A more enlightened management team could have foreseen something like this happening and would have had a "Plan B". Everyone is aware of Walcott's injury prone history.
Not sure that Arsene and his crew think beyond the next game. If I'm wrong, then tell me the player who is ready to step up and fill the spot.
I can see Gnarbry or Ox stepping up. Both have great pace and to me Serge looks very good.
Don't get me wrong, AOC is a very gifted lad, but he's been out of action for what, 6 months or there-about's? I can't see him slotting seamlessly into the 1st-team and making a huge impact in the short-term. Like Podolski, after a long-term injury, he'll need to be weened back and brought up to speed again.
And yeah, Gnabry does look (without getting totally carried away) to be a player who can make an impact. But like I say in the post, to EXPECT him to make a telling, consistent impact is (imo) pretty short-sighted.
Hence a new signing, loan, or otherwise is now almost fundamental, whereas before it was proabably preferential!
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway. Podolski will porbably start on left and a creativ eplayer will start on righ t(Santi maybe). With Gnabry and AOC on subs bench, Wenger will probably think we are covered.
Theo however is such an effective player for us in terms of goals, assists and crosses, so I sincerely hope Wenger has a plan to get someone really good. I see Giroud as more of a playmaker/ target man than a massive goal scoring threat, so we will be completely reliant on Podolski (and Ramsey when he's back) for goals. We look much more threatening with 2 proper goal threats, instead of 1 goal threat with midfielders sharing the rest of the burden
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
"I see Giroud as more of a playmaker/ target man than a massive goal scoring threat"
Just to add, I really rate Giroud. But undoubtedly his own efficiency massively increases with goal scoring threats in the team. Plus Walcott is a really good crosser, so Giroud will miss that
Now Wenger's flexibility is being tested.
Should we put our faith on Gnabry, keep using the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation and start Santi-Giroud-Gnabry or a 2-forward formation with Giroud-Poldi?
Or Wenger will force Ramsey/Wilshere outwide again and leave Poldi on the bench?
comment by ronniec - In Bully We Trust (U15003)
posted 3 minutes ago
Now Wenger's flexibility is being tested.
Should we put our faith on Gnabry, keep using the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation and start Santi-Giroud-Gnabry or a 2-forward formation with Giroud-Poldi?
Or Wenger will force Ramsey/Wilshere outwide again and leave Poldi on the bench?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think practically what will happen is that Theo's role on the right will be effectively replaced by Podolski on the left. Santi will shift to the right. What we will miss most is wingers making runs into the box
Di Maria and Berbatov. 2 players needed.
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway.
-=-=-=-
Absolutely. But his introduction after his recent injury came at a great time. The attack was looking physically and (even more so) mentally drained, simply because of the amount of games they'd played.
It's not just the fact that Walcott will be missing and the team will miss his very obvious talents. No, they'll miss another body and another different and effective option!
Like I say, under the fairly exceptional circumstances, this is where Wenger and the transfer people really need to do the business!
comment by Moistthighs (U3249)
posted 2 minutes ago
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway.
-=-=-=-
Absolutely. But his introduction after his recent injury came at a great time. The attack was looking physically and (even more so) mentally drained, simply because of the amount of games they'd played.
It's not just the fact that Walcott will be missing and the team will miss his very obvious talents. No, they'll miss another body and another different and effective option!
Like I say, under the fairly exceptional circumstances, this is where Wenger and the transfer people really need to do the business!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't get me wrong. I completely agree with you. I think however that there is a danger of Wenger and co's thought process being similar to my response to you earlier
Di Maria.
-=-=-=-=-=-
His future is very much up in the air at the Bernabéu.
He looked like a man who'd got home after a hard day at work, only to find that someone had sha't in his dinner, when he was subbed-off this evening as Real Madrid disposed of a farilt plucky Celta Vigo outfit!
I've no idea how legitimate the word is, but there's a very strong feeling that Di Maria will move to Monaco in a bumper deal before the end of this month.
He looked like a man who'd got home after a hard day at work, only to find that someone had sha't in his dinner, when he was subbed-off this evening as Real Madrid disposed of a farilt plucky Celta Vigo outfit!
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Surely this will force Wenger's hand?
Page 2 of 2
posted on 6/1/14
A more enlightened management team could have foreseen something like this happening and would have had a "Plan B". Everyone is aware of Walcott's injury prone history.
Not sure that Arsene and his crew think beyond the next game. If I'm wrong, then tell me the player who is ready to step up and fill the spot.
posted on 6/1/14
I can see Gnarbry or Ox stepping up. Both have great pace and to me Serge looks very good.
posted on 6/1/14
Don't get me wrong, AOC is a very gifted lad, but he's been out of action for what, 6 months or there-about's? I can't see him slotting seamlessly into the 1st-team and making a huge impact in the short-term. Like Podolski, after a long-term injury, he'll need to be weened back and brought up to speed again.
And yeah, Gnabry does look (without getting totally carried away) to be a player who can make an impact. But like I say in the post, to EXPECT him to make a telling, consistent impact is (imo) pretty short-sighted.
Hence a new signing, loan, or otherwise is now almost fundamental, whereas before it was proabably preferential!
posted on 6/1/14
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway. Podolski will porbably start on left and a creativ eplayer will start on righ t(Santi maybe). With Gnabry and AOC on subs bench, Wenger will probably think we are covered.
Theo however is such an effective player for us in terms of goals, assists and crosses, so I sincerely hope Wenger has a plan to get someone really good. I see Giroud as more of a playmaker/ target man than a massive goal scoring threat, so we will be completely reliant on Podolski (and Ramsey when he's back) for goals. We look much more threatening with 2 proper goal threats, instead of 1 goal threat with midfielders sharing the rest of the burden
posted on 6/1/14
Comment deleted by Site Moderator
posted on 6/1/14
"I see Giroud as more of a playmaker/ target man than a massive goal scoring threat"
Just to add, I really rate Giroud. But undoubtedly his own efficiency massively increases with goal scoring threats in the team. Plus Walcott is a really good crosser, so Giroud will miss that
posted on 6/1/14
Now Wenger's flexibility is being tested.
Should we put our faith on Gnabry, keep using the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation and start Santi-Giroud-Gnabry or a 2-forward formation with Giroud-Poldi?
Or Wenger will force Ramsey/Wilshere outwide again and leave Poldi on the bench?
posted on 6/1/14
Di Maria.
posted on 6/1/14
comment by ronniec - In Bully We Trust (U15003)
posted 3 minutes ago
Now Wenger's flexibility is being tested.
Should we put our faith on Gnabry, keep using the 4-2-3-1/4-3-3 formation and start Santi-Giroud-Gnabry or a 2-forward formation with Giroud-Poldi?
Or Wenger will force Ramsey/Wilshere outwide again and leave Poldi on the bench?
----------------------------------------------------------------------
I think practically what will happen is that Theo's role on the right will be effectively replaced by Podolski on the left. Santi will shift to the right. What we will miss most is wingers making runs into the box
posted on 6/1/14
Di Maria and Berbatov. 2 players needed.
posted on 6/1/14
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway.
-=-=-=-
Absolutely. But his introduction after his recent injury came at a great time. The attack was looking physically and (even more so) mentally drained, simply because of the amount of games they'd played.
It's not just the fact that Walcott will be missing and the team will miss his very obvious talents. No, they'll miss another body and another different and effective option!
Like I say, under the fairly exceptional circumstances, this is where Wenger and the transfer people really need to do the business!
posted on 6/1/14
comment by Moistthighs (U3249)
posted 2 minutes ago
Moist we were playing without Theo for most of the first half of the season anyway.
-=-=-=-
Absolutely. But his introduction after his recent injury came at a great time. The attack was looking physically and (even more so) mentally drained, simply because of the amount of games they'd played.
It's not just the fact that Walcott will be missing and the team will miss his very obvious talents. No, they'll miss another body and another different and effective option!
Like I say, under the fairly exceptional circumstances, this is where Wenger and the transfer people really need to do the business!
----------------------------------------------------------------------
Don't get me wrong. I completely agree with you. I think however that there is a danger of Wenger and co's thought process being similar to my response to you earlier
posted on 6/1/14
Di Maria.
-=-=-=-=-=-
His future is very much up in the air at the Bernabéu.
He looked like a man who'd got home after a hard day at work, only to find that someone had sha't in his dinner, when he was subbed-off this evening as Real Madrid disposed of a farilt plucky Celta Vigo outfit!
I've no idea how legitimate the word is, but there's a very strong feeling that Di Maria will move to Monaco in a bumper deal before the end of this month.
posted on 6/1/14
He looked like a man who'd got home after a hard day at work, only to find that someone had sha't in his dinner, when he was subbed-off this evening as Real Madrid disposed of a farilt plucky Celta Vigo outfit!
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