Alexandre Lacazette: Laca the Net

[BBF]

I personally think 18 months is a good time period to make a judgement on a player. You can have a player hit the ground running only to fizzle out later and vice versa.

I haven't seen anything criminally poor from Laca, on the contrary he seems to be an intelligent footballer (opposite to Welbeck or Ox who are pure athletes).

All the summer striker buys are performing very poorly at the moment if its any consolation. I don't think Lukaku, Morata, or Laca are as poor as the season they are having.

All three have actually been pretty good.

Anyone who thinks young signings arriving from different leagues are gonna bang in a **** load of goals straight away doesn't know football.

 

[Rimaal]

If Wenger ends up benching Laca and ruining him I will rage. He better find a way to incorporate his buys.

 

[CurryFlavoured]

Has he really? I think of 3 clear cut chances he's had against Newcastle and Chelsea the Emirates, along with 1 at Stamford Bridge when he was clean through and sliced it into the crowd.

That's actually the worry for me, that he doesn't get on the end of many chances. We can argue about whether Xhaka et al. have been spotting his runs or not, but he's usually bone idle when a winger or full-back is at the byline looking for a cutback. I think the goals will come if he improves on this, hopefully if plays alongside Aubameyang he'll be afforded more space to work in.

It's a bit of both, I'd agree that not getting enough chances is probably a bigger problem. But I did think that he was more clinical when we signed him which is why I'm disappointed in that aspect. I'm not going to go over every game but he has generally had at least a couple of openings per game, maybe not tap ins but solid opportunities that you expect quality strikers to convert to something. He's clearly lacking in composure lately.

 

[Big Poppa]

Have we retired the number 9 shirt yet?

 

[Aevi]

I'm actually in the "sell Lacazette" camp if Auba does well, I think some of you are missing the point here.

Are we a club of many funds? We've seen time and time that the answer is no, and it would be a huge waste of funds to have a 50m pound player as a sub/fringe player. There is the argument that we can play Laca and Auba together, but it isn't optimal because it would mean we would have to either...

1) Drop Özil because he doesn't suit a 4-4-2
2) Play Özil but as a winger and lose out on some of his best qualities (do we really want to do that with our best player?)
3) Play Özil centrally in a 4-3-1-2, which is a formation that will create structural issues for us because of the lack of width.

If we're aiming to be the best we can be, we're better off playing with one striker because it gets the best out of our best players. And if Aubameyang plays well, that'll mean Lacazette would play a minor role for us. It would thus be advantageous to sell him and reinvest that money into a GK, CB, CDM, or winger where we actually need investement atm. We aren't Man City, we can't have big assets not playing week in, week out.

 

[Sanchez11]

If we sell him we will need to pay at least another 50m for a cf.

 

[Aevi]

If we sell him we will need to pay at least another 50m for a cf.

Do we? We have two promising cfs coming through our academy and a very reputed head of recruitment to find us some cheap up and coming talents.

We could get a backup to Auba for very cheap.

 

[Sanchez11]

Do we? We have two promising cfs coming through our academy, and a very reputed head of recruitment to find us some cheap upcoming talents.

Nothing is cheap in todays market, also they need to prove themselves quickly. I dont know about you but i want a title in the next 3-5 years, but to do that we need to get back in the top 4 and compete. Will those 2 kids be ready?

 

[A_G]

3) Play Özil centrally in a 4-3-1-2, which is a formation that will create structural issues for us because of the lack of width.

Spoiler

Could play the 3-4-1-2 that Man City used earlier in the season, although that depends entirely on whether you want to continue with 3 at the back.

 

[GDeep™]

Lacazette is rubbish. Good finisher when confident but has no other qualities.

 

[Aevi]

Spoiler

Could play the 3-4-1-2 that Man City used earlier in the season, although that depends entirely on whether you want to continue with 3 at the back.

I think we've given up on 3 at the back, because it's made us equally bad (if not worse?) defensively while also making our attack weaker. That's probably our best bet in terms of fitting Laca/Auba/Özil together though, you're right.

I still think we're best off moving Laca on though (provided we don't make a successful switch to two up front). In my head, there is more use putting the money he is worth in another position rather than keeping him around as backup.

 

[A_G]

If Lacazette moves on, the club should look for an 18-21 year old CF with potential to become world class as back-up to PEA. Someone to come in when needed who can also develop for a few years before Aubameyang gets phased out towards the end of his contract.

 

[every little thing]

we can play 442 or 4222 just like manaco did....they have falcao and mbappe.....they have lemar and silva ....and they have bakayoko and fabinho...we can play with that formation.... benching a 50m striker instead of playing two top striker together is stupid.....

 

[Aevi]

If Lacazette moves on, the club should look for an 18-21 year old CF with potential to become world class as back-up to PEA. Someone to come in when needed who can also develop for a few years before Aubameyang gets phased out towards the end of his contract.

We've got two

On a real though, fully agree. Whether it's through the transfer market or our academy, getting a talented young player in to phase in as Auba ages would be perfect. Worst case scenario, we end up with a decent player that can be sold for a profit.

 

[GDeep™]

If Lacazette moves on, the club should look for an 18-21 year old CF with potential to become world class as back-up to PEA. Someone to come in when needed who can also develop for a few years before Aubameyang gets phased out towards the end of his contract.

Easier said than done, these guys are becoming increasingly hard to find.

 

[James Bond]

I'm actually in the "sell Lacazette" camp if Auba does well, I think some of you are missing the point here.

Are we a club of many funds? We've seen time and time that the answer is no, and it would be a huge waste of funds to have a 50m pound player as a sub/fringe player. There is the argument that we can play Laca and Auba together, but it isn't optimal because it would mean we would have to...

1) Drop Özil because he doesn't suit a 4-4-2
2) Play Özil but as a winger and lose out on some of his best qualities (do we really want to do that with our best player?)
3) Play Özil centrally in a 4-3-1-2, which is a formation that will create structural issues for us because of the lack of width.

If we're aiming to be the best we can be, we're better off playing with one striker because it gets the best out of our best players. And if Aubameyang plays well, that'll mean Lacazette would play a minor role for us. It would thus be advantageous to sell him and reinvest that money into a GK, CB, CDM, or winger where we actually need investement atm. We aren't Man City, we can't have big assets not playing week in, week out.

100% agreed. Makes you frustrated hearing David O on the arsecast say that PEA was an option in the summer but we went for the cheaper Lacazette who apparently Wenger was always unconvinced with (With clear reason seeing him fail to even take a shot in 90 mins vs the worst team in the league and get easily outpaced by relegation CBs).

Bought two players for one position, at our club record fee each time, while short in many other areas. Such poor management.

We signed, on paper, a better starting CF. Sell to buy and move Lacazette and get in a top DM or CB and we are a much better team. Yeah we'd surely take a loss, but treat it like lesson in being cheap/not having a plan and with power being taken back for Arsène and **** Law out, hopefully Sven and the Barca dude won't have these issues going forward.

 

[Dokaka]

It's a bit weird to me that people are still waiting for Lacazette to turn things around. What exactly is there to turn around? If you watched him in France, he's playing like he always has. He's just in a league now that offers less space, less time on the ball and he's not taking 8-10 penalties a season. If all you care about is goals, he's somewhat on track to replicate his Lyon form if you take away his penalties.

For me he's performed pretty much as I expected, which is probably why I don't think he's been particularly bad. I do believe the people expecting him to randomly take his game up a level are going to be disappointed. Sure, he might have a season where he scores a few more goals, but this is really a case of what you see is what you get.

 

[YeahBee]

3) Play Özil centrally in a 4-3-1-2, which is a formation that will create structural issues for us because of the lack of width.

.

I vehemotly disagree

Firstly we have RBs/LBs with good to great stamina and ability
so there is some width from them

Playing two mobile strikers who can play of each other and drift wide when needed or when they way is good

a CM-trio behind Özil makes all them able to play to their strength

Jack, Xhaka, Ramsey

both Jack and Ramsey can drift out to

and Özil in a free role


I think we have more structural issues as it is now with the 3-4-2-1

no width from wingers here either, no CM to go wide and only one striker.

and we have other structural issues as it is now anyway

I found it redonculous that our midfield issues were to be solved with 3 at the back

our 2 cms are overwhelmed in a 4231, neither one is the correct type, and Özil doesn't suit 4123

and we have no wingers anymore anyway

 

[Vibra]

According to Ornstein, Wenger was "apparently never convinced by Lacazette" and he was signed ahead of Aubameyang last summer because he was cheaper

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

According to Ornstein, Wenger was "apparently never convinced by Lacazette" and he was signed ahead of Aubameyang last summer because he was cheaper

It seems to be common knowledge that Wenger wasn't convinced. In fact I think most top clubs werent convinced by him hence a top club moved so late for him and it only seems out of desperation that we signed him.

I would sell him in the summer if we get good prize. Keeping him for another year wouldn't be disaster. This is not because I don't rate him , but more so that I have huge faith in Nketiah. That kid already show when coming on for first team that he is full of energy and can create goal scoring opportunities for him self.