I liked him a lot. Wasn’t the same player when he came to City but I still liked him. They also had the really inappropriate song for him after the bombing at the stadium when he played for France
Sagna drastically diminished his hair to represent the drastic diminishing of his soul in selling out
So here it is. I know some people hate him, I was in that camp initially but he grew on me. Based on now knowing what his job is it makes sense now. This is the reason he does not shut the fuck up. Can't embed this but here is his Tosh appearance. http://www.cc.com/video-clips/4gfb33/tosh-0-extended-interview---look-at-that-horse-guy
Prob just running with the athletic article saying we want him along with a host of other clubs that are better and have more money
The data doesn’t lie: Aubameyang needs to be used more on the left wing Spoiler By James McNicholas and Tom Worville Apr 4, 2020 32 Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang’s position on the left wing for Arsenal is often met with bemusement by fans. On the face of it, their queries makes sense: why play one of the best strikers in the world in a position where he’s further from goal? Nevertheless, Arsene Wenger, Unai Emery and recently Mikel Arteta have all used Aubameyang out wide at times. As it turns out, they’ve good reason: statistics show a player who not only offers greater contribution to the team out wide but also one who offers just as much penalty-box threat, and even scores more goals. Contrary to popular opinion, Aubameyang isn’t wasted on the wing — and The Athletic has the numbers to prove it. Contrary to the general perception, Aubameyang has actually been used as a lone forward for most of his Arsenal career. He started off there when he joined for a then-club record fee in 2018. His first appearance on the left was in an away defeat to Newcastle in April that year when he had 70 touches (Aubameyang’s highest number in an Arsenal shirt) and provided an assist for Alexandre Lacazette to put Arsenal up by one. While the result didn’t go Arsenal’s way, the game offered a glimpse into how Wenger and his successor would try to shoehorn Lacazette and Aubameyang into the same team. It’s not the case, however, that Aubameyang has been confined to the flank ever since. Breaking his minutes down into the various roles he’s played at Arsenal, that position on the left has made up about a quarter of his game time. Aubameyang has spent a large proportion of his time up front alone, either in a 4-2-3-1 or a 4-3-3, where most believe he’s best-suited to playing. For all the talk of him being used as a winger, he’s spent almost two thirds of his minutes playing as a striker. Where it becomes most interesting, however, is looking at his raw goalscoring statistics. To date, Aubameyang has actually scored most of his goals when playing out on the wing. Not only that but he has a higher rate of goals per 90 when starting wide on the left. It’s also worth noting how consistent his record is when playing up top, either in a two or on his own, and also how he scores at a clip of at least a goal every other game across the front line. His quality is evident wherever he plays. Looking at expected goals tells us about the quality of the chances he gets for himself per position. His xG scores as a left winger and lone forward are strikingly similar, although there’s a markedly big drop-off when he plays from the right, where he appears to be significantly less dangerous. When you look at his shot maps in both positions, it’s striking that the vast majority of his goals are still scored from within the width of the six-yard box. It’s not as if playing from the left means he’s scoring consistently from the left channel, opening his body out to score that right-footed “Thierry Henry” finish. What’s important is that, even when stationed out wide, he’s granted the freedom to get into the close-range areas where he is so dangerous. When partnered up top, Aubameyang gets fewer quality chances than when he plays on his own, presumably due to sharing those opportunities with his strike partner. Aubameyang is also an expert finisher and has outscored xG across each position. In fact, while the quality of chances that he’s been getting recently at left wing has reduced, he’s still scoring at a high rate. A player who used to be defined by volume of chances rather than quality of finishing has evolved into a clinical marksman. Whether that continues remains to be seen but it will doubtless play into Arsenal’s thinking over his future this summer. With a different position comes different responsibilities for Aubameyang. At left wing, he finds himself putting in far more defensive work, as noted by his number of defensive actions per 90 minutes. He also sees far more of the ball when playing out wide. Crucially, he actually gets more touches inside the opponents box when playing from the flank than through the middle. It appears this position enables him to offer more to Arsenal defensively without compromising his goalscoring threat. Playing Aubameyang on the left instead of up front also covers up some of his deficiencies when holding the ball up. With Arsenal starting attacks deeper than any other team in the Premier League this season, it’s key that they have a player who can keep possession when under pressure, and allow fellow attackers to catch up. Lacazette is Arsenal’s best attacking option from this perspective and that’s borne out in the numbers — his pass completion rate in the opposition half is markedly higher (73%) than Aubameyang’s (68%) and Eddie Nketiah’s (64%). Lacazette and Aubameyang also have a good on-field understanding. No Arsenal player has created more goals for Aubameyang than Lacazette, with six assists. Of the current Arsenal squad, the next in line are Hector Bellerin and Sead Kolasinac with three. When playing as the lone frontman, Aubameyang manages fewer touches in the middle third of the field than Lacazette and Nketiah do when playing the same role this season — potentially showing that it’s not a natural part of his game to show for the ball. Having Aubameyang on the left, however, means that Arsenal can use his pace to run them up the field instead — in similar fashion to how Steve Bruce has used Miguel Almiron and Allan Saint-Maximin to propel his Newcastle team forward. Football is, after all, a team sport, and if it means playing a player slightly out of position to cover the gaps in their game for the betterment of the team, then it’s a worthwhile trade-off. Even before taking on the role role of captain, Aubameyang showed a willingness to sacrifice himself for the side. The collective comes first — and the numbers show that Arsenal score more goals when Aubameyang is on the left. This is admittedly a raw figure that’s not adjusted for the quality of opposition played but an interesting nugget nonetheless. Playing Aubameyang on the left enables Arsenal to squeeze more potential goalscorers into their starting XI. This situation is nothing new for Aubameyang. In Jurgen Klopp’s final season at Dortmund, he played Aubameyang from the left to help accommodate Ciro Immobile. His best position was the subject of fractious internal debate at the club. There is another factor to consider here: Aubameyang’s age. Playing left wing requires him to cover an enormous amount of ground. He turns 31 this summer and it’s possible he might suffer a physical dip that means he struggles to get through that workload. As he gets older, limiting his position to the width of the penalty box might have a certain logic. For now, however, he shows no signs of slowing. When football resumes, he remains an attractive choice on the flank. Whenever Arsenal next play, should Arteta select Aubameyang on the left, before bemoaning the tactics, consider the numbers. Even when playing out wide, he’s a devastatingly effective goalscorer. (Photo: Getty Images; Graphic design: Tom Slator)
I’d agree his hold up play limits him in the middle but the article kinda ignores the terrible form of Lacazette this season and the emergence of Martinelli. Is it worth playing Auba down the middle to bench Laca for Saka/Martinelli?
my years of following this sport have jaded me but martinelli has me more excited about a young arsenal player than I’ve been about one in years
Yes. I do not understand choosing that picture to illustrate having drip. Some good Yedlin stuff in the replies too
I think if the entire Kroenke family were to come down with the rona, it’d be everyone’s best interests for them to sell the club
asking the employees to take the hit is the American billionaire way. he probably asked the British gov’t for a bailout too.
Ted Leonsis(owns the Wizards and Capitals) said today that paying part time employees till the end of the year was gonna cost <2 mil. I've made my feelings well known on Kroneke for some time but what does that say about FSG trying to furlough part timers over such a meaningless amount of money when their club has skyrocketed more than any recently. Pretty much everyone should take a hit. If the season isn't played out, not sure why players should be fully paid no matter my feelings on shitty owners.
I’m sure all of KSEs sports teams are big losses right now but based on 0 research or actual knowledge, Walmart has to be crushing it