Nicolas Pepe: The Nutmeg Express!

[avenellroad]

Don’t know what it is about Pepe that has made it so difficult for a small minority of fans to admit they were wrong about him. Being as bad of a dribbler as Walcott is just a new low.

You can just tell they’ll be out for blood if he doesn’t win the golden boot next season.

His dribbling has definitely improved in the last few months. More in areas where he can hurt the opposition. Have no idea why Arteta persisted with playing him as touchline hugging winger when it was always clear he would do most damage playing as an inside forward

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Don’t know what it is about Pepe that has made it so difficult for a small minority of fans to admit they were wrong about him. Being as bad of a dribbler as Walcott is just a new low.

You can just tell they’ll be out for blood if he doesn’t win the golden boot next season.

What were people wrong about? His Arsenal career has been disappointing and if we never bought him it would make no difference to our fortunes. It was 72 million down the drain all he did was bang goals when the season is over and it don't matter anymore, I'm not impressed.

 

[Riou]

I have said it before, but when he does leave us in the future, I will always be massively disappointed that we never tried to develop him as a false nine-esque striker...feel he has everything to really be a success in that role.

What's Nico's best accomplishment here...FA cup win, or benching Willian this season?

Both were against the odds to achieve really, but he did them!

 

[Trilly]

I'm not impressed.

Nobody cares.

What were people wrong about?

Him being a completely useless player. His career has been disappointing because of how he's been used, many didn't have the foresight to see that and just wrote off the player completely. We've now seen what he can do when utilised properly and the football community (not just Arsenal fans) are starting to talk about his ability.

 

[Taylor Gang Gunners]

I've absolutely loved his last few performances. He looks as threatening a winger as there is in the PL atm.

After losing to Villarreal I somewhat lost my head and targeted him- I was indeed disappointed with his performance, but I reckon it stems from the fact I know what he's capable of. He's entering his peak years and I whats more, I think Uncle Mikel knows how to use him (finally.)

He's a cause for optimism for next season.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Nobody cares.


Him being a completely useless player. His career has been disappointing because of how he's been used, many didn't have the foresight to see that and just wrote off the player completely. We've now seen what he can do when utilised properly and the football community (not just Arsenal fans) are starting to talk about his ability.

I dunno why you take Pepe criticism so personally he doesn't know you bro

You blame everyone but him for the way he plays, he's improved because Arteta has helped him to stop being so wasteful. You think everyone else should deliver chances on a platter for Pepe to tap in. They help, but chances are supposed to be balanced out in a way where even forwards contribute heavily. For someone who's fast, can dribble and can finish Pepe should be doing a lot more.

 

[Trilly]

I dunno why you take Pepe criticism so personally he doesn't know you bro

I've got time for you today.

You blame everyone but him for the way he plays

277 pages in this thread and the only 'excuses' you'll see me make for Pepe are:

Give him a run of games
Pick out his runs a bit more/find him more in dangerous areas
Play him with quality players who he can link up with

You won't find anything else. First one is pretty self explanatory and I don't think the other two can be classed as 'blaming others'. For example, what was the point of having him isolated on the touchline with Bellerin underlapping when Pepe's strengths are best seen when his fullback overlaps?
You're confusing 'here's how a functional football team works' with 'excuses.

he's improved because Arteta has helped him to stop being so wasteful

He hasn't improved as a player besides his fitness. In his first full season he was the 4th best dribbler in the entire PL, that accounts for success rate and volume, he wasn't that wasteful to begin with. The issue was because he was stationed so far away from anything, him beating players didn't lead to anything. If he beat two players and then lost the ball to a third it looks good on the stats but to the eye he's still lost the ball.

Arteta's 'interim' solution is to get him to stop dribbling. But the final solution should be for him to keep dribbling, but only have one or two players to beat instead of three or four like it often was for him in his early days. Chambers taking away some defensive attention has helped him in a big way.

If Neymar, Messi and co stopped dribbling they'd be less wasteful too, does that mean they have improved though?

You think everyone else should deliver chances on a platter for Pepe to tap in

Never said that, stop lying for the internet you poomplex.

For someone who's fast, can dribble and can finish Pepe should be doing a lot more.

Soo...

He's fast but you have a problem with me saying people should pick his runs out more
He can dribble but you say Arteta has improved him by stopping him from dribbling.
He can finish but you have a problem with me saying that he should receive the ball more in areas where he can shoot.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Pepe is nominated player of month including willock too.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

I've got time for you today.


277 pages in this thread and the only 'excuses' you'll see me make for Pepe are:

Give him a run of games
Pick out his runs a bit more/find him more in dangerous areas
Play him with quality players who he can link up with

You won't find anything else. First one is pretty self explanatory and I don't think the other two can be classed as 'blaming others'. For example, what was the point of having him isolated on the touchline with Bellerin underlapping when Pepe's strengths are best seen when his fullback overlaps?
You're confusing 'here's how a functional football team works' with 'excuses.


He hasn't improved as a player besides his fitness. In his first full season he was the 4th best dribbler in the entire PL, that accounts for success rate and volume, he wasn't that wasteful to begin with. The issue was because he was stationed so far away from anything, him beating players didn't lead to anything. If he beat two players and then lost the ball to a third it looks good on the stats but to the eye he's still lost the ball.

Arteta's 'interim' solution is to get him to stop dribbling. But the final solution should be for him to keep dribbling, but only have one or two players to beat instead of three or four like it often was for him in his early days. Chambers taking away some defensive attention has helped him in a big way.

If Neymar, Messi and co stopped dribbling they'd be less wasteful too, does that mean they have improved though?


Never said that, stop lying for the internet you poomplex.


Soo...

He's fast but you have a problem with me saying people should pick his runs out more
He can dribble but you say Arteta has improved him by stopping him from dribbling.
He can finish but you have a problem with me saying that he should receive the ball more in areas where he can shoot.

But that’s what I mean you say we need to pick him out more, create more chances for him, surround him with better players. No one can actually disagree with that, what I’m saying is Pepe himself needs to be better and do more. He’s come alive the last few games that don’t matter and he bullies Europa league team so it’s obviously an issue with quality. He can do it vs the Vorksla’s of the world but is a shell in the PL.

Saying Arteta improved him is me being a wind up but if the solution is to dribble less and be more effective then he should dribble less. Ferguson told Ronaldo to dribble less which made him become the best player in the world and of course Arteta is no Fergie and Pepe is no Ronaldo but still.

 

[Trilly]

But that’s what I mean you say we need to pick him out more, create more chances for him, surround him with better players. No one can actually disagree with that, what I’m saying is Pepe himself needs to be better and do more. He’s come alive the last few games that don’t matter and he bullies Europa league team so it’s obviously an issue with quality. He can do it vs the Vorksla’s of the world but is a shell in the PL.

Saying Arteta improved him is me being a wind up but if the solution is to dribble less and be more effective then he should dribble less. Ferguson told Ronaldo to dribble less which made him become the best player in the world and of course Arteta is no Fergie and Pepe is no Ronaldo but still.

Let's see next season then.

I don't expect more until Arteta is gone anyway. I think he can do better against better opposition but not until our manager makes us a better team.

Like I said earlier, I'd probably have higher expectations of him than most people if I had faith in the manager. We've scored 55 goals this season, under Wenger and Emery we hit 70 for fun.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Let's see next season then.

I don't expect more until Arteta is gone anyway. I think he can do better against better opposition but not until our manager makes us a better team.

Like I said earlier, I'd probably have higher expectations of him than most people if I had faith in the manager. We've scored 55 goals this season, under Wenger and Emery we hit 70 for fun.

I agree but until Arteta goes it’s gonna be like this.

 

[Trilly]

I dunno why you take Pepe criticism so personally he doesn't know you bro

Btw I've always defended players who imo are scapegoated. Özil, Xhaka, Bellerin, Laca in the past and currently Auba and Pepe. It's kind of my thing.

A lot of the time I'm just arguing that the team is broken/their role doesn't suit them rather than trying to say they're elite players.

 

[Bloodbather]

The thing is, the story with Pépé has been the same since the Emery era. He excels when he can move into central positions from the right, so he works best with an overlapping RB. We don't give him one, so he becomes isolated on the wing, at which point it just becomes a series of futile attempts to take multiple people on to be able to do anything of note.

Look at the goals he's scored for us. It's almost always either when he can cut inside from the right due to being left 1v1 with a certain player as another player occupies a defender on the right, or when he wanders into a central position in the box to connect with a pass or cross from the left.

This is the way he played for Lille, this is the way you'll see him be effective. We don't play to his strengths, and don't give him consistent runs with the team. That's not how you treat a player with Pépé's talent.

 

[ThePortugueseGunner]

He had a great ending of the season. I'm hoping that next season he finally shows that he was worth all that money. I've expected great things from him, and have been a little let down with his overall performances, but these last few games made me hopeful for better things.

 

[Trilly]

Spoiler

@BigPoppaPump the hood’s favourite. I bet your French focused Xenophobia has you squirming in your XXL relaxed fit joggers.

 

[boonthegoon]

 

[RunTheTrap]

Imagine the banter when you find out Arteta wants Buendia to bench Pepe.

 

[BigPoppaPump]

Spoiler

@BigPoppaPump the hood’s favourite. I bet your French focused Xenophobia has you squirming in your XXL relaxed fit joggers.

Is that France or Senegal? Can barely tell the difference these days.

 

[RunTheTrap]

This is kind of the problem we face when a player finishes the season strongly. You are guilty of over-indexing performances when most teams don't have a lot to play for. Both Brighton and Palace had completed their objectives for the season, so they were on holiday by the time we faced them. Then there's that hopeful feeling that the player may be able to carry on that form next season. Well in some cases that's true, but when you have a big break you can lose focus. Sometimes it's best to keep that momentum going so you can build on it.
Overall, he's obviously improved and if Auba has fallen off a cliff he'll be the next one to step up. But I just can't trust this guy. He strikes me as the type to do the bare minimum and meander though life, but he's capable of brilliance if he just gave a f*ck more often.

 

[RunTheTrap]

Is that France or Senegal? Can barely tell the difference these days.

He grew up in France.