Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette principles don’t apply to Sead Kolasinac

Arsenal took home a thrilling win in the FA Community Shield, but let us be reminded that the principles that apply to Alexandre Lacazette do not apply to Sead Kolasinac.

Arsenal are officially one for one in trophies won this 2017/18 season, as they were able to come back from a 1-0 deficit to Chelsea, take the match into penalties and demonstratively put it away form there.

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In the process, Alexandre Lacazette had himself an incredibly solid day and Sead Kolasinac, well… he didn’t start. And while he rose up to become the hero, I’m here today to discuss the principles of him not starting, because I can’t help but feel that Arsene Wenger got it backwards.

While, yes, it was a preseason match and we don’t know for sure why Kolasinac didn’t start, it was clear that he was healthy because he came on in the 30th minute for a bloodied Per Mertesacker.

I have spoken at length about how Lacazette should be made to earn the striker position given the competition for the role. He didn’t have to earn it for the Community Shield, and while I am certainly not complaining, I just wanted to add this fact to the fact that Kolasinc didn’t start.

Kolasinac shouldn’t have the same ‘you have to earn it’ principles applied to him for one simple reason – he was brought in as a left wingback to be the solution because we didn’t have any other option. Whatever options are starting in front of him were manufactured for whatever reason.

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Since that time, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain has proven himself a capable left sided wingback, but it doesn’t quite seem right to have the Bosnian shoved to the side when he A) has proven himself already and B) is the only native to that position.

All throughout the preseason, Kolasinac showed how strong of a fighter he was and how useful he was going forward and to see him benched against Chelsea was a bit questionable. He made the most of it as a center back, scoring the equalizing goal from a well-taken header, but why he wasn’t in there from the start is a mystery that needs investigating.

For instance, perhaps Wenger was resting him as the start of the season is only five days away. That is a possibility, or perhaps he felt like he needed to error on the side of more attack, but even then, Kolasinac has proven capable.

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I don’t want to sound like I’m complaining, because the victory was a wholesome one, but I hope that the Bosnian isn’t going to be a misused utility player.