Almost immediately the knives were being sharpened at Sky Sports and Talk Sport with a raft of has-been and never-have-been pundits (gas bags) giving out their ‘unbiased’ opinions on the brand new Arsenal hit man. It seemed odd to me at the time, but not surprising, that there wasn’t anything like the intensity of debate, interest and discussion around the values placed on Isak, Sesko, Eketike and Wirtz, all of them considerably more expensive than Gyokeres.
Maybe Liverpool and Manchester United signing forwards isn’t as big a story as when Arsenal sign a striker?
After a slow start and a number of disappointing returns, the clamour grew – ‘waste of money’, ‘can’t do it in the Premier League’ and everyone’s favourite ‘flat track bully’ which ironically was just what Arsenal needed. Those of us of a certain vintage can remember an few Arsenal forwards starting slowly and also attracting uninformed criticism before eventually becoming top quality strikers/finishers. Dennis Bergkamp and Thierry Henry obviously spring immediately to mind and Frank Stapleton, for those of us who remember black and white television. It isn’t new.
I’m not going to lie, there has been occasions when I’ve had a few reservations myself about Viktor after some of his earlier matches where he’d not been as influential, but ultimately I’m more happy when he scores for Arsenal than anyone else because I know how it affects those bad actors in the football media, watching them struggling to swallow humble pie really is quite delicious.
Of course a few of the more extreme voices in the television media will point and earnestly claim that he cannot do it against the really big teams, you know that he can only really score against the minnows, the likes of Kairat, Inter Milan, Burnley, Chelsea, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham!
Well at this moment Viktor has 10 goals in the Premier League, 4 goals in the Champions League and 1 goal in the League Cup, a grand total of 15 goals including 3 pens. That’s what I expected from him for this entire first season in the EPL given the increased physicality of the Premier League, the higher quality of defenders and his unfamiliarity with his new team mates and them having to adapt to a totally different attacking apex.
It’s been a bit stop start with Viktor seeming to score in bursts but he brings a bullishness to our attack. Defenders hate him, he thrives on the contact, the duels and his presence ensures that opponents find it difficult to compress Arsenal into our own half, keeping the game more stretched. You can see the difference when he is substituted because we then find our defence dropping deeper, encouraging the opposition to pin us back. Against Tottenham he stayed on and it was him that scored the late goal rather than Arsenal conceding as had been the case recently.
The brief glimpse of Viktor linking up with Kai Havertz gave us an entirely new and exciting view into what our attack could eventually look like when our German maestro finally shakes off those niggling injuries. Hopefully with a fully fit Kai Havertz and an energised Viktor Gyokeres leading our attack, the next three months could be truly memorable?
We march on…
By Kev.
I haven’t checked the facts but the subject in the Kings Arms in Blackstock Road has been aired a few times. One of the guys made a comment that I found interesting , he said Vik’s more dangerous when Odegaard has been injured .
Certainly I can remember that his linking with Havertz seemed to help him turn things around and more recently with Eze .
His second goal against Tottenham came from an Odegaard pass , maybe the penny has dropped or perhaps the rumours about the club cashing in on him has concentrated his mind , afterall he seems to have a relationship with Haaland playing for Norway.
Morning Kev, all.
Nice post Kev.
I agree with the views on who Viktor plays alongside, he certainly seems to perform better without Odegaard albeit it was he who set Viktor up for our last goal at the weekend.
Personally, I was all for giving our summer signings until the second half of the season, some haven’t needed it, others are now coming good. Better than good.
G’day Kev, Rico and all.
Interesting post Kev, none of the big name striker signings hit the ground running. None of them appeared to be worth the big bucks laid out for them. Now however they are starting to earn their corn, how they eventually turn out is anyone’s guess but I reckon Viktor G is likely to be the best of them.
By the way, wasn’t there a Vic Crescit who posted on Arsenal Insider back in the day?
Afternoon Cicero, I too think Viktor will prove to be the best option. He’s clinical, won’t be bullied and has different strings to his bow.
Afternoon Gooners, afternoon Rico.
Cheers Rico/Cicero, I guess next season is when all five will hit their straps Cicero, it would be nice if we could add the lad from Atletico to our stable?
But yes as you say Rico/Cicero our Vic has settled in the quickest but that’s still doesn’t stop the media mugs critiquing him to a different standard to the others. I’m afraid Cicero I don’t know a Vic Crescit although there was a VCC in the ‘old days’.
Kings Arms, I don’t know that pub, The Gunners, The Arsenal Tavern, The Bank of Friendship and the one opposite The Gunners close to the cop shop whose name escapes me, although I tend to frequent ale houses in and around the Liverpool Road/Holloway Road vicinity, having said all that I’ve not gone at all this season. 🙁
Morning all, oh, it didn’t send, so afternoon! Well balanced report Kev. I believe he currently outscores Ekitike, Sesko and other striker signings this summer 😂
He struggles with back to goal when we pass so slowly that we invite the low block, nothing surprising about that. Think the penny is slowly dropping that we need crisper forward passing, he will score running onto balls as he is now proving, and has done throughout his career.
Good afternoon Rico and all
A good post Kev, with interesting points about our striker. He has been my choice long before he came. So every time he scores am more than happy. Especially if it was Havertz supplying him with the ammo.
Both are my present favourites. And to cap it all both have hit it off immediately.
Oh and bdw….the 2nd VG14 goal was assisted for the first time this season by MO8. It was a long time coming.
A side note. It seems that the spuds board of directors are considering an alternative job during the week beside managing the club. They have applied for a permit to run an undertaker business solely for spuddie fans. The directors themselves will carry coffins and even lower them down the graves so that they will let their fans down even when they have passed away.
DG, 👍
Probably would have been the same whoever we signed Kev unless someone came in and scored game after game.
Afternoon Devil, Andrew.
Viktor is outscoring the other summer striker signings. I think only Haaland and Thiago are doing better than him.
Threw you a dummy Kev , it’s the Kings Head near Ambler school , with my walking difficulties it’s as close as I can get to park and walk in.
Ok Potter, I’ve checked it out, it’s up the Finsbury Park end, I’ve been in the Plimsoll and Twelve Pins on odd occasions but I’m more familiar with the Riversdale Road end.
We used to go into the North London University bar in Holloway Road but they close on match days now so it’s the Victoria Tavern on Liverpool Road. There’s plenty of bars, pubs and eateries in Holloway Road now, which is important as the beer in the stadium is overpriced dish water.
Saying that Wetherspoons on Highbury Corner is pretty good and reasonably priced
The Woodbine, I remember now, back in the day also!
Used to use the Plimsoll in my early years , half hour to kick off it was a rousing chorus of the Eton Boating Song ( words changed of course ) then charge down the road to Highbury and jump on the North bank . After the game we used to walk down to the Archway , go over to Highgate , cross the Heath down Parli hill and the drinking started all the way to Hampstead High street. Late night meal and off to play Sunday league in the morning .
Happy days.
Happier days in general I think but I loved it when football was football rather than money. I never got to Highbury when I was young but Elm Park was great…
New post up.