Nicolas Pepe: Saint Nic Is Back

[Tir Na Nog]

People praise others but we can’t praise Pepe because it’s “only Sunderland”.

You can only sell him if other clubs offer him the wages he’s on now. He’s clearly unhappy and Arteta has never given him a real chance, guy got dumped for that dirty Chelsea b.um Willian after an electric finish to the season before.

Swear Arteta started Nelson over him in his first game in charge too. Never fancied him from the beginning.

I just checked and he started Nelson over Pepe for his 2nd game vs Chelsea too. Arteta came into the job already not fancying Pepe for whatever reason. Maybe he didn't like what he say from him when City won 3-0 before Arteta was appointed?

 

[Tir Na Nog]

I can't say that Pepe is currently deserving a start over the likes of Martinelli, ESR and Saka tho. But it's still clear he can offer a lot and I still feel he should be involved a lot more especially when we play a lot of games in a short period of time.

 

[Oxeki]

Look at the best wide players in the league. They all have quality full backs overlapping them. But here our RBs underlaps. The only player that will probably look good in our RW is prime Messi.

Only way we can get the best out of him is having a RB that stays wide and allows him cut inside or we isolate the opponents' LB one on one vs Pepe. But in this current system, he's being asked to to beat 2 or 3 players and he gets crowded out and he's forced to pass back or dispossessed.

Another solution might be to use him as a CF. He has the best attributes of Laca and Auba. It should work in theory. Don't Arteta will ever try it. Arteta would rather play Ramsdale as a CF than try Pepe there.

 

[Tir Na Nog]

Look at the best wide players in the league. They all have quality full backs overlapping them. But here our RBs underlaps. The only player that will probably look good in our RW is prime Messi.

Only way we can get the best out of him is having a RB that stays wide and allows him cut inside or we isolate the opponents' LB one on one vs Pepe. But in this current system, he's being asked to to beat 2 or 3 players and he gets crowded out and he's forced to pass back or dispossessed.

Another solution might be to use him as a CF. He has the best attributes of Laca and Auba. It should work in theory. Don't Arteta will ever try it. Arteta would rather play Ramsdale as a CF than try Pepe there.

This mightn't be as much of an issue in our 4-3-3 setup with ESR as the right interior drifting wide would mean having an RB making underlaps wouldn't be as much an issue. Only problem is ESR hasn't excelled there yet so we're a long way off that happening. And currently you're right, being our RW is incredibly difficult as you're virtually on your own.

 

[Riou]

I can't say that Pepe is currently deserving a start over the likes of Martinelli, ESR and Saka tho. But it's still clear he can offer a lot and I still feel he should be involved a lot more especially when we play a lot of games in a short period of time.

I think we are trying to pish him to leave too, tbh.

Arteta's sees him as a backup player now, probably on too much money for that in the board's eyes...if Nico doesn't leave peacefully this summer, it will get nasty like Özil and Auba, I feel.

Plus Nico should push to leave, he's too good a player to be playing reserve to a bunch of kids. talented kids but still kids...he's good enough to start for a decent team.

 

[El Duderino]

He's revealed recently he asked his agent to get him out the club 3 months into the contract too. He was being forced for ages which is even more damning.

Lad was literally plotting a coup with Luiz, went to his restaurant in Dubai during the early days of the pandemic and kept being played.

Then people act like there are no grounds to the argument he was a favorite.

 

[RunTheTrap]

Not true, he's had good and bad performances like everybody else and both names never overlapped as rbs under Arteta.

Whilst everybody is falling over themselves over Martinelli nutmegging guys and scoring aginst Leeds U18s, Pepe's already done that stuff and scored double digits in the league. I can't help what people choose to see or choose to celebrate.


Think it's bullsh*t personally, they are starting for Arsenal football club. If you are starting it means you are supposed to be at the club.

Pepe, Saka, ESR, Martinelli, Laca, Auba, whoever, are all equally responsible for our league finishes and the direct reason as to why Arsenal has a cap for whatever they can actually achieve in the league.

I know a lot of you guys like to place blame on some and heap praise on others, but that's just the real of it.

To be frank there's nothing to debate about anyways, Pepe is finished here. If you play him in cups, he scores and assists - we've known that since his first season.

I hear what you're saying, but respectfully I disagree on some parts. Before this summer our recruitment has been very very shoddy. Hell, there has been discourse if White, Nketiah, Xhaka, Partey, Lacazette etc should be at Arsenal. And Saka, ESR and Martinelli were never meant to be starters. They were squaddies but the older players: Willian, Pepe and Auba have been disappointing and lost their place. And finally if you are on higher wages, more experienced and cost more to the club, you will be judged differently. Are you seriously telling me if Messi came to Arsenal tomorrow and Hutchinson were promoted tomorrow, you would judge both players the same way without caveats just because they are in in the starting line up? I think you SHOULD try to judge people the same but we all know that is not possible in the real world.

 

[Riou]

Lad was literally plotting a coup with Luiz, went to his restaurant in Dubai during the early days of the pandemic and kept being played.

Then people act like there are no grounds to the argument he was a favorite.

Arteta signing and favouring a player, that was trying to get him sacked...Mikel sure knows how to pick them!

Willian, mad times last season

 

[RunTheTrap]

Look at the best wide players in the league. They all have quality full backs overlapping them. But here our RBs underlaps. The only player that will probably look good in our RW is prime Messi.

Only way we can get the best out of him is having a RB that stays wide and allows him cut inside or we isolate the opponents' LB one on one vs Pepe. But in this current system, he's being asked to to beat 2 or 3 players and he gets crowded out and he's forced to pass back or dispossessed.

Another solution might be to use him as a CF. He has the best attributes of Laca and Auba. It should work in theory. Don't Arteta will ever try it. Arteta would rather play Ramsdale as a CF than try Pepe there.

That is not completely true. TAA does not overlap Salah that often, he mostly crosses from deep. Walker doesn't overlap Mahrez at City and what about Hazard. Azpi rarely overlapped the Belgian and Hazard still kiled teams. An overlapping fullback does help but you're mistaken if you think it will make Pepe a world class player. Most, if not all of Pepe's problems are a result of his poor fundamentals. He is 26 but his footballing age and IQ feels more like 15.

 

[Macho]

I hear what you're saying, but respectfully I disagree on some parts. Before this summer our recruitment has been very very shoddy. Hell, there has been discourse if White, Nketiah, Xhaka, Partey, Lacazette etc should be at Arsenal. And Saka, ESR and Martinelli were never meant to be starters. They were squaddies but the older players: Willian, Pepe and Auba have been disappointing and lost their place. And finally if you are on higher wages, more experienced and cost more to the club, you will be judged differently. Are you seriously telling me if Messi came to Arsenal tomorrow and Hutchinson were promoted tomorrow, you would judge both players the same way without caveats just because they are in in the starting line up? I think you SHOULD try to judge people the same but we all know that is not possible in the real world.

For me if you’re good enough you’re old enough so if I cut Saka slack it’s for things out of his control, like shape of the team or tactics rather than his age and salary.

That’s one thing where I agree with Arteta, for both of us those things are clearly irrelevant.

 

[bergholt]

I can't say that Pepe is currently deserving a start over the likes of Martinelli, ESR and Saka tho. But it's still clear he can offer a lot and I still feel he should be involved a lot more especially when we play a lot of games in a short period of time.

Yes but have to take into account salary - we can't afford to have a backup as our fourth highest paid player. Especially when we need massively increased contracts for Saka, Ramsdale, ESR, Gabriel, possibly others.

 

[freeglennhelder2]

Willian is one of our worst signing ever up there with the likes of Mustafi, yet he never got half stick Pepe got.

Willian Racial Abuse

Willian admits abuse from Arsenal fans led to him quitting club and walking away from £20m

 

[MikelHadADream]

Willian is one of our worst signing ever up there with the likes of Mustafi, yet he never got half stick Pepe got.

The manager has set a bad precedence. He's turning the fan base against players he doesn't like.

No matter what he does the fan base will never take to him. The manager made sure of it.

I don't think this is true at all, Willian got absolutely slated by all areas of the fanbase.

I also think it's a bit disingenuous to say the reason the fanbase haven't taken to Pepe is solely Arteta, the inconsistencies in his game; on top of the price tag (yes I know its not his fault the club paid 72m for him), have a big part to play as well.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

He's revealed recently he asked his agent to get him out the club 3 months into the contract too. He was being forced for ages which is even more damning.

Low key Willian is one of the player I have the highest respecr for. If that was me I'd still be sitting on that contract earning my 100k p/w getting obese from my restaurant with David Luiz.

 

[Oxeki]

That is not completely true. TAA does not overlap Salah that often, he mostly crosses from deep. Walker doesn't overlap Mahrez at City and what about Hazard. Azpi rarely overlapped the Belgian and Hazard still kiled teams. An overlapping fullback does help but you're mistaken if you think it will make Pepe a world class player. Most, if not all of Pepe's problems are a result of his poor fundamentals. He is 26 but his footballing age and IQ feels more like 15.

City creates overload on the left and quickly switches play to the right which isolates the fullback 1v1 with Marhrez. That's something Pepe has never had here.

On Hazard. He was one the best dribbler in the world. That was his specialty. He was capable of beating 2 or 3 defender. Pepe is not a playmaker. He's never been. That's not his game. He thrives in a team that purely counter attacking and thrives in transition. His first game for us (vs. Liverpool) that should be the blueprint on how to deploy Pepe. He singlehandedly skinned the Liverpool backline. I'm not saying we should change our entire tactics to suit him. I'm saying if deployed correctly, he's a very huge asset.

The reason Saka thrives there on the right is because he's better creator than Pepe. The problem is that Saka is never going to put out good stats like Pepe.

Play him closer to goal and you get the best out of him.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Willian is one of our worst signing ever up there with the likes of Mustafi, yet he never got half stick Pepe got.

That's just not true though. Willian got way more stick than Pepe ever got and never had anyone defending him like Pepe does. Pepe got treated with kiddy gloves most of his time by Arsenal fans it's only really this season they turned on him. I've been saying he was whack from his first season and had to argue with many people.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

I think we are trying to pish him to leave too, tbh.

Arteta's sees him as a backup player now, probably on too much money for that in the board's eyes...if Nico doesn't leave peacefully this summer, it will get nasty like Özil and Auba, I feel.

Plus Nico should push to leave, he's too good a player to be playing reserve to a bunch of kids. talented kids but still kids...he's good enough to start for a decent team.

If Pepe had anything about him he'd try to leave like Willian, he's happy collecting a paycheque sitting on the bench.

 

[Macho]

If Pepe had anything about him he'd try to leave like Willian, he's happy collecting a paycheque sitting on the bench.

This is what has disappointed me the most about him tbh, it's as if he knows he won't do better than this so he's sitting there taking it.

Could see him pulling a Laca unfortunately. These guys from France are super weird and not built like their predecessors, they get that big move and don't really kick on.

 

[Macho]

Willian got it worse than Pepe for sure wouldn't pretend otherwise. Fans have never took to Pepe though, he's never been popular and I'd put it down to the price tag.

72 mil people expected Alexis Sanchez but we got an incomplete player instead. When combined with Xhaka, Mustafi, Laca, etc patience was extremely short.

If I was an agent and I had a client who was an attacking player in his mid/late twenties I would very strongly advise against Arsenal. If you're not World Class or a teenager/early twenties, it's extremely long for you. Think the club has cottoned onto this as well.

 

[Macho]

Also, Willian didn't leave because of fan abuse, his one season here 90% of it was played in empty stadiums . The once or twice he played infront of fans he wasn't boo'ed either.

If you watched the interview he said he wasn't happy and he couldn't go into the details.