This week on Three Wise Men, we review the two main striking options Arsenal have at their disposal and how well each of them operate in the center forward position.
“I think we have to depend less on one guy who can come in and score all the goals, but develop the players and the collective aspect.”
Arsene Wenger
First impressions tend to last. Safe to say, Arsene and his men made a poor first impression on the opening weekend of the 2015/16 season. A 0-2 defeat at home against West Ham and debutant Premier League manager Slaven Bilić, seemed to deflate the optimism and excitement that had built up over the preseason. However, a hard-fought win away at Crystal Palace seemed to have gotten things back on track. Fortunately, there are 36 more opportunities for the Gunners to impress and live up to the lengthily proclaimed “serious title challenge”, however much of a long shot this may seem. And what may help them to achieve this objective is getting the best out of their forwards.
A returning narrative in the Arsenal camp this season is the Olivier Giroud vs. Theo Walcott debate. Both men have qualities to bring to the table, with their differing styles both aiding (and admittedly sometimes hurting) Arsenal’s endeavors. Who offers more in the centre forward position? Which of these two is more effective as a front man? To answer these questions though, it is important to have a brief context of Arsenal’s playing style and the system these strikers are being thrown into.
“Those schematics are nothing more than telephone numbers. It certainly isn’t the most important thing, it isn’t meaningful”
Pep Guardiola on formations, as quoted in ‘Pep Confidential’.
Though not to the extent of the Bundesliga champions, Arsene Wenger seems to share Guardiola’s sentiments. While Arsenal’s general setup is a 4-2-3-1, an expression of this freedom is seen with the front 4 players during attacking phases. Due to their reputation, Arsenal often face deeper defensive lines with majority of their play occurring just outside the 18-yard area. With their zone of operation limited to very tight spaces, the front 4 attackers rotate positions, weaving in and out, coming short, and playing quick one-twos in an attempt to circumvent the barricade that stands in the way of their target. Such is the essence of “Wengerball”, the Arsenal we’ve come to know. To keep it short and simple, keep the ball, draw them out and exploit the spaces.
On paper, Olivier Giroud fits the bill perfectly. With the striker in Arsenal’s set up often playing with his back to goal, Olivier’s strength is key in holding off defenders. His aerial competence gives the team option of crosses, even though this is not really their modus operandi. What really sets him apart from your run-of-the-mill big number 9 is his massively underrated control of the ball, especially under pressure. This allows him to function as a wall through which his teammates can bounce the ball off. Giroud’s style particularly helps a player like Ramsey who makes runs beyond the striker. He manages to act as the focal point Arsenal require their striker to be. In fact, if you assess Arsenal’s most stunning team goals in recent years, Giroud is the common factor; including the now infamous team goal versus Norwich, finished by Jack Wilshere. He is also capable of some stunning finishes, as he showed during the weekend at Selhurst Park. Then why is he so vilified by a good majority of fans? Inconsistency. Particularly in front of goal. The frustration is almost palpable when he fails to convert a chance. Chances Arsenal fans were used to seeing hit the back of the net when van Persie led the line. While he does manage to return fairly impressive tallies over a season, it is difficult to shake the feeling that results could have been different or his tally superior. What adds to the frustration is his seeming reluctance to go on the front foot as well? Rather than turn and shoot in promising positions, like he would have in his Montpellier winning season, he chooses to lay it off to teammates. This is almost symptomatic of the Arsenal way. Whether this comes from the boss, or whether it’s a lack of initiative, Giroud needs to remedy this flaw, and develop a better understanding of when to be part of the collective and when to be more selfish. To make the most of Olivier Giroud, there need to be changes in both Arsenal’s use of him and his interpretation of the role. This brings us to the our other candidate.
Up until a few years ago, Theo Walcott was majorly deployed on the wing where he was able to take advantage of his blistering pace. Ultimately, this has aided in his transition to the middle, with the movement and timing of his runs between defenders being an invaluable asset to the team. That accompanied with vast development of composure and ruthlessness in front of goal makes him a serious goal threat, particularly on the counter. However, one can see why Wenger is more inclined to start Giroud over Theo. When played centrally Walcott has a tendency to go missing. With his back to goal, Theo struggles to exert any influence lacking the strength to fend off the on-rushing defenders, leading to a poor rate of ball retention. And with most opposition defenses being overly cautious, there is hardly any space in behind for Theo to run into. And with Giroud missing from the field of play, retaining possessing from goal kicks or clearances seems an arduous task. This leaves him fighting for scraps, getting the odd touch and overall frustrated. He is not suited for the approach the team are used to with Giroud up front. This is not to say Theo should never play up front, but when he does there is an increased demand for through balls of a higher quality and a requirement for less caution when it comes to ball retention. The latter almost goes against the principles of an Arsene Wenger side, but the adage “high risk, high reward” is fitting for this scenario. The potential gains to be achieved from a slight change in play could far outweigh the costs, though it is left to be seen whether Wenger is willing to make these (or any) modifications to accommodate Theo’s skill set
In some ways, Arsenal fans are still hoping for the powers that be at the Emirates to fill the van Persie shaped hole with the purported “world class striker”. Karim Benzema has been the name circulated throughout this window; an undeniable improvement, though his transfer is highly unlikely for a number of reasons. With Danny Welbeck’s propensity for injury and Wenger’s proclivity to use him as a wide forward, Giroud and Walcott remain Arsenal’s main striking options, with the Frenchman being slightly ahead in the pecking order. Both strikers must scrutinize what they each add to the team and strive to improve their quality up front, and equally as important, Arsenal must adjust to exploit their unique talents.