Like Brando in The Godfather, I am loathe to tell anyone outside the family what I am thinking but given the current atmosphere of mischief and sensationalism surrounding Arsenal Football Club, needs must, especially when the usual subjects are avoiding the truth like a plague.
Alexis Sanchez is undoubtedly Arsenal’s most potent offensive player. If you tuned into the mainstream media, most Arsenal blogs and podcasts you would be struck by the tones of worship when they describe his performances. You would think he is irreplaceable.
But sporting history is replete with examples of great offensive players who, rather than being assets, are downright liabilities to the overall team. American professional sports, whether it be baseball, basketball or their gridiron football, has numerous examples of blockbuster trades to get rid players with gaudy offensive stats in return for new talent with whom hopefully a more successful future can be built.
One such trade that never took place was the legendary Michael Jordan of the Chicago Bulls who was the dominant worldwide sports marketing figure in towards the end the last century and into this millenium. This episode in the history of the Bulls has literally been airbrushed from history and is unknown to most Gen-Xers and Millenials.
In 1988 when Jordan was coming off of being the Most Valuable Player, Defensive Player of the Year, and the league’s leading scorer during the 1987-1988 season, the Bulls were close to dealing him away for two high draft picks. I vaguely remember the story from my days as a basketball hound but had to dig deep in the internet to confirm. According to this piece on “the-trades-that-didnt-happen” the Bulls were on the verge of being eliminated in the 1988 Eastern Conference Semifinals by the Detroit Pistons and the team had won just four total playoff games – and sported a 4-15 playoff record – in the first four seasons with Michael Jordan. There was a large dividing line among Bulls management that led to a theory that the team would
“never win a title because Jordan’s style of one-on-one play eliminated the other players as contributors.”
I am increasingly becoming like those skeptical members of the Bulls’ hierarchy when it comes to Alexis Sanchez at Arsenal. Having watched him very closely since he came to this club, while ecstatic about his unpredictability and the wonderful goals he has scored I have become increasingly alarmed at his negative impact on the team dynamic.
As some of us have highlighted, Wengerball depends on maintaining possession as the club progresses up the field seeking opportunities for vertical passes to get behind defenses and create scoring opportunities. Over the past 3 years the emphasis on possession has declined. Arsenal is now the 3rd best possession team in the league behind City and Liverpool and the frequency of turnovers in midfield leading to dangerous counter attacks by opposing teams have left me with a bad state of heartburn and acid reflux.
Apart from @blackburngeorge and a few others this is a minority opinion among the denizens of this blog. Many regard his goals and the unpredictability he brings to the team as more important than his wastefulness in possession. As friends, who love the club, we never hesitate to disagree, respectfully.
Outside PA, in the mainstream media as well as most Arsenal bloggers and podcasters, there is virtual sycophancy when it comes to Alexis. It is literally taboo to criticize him. Like the political correctness crowd, they are the self-made guardians of what is acceptable discourse among Arsenal fans. Based on their recent publications, evidently blaming the manager, for one bad year in 21, is more likely to generate clicks and satisfy the snarling, howling mob that needs a scapegoat for their disappointments.
Unlike my opinionated colleagues in the blogsphere, as is my wont, I decided to do some research and see how Alexis compares with the leading strikers from other clubs fighting for top-4 positions in the Premier League. As usual the stone-cold data has no agenda, creates no headlines and is oblivious to feelings and emotion (courtesy of Whoscored.com).
| Sanchez | Kane | Costa | Aguero | Ibra | Avg. Score | |
| Apps | 31(2) | 25(1) | 32 | 23(5) | 27(1) | |
| Mins | 2,809 | 2,187 | 2,848 | 2,234 | 2,437 | 2,503 |
| Goals | 19 | 21 | 19 | 18 | 17 | 19 |
| Assists | 9 | 6 | 6 | 1 | 5 | 5 |
| SpG | 3.3 | 3.4 | 3.2 | 4.6 | 4.1 | 3.7 |
| Drb | 2.7 | 1.2 | 1.7 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 1.7 |
| Fouled | 1.7 | 1.6 | 2.6 | 1.1 | 0.7 | 1.5 |
| Off | 0.8 | 0.7 | 0.8 | 0.8 | 1.3 | 0.9 |
| Disp | 3.2 | 1.7 | 3.4 | 2.3 | 1.4 | 2.4 |
| UnsTch | 2.5 | 2.9 | 3.2 | 2.5 | 2 | 2.6 |
| Key Passes | 2.2 | 1.4 | 1.1 | 0.9 | 1.7 | 1.5 |
| Avg Passes | 43.5 | 19.6 | 29.5 | 25 | 37.3 | 31 |
| PS% | 73.4 | 72.7 | 74.7 | 82.2 | 73.6 | 75.3 |
| Rating | 7.7 | 7.56 | 7.44 | 7.25 | 7.41 | 7.47 |
Mins – Minutes played; Goals – Total goals; Assists -Total assists; SpG – Shots per game; KeyP -Key passes per game; Drb – Dribbles per game; Fouled – Fouled per game; Off – Offsides per game; Disp – Dispossessed per game; UnsTch – Bad control per game; Avg Passes – Avg Passes per game; PS% – Passing success percentage
Good Alexis
Given he is not dedicated center-forward like those in the peer-group, often playing wide left, his numbers are noteworthy:
- Goals scored is right on the average, at 19.
- Assists are 80% above the average and one-third higher than the next best, i.e. Kane and Costa.
- Highest number of dribbles per game at 2.7 is arguably a positive especially for a wide forward.
- Fouled at a higher than average per game although nowhere near Costa-levels.
- Key passes are above average at 2.2 per game compared to an average of 1.46. Only Ibra comes remotely close at 1.7.
Bad Alexis
- His passes per game widely exceed all his peers, 43.5 vs an average of 31. Only Ibrahimovich at 37.3 is remotely close. Seems his peers are less involved in the passing game and focused on being present in the box.
- Passing percentage is below the average, 73.4 vs 75.3. Only Kane has worse passing percentage but he touches the ball on average over 50% less than Alexis.
- Being dispossessed far higher than the average, 3.2 times per game vs 2.4. Only Costa is dispossessed at a higher rate at 3.4.
Having seen the evidence, ladies and gentlemen of the jury, how say you? Asset or liability?
Positively Arsenal 
Fins: Half-time in the Monaco game?
LikeLike
James Caan was my favourite actor around that period. Freebie and the Bean and Rollerball were ace.
LikeLike
Manchester UnitedVerified account @ManUtd 5h5 hours ago
U18s: FT – #MUFC 0 Arsenal 3. Joe Willock (2) and Yassin Fortune find the net to end the Reds’ outside hopes of winning the title.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Falcao can’t beat Buffon from ten yards out.
Juve move up through the gears and Big Higgy gets the pass he’d been asking for and nets his and Juve’s second.
It looked like the tie was over at 0-1. It probably is now.
The Monaco kid may be good but i’m going to ignore the hype and continue to enjoy the development of AFC players like Bellerin and Iwobi.
LikeLike
Jeorge Bird @jeorgebird 7h7 hours ago
Arsenal U18 v Man. United: Virginia; Osei-Tutu, Olowu, Medley, T. Bola; McGuane, Dasilva; J. Willock, Nelson, Malen; Nketiah.
LikeLike
PG-yes that guy is a great actor.
LikeLike
LikeLiked by 1 person
James Caan – Good old Sonny Corleone. Brilliantly played role. Violent, impulsive. Remind me of Gainsy and Hunter in their wild days at ACLF. Take no fucking prisoners.
LikeLiked by 2 people
0-2 FT
LikeLike
Watching Hoddle Wio and Wrighty here
Experts
?
LikeLike
Well worth a look-also if you havent seen any of the “making ofs”, also worth look too.
One thing that strikes me is listening to Francis talk is what an incredible mind he has for making a film, and an amazing intuition–should have had much more support in later years to make film, that guy was one of our greatest story tellers. Hollywood seems a shadow of itself…but what doesnt ?
https://youtu.be/iQet2P6H0Ac
LikeLiked by 1 person
Sanchez is a good test of the “best player in best position” maxim or he should expose a vagueness with that thinking. Sanchez’s strengths make him look good ( primarily only him, not the team) and like any forward of his nature he thrives as the difference maker and doesn’t need perfect play from others to do well – though it helps. (something twitter doesn’t understand)
Unfortunately with the karmic nature of team sports Sanchez takes (or has begun to take) away from the work of the other players, of the team as a whole more than he contributes as a dedicated forward. A player of his central importance and expected output magnifies the loss with no visible change in is overall style, (something twitter doesn’t understand) no other players can fill in his roguish contributions or if they try to we hate them (like Ramsey, Coq , Xhaka, Walcott or anyone who takes a shot or tries to beat their way through a defense bar the other Alexes.
What was great in the first season for Sanchez was his relative independence, but it was almost mutual, He was the foil to another forward who was “propped up” by the team. A failsafe. He was relatively free , the invisible plan B. Then remember how we overloaded the wide areas , we almost had a two-pronged attack, that gave him freedom and space and relative abandon to play his nature and strength.
. Now people assume he was the sole beneficiary of our play, is true in a sense but not true to now assert that rest of the team is holding him back. Even then he never (had to) plug back in except in his output of goals and assists. (Which only made him look good)
Now that everything points to him being plan A (at least in the thoughts of online fans,) Some want to see him in his totality, his failings are in direct contravention to Arsenal basics, Passing well, ball retention, decision-making. Things the team focused on mitigating for other forwards (and prevented us from caring about in Sanchez ) suddenly matter now because we expect Sanchez to be the one, but technically he never was the /one and only/. Now he gets closed down just like Giroud would, except there’s no dedicated foil.
I’m going on a limb here but I think the counterintuitive solution is to rely on him less and focus on the team’s general attack, it’s not about forcing the best player to be the biggest on the ball contributor, We can’t maximise his output if his possession play just takes away initiative. His role should be as a goalscoring forward , even or almost especially if he’s not “front and centre”, and per recent form not in building the attack. We have too many forwards to be so transparent in our utilisation (and expectations) of Sanchez to the point of relying on his weaknesses , he’s still one of many even if he’s the “best”.
LikeLiked by 7 people
well written article.football is teamwork.its not lawn tennis.alexis has to improve his cooperation with other members of the team.I loathe people who overestimate their importance.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Sanchez certainly gives the ball away a lot, but others are giving him a good run for their money these days, no need to even name them.
What has happened to these players? I have watched highly skilled technically adept players who struggle to trap a ball or pass to someone ten yards away recently.I still think unsettled situation over the manager and contracts has led to performances that have cost us points that will possibly cost the club £40 million next season.Why did it come to this?
If Wenger is staying, why the f didn’t they announce it….it could have settled things
Judging by 2017, giving Wenger a 1 or 2 year extension is just asking for a repeat or repeats in the near future. Surely now , if Wenger stays, this year has taught us this club needs a better plan and structure for transition when it comes.
LikeLiked by 1 person
As I said to my boy Rancid Potato on twitter; what has happened to the old adage that great players make their teams better.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Millsy – I watched all the video which is unusual. Thanks so much.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Gordon Greenidge ,One of the worlds best opening bats, at his most dangerous when he was injured and couldn’t run singles. Scored a double century before lunch at lords in a test match . Those were the days.
LikeLike
Shotts-your welcome mate. I thought Coppola was really interesting. The whole thing was way too short, could have been a five hour function with sandwiches etc. and everyone free to come and go. There are many more stories around that film that Ive picked up on over the years, that they didn’t talk about. I came away feeling sad about the state of culture( Francis telling picked up on that) and that these people really gave something, and they might not be around in such a gathering again in life.
Been good that you brought another element into PA. Anyway, back to the football!
LikeLiked by 2 people
No , he did not score a double century before lunch, unless he started the day on 100+ runs.
LikeLike
Granit Xhaka out of Sunday’s game with an ankle injury.
LikeLike
Wenger finished – key points
Phew, there was a lot in there.
Here’s the key points from that press conference:
Xhaka has swollen ankle, Mustafi and Perez back in training
“A little chance” Xhaka could be involved
Wenger admits Arsenal have to beat Manchester United
The boss thinks Premier League clubs are “well equipped” to deal with hectic schedules
LikeLike
Arsene Wenger: Arsenal boss refuses to answer questions over future
17 minutes ago From the section Football
Arsene Wenger
Arsenal are sixth in the Premier League table, six points off fourth place with five games left
Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger continued to refuse to answer questions over his future as he joked that he was mistaken to say he would have decided whether to sign a new contract by now.
Wenger, 67, has been Gunners boss since 1996 and his current deal expires at the end of this season.
In February, he said he would decide on a new contract in March or April.
Speaking before Sunday’s home match with Manchester United, the Frenchman joked: “That means I was wrong.”
He added: “I don’t want to speak about my personal case any more.”
Some supporters have protested against the long-term manager this season, brandishing banners at games with the message: “Wenger Out”.
Sunday’s defeat by rivals Tottenham leaves Wenger’s side sixth in the table and in danger of failing to qualify for the Champions League for the first time in 20 years.
Premier League table
Trailing Manchester City by six points, albeit with a game in hand, Arsenal need their rivals to slip up if they are to have any chance of sealing a top-four place to ensure entry to Europe’s top club competition.
“Now even winning all our games does not guarantee it, it’s not completely in our hands. But we have to win the games, that’s all we can do,” added Wenger.
“We were disappointed with last weekend’s result but sometimes the best thing is to have a big game straight away again and we want to bounce back.”
Ozil and the White Hart Lane door
Wenger also confirmed that Mesut Ozil kicked a door in frustration following the 2-0 defeat by Tottenham – a loss that means Spurs will finish above their north London rivals for the first time since 1995.
Reports suggested the Germany playmaker had reacted angrily after being told he had to undertake a random post-match drug test.
“I am sorry that he kicked the door but I don’t think his frustration was towards the drugs test, it was towards the game,” Wenger said.
“I did not speak about it then because I only heard about it today. I don’t know what really happened but it is always good to get the player’s version.”
There are also questions over Ozil’s future at the club, with the 28-year-old midfielder’s contract set to expire at the end of next season.
But Wenger provided no update on talks over renewing his deal.
When asked by a journalist whether reports Ozil was having the driveway of his house resurfaced suggested he would be staying, the Frenchman replied: “Oh! That’s a good conclusion.”
LikeLike
Not Cuthbert Gordon Greenidge WWWB – marvellous batsman though he is not one of the 22 batsmen who have put up a hundred on the scoreboard before lunch.
http://stats.espncricinfo.com/ci/content/records/283003.html
He did score 214 not out in 242 balls at Lords in ’84 on the final day which easily reeled in England’s 342 and the WI won with 11 overs to spare.
A month later he knocked up another double century at Old Trafford ( yes it is a cricket ground)
What a Summer
LikeLike
No one has made a double before lunch.
LikeLike
Nice to see all the cricket fans are awake . I was just a brown skittles test
LikeLiked by 1 person
Brown m&m’s
LikeLike
I’ve drunk a double before lunch though admittedly I was on a sticky wicket soon after and ended up very, v e r y drunk.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The Godfather enthusiasts might enjoy these articles
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-godfather/262433/the-real-history-of-the-godfather-movies-and-book
http://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/the-godfather/262504/why-the-godfather-almost-didnt-happen
LikeLiked by 1 person
All I know about the Godfather is the cannoli and the cat
I’m an uncultured spud.
LikeLiked by 3 people
@RP: You are the only Spud tolerated at Positively Arsenal. Lol.
LikeLiked by 4 people
My initial reaction to this piece was to ask how one would build a team around Alexis, what with his individualistic, profligate streak. As it happens, Stillman offered a framework on Arseblog today.
For those inclined to reduce a complex system to one factor, he picks a decent one.
LikeLike
Irobi @Brosicky7 May 3
Mbappe is so much like Thierry. I really hope he goes on to be our greatest ever and abuse us on TV for money.
LikeLike
@900ftGooner – I refuse to beat the Santi Cazorla drum any more lest readers find me boring and single minded. I wrote 3 long data oriented pieces on this subject long before my blogging brethren, podcasters and mainstream media took time off from their fear-mongering, which is to blame Wenger for our troubles. Hardly anybody would acknowledge that Santi, as a secondary play-maker, was vital to our success in the past 3 seasons. But facts and data are very stubborn things, you can ignore them for only so long, before they hit you flush in the face.
LikeLiked by 2 people
@900ftGooner – Btw, Stillman’s piece was, to my mind, not about Alexis but to the lack of technical, creative players in the squad, specifically the huge loss of Santi as a secondary play-maker. The long discourse about Iwobi was a strawman to suggest/imply that Wenger is ignoring players with these qualities.
LikeLiked by 2 people
LikeLike
The insinuation being made is that Arsene has fucked up the recruitment. Its a clever ploy by someone wanting to be seen as smart and fair.
But as transparent as it comes.
He’s not fooling me. Is he fooling anyone else?
LikeLiked by 3 people
No.
LikeLiked by 1 person
For risk of sounding like Ray Wilkins talking down to some spluttering hack dwarf ha ha ha.
The less I say the better.
My word.
LikeLike
I suppose we can file that b*ll*cks alongside the blaggers sincere and accurate concerns for Oxlade Chamberlain’s progress (second highest number of appearances this season I think! – it’s almost as the blaggers been grunting off some script supplied to him by a friendly football agent who wants to engineer a last lucrative move in his career as an agent),
And alongside the 7AM expert once calling for Rosicky Deadwood to be cut loose midway through his time at the Arsenal.
Yup. With Experts like these who needs the Football?
LikeLike
Stillman announced a while back he could not be bothered to discuss anything with the likes of me.
I don’t take rejection lightly.
He can stick his opinions up his arse, flakey c***.
LikeLike
interesting point finsbury re Oxlade-Chamberlain, the bloggers, journos and pundits are all reading off the same script, “ox wants out cos he is not getting enough game time at Arsenal”, and “Ox wants to go to Liverpool for game time”
never mind the actual facts like
ox has second most amount of games played this season for Arsenal, only alexis has more
ox has played more games for Arsenal this season than Liverpool have actually had
so with those two simple facts we can see the bullshit as clear as can be, but still people say no media agenda re Arsenal.
LikeLiked by 4 people
this little clip just shows the over inflated opinion the typical english football journo has of himself.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2W8m3ESqhJo
LikeLiked by 2 people
PG – Am not fooled for a moment. Use of a strawman is a deceitful way of attacking someone contrary to actual facts and examples. For a person who majored in Philosophy for his degree this is inexcusable and plain dishonest.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fins – You continue to make very good points about the continued development The Ox, someone the arseblagger and his podcasting chum wanted sold at the beginning of the season. It seems Arsene has decided to prioritize him over Iwobi in the post-Santi part of the season. Seems a wise choice; two young players on either flank is not a recipe for success.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Damnation, I have been put in a tricky position having read your 10:23, Anicoll.
— “Stillman announced a while back he could not be bothered to discuss anything with the likes of me.”
Now, I have always seen you as a reasonable, well-balanced, erudite and articulate Arsenal football fan, and Stillman’s response seems to fly in the face of that.
I know not who ‘Stilman’ is, and to be candid, I care not — but if he is, say, the Queen’s Equerry, dare I ignore his opinion of you? Well, that would be deuced difficult – as he must be a nice man, if he works for the Queen.
Is he tho’, a self important, intolerant and pompous prig whose every utterance is unworthy of even passing consideration?
It would be unlike one of the Queen’s besties to be so dismissive of someone I have described in my third paragraph above, so, the unknown, intolerant and pompous etc Stillman he must be — so bollocks to him. lol
LikeLiked by 2 people
And that is the point Henry – I was being polite, reasonable, cogent – and stillman told me to bugger off (quivers with suppressed but righteous consternation)
LikeLiked by 1 person
Andy, you don’t have enough followers to be relevant.
LikeLiked by 2 people
Anicoll,
I do not, and will not, use the diabolical toy of the devil – Twitbum – so I cannot help, other than give you my moral support. lol
LikeLiked by 2 people
Haven’t read the aforementioned ‘article’ but do I find it compellingly strange that someone who watches so much football would query the lack of minutes in this spell for Iwobi given that Sterling is still rested for spells during the year, TBF this year he might’ve been dropped for a bit but previously he’s just been protected from burn out and fatigue as you’d hope to see with younger players…
…nevermind the football eh?
LikeLiked by 2 people
Fins – Simply a strawman to attack Wenger. The cabal of mainstream bloggers, who have been universally wrong on every major football development at Arsenal (as well as on politics and economics) have hitched themselves firmly to the WOB bandwagon. The challenge they face is to not sound stupid and ignorant like Le Grove. So they use dishonest, psuedo-intellectual techniques in lieu of facts and data to support their p.o.v. One year out of 21 is hardly a basis to hound out the greatest ever manager from the football club you claim to support just as it would be suicidal if done by any legitimate business which craves long-term success.
LikeLiked by 2 people