How to solve the Nicolas Pepe Problem?

[Chippy]

When we spent that money we were sold an instant hero. As usual we got it wrong again by ignoring the obvious. A lot of us, at that time, said that money would have been better spent on a proven EPL talent like his country man Zaha . In fact even Emery got it right as he wanted Zaha but was overruled by the suits. There is no doubt Pepe is a talent, but he never proved himself in any other team but Lille (even on international duty) and Ligue 1.

Now going back to the "problem".... as far as I am concerned there isn't one. Yes we paid a huge fee and yes he earns shitloads, however that means nothing as long as the better players ATM always starts over him...which is what is happening now and was not happening under Emery. Pepe will not be the first Arsenal player not to pull up trees his early years and later become an essential player in the squad ( Edu, Flamini, Song, Eboue,RVP etc). He's still young and can get better. Its similar to the way we got rid of Gervinho to early and what about the kid at Bayern??

So as long as he gets no undeserved starts, keeps showing a good work ethic and causes no conflict in the team, I would keep him. I would only sell if I knew I could get close to his worth back , 60mish and thats not happening now. So lets give him more time, as time is what we have afforded all the idiots running the club.

Sell him, he's shit.
Saka, Tierney and Smith-Rowe prove that the young hungry players are the future because they want it it.
I am looking forward to offloading the crap ASAP.

[Mac76]

If Saka makes the permanent switch to the right (allowing Auba or Martinelli to play left) that pushes Pepe even further down the pecking order.

Watching Saka the last few games has really highlighted just how poor Willian and Pepe have been for us.

I think one will go in the summer and that will probably be Pepe as we should be able to get some money for him.

I'm with this i think - i don't dislike Pepe as a person and as Ollie says it wans't his faalt he came at such a huge price - that was Raul's corruption

but Saka is brill on the right and we also have AMN and others to play in tha tposition.

so if we can get some money for Pepe then maybe i'd do that.

however if it was a choice of selling Pepe or Willian it would be Willian a million times over

[Gooner23]

I'm with this i think - i don't dislike Pepe as a person and as Ollie says it wans't his faalt he came at such a huge price - that was Raul's corruption

but Saka is brill on the right and we also have AMN and others to play in tha tposition.

so if we can get some money for Pepe then maybe i'd do that.

however if it was a choice of selling Pepe or Willian it would be Willian a million times over

Agreed, but unfortunately we're now lumped with Willian for the duration of his contract. He wants to live in London and at his age isn't going to get a better offer.

[selassie]

When we spent that money we were sold an instant hero. As usual we got it wrong again by ignoring the obvious. A lot of us, at that time, said that money would have been better spent on a proven EPL talent like his country man Zaha . In fact even Emery got it right as he wanted Zaha but was overruled by the suits. There is no doubt Pepe is a talent, but he never proved himself in any other team but Lille (even on international duty) and Ligue 1.

Now going back to the "problem".... as far as I am concerned there isn't one. Yes we paid a huge fee and yes he earns shitloads, however that means nothing as long as the better players ATM always starts over him...which is what is happening now and was not happening under Emery. Pepe will not be the first Arsenal player not to pull up trees his early years and later become an essential player in the squad ( Edu, Flamini, Song, Eboue,RVP etc). He's still young and can get better. Its similar to the way we got rid of Gervinho to early and what about the kid at Bayern??

So as long as he gets no undeserved starts, keeps showing a good work ethic and causes no conflict in the team, I would keep him. I would only sell if I knew I could get close to his worth back , 60mish and thats not happening now. So lets give him more time, as time is what we have afforded all the idiots running the club.

There is a problem!!! We are paying him huge wages and still paying off the transfer fee for a player who is deemed not good enough to start for us in arguably our weakest team in decades!!! That's an issue mate, lets not dress it up any other way.

What makes it worse is, if we do put him up for sale we'd be lucky to recoup even half of the fee!

Pepe is what 24? he needs to be delivering right now, that's what we paid for, an instant impact. He's not a teenager or some project we can work on for season upon season. When do we wait? Until he is 28?

Sure, we have no choice but to keep him, maybe even loan him if we can to a club who will give him regular game time to build up his confidence? Which club is going to loan him though when he is on huge wages??? We are stuck with him.

[Bumble]

There is a problem!!! We are paying him huge wages and still paying off the transfer fee for a player who is deemed not good enough to start for us in arguably our weakest team in decades!!! That's an issue mate, lets not dress it up any other way.

What makes it worse is, if we do put him up for sale we'd be lucky to recoup even half of the fee!

Pepe is what 24? he needs to be delivering right now, that's what we paid for, an instant impact. He's not a teenager or some project we can work on for season upon season. When do we wait? Until he is 28?

Sure, we have no choice but to keep him, maybe even loan him if we can to a club who will give him regular game time to build up his confidence? Which club is going to loan him though when he is on huge wages??? We are stuck with him.

well we might have to subsidize the wages, if we are looking to get rid then we should loan him as at least his might increase if he plays well.

[Niall_Quinn]

Or we could see what Pepe potentially offers and what prompted the fee in the first place. Banish this low tempo, sideways, conservative bullshit and put out a young team with the focus on attack and high tempo, forward play. Pepe might turn into an asset in such an environment, a bit like Walcott did. Still hot and cold, but better than a dead loss.

[selassie]

Or we could see what Pepe potentially offers and what prompted the fee in the first place. Banish this low tempo, sideways, conservative bullshit and put out a young team with the focus on attack and high tempo, forward play. Pepe might turn into an asset in such an environment, a bit like Walcott did. Still hot and cold, but better than a dead loss.

I want him to succeed, I see elements in his game that give me hope that he can be a great player for us.

Admittedly it was only against West Brom, but some of the combination play between Saka, ESR & Laca was high tempo and fluid forward play so there is hope yet.

Whether Pepe fits into this going forward remains to be seen.

[selassie]

well we might have to subsidize the wages, if we are looking to get rid then we should loan him as at least his might increase if he plays well.

Yep agree mate. Loan before sale without a doubt.

I'd give him at least until the end of the season though and would definitely give him enough game time to try and impress.

[Niall_Quinn]

I want him to succeed, I see elements in his game that give me hope that he can be a great player for us.

Admittedly it was only against West Brom, but some of the combination play between Saka, ESR & Laca was high tempo and fluid forward play so there is hope yet.

Whether Pepe fits into this going forward remains to be seen.

The key with Pepe (based on limited viewing admittedly) is to unleash him when the opposition is off balance or switching from attack to defence. Pepe's unpredictability and pace, plus his ability to shoot, adds confusion, and in confusion opportunity is made.

But if you have him as part of a static four across the middle he's almost useless. It plays against all his pros and totally into the hands of his cons. Pepe's a luxury player. Arteta is trying to fit him into a system where everybody shares responsibilities. The manager already ditched Ozil because he's bringing everyone down to the lowest common level. Pepe will probably be next.

[I am invisible]

Having a #10 alongside him to play off, as well as a Lacazette who doesn’t have to drop so deep all the time to link play, will both be a big help to Pepe, as will having players like Gabriel and Partey in the side, who like to hit early, diagonal balls to the right wing. I can see us getting more out of him with all of those guys in the side.

Ultimately though, his extreme one-footedness makes his intentions way too predictable for this level, and he’s yet another player who needs too many other players around him to fill in his blanks before he’s useful. I’m not even sure that I buy that he’s that useful on counter attacks? We’ve pretty much done nothing but sit deep and try to counter for the last year and he hasn’t exactly set the world alight? And now teams have sussed out that tactic he seems to have disappeared altogether.