match for destroyed us in their own fortress, Arteta decided to changed the system and personnel in key positions. Now the high tempo has disappeared and backwards and sideways passes has increased again with no meaningful attacking threat for long periods of the game. Because of this lethargic football we are playing, we have started shipping in the goals again making Ramsdale look like Leno now. Is that a manager that has got a clue? What I noticed in the Lacazette link up system was that certain players were getting tired around the 60 to 65 minutes mark because of the high tempo and the simple solution was to make substitutions at those times and mandate the substitutes to maintain the high tempo at all cost. Arteta was suppose to build on that high tempo football not go back to a lukewarm and baseless pass pass footballing style that will only make Arsenal lose or draw for the most part. Its that simple. #ArsenalPlayersLackStaminaFor90Mins
Thats the way i see it also.
Aubamayang Laccacette Nketiah and Pepe all need selling as they have either lost what spark they had due to age and comfort levels or were never good enough.
However it will not matter who players striker till we actually create chances.
Saka is hyped by fans as a worldie, however he has 2 assists from what, 15 games? No where near what is needed. Saka and Odegaard are simply not doing enough
Whose fault is that.. even mbappe will experience goal drought under Arteta.. how many chances do we create per game. Arteta needs to be taught tactics and man management .. this boys are clearly fighting for nothing. Not just because we started losing but because it’s the truth
that plan worked well, we were an offensive juggernaut once we sat Auba firmly on the bench…we all know Patrick who are main weakness is and it rhymes Dikel Parteta
our NOT are