Former Arsenal and France international midfielder Robert Pires has
said that the club's recording signing, Alexandre Lacazettle would
need time to settle in the Premier league.
He was speaking against the backdrop of his own personal experience
and how long it took him to make the transition from France ligue 1 to
the rough and tumble of the English football.
He joined Arsenal from Marseille in 2000 after the European
Championships hosted by Belgium and Netherland. Where he went on to
spend six years.
According to him, it took him more than six months to settle after
being initially shocked at the physicality of the English game.
"I think he'll be a success. But maybe he will need time to adapt." he
first stated.
Robert Pires believes if it becomes difficult for Lacazette to settle,
he would need time to adjust from making the transition from France to
England for the first time.
"He is a good striker who has scored a lot of goals with Lyon. Of
course it will be very difficult in the beginning because when you
play in France and move to England it is not the same, it is very
aggressive.
"Maybe he will need time for the adaptation but everyone around him is
very important, especially the French connection.
"But to make the adaption, to find the rhythm and the tempo, for me it
took six or seven months. It was very tough, for me it was the
aggression and intensity."
He went further to relate his first culture shock of how physical the
English game is in his debut from the bench, detailing how Arsene
Wenger talked him into how physical the game could be.
"It was my first game away at Sunderland and Arsene Wenger said
'Robert, I know you are a bit upset because you want to play but I
prefer if you are on the bench and you can watch the game, the fight
and the tempo'.
"After 20 minutes sat on the bench I said to myself 'what are you
doing here?' because it was very, very difficult. I remember one
tackle from Patrick Vieira and I thought this football wasn't for me.
"It was very difficult and it is about adaptation. If you play in
France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football."
Lacazettle would have the chance to face a Premier league side for the
first time as Arsenal would be in action later today as they wrap up
their tour of Asia when they face Chelsea in the last of four matches
at the Bird Nets Stadium in Beijing, China.
said that the club's recording signing, Alexandre Lacazettle would
need time to settle in the Premier league.
He was speaking against the backdrop of his own personal experience
and how long it took him to make the transition from France ligue 1 to
the rough and tumble of the English football.
He joined Arsenal from Marseille in 2000 after the European
Championships hosted by Belgium and Netherland. Where he went on to
spend six years.
According to him, it took him more than six months to settle after
being initially shocked at the physicality of the English game.
"I think he'll be a success. But maybe he will need time to adapt." he
first stated.
Robert Pires believes if it becomes difficult for Lacazette to settle,
he would need time to adjust from making the transition from France to
England for the first time.
"He is a good striker who has scored a lot of goals with Lyon. Of
course it will be very difficult in the beginning because when you
play in France and move to England it is not the same, it is very
aggressive.
"Maybe he will need time for the adaptation but everyone around him is
very important, especially the French connection.
"But to make the adaption, to find the rhythm and the tempo, for me it
took six or seven months. It was very tough, for me it was the
aggression and intensity."
He went further to relate his first culture shock of how physical the
English game is in his debut from the bench, detailing how Arsene
Wenger talked him into how physical the game could be.
"It was my first game away at Sunderland and Arsene Wenger said
'Robert, I know you are a bit upset because you want to play but I
prefer if you are on the bench and you can watch the game, the fight
and the tempo'.
"After 20 minutes sat on the bench I said to myself 'what are you
doing here?' because it was very, very difficult. I remember one
tackle from Patrick Vieira and I thought this football wasn't for me.
"It was very difficult and it is about adaptation. If you play in
France, Spain or Italy it is not the same football."
Lacazettle would have the chance to face a Premier league side for the
first time as Arsenal would be in action later today as they wrap up
their tour of Asia when they face Chelsea in the last of four matches
at the Bird Nets Stadium in Beijing, China.
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