What can you say about Arsenal’s season? Unlucky or just plain predictable?
We are approaching the last weeks of the season and Arsenal are in the battle for top four rather than the title… as it’s usually been in the second half of Arsene Wenger’s reign. Three Premier League titles, six FA Cups paints a picture of success, but the latter competition has lost the importance of yesteryear, while the last success in the former was over a decade ago.
The league and Champions League are where elite clubs are measured, and the last time Arsenal approached April and May as serious contenders was in 2004, when they went unbeaten. Since 2006, there has been a move towards a less physical, more technical style of play in hope that the rest of the league would follow suit.
However, this season has shown physicality is needed more than ever, with Arsenal’s north London rivals displaying a more aggressive, pressing style which is attracting admirers. 4-2-3-1 is slowly being phased out with a more progressive 2-3-5 system slowly coming into the Premier League with Guardiola being a fan of this system at Bayern.
So where does this leave Wenger? Does he adapt with the times or hope that his system bears fruit come next season? This should worry Arsenal fans:
“The physical levels of teams has gone up and tactical knowledge of defending has gone up. Players who do not contribute to team work are kicked out everywhere.
“Then you go two ways: you say look that doesn’t work any more so we have to change our style, and I wish you good luck when you kick the ball anywhere after people have seen good football for 10-15 years, or you say we have analysed well where we are not efficient enough and we do better with the style we play”.
Next year will be so competitive, with top managers such as Guardiola, Antonio Conte and possibly even Jose Mourinho coming into the league, while the new TV money will give clubs like Leicester, West Ham and Tottenham a fighting chance to progress, so top four will not be a given next year for the Gunners, let alone the title.
Mark my words, this is a turning point for Wenger. Will he let perhaps his final year as Arsenal boss be remembered for the first half of his reign or second? Unless he adapts to the new surroundings it seems unlikely to change.
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So what are you complaining about Arsenal fans? We get into the Champions League every year and we had to pay off the bills for our new stadium in that time. That’s the official line from the club and Arsene Wenger who blamed the fans for creating a “difficult climate” during home games. Well Arsene, I hate to be the person to tell you this, but the majority of fans are fed up with the usual jam.
Saturday’s match against Norwich was the sideshow to a mass protest conducted by RedAction, the Arsenal Supporter’s Trust and the Black Scarf Movement over the glorious failure of this season and how obvious lessons are not being learnt.
The same issues surrounding the squad in 2008 are in this team presently – the lack of leaders, naivety and indiscipline, and what’s worse is the probability that these same issues are unaddressed next season while Wenger’s still at the helm. There seems to be a reluctance to bring big characters into the dressing room from Wenger, who seems content with ‘nice guy’ players that all get along, but when it’s time to battle they’re not up to the fight. The game against Leicester City at home this season epitomises the character of this team, as a last minute Danny Welbeck winner signalled celebrations of a World Cup triumph. The players then rushed to the crowd to enjoy the jubilation and ended the night with a customary selfie. That victory didn’t put Arsenal 10 or 20 points in front by the way, it only put them two points behind the leaders.
Flash forward two months and Arsenal have been dumped out of the FA Cup at home to Watford and thrashed home and away by Barcelona – who both got eliminated in the next round of their respective competitions. Their title charge ended after an uninspiring 0-0 draw with Sunderland and the pressure is really on Wenger. How can he justify losing the title to Leicester? By blaming everyone else obviously, “we are accused the most, but we beat Leicester twice”. So the other 18 teams should take a long, hard look at themselves for handing the title to Leicester, forgetting the fact that Arsenal have been beaten seven times this season.
The fans’ reaction to the inevitability of this season’s outcome should worry the Arsenal board as the sentiment towards Arsenal’s most successful manager is weakening day-by-day. Across Twitter, the vile comments written about him are shocking and there is a growing number of supporters wanting a change of approach. After every defeat, there is a meltdown on all social media platforms and radio stations with fans increasingly frustrated. From the outside looking in it looks over the top, but once you speak with them you can see the lack of trust they have with the manager and how some even expect repetitive failures to occur.
The manager seems to determined to see out his contract, as he has always done throughout his career, but with every passing moment those early achievements from 1998-2005 are being eroded by this feeling of perennial failure. I put it to you, Gooners, which Arsene Wenger will you remember? The trophy-hunter from 1998-2005? Or the stubborn Wenger from 2006 onwards? Sadly I know my answer.
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The loss of Ronald Koeman, despite his wonderful period at the club, is just a drop in the ocean for Southampton.
A club that has sadly become accustomed to losing managers, players and even club heroes as soon as they begin to build a bond will surely bounce on from this setback as they did from the losses of Pochettino, Lallana and Schneiderlin.
A magnificently run football club, Southampton are an excellent example to the rest of European football and tend to get their recruitment, of both coaching and playing staff, absolutely spot on.
The new manager is going to have some task when he arrives, mind. Ronald Koeman will likely be sniffing around to sign his former players, even before some of the clubs with the token of European football begin to lure some of Saints’ stars away.
Summer is not always a dream for Southampton, the poor folks on the south coast.
Whatever happens, they must keep these FIVE…
Virgil van Dijk
Van Dijk was one of the supreme central defenders last season, as he displayed the full array of defensive skills out of possession and proved himself as a gifted ball-player when on the ball.
A certain upgrade on Dejan Lovren, Van Dijk will be a target for many clubs this summer and it’s easy to understand.
Any player who can play the simple defensive parts of the game as well as spray the ball across the pitch is going to be much-desired in modern football.
Sadio Mane
Mane scored 11 goals last season, but his continued inconsistencies in form, often associated with transfer windows it seems, are a concern.
Southampton, depending on who is named the new manager, might just be open to selling on the forward if they can generate a fee sizeable enough to sign a quality replacement.
His terrifying pace makes him a constant threat and nicely complements Pelle.
Ryan Bertrand
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Bertrand is, for a lot of people, very unlucky not to be starting for England at this summer’s European Championships.
Often playing as a third centre-back this season, Bertrand is a reliable defender in the defensive third and can provide intelligent movement in the attacking third.
English players are always demanded by the top Premier League clubs and Bertrand could be subject to a few offers for that very reason.
Victor Wanyama
Wanyama is often reported to be a target for other Premier League clubs but it looks as though Tottenham are going to make serious moves for the Kenyan.
Although a move now looks very likely to go through, one would hope that it is still possible to stunt a possible transfer and retain the defensive midfielder for next season.
Often the lynch pin of the side, Wanyama completed more tackles per 90 than any other Saints player last season.
Graziano Pelle
The club’s joint-top scorer last season, Pelle is sure to attract some attention next season.
Having boosted his career in Eredivisie, Pelle is at risk of doing the same with the Italian national team as he continues to star for them at this summer’s Euros.
The limitations in his game have to be accepted, of course, but that won’t necessarily restrict the interest in the towering centre forward.
It’s been a summer of real change at Anfield and for the first time since his arrival at Liverpool, Jurgen Klopp has had the chance to bring in the players he wishes to work with as the season gets underway this summer.
He hasn’t hesitated either and has made some huge statements going forward, suggesting that his side aren’t just here to make up the numbers in the Premier League this season.
But standing in Liverpool’s way to start with is Arsenal, and it is set to be a tough game for both sides, who will want strong starts.
So with so many new players at the club, who will start the game for the Reds? Will it be a case of relying on the old, or throwing the new in at the deep end?
With all this in mind, here’s our Liverpool starting XI that could beat Arsenal in their Premier League opener, lining up in a 4-2-3-1 formation…
GK: Loris Karius
A tough choice to get things underway as there will be a real battle for the goalkeeping jersey this season.
New signing Loris Karius is likely to get the nod ahead of Simon Mignolet, quite simply because he is a Jurgen Klopp signing. It will be interesting to see how the former Bundesliga defender gets on in the Premier League, compared to in his native Germany.
RB: Nathaiel Clyne
A pretty easy option for this slot and we expect Nathaniel Clyne to fill it for the majority of the season as long as injuries stay away.
He’s proved himself to be one of the most attacking full-backs in the Premier League and he gives Liverpool a real outlet going down the right hand side. Expect another strong season from the former Southampton man.
CB: Mamadou Sakho
Mamadou Sakho will want to put a difficult few months behind him as Liverpool begin their new Premier League season this weekend.
The French defender is probably Liverpool’s most senior and experienced defender ahead of the new campaign and he is expected to play a big role for the Reds this season.
He’s a rock at the back and is an extremely reliable option for Klopp going forward.
CB: Joel Matip
We’ve gone with Joel Matip as Sakho’s opening day defensive partner, which might surprise some Reds supporters.
Ragnar Klavan has also been brought in this summer but we feel that Matip is a more positive and exciting choice than the Estonian international. He’d been a prominent figure for former club Schalke for the past seven seasons and he should be a steady choice at centre-halve.
LB: Alberto Moreno
Perhaps one of the weaker areas of the Liverpool team, Jurgen Klopp will be pretty reliant on a strong start from Alberto Moreno this season. He has few options in this area of the pitch after allowing Jose Enrique to leave earlier this summer so it will be down to Moreno to keep things steady on the left-hand side.
He loves getting forward and did well last year- there could be far worse options for the Reds.
CDM: Emre Can
The German defender-cum-midfielder has been a fantastic addition to the Liverpool side since moving to the side from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer of 2014 and we expect him to hold down this position for the majority of the season.
He’s a powerful, pacy option to have in the middle of the park and he’s only going to get better.
CDM: Jordan Henderson
Another pretty simple choice, Liverpool’s captain Jordan Henderson will start this one alongside Emre Can.
After a solid pre-season which saw the Reds beat Barcelona 4-0, Liverpool fans will have been happy to see Henderson playing well from the off. He’ll be the heartbeat of the team from the middle of the park and as we’ve already seen, he’ll have to lift the team when the going gets tough.
RM/RW: Sadio Mane
One of the biggest signings in the Premier League this summer, Jurgen Klopp will be keen to see his new winger get off to a good start against the Gunners.
The former Southampton man will bring a direct approach to Liverpool’s wing and Reds’ supporters will hope he can start with a bang this weekend.
He’s looked sharp in pre-season and it will be interesting to see what type of player he turns into under Klopp.
CAM/CF: Roberto Firmino
Another pretty standard choice this one as many Reds supporters expect him to be a massive player again for the team this season.
Firmino, who actually struggled to make an impact at the start of his Liverpool career has really come into his own and now carries the team at times, with his creativity and imagination at the heart of the forward line.
If he has another strong season then Liverpool can do well this season.
ST: Daniel Sturridge
A tough choice between Sturridge and Origi but on this occasion we’ve gone with the former Chelsea man. Origi will get his chance after finishing last season so strongly but Sturridge’s experience at this level gives him the advantage this time round.
As we know, when he’s in-form he’s a really tough player to contain and his goals could decide how far Liverpool can go this season.
West Ham are currently showing the world how not to move in to a new stadium – poor performances, poor stewarding and trouble in the stands are just about all things you want to avoid when moving to an impressive new arena.
The beginning of 16/17 has been nothing short of a disaster for the Hammers, both on and off the pitch, and Slaven Bilic’s side look a far cry from the one that almost secured a shock top four finish last term.
Granted, they’ve had their injury problems; Aaron Cresswell, Aurthur Masuaku, Andy Carroll and Andre Ayew have all been sidelined long term, which has seriously affected Bilic’s plans thus far.
Having lost five of their opening six games of the new Premier League season, West Ham are in desperate need of a victory and especially in front of their own fans at the London Stadium.
And given recent performances, Slaven Bilic will need to make a few changes to have a better chance of victory against Middlesbrough on Saturday.
So, with three key changes in mind, here’s the XI Bilic should pick to face Aitor Karanka’s men…
Goalkeeper
Adrian was an impressive figure between the sticks for the Hammers last term but such form has not been on display so far this season.
Some would say he kept the score down to just 3-0 when Southampton came to London and ran riot last week, but you can’t hide the fact Adrian has still conceded 11 in the last three games – 16 in total already this term.
Darren Randolph is West Ham’s cup goalkeeper but has been impressive when called upon since signing on a free transfer last summer. Given Adrian’s recent form, it’s fair to say Randolph deserves the gloves moving forward.
Defenders
It was a surprise to see Sam Byram on the bench against Southampton, with defensive midfielder Havard Nordtveit preferred at right-back.
That decision suggests Bilic doesn’t have full faith in Byram but he will have to rethink that against Middlesbrough, following his side’s poor defensive showing in recent weeks.
Alvaro Arbeloa didn’t play badly against Southampton and should continue at left-back this week, while Winston Reid and Angelo Ogbonna form West Ham’s strongest central defensive partnership.
Midfielders
There have been calls to drop captain Mark Noble this season, which is no surprise given the Hammers’ poor performances.
Some fans have questioned Noble’s ability to lead the team through difficult times, but his relationship with Bilic is strong and there’s just no way he’ll be demoted to the bench. Dropping the captain will do nothing to help improve squad morale and it could make things worse.
Question marks have also been raised over Cheikhou Kouyate. He hasn’t been as dominating in midfield this season but he should be given more licence to go forward against Middlesbrough, allowing Noble to sit and hold.
The three players behind the striker pick themselves. Michail Antonio is currently the Premier League’s highest scorer with five goals, while Dimitri Payet and Manuel Lanzini’s partnership was a crucial part of the Hammers’ success last term.
Striker
Apart from the defence, West Ham’s biggest problem is up front.
Simone Zaza, on loan from Juventus, has done nothing to convince anyone that he is the 20-goal-a-season front man the club were publicly searching for during the summer. Jonathan Calleri is another on loan striker who has disappointed so far.
So while Diafra Sakho and Andy Carroll remain sidelined through injury, youngster Ashley Fletcher should be given a chance up front.
The former Manchester United academy product started in the Hammers’ 3-1 defeat to Manchester City earlier this season and impressed, and he has also looked dangerous in his five other first team appearances.
It’s fair to say Fletcher has done enough to warrant a start against Middlesbrough and that decision might just be the one that turns the club’s season around.
Slaven Bilic prefers a 4-2-3-1 formation and he’ll no doubt opt to stick with it, even during hard times.
The key is in the personnel changes here. Two changes in what has been a leaky defence – including the ‘keeper – might help prevent the overflow of goals being conceded, while a new striker who is eager to impress could start to get them going in at the other end.
Slaven Bilic said in his pre-match press conference that one win could turn West Ham’s season around – this should be the XI to ensure that happens.
Ross Barkley has stagnated at Everton and should have left the Merseyside club two years ago, according to ex-England international Rodney Marsh.The 22-year-old attacking midfielder established himself as a key member of the starting XI at Goodison ParkÂunder Roberto Martinez and enjoyed a stunning 2013/14 season.WANT MORE? >>ÂEverton Transfer NewsÂ|ÂLatest Transfer NewsThe England international’sÂform dipped a little in 2014/15 and he once again struggled through last season, but he’s featured regularly thus far for fresh managerial appointment Ronald Koeman.However, he was dramatically substituted at half-time during Everton’s 3-0 battering of Sunderland on Monday night, with the scoreline still at 0-0.And commenting on Barkley’s situation, Marsh, who won nine caps as an England player, gave his verdict, claiming the exciting youngster has “lost his wayâ€:“Two years ago Ross Barkley was one of the brightest young stars around. No more…..should have left EFC then.”Lost his way. Spends most of his time in the middle third. Needs to be at the sharp end to do damage…”
Barkley has been a regular in the England squad over the course of the past few years – he was taken to both the 2014 World Cup and EURO 2016 – but Sam Allardyce overlooked the playmaking midfielderÂfor his first game in charge of the Three LionsÂagainst Slovakia earlier this month.
The vast majority of pundits and fans alike are expecting Arsenal to mathematically confirm their place in the Champions League’s Round of 16 this evening, for a 17th year in a row with a win over European minnows Ludogorets Razgrad.
That’s admittedly dependent on PSG beating FC Basel, meaning neither the English nor the French giants can be caught on ten points apiece. But the Gunners are amid a strong run of form, battering Sunderland 4-1 last weekend, and possess more than enough talent to dispense of the Bulgarian champions with relative ease.
They’ve already recorded a resounding victory over Ludogorets, claiming a 6-0 win at the Emirates Stadium a fortnight ago, and will look to maintain – or perhaps even improve upon – that winning margin this evening.
Yet, Ludogorets aren’t the pushovers the majority of the British media are making them out to be. In fact, they’re a decent side with nothing to lose and an incredibly vocal fanbase.
Anything could happen in the 43,230 capacity Vasil Levski National Stadium this evening and we at FootballFanCast are tipping the Bulgarians to pull off the unlikeliest of upsets. Here’s why.
The 6-0 flattered Arsenal
You won’t hear too many Arsenal fans saying this, but they were a little fortunate to come away with a 6-0 win last month after a rather stodgy start to the reverse fixture in the north London.
Indeed, due to their dominance in the second half, it’s been quickly forgotten that the Eagles actually went into the interval with more possession than the Gunners and just two fewer shots on target. In fact, they arguably controlled the match after Alexis Sanchez’s wonder-chip had given Arsenal an early lead.
Clearly, the Bulgarians capitulated when Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain made it 3-0 just after half time – but that won’t necessarily be the case at home in a packed out Vasil Levski National Stadium.
Above: A look at how close the match was at half time, courtesy of Whoscored.
Attacking quality
Britain Football Soccer – Arsenal v PFC Ludogorets Razgrad – UEFA Champions League Group Stage – Group A – Emirates Stadium, London, England – 19/10/16PFC Ludogorets Razgrad’s Marcelinho in action with Arsenal’s Francis Coquelin Reuters / Toby MelvilleLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
European minnows of Ludogorets’ description often don’t offer much in attack. Rather, they usually end up putting all eleven men behind the ball and hoping a big lump can get them a few seconds of respite when they finally get the chance to pump it up the field.
But Ludogorets undoubtedly possess attacking quality; they scored against FC Basel and PSG, including a strike at St. Jakob Park, and since suffering humiliation at the Emirates Stadium two weeks ago have notched up eight goals in just two league games.
One goal will give Georgi Dermendzhiev’s boys something to hold onto and based on recent scorelines, they have half a chance of getting one.
Confidence from domestic form
We always knew qualification from Group A would be a tall order for the Bulgarian champions. But domestically, there’s no doubting Ludogorets’ impressive form.
They’re leading the Bulgarian top flight with a game in hand and haven’t actually lost a league fixture since mid-August, a 1-0 defeat to their second-placed title rivals, Levski Sofia.
Of course, Arsenal are a significantly higher calibre of opponent than anyone they’ll play in Bulgaria – but there’s no doubt the Eagles will enter tonight’s match overflowing with confidence from their domestic results. Table courtesy of Whoscored.
Arsenal have previous
Football – Arsenal v RSC Anderlecht – UEFA Champions League Group Stage Matchday Four Group D – Emirates Stadium, London, England – 4/11/14Anderlecht’s Aleksandar Mitrovic (R) celebrates with Dennis Praet after the gameMandatory Credit: Action Images / Tony O’BrienLivepicEDITORIAL USE ONLY.
Defeat to Ludogorets this evening certainly wouldn’t be the first time complacency has cost Arsenal in the Champions League – in fact, it’s been pretty common over the last few years.
Who can forget that 3-3 draw with Anderlecht, after going three goals up? Or the shock defeat to Monaco over two legs, or for that matter, Group Stage losses to Dinamo Zagreb and Olympiacos last season?
Admittedly, it feels as if there’s something a little different, perhaps even a little more consistent, about Arsenal this season. But defeat to Ludogorets certainly wouldn’t be out of character for this group of players, who have a knack of putting their collective foot on a banana-skin just when things are going well.
It’s currently 0-0 at St. Mary’s between Southampton and Liverpool as half-time is upon us, with many onlookers impressed by one Saints man in particular.
Whilst much of the talk before the game was looking at the return of Sadio Mane to the club he left in the summer and the likes of Philippe Coutinho and Roberto Firmino once again aiming to cause havoc, one player for the opposition has outshone them all.
The man in question? Virgil Van Dijk. The former Celtic man has been impressive for the Saints ever since he joined the club he seems to have found another level this season, much to the delight of the fans of the south coast club.
He’s already put in a number of dominant performances this year and is doing so once again against the Reds – who are looking to stay top of the league with a win on the south coast.
There’s plenty of reaction on Twitter. Here’s a look at some of the best responses to VvD’s first half display…
According to reports in The Sun, Manchester City are in the race to sign teenage striker Kasper Dolberg who is making waves in Dutch football this season.
What’s the word?
Manchester City have one of the most talented squads in England and aren’t lacking for firepower, with only Liverpool netting more Premier League goals so far this term.
That’s not stopping them looking to the future, though, with 19-year-old Kasper Dolberg a target for Pep Guardiola ahead of the January transfer window.
Quoted by The Sun, City scout Sebastian Arnesen said: “We are keeping a very close eye on him, and when the time is right we’ll make a decision on whether we should act. He is so special, and therefore he is of course also on the radar.”
Unusually candid words for a football club official, but they highlight how highly Dolberg is thought of in the game.
Really that good?
Scoring eleven goals in 15 starts for Ajax this season, Dolberg has taken Eredivisie by storm since joining from Danish Superlig side Silkeborg in the summer.
At just 19, he’s also already made his debut for Denmark, his first appearance coming last month against Kazakhstan.
His finishing ability is ridiculously composed for a player of such a young age, while he also has the dribbling ability to take defenders on at speed.
Despite hitting headlines through the season, it was his stunning recent performance against NEC Nijmegen that really set tongues wagging.
An incredible first half hat-trick destroyed NEC, and made up part of a 5-0 victory, in which Dolberg also got an assist.
If he can keep producing to that standard, we reckon City won’t be the only massive club looking to make a bid for him in upcoming transfer windows.
There was once a time when guaranteed goalscorers were worth their weight in gold. Power, height, pace, technical ability and all that jazz certainly helped, but the likes of Ruud van Nistelrooy and Robbie Fowler got by for long enough without it.
They simply found a way of getting the ball into the net one week to guarantee a start the next; an entirely logical cycle that had even the most attritional of managers prepared to overlook workshy tendencies in favour of that one thing needed to win football matches – goals.
Traditionally, strikers have commanded the largest transfer fees, the largest salaries and unrivalled importance in the starting XI. But fast forward to 2016/17 in the Premier League and the job security of the guaranteed goalscorer isn’t as sure as it once was. Have we reached a point where most, if not all, predatory net-finders are suddenly expendable?
On the surface, that may seem absurd. A beautiful game without a consistent supply of goals would be a wet dream for Sam Allardyce and a nightmare for the rest of us. But no star striker doesn’t mean no goals; indeed, there is a growing trend of managers looking to find their goals from other areas of the pitch. The traditional poachers, meanwhile, the men who’ve forged careers almost exclusively from getting on the scoresheet, are suddenly being sacrificed.
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Take Sergio Aguero and Daniel Sturridge. On paper, both are amongst the best goal-getters in the Premier League, if not world football. The Argentine proved as much against Burnley, when he came off the bench to fizz in a strike from the most impossible of angles, somehow finding a gap between a goal-line defending Michael Keane and the post to give his side a 2-0 lead. But that’s precisely the point; a fully-fit, world-class striker, unrivalled in his position throughout the City squad, had to make a difference from the bench.
Of course, Aguero has largely been selected when fit; barring his three and four-game suspensions. Yet, it’s hard to imagine any of Pep Guardiola’s predecessors voluntarily extending his exclusion from the starting XI by an extra game after such a long absence, like the Spaniard did against Burnley. In fact, Aguero’s spent most of his City career sacrificing his health and risking injury by being rushing back into the fold as soon as possible.
And the trend rings even truer at Anfield, where Sturridge has spent the majority of the campaign watching from the sidelines. Once again, few can dispute the England international’s talent, but Jurgen Klopp has consistently preferred Roberto Firmino in the false nine role as part of his high-pressing, fluid front three rather than a traditional centre-forward. Even Divock Origi, more a roaming forward than a predominant front-man, has found himself selected ahead of the former Chelsea and Manchester City starlet.
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Yet, that hasn’t affected Liverpool’s capacity to find the net – in fact, quite the opposite. They’re the top scoring side in the Premier League with 48 goals – seven more than Barcelona after just four more games – and perhaps even more intriguingly, their top scorer isn’t even Firmino, the closest thing their strongest starting XI has to a conventional front-man. That title belongs to in-cutting winger Sadio Mane.
It’s a similar case at Arsenal. Although Olivier Giroud has come back into the fold recently amid a run of fixtures against predominantly defensive and physical sides, Alexis Sanchez has lead Arsenal’s line for the most part this season. The Chilean forward is certainly capable in terms of scoring prowess but once again, it’s the other elements of his game that have seen him preferred to Giroud, specifically his pace, tenacity and link-up play with those around him, notching up seven assists already this term.
Meanwhile, Jermain Defoe is the fourth-top scorer in the Premier League but seemingly compelled to ply his trade with third-bottom Sunderland. Of course, Defoe is a particularly extreme case – he’s 34 years of age and has been marginalised for most of his career for an apparent lack of all-round contribution.
Nonetheless, the point still stands; out-and-out goalscorers are becoming decisively old-fashioned. It’s rather telling that just eleven of the Premier League’s top 20 scorers this season are actual strikers. The rest occupy the attacking midfield berth just behind them.
There are exceptions, most notably Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Diego Costa of Manchester United and Chelsea respectively. But once again, it’s rather telling that Jose Mourinho and Antonio Conte are both considered as tactically traditional in terms of defence coming first and creating largely functional sides.
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Their counterparts Guardiola and Klopp, on the other hand, are seen as more progressive and favour less obvious traits in their front-men, namely energy to press off the ball, the flexibility to move around the forward line and the ability to bring the midfield into the game. Actually finding the net regularly appears to come a distant second.
Yet, this isn’t a case of revolution; it’s been coming for some time. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi ushered in the era of free-scoring wingers, the 4-3-3 system that arrived in the Premier League with Mourinho in 2004 asked for almost superhuman contribution from the lone front-man and as a rule of thumb, strikers’ roles have become increasingly industrious throughout the Premier League era.
You can’t imagine the aforementioned Van Nistelrooy, or for that matter even the likes of Andy Cole or Alan Shearer, working tirelessly to pin back a defence in their own third. At the same time, Premier League managers have gone from deploying two up front to, on many occasions, none over the course of the last 15 years.
Indeed, times are changing and it seems the out-and-out goalscorers are being left behind – or at the very least, losing the unparalleled importance they once had, reduced to making contributions from the bench when all other hope of finding the net is seemingly lost. Once the first names on the team-sheet, traditional strikers are becoming a last-minute roll of the dice.