Nobody was good today. Szczesny, Wilshere, Gibbs and Vermaelen had fairly decent performances, but it was all distinctly below par. I don't see any value in picking out one player for criticism as the whole team were poor.
We just go back to the debate we had the other day. Neither Giroud or Walcott at this stage of his development are good enough to to play CF week in week out and do really well and match the top forwards. One solution would be to play 4-4-2 but I doubt Wenger will ever do that. He did not even do it today when we were chasing a goal. He is so recalculate to give our opponents an extra man in midfield.
Name those excellent performances, then? His link play is nowhere near the quality of the top players, maybe I have a different meaning for the word 'excellent'.
Tell me, why has Arsene Wenger after spending £12 Million on Giroud has opted to use the likes of Gervinho and Walcott in the middle when he had the option of Giroud?
Tbf, Gervihno was used at the start of the season when Giroud was finding his feet and he wants to convince Theo to sign
No CF should be playing badly enough to let Gervinho take his spot in the team. Wenger is simply not sold on Giroud. He has his uses, but his form has allowed Walcott to move into the middle.
Every game he's played practically. He comes forward for Cazorla, Wilshere, Podolski to link up way more often holds up 2 defenders comfortably and very rarely loses possession, protects the ball in tough situations. He heads down 50/50 balls to our players more often than anyone I've seen. I'm not talking about isolated games, this is a central quality of his. The "name them" thing works when it's exception to the rule not the other way around.
Giroud was in good form before Theo was moved to the middle. He's still our top assister and 2nd highest scorer (5 goals behind Theo). He has what it takes and I think AW is trying to create a Plan A and Plan B of attack (something we've been accused of not having before)
And his movement in front of goal and his inability to get in behind any defence, as well his finishing holds him back, like Walcott's inability to link the play does for him. So we basically have two forwards that are both incomplete and are simply not of the required quality. We had some forward that did both last season, sadly our board sold him for 'footballing reasons'.
Gervinho was working through the middle quite well at the start, and if I recall most here wanted to go with "what's working", including you and PISKIE I might add. Walcott run coincided with Giroud getting ill and him making a big deal to play as a CF. And Wenger entrusted him this role against the mighty Reading. Then I assume he went along while Giroud was ill. This game should about wise him up though.
wow wow wow... Giroud's movement is bad? It was an unanimous positive pointed by everyone in this board up until now, since when did this happen? Or are you making **** up?
If Giroud was of the required quality he would have waltzed back into the team when he was fit. He has been on the bench for the last four games, he might start the cup game when Wenger rotates, but I bet you Walcott starts through the middle against City ahead of Giroud.
Where did I say bad? His movement is nothing special. He hardly drags a defence all over the place, does he? Seeing as he is so slow, he needs to have great movement to really have an impact. Form 11 starts he has 6 goals in the league. Wenger has brought Walcott into the middle because Giroud has failed to take his chance.
Not the toughest draws, that's why. 57 minute sub/change is about as strong a statement Wenger can make, without "discouraging" players. He isn't the Fergie type where he'd humiliate Walcott in front of his teammates, shift him right and bring on Giroud on 45'.
When did Wenger last start with top upfront? He only does it when we are really desperate (Reading in the COC).
That is bad for someone on his first season? He has been immensely useful as acknowledged by everyone even in the games he hasn't scored. With Walcott against non-**** defenses you know what to expect: Anonymity. 7 years of background on that. Even if he has improved, he'd improved to slightly less anonymous. Not every game will be of the type where their defense is all over the place and Walcott can go rampant.
