Alexis Sanchez: Off to the Old Toilet

[Gooner Zig]

That's great.. And the way we started the season was great..
Then we lost two in a row..(which is why we are now so far behind)
..giroud comes in and we have won 4 drew 1.. With him scoring in all of those games..
So what do you recommend? Drop the guy who has pretty much been responsible for our current win streak to appease Sanchez? Also at that time didn't Sanchez only score 1 goal which is the 4-0 in a 4-0 game. ...

What I hate is..the fact that you guys don't want to hold Sanchez any accountability..for the two losses and his current lack of goal scoring..the current line up is getting us points and you fans wants to give it all up just to make Sanchez happy..lol..

Lol - in the 4 victories you speak of we played WBA, Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Swansea. Teams we should be beating with Emile Heskey up front.

The performances in half of those games were alarming, despite the results. Bournemouth was a clusterfuck, as was PNE. The slow, laborious way we play with Giroud up top is infuriating. The lack of pressing is just as infuriating.

 

[Jm89]

Yeah, I also remember our stirring performances against Man Utd, Everton and Man City when Sanchez started up top and barely had a chance in the three matches and didn't get behind the defence once.

I mean, we might have played the same if Giroud started up front, but let's not start conjuring fantasties about Sanchez's performances in those matches. He barely caused Funes Mori and John Stones any trouble. We need a striker and nothing I've seen this season has changed that.

Sanchez should concentrate on getting back to form because his last good game in the league was against West Ham.

Come off it mate, he is our best player and he's our best player in that role! Giroud has ablity and yeah he is useful but not as a starting striker for a side who's looking to win the league!!..

giroud has been in fine form
Don't get me wrong but he has been our striker for a long time and constantly failed us when it really matters and Sanchez has only played there for half a season and has been better.

 

[rich 1990]

People thinking this Giroud run will continue more than a few more games are so ****ing naïve. Remember the run he went on last year, bare that in mind. He'll be good for a couple more games but when push comes to shove, I.E away at Chelsea, he won't do squat. I don't mind fans getting carried away with his form but the fact you know Wenger's been taken in by it bloody stinks.

 

[Jury]

That's utter rubbish

On more levels you can shake a stick at. Alexis the striker that's meant to get in behind defences all on his own... WTF am I reading.

 

[SA Gunner]

People thinking this Giroud run will continue more than a few more games are so ****ing naïve. Remember the run he went on last year, bare that in mind. He'll be good for a couple more games but when push comes to shove, I.E away at Chelsea, he won't do squat. I don't mind fans getting carried away with his form but the fact you know Wenger's been taken in by it bloody stinks.

Wenger would be foolish if he really believes we will be as effective, if not more, with Giroud as our starter.

Alexis may not be the best thing since sliced bread up top, but he is effective. I expect us to resume to our fluid system before its too late.

Enough of this ****ing around and waking up when its top 4 time Arsène. Sort it out this time please.

 

[Sanchez11]

People thinking this Giroud run will continue more than a few more games are so ****ing naïve. Remember the run he went on last year, bare that in mind. He'll be good for a couple more games but when push comes to shove, I.E away at Chelsea, he won't do squat. I don't mind fans getting carried away with his form but the fact you know Wenger's been taken in by it bloody stinks.

Did he not score in 12 games?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Giroud scored against United and Sunderland (and Ludogorets) in the space of a few weeks and Wenger resisted the temptation of playing Giroud, it wasn't until Walcott's injury forced his hand. So this idea that if Giroud stops scoring Wenger won't be quick to drop him is pretty much nonsense. Wengers ideal front 4 is Alexis up front with Iwobi-Özil-Walcott behind him because it's the best balanced and it plays to our strengths.

 

[rich 1990]

Giroud scored against United and Sunderland (and Ludogorets) in the space of a few weeks and Wenger resisted the temptation of playing Giroud, it wasn't until Walcott's injury forced his hand. So this idea that if Giroud stops scoring Wenger won't be quick to drop him is pretty much nonsense. Wengers ideal front 4 is Alexis up front with Iwobi-Özil-Walcott behind him because it's the best balanced and it plays to our strengths.

Even if he doesn't stop scoring, he should still be benched. That's the point and that is what Wenger won't do.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Even if he doesn't stop scoring, he should still be benched. That's the point and that is what Wenger won't do.

If our results don't suffer then there's no need to drop him surely, if we drop points then I can see why we'd make a change. But it's quite weird people calling for him to be dropped after we win 4-0 away from home. In fact in our last 4 games we've scored 11 goals which makes the calls for Giroud to be dropped incredibly bizarre because people are acting like he's detrimental to our attack. It's our defence which let us down vs Bournemouth, the only game of note that we failed to win with Giroud starting.

 

[say yes]

If our results don't suffer then there's no need to drop him surely, if we drop points then I can see why we'd make a change. But it's quite weird people calling for him to be dropped after we win 4-0 away from home. In fact in our last 4 games we've scored 11 goals which makes the calls for Giroud to be dropped incredibly bizarre because people are acting like he's detrimental to our attack. It's our defence which let us down vs Bournemouth, the only game of note that we failed to win with Giroud starting.

Don't agree with this logic - results follow performances.

Dropping once we've already dropped points is too late.

Although, it seems odd to argue about about what Wenger will/won't do in the future.

I don't think he has played Giroud to the detriment of the team yet, and while I am slightly worried that he might, I think we can leave off the criticism until that time comes.

 

[Tosker]

if his ankle injury turns out to be a bad one, this argument will soon be settled either way - I just hope the Giroud haters are right

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Don't agree with this logic - results follow performances.

Dropping once we've already dropped points is too late.

Well if we keep scoring quite a few and keep winning then we don't really have any reason to drop him.

I don't even understand why people want him dropped, we could have scored 7 or 8 yesterday with him as part of our attack. Dropping him would be bizarre, you want the team to continue performing like they did yesterday.

I think maybe when we play Chelsea Wenger might have a decision to make in terms of playing Giroud as the CF, but are you really going to just randomly drop Giroud because of there's a potential he MIGHT go on a scoring drought?

 

[say yes]

@Tir Na Nog

Edited my post to make my point clearer just as you replied.

No problem with how Wenger has played Giroud thus far. Just pointing out that I think we should judge his inclusion on performances not results.

Didn't watch the Swansea game so I can't speak for how we performed with him leading the line.

 

[dynasty]

As I said, I'm a Giroud fan but the fact remains, he's not a good enough CF for us to win the PL. He has made some great contributions in recent games but don't go thinking that he is our match winner on a regular basis, he's not. The way things are going you will get what you clearly want, Giroud as our CF and Alexis playing for another team.

When did I say he is a match winner? (Even though he has shown to be quite a useful player the last few games)..And keeping us afloat.

I replied to the post about it should be alright for Alexis to complain because he isn't playing up front..why when at this present time it is better for the team..which the results highlight..

 

[dynasty]

Lol - in the 4 victories you speak of we played WBA, Crystal Palace, Preston North End and Swansea. Teams we should be beating with Emile Heskey up front.

The performances in half of those games were alarming, despite the results. Bournemouth was a clusterfuck, as was PNE. The slow, laborious way we play with Giroud up top is infuriating. The lack of pressing is just as infuriating.

It's funny how if we win..it's by carrying giroud (even though he is the one scoring) if we lose its his fault..

With Alexis up top..win all because of him...if we lose all because of the rest of the team..

Look I'm not dumb and saying giroud is better..but the fact he gets criticised even though he is very important to us picking up points when we aren't playing well..and the fact that Alexis can do whatever he wants..is a joke.. At the end of the day..if he wants the glory and Spotlight then he should accept the responsibility when things aren't going well and he isn't performing.

 

[Johnny_Blaze]

That's utter rubbish

Great post. Sanchez has been a non-entity as a striker in all but one of our games against rivals. He's a winger/occasional number 10 being shoehorned into a position where he isn't offering enough against good opponents.

Give the fantasy up; he isn't Suarez.

Wenger has given up that on dream, and Giroud is starting and will keep on playing unless he has a big dip in form. Sanchez would not have been "relegated" to his old position if he was doing enough in Wenger's eyes and that's a fact.

Just because Giroud isn't the striker we want doesn't mean Sanchez is. There has to someone like Griezmann here next season or there's a another season fighting for a 2nd/3rd/4th awaiting us.

 

[Tosker]

Ironic that Alexis is admired for throwing a strop for being taken off for 15 minutes, while Giroud accepts being benched for weeks without grumbling

Alexis is undoubtedly the debetter player, but not necessarily the best team player

 

[Johnny_Blaze]

Giroud scored against United and Sunderland (and Ludogorets) in the space of a few weeks and Wenger resisted the temptation of playing Giroud, it wasn't until Walcott's injury forced his hand. So this idea that if Giroud stops scoring Wenger won't be quick to drop him is pretty much nonsense. Wengers ideal front 4 is Alexis up front with Iwobi-Özil-Walcott behind him because it's the best balanced and it plays to our strengths.

If all the players were fit, RIGHT NOW, we'd be playing Özil - Sanchez - Walcott - Giroud. Iwobi is still a prospect and still living off that Chelsea performance a bit and not a guaranteed starter.

Wenger went back to the old lineup after the Everton and Man City embarrassments (and probably also remembering our worst performance of the season - Man Utd away).

 

[Gooner Zig]

You're a quality poster @Johnny_Blaze but I disagree vehemently with one of your original statements that Alexis' last good game was vs West Ham. He was also a standout performer in the win vs WBA and still quite good at Crystal Palace. Despite Giroud's goals/assists against Bournemouth it was Alexis again who was the heartbeat of our attack.

Also disagree completely that Wenger thinks Alexis at CF is done. Giroud got a game at CF in the first place because Arsène felt he needed to keep Olivier happy, I can almost guarantee you that. The fact that Giroud is still starting at CF is down to two things

1. Giroud's excellent productivity of late; and
2. The absence of Theo - which IMO is crucial, as I think AW sees TW as the guy who can supply the runs into the box when Alexis drops off as is his wont.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

If all the players were fit, RIGHT NOW, we'd be playing Özil - Sanchez - Walcott - Giroud. Iwobi is still a prospect and still living off that Chelsea performance a bit and not a guaranteed starter.

Wenger went back to the old lineup after the Everton and Man City embarrassments (and probably also remembering our worst performance of the season - Man Utd away).

No we wouldn't, Alexis, Walcott and Giroud will NEVER all start together. It's been 2 and a half years since Alexis has joined and the three have never started together. Iwobi plays because Wenger always wants a wide player on the team who can be an extra midfielder when needed, hence why Ramsey has played there a lot and why Rosicky, Cazorla and Wilshere played there in the past. Alexis, Walcott and Giroud wouldn't work very well for the team, not in a 4-2-3-1 with a number 10 playing anyways.