Arsenal: Alexandre Lacazette illustrates importance of patience

Alexandre Lacazette has spoken of the differences of the game in England to his time in Ligue 1. The Arsenal striker illustrates the importance of patience.

Alexandre Lacazette did not enjoy the best first season in north London. That is not to say that he was poor, but after scoring with his very first competitive touch of the ball, it did not quite pan out as many had hoped. The Arsenal record signing did not live up to expectations.

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It was not, however, necessarily his fault. Injuries, a loss of confidence, a starvation of service from a rather lifeless midfield. Lacazette toiled at times, with some beginning to question the wisdom of the signing in the first place.

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However, since returning from a knee injury late in the year and forming a rather potent partnership with Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, Lacazette has looked like a considerably different player. His movement has sharpened, his touch is softer and more consistent, and his goal output has improved markedly.

And indeed, Lacazette, this week, has conceded that he was frustrated during his first season at the club:

"“I was frustrated but it was my first season and all of my family said don’t be like that, enjoy being at a great club.”"

Such comments come after he compared Ligue 1 to the Premier League earlier this year:

"“When you receive the ball [in France], maybe you have one metre more so you can manage the ball. Here, defenders don’t care about who you are.”"

Lacazette’s time at Arsenal, both in his actual development and what he has since said about it, illustrates the importance of being patient with new signings, especially those that come from other countries with no or little experience of the Premier League. Generally speaking, it is unrealistic to expect these type of players to arrive and immediately flourish.

Now, there are obviously exceptions to the rule. Even in the last six months, both Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang and Lucas Torreira have settled into life at the Emirates very nicely. Neither played in the Premier League before their arrival in January and July respectively. But Lacazette’s case does mean that fans and managers and coaches and clubs must be patient with many of their new signings.

So, in the case of Bernd Leno, for instance. Or Sokratis. Or even Stephan Lichtsteiner. Patience is crucial as they learn and adapt to the nuances of English football that are completely different to every other league in the world — incidentally, the disparity between the Premier League and other leagues has certainly diminished over the years, but there is still a stark difference.

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Lacazette has taken time to adapt to the Premier League. But now he is one of the best strikers in the country. Patience is indeed key.

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