Alexis Sánchez

It’s the sky one mate ?

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Ah. Nice! Most play the premier league one here!

That’s not true. He had many stand out games in the final months of last season. Best game of this season though, for sure. I love those little diagonal through balls he plays from that inside left space.

Also love what he thinks of the refs now. When he first came he would try and argue with their crap decisions and now he just laughs in their face cause he knows it’s coming.

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When him and Özil perform like that they’re top 3 players in the league

https://twitter.com/MirrorFootball/status/776126147402797058

According to John Cross, Arsene told Alexis in the summer that he has to accept being rotated and that he will play upfront a lot this season

Pretty sure once we reach November/December he won’t be playing upfront anymore and some others won’t see more than sub appearances for us all season. The quality’s simply not there on the wings to be playing Alexis as a striker an awful lot.

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When John Cross shares his articles, a serious journalist try to kill himself.

The commentator from the PSG immediately pointed out the way Alexis tracks back on the wing to help out Monreal, which Oxlade didn’t do enough of. When Alexis is alone in midfield he gets very little service, no help going forward, and can’t be the menace that he is to defenders.

Arsenal play better with Alexis on the left, why is Wenger so persistent on deploying Alexis at striker?

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You’d find that was iwobi; even bt sports said he need get that in to his game more; but yeah he needs to this more

I’d agree with that as well but collectively it was piss poor. When I see for the 2nd time in 4 days Cazorla tracking back for a fullback or central defender it’s inexcusable. And seeing Coquelin run up to play striker like Mertesacker does a few times a season is a joke.

Where’s the guidance?

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I think it’s mostly the idea of a fast and fluid attack, which simply doesn’t work if you don’t have players on either side of the wing that are at least half capable players As it is now everything goes through the middle (midfield+Özil) as neither Ox or Walcott are really that much involved in our general play and Iwobi, while promising, simply isn’t that good quite yet to make up for the shortcomings of the others.

I mean I’m sure we could make it work if the rest of our team was of a higher quality, but as long as it isn’t we’re really just wasting a winger upfront with no one who can reliably compensate for the missing goal threat and work rate.

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I don’t get the idea of Sanchez playing up front. Firstly it’s great once again to have a goal scoring winger in our ranks. The guy chalked up 25 goals in his first season for us, that’s world class for a winger. Im not so sure he can replicate that playing in a secondary position for him.

Secondly, why buy a striker in Lucas if you intend on playing Alexis there? Should have bought a winger instead in that case. Unless Wenger plans on playing Lucas out wide - but then again he played him up top on his debut. Wenger’s sending mixed messages here. Not to mention Giroud is yet to start for us at all this season.

No doubt Theo or Ox will miss large parts of the season, so Alexis will probably be forced back out to his natural position.

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Agree, I was never convinced by Alexis up front though I wanted it to work badly. I think it was an emergency. We brought two strikers on the bench, Giroud perhaps tired from the Euros or w/e and Perez not fully ready. Those 60 mins he played he might have been exhausted rather than slow, maybe he hasn’t adapted to the training/schedule/tactics/move etc. yet. Idno. Maybe he just wanted more CL experience on the pitch. Welboy injured and Theo no confidence we went with Alexis and two emergency strikers on the bench incase it really didn’t work out?

But yes, the second biggest problem with Alexis up front is that Alexis is not on the wing then lol if we had an abundance of quality wingers I’d let it pass on occasion but wide attacking players are probably the most alarming squad position after the striker one for us. Hope Giroud and Perez get in shape or w/e is the thing, asap.

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Although there are valid question marks over selection maybe it’s a bit to early in the season come to conclusions about why Alexis has been deployed up front and if it’s permanent. We’ve only played 5 matches.

I personally think Alexis is capable of 20 league goals from the wing if managed properly. The last few matches have done nothing but confirm to me how important Giroud presence in the final third is. He’d come on late on our attacks and link up play actually has some edge instead of the sporadic mess that we get with a ‘fluid’ front 3

You say that like it might be a bad thing lol.

I thought that was weird too, I genuinely believed he was getting sold before the window ended because of how Wenger was treating him. He was clearly fit, a man like Giroud doesn’t come back in Higuain shape because he’s a vain cunt and the best way for players to get match fitness is to have a few minutes on the field.

Wenger’s reluctance to play Perez as well though literally boggles the mind, I genuinely don’t believe it’s because Alexis is kicking up a fuss about being a striker? Though with his contract renewal looming it makes you think.

Don’t put much stock in what John Cross says, but if true that AW is going to persist with Sanchez at striker, that is a shambles… not only is it not clearly an upgrade at striker, but it puts a Grand Canyon size hole on our left side attack. Our wing options are who then exactly? Theo, Ox, and Iwobi??? Are you f*ing kidding me?

Anyway, Sanchez is our best option by far out left and we are needing quality in those areas almost as much as striker. I think JC is full of sh*t most likely.

How do you know this. You don’t know about his individual post euro condition or if he’s carrying additional fatigue or knocks or if Wenger is being just being cautious on the advice of the medical team or if he just wants to build up match fitness.

If Wenger says Giroud is a little behind physically I believe him. Why would Wenger lie about his fitness? It’s not something he’s ever done before

The thing with Giroud is he needs his physicality to be on point, it’s 90% of his game. If he isn’t ready for the hustle and bustle then he’s rendered useless and usually ends up with the highest amount of turnovers.

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By physicality do you mean beard?

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Physicality isn’t something I’d associate with Giroud tbh.

One of the reasons CB’s love playing against him is because he doesn’t get physical enough, couple of touches and he flops, he isn’t down for the fight.

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