Joel Campbell

Why did he deserve better?

Not really a winger or a striker. Shown less for us than Welbeck, Sanchez, Ox, Gnabry, Podolski and yes Sanogo.

Sanogo might be noticeably poor at times but to be able to have an impact in big games still requires something. All Joel has ever done is give short passes to someone else.

Physicists are still trying to work out the Sanogo chaos factor.

comment by Lexington Sanchez 125.2 (U8879)
posted 37 minutes ago
Tbh I'm surprised by the comments here saying he was decent against Hull in the Cup.

With Walcott similarly, but more understandably, off the pace it felt like we were playing with 9 men for most of the match.
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They both made good runs and got into decent positions. Finishing let them down obviously.

Campbell is such a 4-4-2 striker. It's hard to find places for those kinds of players these days.

comment by The Grand Cannon (U18697)
posted 25 minutes ago
Sanogo vs Campbell is a no-brainer, I will take Campbell all day long.
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Sanogo has been more effective both when starting and during substitute appearances for Arsenal.

There is simply no denying that, whatever our thoughts on the French lad's actual quality is.

comment by Andre's Samba Scarf (U6253)

posted 26 minutes ago

Why did he deserve better?

Not really a winger or a striker. Shown less for us than Welbeck, Sanchez, Ox, Gnabry, Podolski and yes Sanogo.

Sanogo might be noticeably poor at times but to be able to have an impact in big games still requires something. All Joel has ever done is give short passes to someone else.
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Its called versatility and has a similar impact both up top and out wide. So that is always useful to have.

Campbell doesn't have an impact in big games? Look at the World Cup. All of them games were big games and Campbell probably made the biggest impact in the World Cup tbh. Sanogo and Campbell are different players that are similar quality.

That was for Costa Rica though, not Arsenal.

Campbell was poor in the WC apart from one overhyped game, not seen anything from him yet to suggest he's Arsenal quality.

Giroulski

I think Campbell's a talented player, but I'm really not convinced he's suited to the wide positions.
He's extremely one-footed and doesn't have brilliant close-control dribbling, which makes him very predictable.

There are players like Robben, Hulk and Bale who have established themselves as fantastic players on their 'unnatural' side, but these players at least have the ability to go beyond their opposite number down the outside, and then quickly cut back across them - when their opponent has built up-speed and will be less able to prevent a quick change of direction - to shoot or pass. Campbell simply doesn't have the ability to go beyond his man like this.

To be fair, I've been critical of Sanchez for this also, but the Chilean has some of the best close-control dribbling I've ever seen from an Arsenal player, so even though he drifts in more than I would like, he at least has the ability to slalom through a crowd of players and create a moment of magic coming in on his stronger foot.

Campbell can't really do either of these things, and opponents are happy just to crowd him out when he inevitably cuts inside.

I think Campbell would be a very good player if played regularly in a central role, but he doesn't really have the aerial presence of Giroud, Sanogo, or even Welbeck - important for helping to defend/attack set-pieces, as well as providing an outlet to bring down high-balls and clearances - which I think is why Wenger has been so reluctant to play him in the central role - this is also one of the reasons I think Wenger was reluctant to use Podolski there as well.
I think he would really excel playing just off of a taller, more powerful striker, but our current system can't accommodate that, so for the sake of both parties, I think he will probably leave either in this transfer window or the next.

Like Podolski, I think he's a good player, but perhaps not suited to our current set-up.