THE CASE FOR OUR STRIKERS by GOONER100
Dear Gooners, I write this in response to the clamour from many Arsenal fans on this site, half of whom believe we have no chance of improving our league position, unless we secure a ‘world class’ centre forward.
I have read various articles on various sites and seen many comments here on JustArsenal. Frequent debate surrounds the activity of other teams and the ‘progress’ they are making (United, City and Liverpool in particular). People demand we buy Benzema, Lacazette or Higuain (amongst others). I can’t deny that to have such talent in the squad would be good, but I don’t think it is quite so critical as some would suggest.
Before I move on to our own squad, I need to point out a few obvious facts about buying strikers. Firstly last year United struggled to get anything from Falcao (4 goals in the entire season) despite carrying a reputed 250k+ per week wage bill for his services. Before Falcao arrived he had been bought by Monaco for 54m and before that Atletico Madrid for 35m where he scored 52 goals in 67 starts. So he seemingly was a no brainer, but it didn’t work out like that.
Then there is Balotelli who managed to contribute zero at Liverpool, Torres who moved for £50m to Chelsea and Carroll for 35m. None succeeded despite knowing the premier league and seemingly playing for the very managers who some of you seem to consider head and shoulders above Wenger. In fact last time Mouhinho was at Chelsea he took on Shevchenko for 30m, after he was named Ballon d’or winner and was regarded as one of the best in the world. Mourinho got a return of 9 goals in 48 games. There’s so many examples that demonstrate that just splashing the cash on these players is hit or miss that I can’t cover them, but believe me I could go on and on.
The premier league is a unique place and unfortunately ‘team cohesion’ as Wenger commented this week, plays a big part in success, which we have.
Players like Aguero or Costa buck the trend, they don’t prove the point. What it is that makes a player successful when they move is beyond me (probably an incredible internal drive to succeed, insatiable desire, a deep love of the game, combined with great ability, strength and supreme confidence) but who is out there that has this? The list of ‘failures’ presents different scenarios and questions so there is no single answer that is certain.
So to Arsenal. At present we probably have the strongest range of attacking options in recent memory, whether you consider that to be across the front three, or purely in the CF position. I only wish to focus on those who can play in the CF position (as that’s what everyone’s getting bent out of shape about) but it is clear we have wide players who can score and we have players who can do so from midfield, some of whom are still developing – like Wilshere, Ramsay, the Ox – and from whom most of expect to see more and more this season. We have goals all over the pitch.
So to our strikers..
Giroud
Frustrating at times, but Giroud gets unfair criticism.
Last season he banged in goals against our biggest rivals, became a very important part of our link and hold up play and showed that his work rate was outstanding defending from the front, covering at corners and a showing a deft touch that defies his size. His first touch is first class and his ability to put a ball through to others shows his finesse and selflessness to work for the team. His return of 14 goals in 21 starts (and 6 sub appearances) is excellent by any standard (better than 1 goal every 2 games) and if you consider the guy actually broke his leg, remarkable. He won several MOTM awards, has a whoscored rating of 7.23 and won the Barclays player of the month. Every year he has got better and that’s exactly the point with striker transfers, there are very few that hit the ground running.
Then we have Theo….
Theo Walcott had a miserable season with injury. However we all know where he wants to play and at the end of the season the guy added something quite different to the team. Our attacking pace, fluidity and range of options was fabulous in the FA cup and very encouraging to see. Theo’s not the finished article but he’s got the potential to be top top quality if he makes the transition.
In his last full(ish) season he scored more than 20 goals from out wide, so it’s exciting to think what he could do down the middle. We know he’s got to get to a level of consistency (even he acknowledges this now) but if he does we could have one of the quickest, most dangerous strikers in world football over the next couple of seasons. Given our renowned ability to create opportunities he could flourish in this team. He’s only 26 and as long as he can deal with the injury issues (which with Shad Forsythe and last weeks two new fitness coaches, both class acts, we are well on the way to sorting) this could be his year.
Danny Welbeck….
Another target of much flack from disgruntled Gooners. Ok so he’s not the finished article at all, but then guys, neither was Thierry when he joined.
His contribution and work rate in games is exceptional and he possesses the physique and power to become a frightening prospect. At 24 he’s still developing but given he’s also currently the Euro qualifiers top scorer across the entire competition, I think he has shown he is no waste of space. He clearly needs to be more clinical but I trust Wenger enough to believe that if there is a coach out there that can help Danny to improve in this key area then we have him.
Danny is I guess, our third choice centre forward, not a bad option in my view, one that will improve further and with his ability to play wide, a great asset for the club.
Then there is our latest sensation and player of they year, Alexis Sanchez….
Admittedly more suited to the wide role, he has shown however if the need is there he can sit in the middle. With the flexibility we have across the front three we have cover left and right, so if the situation needed it we can use Alexis in this role. Again a fearsome opponent who is clinical and the kind of live wire that defenders hate to face.
Lastly we have our new rising star Chuba Akpom…..
Well Wenger has already said he’s staying with the first team so he’s rated. We know he needs to push on now but his performance this week in banging in three very different goals (yeah I know it was a select XI), was impressive. He’s got that ‘killer instinct’ as Wenger put it and he’s certainly got the physique to trouble defenders. He could be top quality and I don’t think we’ve seen a player like him come through for a long time (possibly ever…struggling to think back). If push came to shove and he turned out for the first team this season, I’d be excited about what he might do.
So that’s our attacking arsenal. I can’t say there are too many teams with better depth or potential. We have both proven top quality talent and huge potential. We are equipped to deal with all issues whether it be injury, teams playing with a high line or those that we need to bully. We have pace, we have power. We have silky skills and brute force. We know our team can create chances like no other and we seem to be sorting our eternal injury issues. We have team cohesion and understanding. It is all positive Gooners.
I know some of you won’t necessarily want to accept that we have a pretty decent range of options for all game situations. Equally some won’t give a damn that buying would impact playing time and development for all of them. Despite the earlier evidence to the contrary, some of you will maintain that buying big will simply fix all our problems. But the way I see it is, if we don’t buy, we do actually have a pretty fearsome front five. If Wenger does buy, I hope Akpom goes on loan (because he won’t otherwise get a look in) but if we don’t (and I’m pretty relaxed if that’s the case) then I actually think we will still mount our most successful assault in the last decade on the premier league.
Either way guys chill, 2015/16 for AFC fans, is going to be an exciting season!!
Gooner100
The writer of this article is either mad or a fool
good article bro but I think our fellow gooner won’t agree with you. they just wanna buy because other clubs are buying. listen if a certain Aguero, Lewandoski, Reus, Benzema becomes available, I’ll be happy if we get any one of them but until then Akpom Walcott Sanchez Welbeck and Giroud could do a job for us until at least January next year where we need to reevaluate. Neymar started playing for Barca when he was 19 so don’t tell me Akpom is too young he is an exceptional talent even before he banged in those hat trick I rated him. nothing will make us to be happy than if our own academy player scores large amount of goals and lead us to the title.
The article says “This is why Arsenal DO NOT need a new striker! Relax Gooners….”, but I found no genuine and factuaL reason why we should not sign a world-class striker.
Mate you cant compare neymar to akpom! Neymar was playing full first team football since about 17 akpom has just been loaned out here and there at lower level……unless we sign more quality players we wont beat chelsea to the title, they are too strong and wengers record against jose doesnt fill you with confidence. Lets see what happens in the charity shield….thumb me down but thats the truth
Nice write up Napersie, but i still believe the idea of signing a new top striker… it is known to all that the money we spent on the previous transfer windows are gradually paying off, then why stop? why not throw in a few $ more to at least cement the fear in other clubs mind,they are scared of Arsenal at the moment. Even the bookmakers are tipping Arsenal. lets stop comparing arsenal to any other club, Let focus on getting our glory back,, spending mayb 30-50m on a striker is simply not a bad gamble for the prize ahead(BPL, FAcup, UCL Etc)
Lets re-write history!!!
Gooners till last breath!!
The writer was probably on something while writing the article. I’m guessing lsd or ex…anyways nice try to calm us fans down,we fkin demand a new top class striker or a quality DM…we want the cash that is available to be spent , is that too much to ask for?
This part gets me…
“So that’s our attacking arsenal. I can’t say there are too many teams with better depth or potential.”
No title in over a decade and not even in the CL conversation, but he can’t say there are too many better equipped teams. Just what world do some of these people live in? If we had the requisite quality we would be a challenger…..we aren’t challenging so clearly we need to get the requisite quality. A child could understand that better than some on here.
Oh and pet peeve of the decade: Not every promising player we buy needs the “remember a certain Thierry Henry” reference, for every Thierry there’s a dozen Welbecks or Theos so stop using that line in an attempt to justify every upgradeable player we have in attack.
Giroud, Welbeck, Theo….not one of our forwards would start for our ‘title rivals’. Let that sink in before spouting we’re good enough in attack.
I agree with the Champagne that is you, not Charlie.
I agree with all that we need a top class striker.
But seeing our current strikers got written off so easily by fan just piss me off
Giroud is not there with Aguero, Rooney, Costa – But I take him over Dzeko, Remy, Falcao (at MU last season)
Walcott may or may not be the answer, we don’t know yet, the last few games look very promising – writing him off as not be able to play as Center Forward or cannot hit the 20+ goals per season now is premature. His style is very different to Giroud so we can rotate them to good effect depending on opponents
Welbeck, Akpom are clearly not champion material yet, but they are really young and have big potential. At the start of last season, Harry Kane who?
The point of this article is that we have a decent strike force – and we are out to look for our first choice top forward (Benzema, Lewandowski) – the manager had confirmed that.
So relax gooners, other teams are signing but none of them are world class forward that can immediately make us title challenger – Martinez, Mandzukic and Benteke are very good but clearly not world class. Even Lacazette who many here obsess with – can he really make us title challenger in his first year in the EPL? – He is French Ligue 1 top scorer – but Giroud WAS Ligue 1 top scorers as well (even won the league) when he joined us – Dont get me wrong he can be a very good player for us in 2,3 years time but for next season only the like of Benzema or Lewandowski can improve us
That’s not the debate…..the article is literally saying our attack is good enough. You just admitted Giroud is no Rooney/Aguero etc, yet he’s our BEST option…..hence the actual issue.
Nobody is saying Giroud is useless, or Theo is garbage…people are simply arguing that we don’t have the exceptional quality needed at the head of the team to make the step up from also-rans to title winners. It’s fair comment and to argue against that, like many are doing, is ignorant as can be.
When I make this comment I’m not saying I don’t think we need another forward because I do and I genuinely believe one is coming even if it happens on the last day of the window one is coming. Look at the options we had at the start of last season Sanogo started the first game Campbell was on the bench we also had Podolski. 2 have gone Campbell looks set to go. You can argue they all hardly played but they gave us depth. Definitely someone coming in.
Champagne Charlie What’s the squad we have now got to do with not winning the title in over a decade?? Absolutely nothing we’ve got the best squad now than we’ve had in that period. 2nd best win % in Europe since the start of the new year.
I like how you forget to mention Alexis when you say none of our attacking players would get into our title rival teams. Also name a better right sided attacker in the PL who’s better than Theo?? Giroud is also quality at what he does & Welbeck will get better.
The reference to our decade+ without a league was purely in relation to these same recycled end of season comments about us having everything we need to challenge etc…..we clear haven’t had, nor do we have currently in this window. Use some sense, I wasn’t referencing this squad over the course of a decade, jesus.
I didn’t omit Alexis, he doesn’t have any desire to play as a ST (the position in question), while the 3 I named do. There’s the distinction, and as I stated not one of them would make the 11 of a Chelsea/City/United. But what’s your argument….Alexis is great so therefore our strike force is great? There’s people here saying Benzema and co. aren’t worth the dollar and they would’t provide significant improvement, the article says we have all we need….I don’t see anyone saying Giroud isn’t a good #2 etc. That literally isn’t the issue at hand.
Oh god, who’s a better RW than Theo? Uhmm Ox for one…also Theo doesn’t want to even be a RW. The Welbz comment is pure speculation “will get better”, you don’t know that for a fact. People need to drop the idea a players improvement is guaranteed or at all linear….Welbz may never get better, Ox may never fulfill his promise etc. Szczesny was up there with sliced bread a couple of seasons ago to most fans, did he get better? Pure speculation.
Champange charlie you talk more sense then most mate, completely agree! Always waiting for players to get better. Why not just buy better, that philosophy hasnt worked in the last 10years whats wrong with adding benzema to the squad and a top top DM
Holy Moses bless your children!!! OMG!!!
Waiting would mean a couple of more years for development and then no real silverware to show. Well except the FA cup.
And when they do come good, the crop of incredible midfield might be past their best.
And Le Prof will be known for the invincibles plus Ucl qualifications but no top honors in a decade
The FA cup is a great piece of silverware! Everyone tries to win this one and done tournament. Chelsea bowed out to a lower team, we had to win at MU which was one of the best wins from last year. It coming at the last day of the football calendar year is especially gratifying.
This article should actually read ‘This is why Arsenal do not WANT a new striker’.
We actually do NEED one.
The king thinks we need 4playrs to challange Chelsea of which i second him!
Yes we need a top defender,DM,winger,striker
good article bro but I think our fellow gooner won’t agree with you. they just wanna buy because other clubs are buying. listen if a certain Aguero, Lewandoski, Reus, Benzema becomes available, I’ll be happy if we get any one of them but until then Akpom Walcott Sanchez Welbeck and Giroud could do a job for us until at least January next year where we need to reevaluate. Neymar started playing for Barca when he was 19 so don’t tell me Akpom is too young he is an exceptional talent even before he banged in those hat trick I rated him. nothing will make us to be happy than if our own academy player scores large amount of goals and lead us to the title.
Why do some writers on
here say we should chill?
This is football.
We are passionate hard core fans.
If you wanna chill go do some knitting!!!
and for you guys calling for a DM note that even our own best players like Ramsey and Jack look to struggle to get into the first XI. do u think any of them will be happy seeing another MF come into the team which may make them start looking for playing chances and other rival clubs submitting bids and they may end up leaving and you think I’ll be happy to see those two leave? NO CHANCE! even bringing in a backup DM won’t guarantee us winning the title and never you think am happy seeing Flamini in the club. i tell you Wenger won’t prefer Flamini or Arteta to Wilshere or Rambo so I don’t see the outcry for any more DF.
Delusional article…
And some fans still wonder why we are where we are… Which is basically no close to win the league. As for the CL, we have not even started dreaming about clinching it, that is just in the domain of fantasy.
Gazidis said that Wenger will be here for a long time… Why? For what?
Welbeck?
Why do you think Man United were so willing to sell? He was their worse player and if it was not, Van Gaal clearly saw he had no potential… His control is approximative, he can’t score for sh*t. He is just a jackrabbit who can run handlessly.
Walcott?
Still to sign a new contract!!! What is taking so long? May be is hoping for a Man City offer??
Giroud?
Underrated, but need support.
Arsenal plays in a complete different system than Montpellier, so it will be difficult for Giroud to score 25-30 goals.
The solution is the all Arsenal way… Where we have Cazorla, Ozil, Ramsey seriously contributing in goals.
But again, we are coming back to the protection of those creative midfielders.
If Coquelin gets injured, we are royally f*cked… And we still another CB!
you might be right and you might be wrong…time will tell
i think i read this same article by same or another 4th place junky in 2014 2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008 2007…….
I won’t second guess Thierry Henry or Bergkamp.. Both said that our spine needs reshuffle…
They won the league with one of the best “Spine” (as a matter of fact) in the world.
Nothing has changed.
We have Chelsea number 2 as our number one GK (if he was still world class he would have been number one at Chelsea right now, but as usual the fans are thrilled by “little” thing).
The defence is still a enigma for next season, with Debuchy coming back, Mertesacker on a serious decline, Gibbs has a second LB (really!!)
In the middle, Coquelin (who still need to confirm) suppliant is Arteta (really!)… The offensive mid needs to clearly score more (Wilshere on the bench not out wide. He does not have the speed nor the skills. Anyway we play better when he is not around as Wenger feels he has to somehow line him up!).
Up front, essential and crucial that Giroud stays fit as well as Walcott. Akpom will get his chances (I rate him above Welbeck) and Welbeck can do what he does best (run and help the defence).
Title contender?
Not a chance, but we can hope for the best.
CL?
Let’s not go there, we can do the group stage (thanks for the money), but the rest of the competition is too overwhelming and we are clearly out of our depth.
I just hate it when some folks come here mainly to secure “Top gooner” rating for their comments at the expense of factual truth. I don’t come here to please anyone with my comments, neither do I seek to hurt or offend anyone with them. If my comments get lots of thumbs up, good for me. If they don’t, oh good for me (but thumbs up appear cOol though).
Let’s be realistic please, we need a top striker. We need a top dm (we can’t do with only Coquelin). At least, just two.
If Oli Giroud gets injured, then we are doomed.
Yes. I agree with the author of the article on most things. We have a deadly attack.
But injuries concern me. A striker signing would be bonus.
Özil “I’m very happy (at Arsenal). In the last 2 years, I have had the good fortune of winning several trophies with the team”
“I’m very happy at Arsenal. Of course I enjoyed playing in a lot of the games last season and that is the target again.” – Monreal
Gooner100, the article writer mentioned also why we NEED a world class striker also: the names and our main strikes Wellbeck, Girould, possible Walcott aren`t world class, they are average. How many times you have seen Özil, Rambo, Santi shaken their head when Girould has missed a sitter, I have seen it too many times. Girould needs 4-5 chances in every game to score a goal or two. He has scored ONCE against TOP team since he arrived 3 seasons ago, last season againts ManC away. TOP 2 teams imo are ManC, Chelsea and after that ManU next season after what ManU have bought. Girould can score goals against average teams, ´cause he´s an average player. We need to win (at least at home) against big teams and there are fewer chances to score against them is , we do not get the 4-5 chances during 90+ minutes, only 1-3, so that´s why there are WC strikers, they make goals out of nothing, are capable of creating them alone, that can´t Girould do. Do not Girould lovers get me wrong, I do not hate him, imo he´s just not TOP-10 strikers list what world class team´s manager want to his team, that´s why he can´t be our 1st choice striker, ´cause THE ARSENAL is a world class team.
No Benzema starting ❤️ (for Madrid vs roma )
Navas; Carvajal, Varane, Ramos, Marcelo; Illarramendi, Modric; Cristiano, Bale, Ødegaard; Jesé.
hmmmmmmmmmmmm
One of the best articles for a long time. Then it went tits up when talking about Theo Walcott.
Only JuatArsenal have this obsession with Walcott being associated with a striker. He has had a couple of good games there against schools for the blind (smaller clubs) but against good defences he will at most time one run ok and have 1 in 20 chance of scoring from it. He absolutely cannot play with his back to goal and then turn into a run, he has had many opportunities to improve and doesn’t.
On the right wing he gets on the score sheet pretty much every game he plays …. so what kind of obsession on JustArsenal is this: Opting for a player to be in a position with a 1 in 10 chance scoring instead of a position of 1 in 1 chance of scoring.
When Thierry went to Barcelona, Van Per$ie was doing his sicknote thing, Adebayor was scoring 1 goal in 10 attempts on average. He scored about 25 goals that season and had a ratio of 250 shots on target. JustArsenal were not around then and I wish they were, because Walcott played pretty much every game as a second striker with Adebayor or Bendtner … that was A LOT of games to prove himself a striker. Since then there was the spell when we had the ‘sign da ting’ saga and he ADMITTED at that time PUBLICLY that he was better suited on the Wing.
There is no way he is a striker and he never will be. Welbeck is another Walcott, a player who wants to be a striker because he feels he is a striker, but who fails to prove he is a striker when given the opportunity – at the cost of points. Only Welbeck scores less than Walcott from the wing.
It’s like seeing JustArsenal having having a Morris Minor and a Ferrari, then using the Morris Minor to travel for 6 hours on a motorway and the Ferrari to travel to the town centre for a bit of shopping.
Over a full season on a Wing, Walcott will bring us 35 goals over all competitions if he stayed fit – in addition to Giroud’s tally. As striker he would bring us 12 goals over all competitions … so it’s a no brainer. I see Walcott put in the middle and just roll my eyes up to the ceiling.
Giroud is our ONLY striker and he is basically a carbon copy of Alan Smith in style and scoring. If Giroud is injured we have no striker. It’s not rocket science. Even Wenger knows we need another striker because he would not be trying to buy Higuain, David Villa, Suarez and Benzema in previous transfer windows – right? Plus others, right? I am talking about Wenger here – attempting to buy strikers and he would not do this if he feels we have strikers. He bought Sanogo too (note I think of Welbeck as a winger) because he knew we need a striker and he gambled on buying Welbeck too. Look how much they scored when Giroud was injury, right?
You say Mourinho bought Shevchenko who flopped, but this was about the time when Walcott was regularly being given a striker role so I don’t think JustArsenal were about at the Shevchenko period at Chelsea. If you were, you would remember Mourinho was furious about Shevchenko being added to the team against his wishes. Mourinho stated publicly he did not want Shevchenko in his Chelsea team and it turned out Abramovich added him on the request of his wife who is friend of Shevchenko’s wife.
I agree one turn and as he tries to make that move in a tight space, Theo will run into a big CB coming from his blind spot and clang knees. My guess is Theo would not come through that collision well.
Looks like Wenger wrote this article..!
You can be a fan boy as much as you want the truth is how it is.
I have seen fans claiming that Giroud is a better player then Suarez at times. Nowdays i see fans making coments on Ramsey ( fav. Sunny boy amongst many fans) that he is a better player then Popga. And Giroud being a better player then Benzema, Higuain and Khal Drogo.
The things we have are not that great when you consider that others do more then us. We are not good enough. Giroud is not Good enough, Wenger is not good enough, the fans are not good enough, bec many are stupid.
Sheva was unwanted at Chelsea. It was The russian boss who bought Moro ti him, and beside this, Chelsea got always the upper hand against us. DO YOU UNDERSTAND THIS? They made us their b*tch during the past 10 years regardless of one Shevchenko. Bec we had always players in Djorou, Squalaci, Denilson, Betndner ( i cant even spell that f. name), Almunia, and and and. Who also at that time, where named as good enough, and also protected but many fans as good enough. Same story as today with some underperformers, dont you think?
For 10 years Arsenal fans are pulling bs out of their asses to excuse everything what has to matter with Arsenal. And as long we keep on doing this, we will never win again.
Srry, Cups do not count. Fa cup for a team like Arsenal is not good enough. I could understand if we where Stock City or Spurs. But not us, plz. We are better then that, or lets say where used to be better then this.
just because some world class strikers didnt make it at other clubs isn’t an excuse for us not getting one.If we are not willing to take such risks we will forever languish in mediocrity.
I cant wait for that day when Wenger retires and his fellow Wengerits have to build a shrine to keep on continue worshiping him.
The Giroud topic, him being good or not, is linked to what Wenger thinks of him. If Wenger claims and makes it look somehow that Giroud is good enough, his fellow Wengerits ( who have diff. to think for them selfs) will agree with him. If a scenario would appear in which Wenger buys a new player in Benz. All the Wengerits will then jump ships and turn theire shoulder against him and brand him as not good enough then.
Wengerits are very a like Religious people i must say. Ignore the facts. Take only the best out the best to give meaning to theri delusion and thinking. Ignore completly the bad things which could damage their delusion.
Wenger ties to sign Suarez that fell through so he drops a level and tries to sign Ba. everything there suggests he doesn’t think there is enough. Year on he signs Sanchez and pushes him into the middle, again suggesting there isn’t enough. On top of signing Sanchez he signs Welbeck and we have the Sanogo experiment illustrating he thinks we lack there.
He isn’t going to say we lack in this area because he is into the positive vibe stuff but his actions suggest otherwise.
Giroud is fine and he is all you suggest but he doesn’t stretch defenses and makes everything tight.
Walcott is fine but is at best average holding up the ball. He can’t play that role week in week out. he will eventually get lost.
Sanchez has all the attributes but not the appetite. He wants to get involved in the match to much and gets lost on the left, right deep.
Welbeck and Sanogo are good enough.
I’m not saying we can’t challenge but we are short in that area. If we are going to challenge we will need help from other teams.
I would have liked for us to play two DMs but that isn’t going to happen so I accepted we weren’t going to get that extra DM. I do think that 2 DMs was the best way to challenge.
Playing Giroud with Sanchez and Walcott either side will stretch defenses. So I’m fine with that. Walcott does that well and I found it odd he didn’t play when fit last year even though we was on a good run and Ramsey seemed un-droppable.
If we are going to look for improvements playing our system then a top class CF is it.
Nicely written and constructed article Arsene 🙂
Just kidding!
I agree with a lot of the points hence we needed a powerful forward in the mould of the strikers that buck the trend.
Did you really just compare Welbeck with Thierry Henry??? Cummon man
What a Save. Cech!
Good article which makes some valid points. Sadly, there are some who STILL think that we can go out and ‘buy’ 35 goals a season for about £40m. As the article eloquently points out, it just ain’t that easy.
Real football is not like FIFA 15, it’s much more complex, and for what it’s worth, we have a decent line up. Yes, an expensive striker could add another dimension, but they could equally not make the grade in the EPL, which is a hard league to score goals in.
For me, we get our defence right, and in theory we only need to score 38 goals to win every game 1-0. In reality, we can become that team that is just as comfortable winning 1-0 as winning 4-0. That comes with time and confidence throughout the whole team.
Like the article writer, I would be happy to sign a top striker, but no unhappy if we strengthened in other areas only. Certainly defensive midfield is a crucial one, as it allows the team to breath and we could do with having proper competition for that place (I don’t count Arteta or Flamini..).