Nicolas Pepe: Saint Nic Is Back

[Xln]

From that same guy on twitter

 

[Riou]

Yeah I don't see the big deal, I remember Özil posted a picture of the players eating what looked to be Chinese takeaways on the coach ride home due to the high sodium content.

Remember when Hleb's team beat us in the Europa first leg in 2019, then were filmed in Burger King or something after

 

[A_G]

Remember when Hleb's team beat us in the Europa first leg in 2019, then were filmed in Burger King or something after

They were sitting next to Watts ffs:

 

[Rasmi]

I think Pepe's not been great overall this season but he is becoming a bit of a whipping boy for Arsenal fans for some reason.

He wasn't good today but he got an assist.

No need to bury the guy.

That’s Pepe in nutshell. He is rarely good. He nicks an assist or goal here and there. 72 million player who rarely plays hood and has poor general play. You don’t keep a CNN player of his fee and wages as an unreliable squad player

 

[boonthegoon]

Change the title. He's nobody's fav

 

[RunTheTrap]

You know what, growing up I was a big Walcott hater. I could not understand why Wenger persisted so much with Theo when the basics seem to evade him. I even remember when Pep said he “feared” Walcott and I couldn’t believe that the same guy who developed Messi could be afraid of Theodore “F@cking Speed-runner” Walcott.

Now that Theo has been gone for a years and I’ve grown, I realise now just how hard I was on him. At least Theo made something of his Arsenal career. Despite his limited ability he managed to score over 100 goals and scored against some of the biggest teams in the world without having a third of the ability Pepe has. I have never been so disappointed by a signing in my life. Arsenal have a history of inconsistent and frustrating wingers in the past but none of them takes the cake like Pepe does. Hand on heart. Give me Joel Campbell, Welbeck, Arshavin, Wilford, feck it give me Bebe. You know what. I would rather play Per Mertesacker out wide over Pepe. I am willing to bet Per would beat more men on the dribble than Pepe would. Absolute dud.

 

[Riou]

You know what, growing up I was a big Walcott hater. I could not understand why Wenger persisted so much with Theo when the basics seem to evade him. I even remember when Pep said he “feared” Walcott and I couldn’t believe that the same guy who developed Messi could be afraid of Theodore “F@cking Speed-runner” Walcott.

Now that Theo has been gone for a years and I’ve grown, I realise now just how hard I was on him. At least Theo made something of his Arsenal career. Despite his limited ability he managed to score over 100 goals and scored against some of the biggest teams in the world without having a third of the ability Pepe has. I have never been so disappointed by a signing in my life. Arsenal have a history of inconsistent and frustrating wingers in the past but none of them takes the cake like Pepe does. Hand on heart. Give me Joel Campbell, Welbeck, Arshavin, Wilford, feck it give me Bebe. You know what. I would rather play Per Mertesacker out wide over Pepe. I am willing to bet Per would beat more men on the dribble than Pepe would. Absolute dud.

Imagine the skillz big Per could have been dropping on the wing...

 

[Big Poppa]

What's interesting to me and I'm more of a fan of ESR and Saka over Pepe while saying this.

ESR and Saka pass the eye test and feel like good footballers but the output isn't really consistent at this stage of their careers, which is natural. It'll come in time though I'm sure.

Then you have a Pepe who doesn't really pass the eye test and often feels just a bit off but does fairly consistently produce end product.

Pepe can be slated for his performances but I wouldn't bet against him having more end product than ESR or Saka at the end of this season.

I'm kind of playing devil's advocate here but we have a world class finisher in Auba who needs to be supplied. An on form Pepe would definitely help create him those chances.

The problem is Pepe doesn’t have start product at the moment, which makes the end product conversation a little moot.

Too many of our attacks break down when he gets the ball, and we can’t then get up the pitch. His lack of balance and strength is a major concern. This is not a witch hunt, just reality.

You can see it at games, his body position is often square rather than on the half turn and the ball’s bouncing off him. He’s really frustrating to watch and severely lacking confidence.

He needs to play himself into a rhythm, but just first get the basics right.

 

[Macho]

This is not a witch hunt, just reality.

Hmmm.. someone’s just said they’d rather see Mertesacker on the wings and out of the whole starting 11, this player thread is the only one that’s popping. It is a bit of a witch hunt really.

It’s gotten to the point where I wish he never plays for the club again. Thankfully you guys have won and he’s dropped out the starting 11, but yeah the cups lol.

As we advance he should get dropped for Saka/ESR anyways like the latter stages for Europa last season.

 

[Geofranco]

The problem is Pepe doesn’t have start product at the moment, which makes the end product conversation a little moot.

Too many of our attacks break down when he gets the ball, and we can’t then get up the pitch. His lack of balance and strength is a major concern. This is not a witch hunt, just reality.

You can see it at games, his body position is often square rather than on the half turn and the ball’s bouncing off him. He’s really frustrating to watch and severely lacking confidence.

He needs to play himself into a rhythm, but just first get the basics right.

So first he'll need to get stronger and improve balance, then improve his first touch, passing and decision-making. I just feel that is a lot of a 26 year old to improve upon. I can see him improving strength and decision-making, but the rest are going to be almost impossible for him to improve at 26 years old. I watch Nketiah and he legit looks better than he did even last season. Looks stronger, better touch and quicker on the turn. Eddie is 22 and Wenger did say it was until about 23 before you knew the type of player you have, I guess unless they are a teenage prodigy who is also a generational talent.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Hmmm.. someone’s just said they’d rather see Mertesacker on the wings and out of the whole starting 11, this player thread is the only one that’s popping. It is a bit of a witch hunt really.

It’s gotten to the point where I wish he never plays for the club again. Thankfully you guys have won and he’s dropped out the starting 11, but yeah the cups lol.

As we advance he should get dropped for Saka/ESR anyways like the latter stages for Europa last season.

Not really a witch hunt, he just stinks out the place when he plays and people react to that.

I knew he’d struggle this season without Europa, that’s the only competition he looks competent in.

 

[Jury]

Looks like he’s been out of form when he’s had chances like these. I reserve judgement on players who I know are capable of a lot more, in dead games like the EDL cup. He’s not had many chances in the league and when he’s had them he hasn’t quite taken them. The only upside for many in games like these is it’s a chance to give some agendas nice little stretch

 

[Maybe]

I find him fun to watch even in a dogshit performance, although after every good move he messed it up which results in more frustration for the fans. He's been written off a couple of times at Arsenal, I still expect him to bounce back as he did before.

Funny how fans in the UK see football, Pepe loses the ball trying to beat his marker and everybody gets frustrated with him, the other guy hoofs the ball to nobody and that's perfectly fine, unlucky they would say. I guess that's why England is so far behind other top nations when it comes to technique and joga bonito in general, the mentality is completely different to the countries where Pepe ball would be accepted, even encouraged.

Laca had exactly the same experience as Pepe in the UK, it's amazing that Laca still finds motivation to prove managers and fans wrong, probably for the 10th time. Pepe can learn from that, I'm just not sure he is willing to put in a fight.

 

[Macho]

Not really a witch hunt, he just stinks out the place when he plays and people react to that.

I knew he’d struggle this season without Europa, that’s the only competition he looks competent in.

Nah there’s too many dead players on this team so I don’t buy this, only 3 or 4 player threads have been bumped from last night.

Just clocked it’s the Xhaka Out mob too, he’s injured and some of these man are bored and don’t take it easy if you’re not a teenager.

 

[razörist]

From that same guy on twitter

Lmao Pepe in a nutshell.

 

[Make]

Pepe tries to do the most on the pitch and he doesn't get what he wants.... I think Arsenal need to sell him in winter or summer ASAP because Bukayo Saka and ESR are playing better than him and we need other kind of winger. Perhaps he will get a better future in other team but definitely not going to be here.

 

[Red London]

Maybe it’s getting to the stage where we sell Pepe this summer and sign a left winger to replace him (or alternate the position between ESR and Martinelli which I doubt Arteta does).

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

One thing I have noticed with Pepe is that he's quick without the ball but seems a lot slower with it, compared to say an ESR or Saka who seem to somehow look quicker with the ball than without it.

KT is kind of in the same boat as Pepe in that respect I think. Kick and run and he's fairly rapid but much less so with ball at feet. Maybe it's having a more limited technique type of thing, I'm not sure?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

They were sitting next to Watts ffs:

This guy met an icon and his first instinct is to whinge???? I'd be on my knees and asking God why I deserve to be in the presence of such greatness.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Nah there’s too many dead players on this team so I don’t buy this, only 3 or 4 player threads have been bumped from last night.

Just clocked it’s the Xhaka Out mob too, he’s injured and some of these man are bored and don’t take it easy if you’re not a teenager.

I think your love for Pepe makes the criticism to him stick out a lot more, you want people to take it easy on Pepe but no one will because he's just not good and cost way too much.

I'm ok with it because I wrote him off after a few games I could tell he wasn't good. But others were sticking up for him for ages just for him to continue to be Pepe and they probably feel slighted now.