A Shift in Tactics

"Louis! He helped Arsenal score a crucial goal! Arsenal have tied the game!" exclaimed Schmitz, the commentator for Germany's Sports Channel, with a hint of disapproval.

"Louis's movement was very sharp. He almost started at the perfect moment, found the ideal route, and scored this one-on-one goal with incredible composure!"

"Judging from the news out of England, Louis is said to be a very mature player, with a maturity beyond his years. Now it seems those reports might not be exaggerated after all!"

Schmitz is a well-known tactical analyst in German football circles. Before he became a commentator, he served as a tactical coach for Bundesliga teams such as Hamburg. So, he knows his stuff.

For many fans, Louis's composed shots might not be as thrilling as explosive long-range strikes or powerful headers, but for coaches, it's all about efficiency. They care about scoring goals in the most effective way possible. Louis is precisely the kind of forward every head coach desires—a ruthless finisher in the penalty area who can capitalize on every opportunity.

"He might be a good fit for many teams in the Bundesliga," Kahn, the commentator for Sports 1 and the former double captain of the German team and Bayern Munich, remarked.

"For example, Bayern?" Schmitz joked.

Kahn laughed. "Maybe we really lack such a player."

"So... can he break the goal you're holding?" Schmitz teased.

Kahn blinked. "I won't answer that."

"What? "The Titan" Oliver Kahn doesn't even dare to say he can stop Louis's one-on-one?"

Kahn shook his head. "I'm not a god. No one can guarantee stopping a one-on-one. Besides," Kahn looked toward the field, "this young man is the most composed forward I've seen handling one-on-one situations in recent years!"

"I really want to meet him," Kahn added. "To be honest, I don't have much confidence."

Schmitz was taken aback. He hadn't expected such high praise from Kahn.

The banter between the two made many Schalke 04 fans watching on TV very unhappy. They felt the commentators were too biased towards Bayern and ignored the positions of other Bundesliga teams.

The Schalke 04 fans at the stadium quickly reacted, trying to drown out the visiting team's cheers with boos.

On the sidelines, Wenger and his assistants rushed to celebrate. Wenger began to reflect on the goal's build-up. Giroud's confrontation, high-point control, and midfield support were impressive. Especially Giroud's ability to retreat and provide confrontation in midfield, something neither Cazorla nor Wilshere could do, caught Wenger's eye.

"Olivier's effect after retreating was pretty good. I didn't expect that he is not just good at scoring goals, but his support play is excellent," Wenger said to his assistant.

"So maybe we can give him a wider range of activities, and he can completely drop back to midfield," Wenger mused.

"This reminds me of Fellaini," Bould noted, referring to Everton's Belgian midfielder known for his aerial prowess and high-point control.

Wenger stood on the sidelines, lost in thought. With Diaby injured, the team needed to make tactical adjustments. Giroud taking on part of the attacking midfielder's work seemed feasible. Giroud's passing skills were quite good, and this approach could solve some of the team's midfield issues.

Wenger called Giroud over. "Olivier, you did a great job!"

Giroud was delighted. His efforts were paying off. He knew the head coach valued using Louis's goal-scoring ability, so he focused on providing support and confrontation.

"Keep playing like this. Your range of movement can be wider, and you can push Louis's position closer to the front. We need goals, Olivier. We need goals from Louis!"

"Understood!" Giroud responded loudly.

Walcott, sitting on the bench, frowned. He realized he was now at a disadvantage in the competition. Initially, he had competed with Louis for the goal scorer role. Losing that, he aimed to be Louis's primary support, leveraging his speed on the wings.

Now, Giroud showed his capabilities—confrontation, high balls, support. These were Giroud's strengths.

"Olivier's passing is really good," murmured a substitute.

"He and Louis have good chemistry."

"It's great that they train together."

Walcott felt a jolt. Chemistry? That's it! He needed to build better chemistry with Louis. He resolved to work on it, aiming to be Louis's wingman.