Arsenal splashed out on Victor Gokeres during the summer, but early returns on the player earmarked as the final piece of the puzzle were mixed.
A football enthusiast who spends much of his life on the highway, watching games all over the country. Passionate about soccer, work and mirrors. I have always believed that the Premier League is the best in the world and that England have a chance. Author of Arsene Wenger: The Inside Story of Arsenal Under Wenger.
Like any striker in the Premier League, Victor Gokeres has divided opinion. That’s only among the Arsenal fan base.
It’s no exaggeration to say that Gokeres looks like a striker in desperate need of goals. It has now been six games, or 488 minutes on the pitch, since Gokeres last scored a goal. Listening to his many supporters on social media, it’s always a risky business, but they already have doubts about him.
Gokeres has scored three goals in 10 appearances and appears to be carrying a hefty £64 million price tag and the promise of being the centre-forward to solve all of Arsenal’s problems.
But the fans watching the match, and perhaps those more supportive of X, have a very different view, and that’s exactly what Gokeres needs if he’s going to have long-term success.
A large number of fans are seated near the press box on Emirates Airlines. They are a lot of fun and we have a lot of fun chatting and supporting the team. I’m really happy to be able to sit close to them when I go to cover the games. And they love gokeres.
read more: Arsenal have sent a clear message as Victor Gokeres reaches an agreement after a fruitless run of goals.read more: Arsenal manager signs £80m upgrade and also settles Bukayo’s Saka’s future
why? Because he leads the line, creates space for others, holds the ball and runs through defenders. He is an outstanding striker.
They also claim that it took a while for Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry to reconcile. It’s hard to argue that he belongs to their class, but you get what you mean.
And it’s a particularly valid one. why? This is because huge investments were made in strikers this summer.
Gokeres was a big buy for Arsenal. Liverpool spent £125m on Alexander Isak and he is taking time to settle in and adapt to Liverpool.
Benjamin Sesco could have easily been an Arsenal player both last year and this summer, but he made eight appearances and scored two goals for Manchester United.
Newcastle fans love Nick Waltemaide. No wonder. It was Chelsea’s João Pedro who really took off. He’s amazing.
And he had one big advantage over other players…he was ready for the Premier League. A mini-preseason was also held at the Club World Cup. Isaac spent the summer on strike.
There is reason to be concerned about Gokeres. It cannot be painted in any other way. He looks big and strong, but certainly doesn’t skate across the pitch. He’s not particularly pleasing to the eye.
When he takes chances like he did against Olympiakos, his expression gets even worse. He looks like a player who is desperate to score, a player who is too desperate.
Gokeres even looked like he wanted to take a penalty when he stole the ball from Bukayo Saka against West Ham on Saturday. Saka is one of the best players in the world, a really nice guy, and had enough diplomatic skills to absolve Gokeres of any blame.
But Gokeres isn’t afraid to get involved. This is the player who coveted the iconic number 14 shirt worn by Henry, one of the world’s greatest players and Arsenal’s all-time top scorer. That takes some courage.
I’m still not convinced. Far from it. I think he looks too big and bulky. Too vivid. But what cannot be doubted is Gökeres’ spirituality, character and determination. Teammates speak of his single-minded attitude. His thinking is noteworthy. He wants to prove everyone wrong.
And what’s important is that he has real, passionate fans behind him. they love him They haven’t had a center forward like him in years. And if they continue to support him, it’s hard to argue that he won’t do well.
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