Jamie Vardy is awkward fit for Arsenal on and off the pitch
Jamie Vardy is one of the best strikers in the Premier League, but he’s not ideal for Arsenal’s culture or system.
Arsenal fans that are already planning their Premier League title victory parade might want to take a deep breath. Jamie Vardy is a top-class striker, but he isn’t exactly a perfect fit for either Arsenal on or off the pitch.
First, let’s examine how Vardy might fit in with the Gunners on the pitch. Clearly, he’s being purchased to supplant Olivier Giroud as the team’s first choice striker. That in and of itself shouldn’t be much of an issue for the 29-year-old hit man.
The question isn’t whether or not Vardy is an improvement over Giroud, instead we should be asking whether or not Vardy is the best possible option for manager Arsene Wenger. To that end, it must be noted that Vardy isn’t exactly the perfect fit for what Arsenal need from their striker.
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Unless Wenger is going to initiate a serious philosophical shift, Arsenal are still going to play a possession based football scheme next season. That’s far different than the tactics employed by Claudio Ranieri at Leicester City this season. Vardy thrived for the Foxes on the counter-attack, he will find those chances with Arsenal severely limited.
That’s not to say that he won’t score plenty of goals. Even Giroud managed to stumble into a solid goal return during the 2015-16 campaign. Vardy will get plenty of golden opportunities to score playing alongside the likes of Alexis Sanchez and Mesut Ozil. He’ll cash in plenty of them.
Again though, that isn’t the question we should be asking ourselves. The real poignant inquiry is whether or not the Gunners would have been better served to chase the services of a more conventional striker. Certainly adding a number nine that thrives in possession would have been preferable to adding a counter-attacking specialist.
Arsenal would have been better served to chase a more conventional front man. Everton striker Romelu Lukaku should have been at the top of their list, and I even wonder if someone like Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain might have been a better buy. Both men would have cost significantly more than Vardy’s rumored purchase price, but it’s not as if Arsenal really need to be worried about the cash outlay.
Vardy is a mildly awkward pitch on the field for Arsenal, but he’s an extremely awkward fit for the club’s culture. The North London club have historically prided themselves on taking an almost aristocratic philosophy. Their football and personas have always been defined by their style and grace.
Vardy, as we know, isn’t exactly a choir boy off the pitch. Perhaps things will be improved after his recent nuptials, but he’s got a reputation of being more than a bit of a wild card. Can you imagine how Wenger would react if Vardy showed up to the training pitch drunk one day? I don’t think the French boss has the personality to shrug Vardy’s idiosyncrasies off without a second thought.
It’s also entirely possible that Vardy’s behavior will regress given his recent success, fame, and the extra cash he’ll get from his new Arsenal contract. He certainly wouldn’t be the first Premier League footballer to struggle with money and success.
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Arsenal fans have every right to be excited about the impending arrival of Jamie Vardy, but he’s not going to be the messiah that some Gunner fans are making him out to be. He’ll be an improvement over the plodding Olivier Giroud, but there were certainly better targets available for Arsene Wenger the club. Instead, they’ve taken a chance on a player who might not fit the club on the pitch or in the dressing room.