Gabriel Martinelli: Got That Dog In Him

[Let's play Aubamawang]

Nobody in the team should need their hand held. Martinelli's issue is not and has never been who is playing next to him. It's decision making and execution, the same as Saka and everyone else in the team. Martinelli should be able to run at Kimmich regardless of whether Zidane or Pol Pot is playing the left 8 next to him.

Totally agree with this, although it is worth mentioning that the left back, whichever of the three it is, doesn't come up to support as often as White does, and Ødegaard also likes to drift right. This does mean that Martinelli gets isolated.

What I would like Arteta to do with him is get him to make a move into the box while play is progressing on the right. At the moment it is all too static and he's waiting on the wing for crosses from the right to get through to him. I want him making runs like Havertz and occasionally Jesus does as he's generally a good finisher.

 

[Macho]

Martinelli will be fine and a young player’s progression isn’t often linear. It’s the fans and guys on here who have overrated him and are now forced to adjust their expectations.

If Arsenal staff ever read this forum and saw us lamenting Martinelli’s shortcomings and his stalling development they would laugh.

 

[Trilly]

If Arsenal staff ever read this forum and saw us lamenting Martinelli’s shortcomings and his stalling development they would laugh.

Laugh at what?

Even other club's PL coaching staff have identified him as the weak/limited one in our attack. I'm not sure how much of this is stalling and how much of it are his limitations being exposed. We need to start playing him as a WF asap, the winger stuff isn't it.

 

[Macho]

Laugh at what?

Even other club's PL coaching staff have identified him as the weak/limited one in our attack. I'm not sure how much of this is stalling and how much of it are his limitations being exposed. We need to start playing him as a WF asap, the winger stuff isn't it.

Laugh at those acting like it's over for him, or he is this horrible player. Swings wildly from best in the world to need to replace ASAP - and then you have guys like us who are in the middle who spotted certain things early.

The anon coach said he was limited compared to Saka who is a bit smarter and can barrel roll his way to goal, Martinelli is still one of the top wingers in the league somewhat.

 

[MikelHadADream]

Totally agree with this, although it is worth mentioning that the left back, whichever of the three it is, doesn't come up to support as often as White does, and Ødegaard also likes to drift right. This does mean that Martinelli gets isolated.

What I would like Arteta to do with him is get him to make a move into the box while play is progressing on the right. At the moment it is all too static and he's waiting on the wing for crosses from the right to get through to him. I want him making runs like Havertz and occasionally Jesus does as he's generally a good finisher.

Top wingers love isolation as it tends to lead to more 1v1 situations.

Martinelli is a really good player but he’s a bit of a one trick pony: take the ball and go down the outside, which is super unorthodox for an inverted winger.

As defenders have got used to this though it’s one of the reasons his effectiveness decreased.

 

[Rasmi]

Top wingers love isolation as it tends to lead to more 1v1 situations.

Martinelli is a really good player but he’s a bit of a one trick pony: take the ball and go down the outside, which is super unorthodox for an inverted winger.

As defenders have got used to this though it’s one of the reasons his effectiveness decreased.

Even if he beats you on the outside he will have to cross with his weaker foot which decreases his chance of putting in a good ball. Every cross is hit and hope. Perfect example is the Seville home game where he had the full beating of their fullback. Not one great ball did he put in after beating him 6-7 times

 

[Trilly]

Even if he beats you on the outside he will have to cross with his weaker foot which decreases his chance of putting in a good ball. Every cross is hit and hope. Perfect example is the Seville home game where he had the full beating of their fullback. Not one great ball did he put in after beating him 6-7 times

When you beat a defender on the outside the next touch you take is crucial. Nelly uses his right foot which firstly, stunts his stride pattern and secondly gives the defender a chance at getting the ball as it's inbetween himself and the defender, instead he should be using his left foot for his next touch as that puts himself between the ball and the defender which would give him more time and space to pick out a left foot cross or drive into the box.

His dribbling is fundamentally flawed, it's why he routinely bursts pasts players on the outside then does nothing with it. I complain about this all the time but only people who have played/coached the game really care about these kind of things. He's just not a natural wide man.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

This is not to say Martinelli can't be improved upon, but what are we doing here? Martinelli is a great contributor but he's a forward first and foremost, moreso than a traditional winger even, you should want him conserving energy for the attacking phases

 

[Tir Na Nog]

I wonder if Vinicius and Rodrygo are taken aside and told off for scoring a goal because they should've been marking someone.

 

[Macho]

I wonder if Vinicius and Rodrygo are taken aside and told off for scoring a goal because they should've been marking someone.

Henry was, by Pep (at Barca).

 

[Batman]

This is not to say Martinelli can't be improved upon, but what are we doing here? Martinelli is a great contributor but he's a forward first and foremost, moreso than a traditional winger even, you should want him conserving energy for the attacking phases

That's genuinely shocking if true. WTF are we doing?

 

[Rattata]

Nobody in the team should need their hand held. Martinelli's issue is not and has never been who is playing next to him. It's decision making and execution, the same as Saka and everyone else in the team. Martinelli should be able to run at Kimmich regardless of whether Zidane or Pol Pot is playing the left 8 next to him.

Not how football works these days. Fans always talk about that game changing player that we need to sign. Someone like KDB, Vinicius, Mbappe or Salah. Ignoring the fact that players like this barely exist in top football.
I can't even name you 10 players that have this ability. Even Harry Kane who got over 50g/a is not that kind of player. Most top players today require a good system around them to do well.

 

[El Duderino]

Not the best form, but like many in the team currently (and before him), he's not being given the best platform for success.

Left 8 is non existent, the LB situation is poor and Kai doesn't offer what Jesus did when he was in red hot form for us.

Xhaka/Jesus managed to carve so much space for him and that's gone.

 

[TheEliteMaster100_]

Nelli's technique lets him down too frequently, look at this instance when Tomi beats Kimmich in a dribble and his poor touch got the better of him.




There were many instances Tomi was our furthers attacker against Bayern yesterday. Nelli should have taken on Kimmich more frequently and tried to isolate him but alas... same as last week at the Emirates in which he hardly worried Kimmich..

You look back to this season, Ghoddos a makeshift winger turned wingback had the better of Nelli at the G-Tec community, Konsa RB at Villa Park, Joel Ward at Selhurst Park (back in August), Gusto at Stamford Bridge, Trippier at St James Park, etc.. too many instances of Nelli failing to take on his opposition fullback with the ball. His dribbling has regressed and his over-reliance on winning corners (a tactic he resounds to) when things don't go for him (i.e not beating his man on the outside in a drible) happens frequently. There are also times he would cross without looking up (head down dribbling) to nobody in the box. Last season he was much better with his weak foot usage but this season what on earth has happened to it?

Also Nelli is an inverted winger who has yet to master the art of cutting inside and scoring.

The system hasn't helped him but there were many instances in the season when has the ball facing the opposition in a 1v1 and he has failed to capitalise or when he is near the penalty box and does the wrong decision (think of Selhurst Park when Havertz could have gotten an assist in the first 2 minutes with Nelli not cutting inside and scoring).

 

[Rasmi]

When you beat a defender on the outside the next touch you take is crucial. Nelly uses his right foot which firstly, stunts his stride pattern and secondly gives the defender a chance at getting the ball as it's inbetween himself and the defender, instead he should be using his left foot for his next touch as that puts himself between the ball and the defender which would give him more time and space to pick out a left foot cross or drive into the box.

His dribbling is fundamentally flawed, it's why he routinely bursts pasts players on the outside then does nothing with it. I complain about this all the time but only people who have played/coached the game really care about these kind of things. He's just not a natural wide man.

I think he has developed badly. Playing on the wrong side of your strong foot on the wing is designed for players who wanna come inside and combine. If he trained him to play on the right with his pace he would be in position to use his strong foot more without checking in.

Another issue is he came here very young and is a really nice boy. He simply got coached out of his strengths. Martinelli is a player who has goals in him. But he is playing on the touch line and almost every time he gets the ball he is so far from goal. I have been complaining for the longest about how we use our wide men. Saka and Martinelli are way too far from ea h other and rarely ever combine. They also never move the fullback out of position when they don’t have the ball. They stay by the line, so every time they get the ball they come up against set defence.

Martinelli won’t be a world class footballer. But he has potential to be a very danger weapon if used and coached correctly with his pace and movement.

 

[Rasmi]

That's genuinely shocking if true. WTF are we doing?

Always got bad vibes from this guy. Should have told him F off. I worry what this guy will do to nwaneri

 

[Batman]

Always got bad vibes from this guy. Should have told him F off. I worry what this guy will do to nwaneri

It's fine to have structure but complaining about a goal is crazy and that would fully explain why they look terrified to take risks.

 

[db10_therza]

This is not to say Martinelli can't be improved upon, but what are we doing here? Martinelli is a great contributor but he's a forward first and foremost, moreso than a traditional winger even, you should want him conserving energy for the attacking phases

And people want Leao to come take his place? I wonder how this conversation would go down then…

“Rafael you scored a hattrick of great solo goals that got us through the tie, but I’m gonna bench you now because when they had a 3 v 5 in the second half you didn’t track back to make it a 3 v 6 and give us an overload in the left back position, these are not the standards” smh

 

[Batman]

And people want Leao to come take his place? I wonder how this conversation would go down then…

“Rafael you scored a hattrick of great solo goals that got us through the tie, but I’m gonna bench you now because when they had a 3 v 5 in the second half you didn’t track back to make it a 3 v 6 and give us an overload in the left back position, these are not the standards” smh

Makes you wonder if Pep told Kompany off for that rocket he scored to win them the league.

 

[Rasmi]

It's fine to have structure but complaining about a goal is crazy and that would fully explain why they look terrified to take risks.

Last 25 mins against Bayern. We going out and not one player breaks the pattern or takes big risk. Just slow safe play until the last seconds where we have a free kick to put in the box and we choose to pass and not even get the ball up. Neither winger even tried to take their fullback on. In the end this is why Arteta will fail. Pep can play super structured football while having the best players. Arteta is trying the same with less talented player while holding them back