He’s definitely limited, sounds like a Pepe problem if he can only be utilised in a mythical system that will “get the best out of him”
Question still hasn’t been answered on whether playing him in such a system will teach him the basics of actually being a footballer.
Doesn’t it say a lot about Pepe?
There must be an ample amount of pressure on Arteta to make this 72m player work as the club would end up in loss; yet Arteta is able to justify playing an inconsistent Saka over Pepe.
There isn’t pressure on him to make Pepe work. Pepe was not signed under his watch.
It’s quite clear that Arteta isn’t too fussed to make things work for signings that happened under the previous regime.
In fact, the only player that Arteta actually trusts from the previous regime is Tierney and I wouldn’t be surprised if Tavares ends that too.
I agree with this in general. But I do think Arteta has tried pretty hard to improve Pepe, there have been a lot of stories over the last couple years about Arteta working with him specifically in training and he has given him a lot of chances.
IMO, Pepe just doesn’t have the football IQ, security in possession, and ability to combine with other players that Arteta wants out of this position. Saka is already better than Pepe as an all around player and fom a squad perspective Arteta probably knows that Saka’s development needs to be prioritized because his ceiling is so much higher.
Sucks for Pepe but that’s football. You either stake your claim or you don’t.
Well, you can fit in both in the team and as we’ve seen so far this year, our best games creatively came with Pepe, Saka and ESR all in the team with Laca up top.
I’ve said this ahead of this season too, Pepe has no future in the team and the only way for him to keep his place for the next game is to force it by scoring or assisting.
Either way, he is goner next summer one way or the other.
You think we can sell him or is this a series-of-loans to offload situation because I really don’t know who buys him even at half his fee rn.
Contract situation is working against Arsenal. Pepe has a market between £25m - £20m, many clubs will be all over that
Fabrizio talked about this. The club is interested in selling him but they want a considerable fee.
He guestimated 20-25m won’t be enough.
That’s about all we’ll get at this point in time IMO, I’ll be surprised if we get bigger offers. His wage isn’t huge though so he will have a market.
At the end of the day the point of a football match is to score more goals than the opponents. You don’t get points for how nice your passing is or the less times you lose the ball.
Excluding the 2 teams with a game in hand, only 4 teams have scored less than us in the premier league this season. I’ll take goal threat over pretty play when we’re in that kind of situation
Passing the ball effectively, keeping the ball and other aspects of the game are key facets that in turn lead to goals and points.
If Pepe isn’t scoring he isn’t doing much else, that may be OK if you’re Ronaldo but for someone of his quality it isn’t anywhere near good enough to command a starting place in this team.
Currently the team can’t even do that against anyone.
Check the table mate. Where far from perfect but we have done enough to dismiss your last post about passing.
You can’t be serious 
If it’s about stretching a narrative your winning.
Saka hasn’t trained with the team it seems.
Nico remontada?
Another game that players who produce less than him are being given minutes.
Yeh I’m not fond of this by Arteta tbh
He just isn’t trusted, it is what it is.
Seems he’s gone down even more in Arteta’s estimation.
It’s bullshit though. No matter what you think of Pepe there is no way an injured Saka, Nketiah, Lacazette should be given minutes ahead of him to the point where he doesn’t even get a minute.
This is the first good game Martinelli has had since his return from injury and in none of the previous games did he come close to putting in a performance that confined Pepe to the bench.
Even Saka, he’s been woefully inconsistency for much of 2021 but he’ll still be given minute after minute.