Alexandre Lacazette: Laca the Net

[Mark Tobias]

Nah, just Google Pires compilations. Better nostalgia.

Very true but I wanted a player who has been known to be particularly short of speed his whole career and that is Cesc. Pires wasn't fast but he never appeared to be slow due to his movement.

 

[Mark Tobias]

9 in 27 is sh*t, especially with everyone praising him as a world class striker. Imagine if he was our only striker. Jesus.

Auba has almost scored twice his goals.

Of those 27 he only has 15 starts, doesn't he?

Also, scoring many goals does not mean you are a poacher.

I think his point on the poacher comment was based on our style of play.

 

[Garrincha]

I would love to read a pro scouts report on him.

The guy must of had around five 15-30 goal seasons in France before we picked him up at just 26 years old & even then Wenger seemed reluctant. Never had a crazy price tag for oil clubs.

Even now Arsenal are known to have no money, Lacazette in/out of the starting lineup & no club interest.

 

[Maybe]

a striker going for 12 goals in a PL campain will never be good enough quality for me. Giroud did that or better basically every pl season. And he's not a quality striker either.

Also, scoring many goals does not mean you are a poacher.

Guess Denis Bergkamp was never quality forward to you

 

[say yes]

He’s scoring fewer goals than you’d expect given his talent because he’s playing second fiddle to Aubameyang.

Obviously a top player.

 

[pigge]

Guess Denis Bergkamp was never quality forward to you

He wasn't a striker.

 

[pigge]

Of those 27 he only has 15 starts, doesn't he?

I think his point on the poacher comment was based on our style of play.

All other strikers get subbed in, how many starts doest auba have? How many times were giroud subbed in?

 

[pigge]

He’s scoring fewer goals than you’d expect given his talent because he’s playing second fiddle to Aubameyang.

Obviously a top player.

When he plays we shove aubemayang on the wing tho. so not really. he's played like 4 games less than auba in game time.

He really isn't "obviously" a top player. Though i do like him. If he added more goals to his game he would be a top player.

 

[TheIceman85]

He wasn't a striker.

Please... he wasn’t a Midfielder. He played as 1 of the 2 strikers in a 4-4-2 for both Arsenal and the Netherlands for most of his career. He also played occasionally as the lone striker.

 

[pigge]

Please... he wasn’t a Midfielder. He played as 1 of the 2 strikers in a 4-4-2 for both Arsenal and the Netherlands for most of his career. He also played occasionally as the lone striker.

False nine, cam, second striker Whatever you wanna call it. Not a striker. I wouldn't say henry and bergkamp played the same role. Maybe he played striker some games but that doesn't make him a striker. It's like saying Özil is a winger cause he played on the wing.

 

[TheIceman85]

Please... he wasn’t a Midfielder. He played as 1 of the 2 strikers in a 4-4-2 for both Arsenal and the Netherlands for most of his career. He also played occasionally as the lone striker.

False nine, cam, second striker Whatever you wanna call it. Not a striker. I wouldn't say henry and bergkamp played the same role. Maybe he played striker some games but that doesn't make him a striker. It's like saying Özil is a winger cause he played on the wing.

‘Second striker’ the clue is in the title. False 9 is a newer role played by Fabregas for Spain and Messi for Barca. CAM? Not really, that’s a deeper player closer to the midfield. We’re splitting hairs but he was a Striker, whatever variant of the role he was played. Maybe you have a different definition than the general consensus but that’s what it is.

Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp is a Dutch former professional footballer, who until 21 December 2017 was the assistant manager at Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was moved to main striker and then to second striker, where he remained throughout his playing career.

 

[pigge]

‘Second striker’ the clue is in the title. False 9 is a newer role played by Fabregas for Spain and Messi for Barca. CAM? Not really, that’s a deeper player closer to the midfield. We’re splitting hairs but he was a Striker, whatever variant of the role he was played. Maybe you have a different definition than the general consensus but that’s what it is.

Dennis Nicolaas Maria Bergkamp is a Dutch former professional footballer, who until 21 December 2017 was the assistant manager at Ajax. Originally a wide midfielder, Bergkamp was moved to main striker and then to second striker, where he remained throughout his playing career.

Well a second striker is not the same as striker then according to your quote. You mean that lacazette is a second striker? I sure don't think he is that. Don't think we bought him as that either.

 

[Camron]

Well a second striker is not the same as striker then according to your quote. You mean that lacazette is a second striker? I sure don't think he is that. Don't think we bought him as that either.

Just because he is labeled as a striker does not mean he is 100% inside the box. Take a look at some games and watch Lacazette drop deep, combine and attempt to setup attacks rather than solely finish them. Often it creates space for Auba to exploit. His starting position in the line up is striker, he's just not being utilized that one-dimensional. This is the reason why you mostly see Lacazette on the ball (deep in midfield) and Auba is mostly missing from the game (poaching for that one chance if you will).

 

[pigge]

Just because he is labeled as a striker does not mean he is 100% inside the box. Take a look at some games and watch Lacazette drop deep, combine and attempt to setup attacks rather than solely finish them. Often it creates space for Auba to exploit. His starting position in the line up is striker, he's just not being utilized that one-dimensional. This is the reason why you mostly see Lacazette on the ball (deep in midfield) and Auba is mostly missing from the game (poaching for that one chance if you will).

My point is as a striker he is not quality. What is a striker? It's the most offensive playing position and your main job is to score goals. He does not do it enough for me to be a good quality striker for arsenal currently.

Now if you say he is not playing striker and doing a good job on whatever you want to call it then you are not talking about what we were talking about.

 

[MutableEarth]

I would love to read a pro scouts report on him.

The guy must of had around five 15-30 goal seasons in France before we picked him up at just 26 years old & even then Wenger seemed reluctant. Never had a crazy price tag for oil clubs.

Even now Arsenal are known to have no money, Lacazette in/out of the starting lineup & no club interest.

If in doubt, measure shot volume and quality of shots. Auba has almost everybody beat in the latter regard.

EDIT: Just had a look on both Understat and Whoscored. Laca has less than 3 shots per 90, while Auba has just above and better shot locations. Laca is better at shooting and arguably the more all-round player of the 2 IMO but to score more, he needs more shots and in better areas. But I've been saying that since before he joined - if he had a higher shot volume, he'd score more.

 

[Camron]

My point is as a striker he is not quality. What is a striker? It's the most offensive playing position and your main job is to score goals. He does not do it enough for me to be a good quality striker for arsenal currently.

Now if you say he is not playing striker and doing a good job on whatever you want to call it then you are not talking about what we were talking about.

We are not using him as a typical striker, therefore it's unfair to judge him solely on his goal output. I think you can best compare the way we utilize him with the way Firmino is being used at Liverpool. This means he is working tirelessly pressuring defenders and acting as a link up for the players around him.

Firmino is on 8 goals (incl a hattrick - one pen - vs our free shooting range defense) while Lacazette is on 7 with 0 pens. Firmino being on 16 games and 1239 mins and Laca on 15 and 1201 mins.

 

[Batman]

Even if he doesnt use it it can be his best tool

Even if it is due to his movement he gets his goals his potential for speed affects the defenders, it is something they have to take into a count when lining up against him.

If that speed goes away and People know that they can defend differently and thus hamper his movement more

I'm sorry but this is nonsense. This is really only the case if the player has not made or cannot make the adjustment. Iniesta has lost tons of pace. You could put him on the wing right now against any lb or rb you want, that player can know full well that he has no pace and Iniesta will still dribble them because he's that good. Zlatan has lost yards of pace. Defenders know this. He was still performing at the top level before his knee injury and could probably still be doing so now if he hadn't decided to go to MLS. In a couple of years when Messi's legs go and people know he can't run past them anymore he'll still be dribbling through them when he wants to and finding pockets of space. Everyone knows CR7 isn't going to sprint past them like he did 5-10 years ago. Doesn't matter. His movement is too good.

What I don't think you understand is how rare truly great movement is in football. It's why a player like that mouth breather Harry Kane can produce so much while faster, stronger, more technically gifted players can produce so little. It's why R9 after all the knee injuries and the beginning of the weight gain could still win Player of the Year and lead his country to a World Cup even without the electric pace of his prime. It's why JVP was able to put together the seasons he did with us and United. He wasn't running past anyone. His movement was exceptional. Defenders knew he wasn't going to skin them or pace. It didn't help them.

 

[YeahBee]

I'm sorry but this is nonsense. This is really only the case if the player has not made or cannot make the adjustment. Iniesta has lost tons of pace. You could put him on the wing right now against any lb or rb you want, that player can know full well that he has no pace and Iniesta will still dribble them because he's that good. Zlatan has lost yards of pace. Defenders know this. He was still performing at the top level before his knee injury and could probably still be doing so now if he hadn't decided to go to MLS. In a couple of years when Messi's legs go and people know he can't run past them anymore he'll still be dribbling through them when he wants to and finding pockets of space. Everyone knows CR7 isn't going to sprint past them like he did 5-10 years ago. Doesn't matter. His movement is too good.

What I don't think you understand is how rare truly great movement is in football. It's why a player like that mouth breather Harry Kane can produce so much while faster, stronger, more technically gifted players can produce so little. It's why R9 after all the knee injuries and the beginning of the weight gain could still win Player of the Year and lead his country to a World Cup even without the electric pace of his prime. It's why JVP was able to put together the seasons he did with us and United. He wasn't running past anyone. His movement was exceptional. Defenders knew he wasn't going to skin them or pace. It didn't help them.

Zlatan was never fast to begin with so defenders didnt have to worry about it

Sure some players adapt
Many others dont

Torres wasnt the same, still useful at times but nowhere near his pool days

And of frekkin course a players speed or lack of it affects how defenders act

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

If in doubt, measure shot volume and quality of shots. Auba has almost everybody beat in the latter regard.

EDIT: Just had a look on both Understat and Whoscored. Laca has less than 3 shots per 90, while Auba has just above and better shot locations. Laca is better at shooting and arguably the more all-round player of the 2 IMO but to score more, he needs more shots and in better areas. But I've been saying that since before he joined - if he had a higher shot volume, he'd score more.

Hopefully he will improve on that in the next couple of years.

 

[ksarp]

He's also brilliant in the air though the dreadful service here has not allowed him to show it.

Brilliant in the air? In the EPL? Can you cite an example of such? I recall him heading wide in a close chance in a recent match. Heading is the weakest part of Aubameyang's game.