Nicolas Pepe: 2019/20 Performances

[Manberg]

How is he trying to accommodate Pepe? Arteta is accommodating everyone but Pepe.

Xhaka is playing in his preferred position and drops into left back so he can't be pressed.

Özil is playing as a 10 with complete freedom even though he has no offensive or defensive output.

Auba has the freedom to move inside off the flank and Bellerin is being tucked in to form an extra midfielder to protect our slow midfielders on the counter.

Pepe is on the right hand side, with no help and is so far away from goal he has to beat 2 players to even play a simple pass. If there is anyone we are no accommodating it is Pepe.

He's accomodating Pepe by allowing him to play his natural game, that is to try and beat opposition fullbacks like a winger of his type does. Bellerin's deeper role allows for recovery in case Pepe loses the ball.

If Arteta was to play the way he wants there'd be a hard working player who cuts inside and overloads the opposition defence, or supports the midfield like an inverted winger does, and Bellerin would be able to overlap. But that's not Pepe's style.

 

[Bloodbather]

He's accomodating Pepe by allowing him to play his natural game, that is to try and beat opposition fullbacks like a winger of his type does. Bellerin's deeper role allows for recovery in case Pepe loses the ball.

Yeah, that's not accommodation.

We are not doing the thing that allows Pépé to excel, which is to have the full-back overlap him, occupying the opposing full-back with our overlapping full-back and enabling Pépé to move centrally where he can go 1v1 against the left-sided central defender.

The way we use Pépé now has him having to beat both the full-back and the central defender (or even the holding midfielder sometimes) in order to get to his sweet spot, which ends up with him losing the ball. Either that happens, or he's stuck all the way down the flank and doesn't even bother to attempt the aforementioned scenario and is frozen out of the game.

The maddening thing is that Bellerin is an ideal partner for Pépé, being a good overlapping full-back. He's clearly better than Zeki Çelik, who was serving in the same role at Lille.

 

[Tourbillion]

Yeah, that's not accommodation.

We are not doing the thing that allows Pépé to excel, which is to have the full-back overlap him, occupying the opposing full-back with our overlapping full-back and enabling Pépé to move centrally where he can go 1v1 against the left-sided central defender.

The way we use Pépé now has him having to beat both the full-back and the central defender (or even the holding midfielder sometimes) in order to get to his sweet spot, which ends up with him losing the ball. Either that happens, or he's stuck all the way down the flank and doesn't even bother to attempt the aforementioned scenario and is frozen out of the game.

The maddening thing is that Bellerin is an ideal partner for Pépé, being a good overlapping full-back. He's clearly better than Zeki Çelik, who was serving in the same role at Lille.

It's too risky though, we need two new, athletic midfielders in place of Xhaka and Torreira before we can let Hector and Pepe play in that way.

 

[Bloodbather]

It's too risky though, we need two new, athletic midfielders in place of Xhaka and Torreira before we can let Hector and Pepe play in that way.

I agree, at least in the case of Xhaka. I think Torreira's agility and ball-winning ability makes him suitable for the approach. Clearly not the case with Xhaka though.

 

[Riou]

I always love to have a player like Pepe in my team, no one else in our team can beat people one on one like he can.

We haven't had a wide player strike fear into the opposition whenever they get on the ball since Sanchez, this makes a huge difference to your attack...not saying Nicolas is as good as Alexis, but he has the potential to be a great winger.

There is no reason why we can't drop Özil (as this current version of Mesut doesn't do anything) play 3 in the middle, to compensate for Pepe's lack of defensive ability.

We have not given Pepe the tools to be a success here yet imo.

 

[Red London]

I always love to have a player like Pepe in my team, no one else in our team can beat people one on one like he can.

We were crying for a 1on1 dribbler player, and he excites me a lot. I am dissapointed when he doesnt start. Saying that, I'm equally dissapointed when he doest perform or keep up his performance the entire game.

He's a diamond which needs to be polished.

 

[Gunner-Union]

We were crying for a 1on1 dribbler player, and he excites me a lot. I am dissapointed when he doesnt start. Saying that, I'm equally dissapointed when he doest perform or keep up his performance the entire game.

He's a diamond which needs to be polished.

Would love him too learn to use his right foot so he can go on the outside it would make marking him so much harder as he could go both ways

 

[Trilly]

Yeah it was hilarious how easy it was to wind up their fans by just mentioning his name.

As for how well he is currently playing, I haven't seen many of his games this season so can't really comment myself, it was entirely based on my conversations with United fans. Also thought I would have a look at his thread at Redcafe. All of those comments below were just from the last two pages, so it isn't even like I went through page after page to find them.

He is gradually becoming our most important player.

Fred is turning into our own Kantè.

Proper player now. I don’t think we’re talking about a “squad” player, I think Fred this season has shown exactly why Pep wanted him at City.

For me, he’s now comfortably our best outfield player

Personally think even if Rashford was fit Fred is still easily POTY.

Player of the year for sure after Rashford’s injury as cannot think of another Utd player who have performed week in week out.

Looked head and shoulders above other United players on the field.

I'm questioning whether he's too good for us, who would have even contemplated that at the start of the season

MOTM most weeks at the moment. City would have been in a much better position this season had he gone there as rumours initially suggested.

Oh my god, the amount of times this guy got a foot in is beyond ridiculous. MOTM for me.

He's slowly becoming my favourite player.

He also was voted player of the month for January by their official site. I personally think they are getting a little bit carried away with all the praise but it is still hard to believe it is the same player they all wanted sold just a few months ago.

Proper turn around that.

Hoping for similar from our boy, especially as he hasn't looked anywhere near as bad as Fred did sometimes.

 

[Trilly]

It's too risky though, we need two new, athletic midfielders in place of Xhaka and Torreira before we can let Hector and Pepe play in that way.

Squad is just broken at the moment.

Credit to Arteta for plugging the gaps in defence but as expected we've lost something in attack. I have no hope in AMN in midfield but it would massively enable Bellerin and Pepe.

Don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Bellerin-Pepe combo could take us into the top four. We're currently using Pepe as a decoy guy who only really leaves his wide right station when counter attacking. There's another level or three to be unlocked if we actually try to get end product out of him.

 

[scytheavatar]

Squad is just broken at the moment.

Credit to Arteta for plugging the gaps in defence but as expected we've lost something in attack. I have no hope in AMN in midfield but it would massively enable Bellerin and Pepe.

Don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Bellerin-Pepe combo could take us into the top four. We're currently using Pepe as a decoy guy who only really leaves his wide right station when counter attacking. There's another level or three to be unlocked if we actually try to get end product out of him.

Bellerin-Pepe combo is in competition with the Saka-Martinelli combo, which is far more dangerous and effective. Arteta would have put more faith in Pepe and build the team around him if he is actually good enough to be worth us doing that.

 

[Manberg]

Squad is just broken at the moment.

Credit to Arteta for plugging the gaps in defence but as expected we've lost something in attack. I have no hope in AMN in midfield but it would massively enable Bellerin and Pepe.

Don't think it's an exaggeration to say that the Bellerin-Pepe combo could take us into the top four. We're currently using Pepe as a decoy guy who only really leaves his wide right station when counter attacking. There's another level or three to be unlocked if we actually try to get end product out of him.

What have we lost in attack? We were even poorer in attack under Emery. Pepe included.

 

[Goonger]

I was watching some Gabriel Magalhaes videos on YouTube, & 1 thing I noted that as the left footed centre back, he quite often found Pepe with the long diagonal ball that helped him isolate the full back in one on one situations. We obviously didn't play that option enough with no natural footed left centre backs in the squad. I wonder if that's something we might look to exploit more of with Mari joining?

 

[DanDare]

 

[Trilly]

Bellerin-Pepe combo is in competition with the Saka-Martinelli combo, which is far more dangerous and effective.

Bellerin-Pepe is in competition with the Saka/Tierney/Kola-Auba-Xhaka combo actually. Arteta wouldn't switch up the entire system just because Auba was suspended, he also doesn't have the players to do that even if he wanted to.

Xhaka is our best distributor but his lack of dynamism means he drops deep and tucks in making him less vulnerable on the break, this in turn allows our LBs (who can't defend) to overlap which in turn allows us to get Auba closer to goal.

Pepe isn't good enough to rip up that plan and that's fine. Auba is one of the best goalscorers on the planet, and Xhaka is our best midfielder. We can't enable Auba and Pepe until we improve the athleticism in midfield.

 

[Trilly]

What have we lost in attack? We were even poorer in attack under Emery. Pepe included.

Wasn't referring to our old team per se.

More the old addage that there's a give and take between offence and defence. I feel like Arteta could have us attacking better than we are but his main priority was to fix the way we conceded shots.

Also I wouldn't be surprised if the attacking statistics under Arteta are similar to Emery's. Our attack has been dire since Özil fizzled out after 2-3 good games under Mikel.

 

[Riou]

Bellerin-Pepe is in competition with the Saka/Tierney/Kola-Auba-Xhaka combo actually. Arteta wouldn't switch up the entire system just because Auba was suspended, he also doesn't have the players to do that even if he wanted to.

Xhaka is our best distributor but his lack of dynamism means he drops deep and tucks in making him less vulnerable on the break, this in turn allows our LBs (who can't defend) to overlap which in turn allows us to get Auba closer to goal.

Pepe isn't good enough to rip up that plan and that's fine. Auba is one of the best goalscorers on the planet, and Xhaka is our best midfielder. We can't enable Auba and Pepe until we improve the athleticism in midfield.

Dropping Özil, go three in the middle with Niles or Willock (not perfect, but something) should allow us to play Pepe.

Want Arteta to try Martineli-Auba-Pepe too, shame Pierre too limited to play up top, so it will probably be Laca with Auba on the left, until we sort out who is leaving out of those two in the summer.

 

[YeahBee]

I agree, at least in the case of Xhaka. I think Torreira's agility and ball-winning ability makes him suitable for the approach. Clearly not the case with Xhaka though.

Torreiras agility and ball winning matters not when he is 2smurfs tall and cant win a header

Great engine but the gastank isnt big enough either

 

[YeahBee]

Dropping Özil, go three in the middle with Niles or Willock (not perfect, but something) should allow us to play Pepe.

Want Arteta to try Martineli-Auba-Pepe too, shame Pierre too limited to play up top, so it will probably be Laca with Auba on the left, until we sort out who is leaving out of those two in the summer.

Yeah that is how I see it aswell

Free the ones actually contributing goals and assists and hide some of the flaws our cms have (and get more out of them to)

 

[A_G]

“The price that we paid for him puts him in a difficult position straight away because he’s going to be compared to players of that calibre,” Arteta said on Friday.

“He was in France and was one of the biggest stars in the league. He had an incredible year.

“Now he comes here and a lot of people didn’t even know him and you paid that price tag.

“So for him to put his brain into this picture and solve all this is not easy. And he’s a really young player.”

Despite his reservations, Arteta remains convinced that Pepe will prove a success.

“It’s not easy to adapt to this league but he’s putting in the effort and he’s willing to do it,” the Arsenal boss continued. “And it will come out.

“First of all he needs the right structure behind him to be able to provide the moments of quality and winning games, whether it’s assists, goals, dribbles or whatever it is.

“Afterwards he needs to have a much clearer picture of the things that are happening on the pitch, why they are happening and how he can solve them. I think he’s in the process of doing that.

“I hope we can see it from now to the end of the season.”

 

[Red London]

Pepe actually played a key role in the first goal vs Bournemouth too, he dragged their player to the halfway line, spun him, and opened up the whole pitch.

Other players don’t get focused on like that, it was similar to vs Leeds but less noticeable. He can really be used as a tactical weapon. Arteta needs to get the best out of this guy, it’s one of his most important jobs