Vinai Venketesham once stressed that Aaron Ramsey would be the last Gunner allowed to run down his contract. That never again Arsenal would allow the player to have the power
He went as far to say that when anyone had 24 months left on their deal, they would be given an ultimatum – extend their deal or be sold.
Whether that was just a PR spin to blame the previous regime, plenty of talent were still on the pay roll with less than 12 months left of their deals.
How Arteta treated each person in this situation has never been consistent.
Ozil wasn’t registered for any squads, with the club willing to pay for him to sit at home.
Yet we would then pay over the odds for Aubameyang to stay, the same policy we were punishing Ozil for.
A Sokratis would be paid to rip up his contract.
Mustafi would be loaned out for the last 6 months of his deal.
Perhaps no one sums up the inconsistencies of our manager’s thinking more than Lacazette.
Laca appears to have made it clear he won’t be extending his stay in North London, while Arsenal don’t seem willing to yet again give out a big salary on someone in his thirties.
As the third highest paid player on pay roll, it’s another chance for our owners to slash the wage bill.
Both parties seen to have accepted he will become a free agent, and both will end their relationship in a respectful manner.
That might be why efforts to get Laca and Auba in the same 11 have been abandoned?
Why build a formation around someone you can’t rely on long term?
That could be why he only got 18 mins to make an impact at Brighton?
In that time though he made the same number of passes that our captain did in 72 mins.
This supports my long-held belief that in terms of holding up the ball, linking play and work rate, Laca is better than his best friend. –
The fact he comes on at the Amex ahead of Martinelli and Balogun gives mixed messages.
It can’t help the youngster’s confidence to see their boss rather play someone who won’t be wearing our shirt this time next year.
So, are we properly going to use Laca as a resource to help us this season or are you preparing for life without him?
It’s got to one or the other.
It can’t be both.
Like a lot of aspects of the team, the decision making seems muddled.
Laca doesn’t start in the league anymore but when you need a goal you still have the temptation to bring him off the bench.
There’s talk we will listen to offers for the Frenchman in January with it natural that clubs will make a cheeky offer, knowing Arsenal won’t get any fee in the summer.
Yet we could lose serious firepower in the New Year to the African Cup of Nations while there’s talk of Balogun going on loan as part of his development.
In other words, we might need the 30-year-old.
If we can get back into Europe that would be worth more than any fee, we would get for Laca at this point.
Instead of being indecisive make it clear to the player he’s here for the entire campaign and it suits everyone to get the very best out of him for that duration.
That gets rid of any confusion in the Winter Transfer Window.
A Lacazette at his best can still offer something to Arsenal.
Arteta though needs to manage the situation better.
Be Kind in The Comments
Yep, Mikel Arteta has been inconsistent for a number of decisions. But in this case, his conundrum is a bit difficult. Who knows what happened behind the scenes? Lacazette would have been ideal to come on earlier, but maybe as you said he is reluctant to use him, and try to develop his long-term vision more(how long it would be only god knows). I am also puzzled as to why Balogun and Martinelli are not played in this team. Was judgement passed after their poor performance in a makeshift team? Leno is underfire and rightly so for speaking too much, but I wonder would he have done any better if he played with the current backline? This is not a knockdown on Ramsdale, but I counted 2 errors so far in his stint, the ball drop at Brighton and one miskick against Burnley maybe, errors that if Leno had committed would be crucified to no end. Aaron’s overall performance has been very good, but its not like he didnt make mistakes. About Aubameyang, there is still hope that he would finish chances, but our youngsters should be given chances too. Maybe they would fare better? A building for future should try and nurture that future. I guess MA would eventually give Balo and Marty more minutes as he has done with our young defense and midfield. But as you said, decisions have been somewhat inconsistent.
But we move.
COYG!
We just have EPL this season and our squad is too big, so there are fewer games for our fringe and squad rotation players. I think Lacazette is kept as a backup and I believe he doesn’t mind to sit on the bench until he can leave
who cares what he thinks? how apropos, considering the source…what ultimately matters is this club getting things right both on the pitch and in the boardroom, which hasn’t been the case thus far
We’re slowly heading towards a good direction under the current management. It could’ve been faster, but we’re on the right track
The appointment of Arteta has brought more harm than good. Most senior players are not interested in playing under Arteta. Bellerin, Auba, Lacazette, Maitland-Niles, and Nelson. Do you wanna tell me that these guys can lose form at the same time? I doubt it. The more time we give to Arteta, the more trouble we’ll find ourselves in
Did these players win the EPL or EL for us under Wenger or Unai? These are well paid pros. If they lose interest in the game for which their paid, then they should put in transfer request and move to play under the manager of their choice.Sad but true Wenger & Unai lost their jobs (it is never nice when one gets fired, Wenger included – he had the choice to change but was reluctant and got what he deserved) due to these and past players. You cannot have it both ways – refuse to play yet collect the thousands per week. In another post I did comment that Laca with his stats was a wrong player Wenger signed, who offered nothing to the team, we should have retained Giroud as plan B. These players were useless before Mikel came in, blaming Mikel seems the norm of the day.The visible difference between Mikel and Wenger is the discipline and the tolerance to mediocrity. Laca is doing no one favors, he still collects his weekly wage, so he has to give it all when he walks onto the pitch.90 minutes or 9 minutes, every player has to perform, no excuses.
I guess the visible difference between Wenger and Arteta is that atleast one of them is having much more leeway than the other.
you present a considerable quandary for me LC, as I do agree with several components of your anti-Wenger stance, making sure to note that my critique of our former manager only involves his post-Emirates tenure, but the fact that you fail to see that our current manager, or mini-Arsene, is simply a poor man’s version is simply baffling…there’s so many logically-deduced comparisons, yet you somehow see them as occupying opposing ends of the managerial spectrum…as such, I suspect that you were so frustrated by Wenger’s continued employment here, which we both agree went on far too long, that it’s negatively impacted your ability to properly assess the position
in one respect, I can understand how this miscalculation has occurred, as many pundits and the like have spoken at length about the speculative potential of our present manager, but their respective praises mean functionally nothing until this team, his team, passes the “eye test” on a consistent basis…so far, Arteta has failed to exercise the organizational mismanagement demons that came into being under Wenger…in fact, in many regards, he’s travelled down the same troubling path as his predecessor, yet your response to his actions or lack thereof have completely ignored this obvious fact…maybe a bit of a rethink, then a logical reset is required…just saying
It’s annoying when Fans target some players for playing badly, then when the player decides to leave we blame the manager. Bellerin has been shit long before MA and fans has been calling for his head since AW days. AMN and Nelson were never senior players and only wanted more playing time, Laca still plays well when called upon. Auba has lost form but is that on the manager?
in large part, YES
Laca is one of our best CF’s in terms of work rate and hold up play both of which indirectly lead to more shots on goal. He should not only be brought on as a sub when we badly need to score but should also start games.
Seems to me Arteta projects negative stuff on some of his players who get in his bad books….now it is Martinelli and Lacazette. It was Saliba, Torreira, Mavroponos and Guendouzi. Just don’t get in Arteta’s bad books or you are done for. Arteta always seems to need whipping boys. Not very wise or mature, but it seems that’s Arteta’s character.
Arteta does not treat his players equally. Kronke’s chose their own man. It’s so sad
Koma How true those words are it is sad 6th best this season 8th or 9th best next season
We didn’t spend 52m and 182k a week just to hold up the ball but to score goals.
So you want us to renew and pay him 250k a week for him to be abysmal in his performances
Laca is ok but we paid too much for him. A player like that should be scoring at least 20 goals a season
Laca is another waste of resources. He misses too much scoring chances.
Bang on target Mate! Rememeber he went a year without an away goal? Get him out of the club as soon as possible.
Absolutely, agree. Look we have 4 other players in the same position as Lacs and none of them including Laca make our starting x1, in fact 4 of them are not even making the bench if everyone is fit.
If offers come in January for Elneny, Kolasinac, Chambers, Nketiah and Lacazette we should take them, even if they left on free transfers we would be saving over £400k a week.
If all 5 went, Balogun, Martinelli, Tavares, Cedric and Patino would be afforded more chances. Arteta and Edu could then focus on the players whose contracts are expiring 2023 like Aubameyang, Leno, Guendozi, Torreira, Mavropanos, Bellerin, Maitland-Niles and Nelson
I see no need to panic of the 13 players that are set to be out of contract this summer or next only the club captain is currently a starter and he is not exactly setting the world alight nowdays. Imagine if the other 12 left this would be our match day team and back up x1.
Ramsdale
Tomiyashu white Gabriel Tierney
Partey lokonga
Saka odegaard ESR
Aubameyang
Okonkwo/Hein
Cedric holding Mari tavares
Xhaka Akinola
Pepe Patino Martinelli
Balogun
Let’s not forget also that Clarke, Ballard, Saliba, Rekik, Ogungbo, Azeez, John-Jules, Moller, Biereth, Hutchinson, Kido-Hart, Eddine, Flores and more would all still be our players
Havyn We need the players to feed him and we have not got them yet we have only scored 5 so far
While Lacazette has a contract with Arsenal FC, he is being paid by the Club and thus is an asset available to use where appropriate. To make a conscious effort to sit Lacazette on the bench, provided he is putting in at training or being disruptive in the dressing room (thingd he has never been accused of doing), would be absolute stupidity.
Lacazette was after all the Club’s top scorer last season and without his and Pepe’s (another out of favour) goals, where would Arsenal have finished?
“not being disruptive”!!!