A few days ago, we ran a story about Gabriel Martinelli and how he’s been found out this season. We noted that he seems to have lost his edge and that the opponents no longer see him as a threat. If he doesn’t change his game, he runs the risk of becoming redundant, for lack of a better word. Now Ian Wright has echoed those claims.
The Arsenal legend has some concerns about the Brazilian player, especially as Leandro Trossard gradually solidifies his position on Arsenal’s left wing. He believes that if the £6 million 2019 signing doesn’t come up with another strategy, or doesn’t utilize his technical skills to demonstrate to Arteta that he’s more than just a winger and can also play as a No. 9, he might lose his significance in Arteta’s project.
Wright said on his podcast: “With Martinelli, I think that we know what Martinelli is about in terms of the pace in his finishing.”
“But I believe he may need now to start thinking about what more can I add to the game, because if it is not going to happen for me on the left, he can use me on the left, can I do more to make sure I can maybe be a centre-forward?
“I think there is something to be said in respect of him upskilling again; otherwise, with Mikel and the way Mikel plays, the control, you need to bring something else, because the way Trossard is playing, if he continues in that manner, I can’t see how Martinelli will get him out unless he does something else.”
Wright makes a valid point. It’s evident that the playing style of this Arsenal team keeps evolving, and with every transfer window, a top player comes on board. As the team grows, it’s equally important for you to improve as a player. Bukayo Saka, Ben White, and Martin Odegaard have definitely improved, and it’s important for Martinelli to do the same if he wants to contribute to the team’s success. He hasn’t quite found his groove this season due to injuries, but hopefully he can take advantage of the summer break to recharge and come back stronger.
During preseason, he needs to demonstrate his passion and determination to earn a spot back Arteta’s team, even if it means doing the impossible to beat Havertz to the No. 9 role.
Daniel O
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Drop the sentiment and sell. What was good for us last season doesn’t mean it will be good in the future. Case and point Zinchenko and Jesus. We need a left winger who is capable of playing our system and unfortunately for Martinelli hes not. Very rarely do teams give us open spaces to run into which Martinelli excels at. We need a winger who can keep the ball and pass it through the eye of a needle or alternatively someone who can smash them in from 20 30 yards. Paqueta of West Ham suits the first profile and Leao of Ac Milan the second. I feel the left wing and the cm or dm positions are the ones that need addressing most and if we can serious quality in both nobody can stop us.
I would also add another option as striker, and a defender; whether a RB or CB would be up to Arteta.
As far as a striker goes, Nketiah and Jesus have not performed up to standards, but Havertz has. We need another player in that position for competition and rotation.
As for defender, we need either another CB in addition to Saliba and Gabriel, or move Tomiyasu to CB (hopefully reduce his injuries) and bring in a RB to compete/rotate with White.
Lastly, I would say we definitely need 2 midfielders, maybe 1 this year and then 1 next year. A DM for this Summer, and either another DM or B2B the following Summer to replace Jorghino when he finally leaves.
In Timber we have a guy who has played RB and RCB for his Club and Country and seems ideal for the DM position.With Kwior and Tomi in the wings we do not need another centre back but we most certainly require a natural left footed LB to balance the team and to support whoever plays on the left wing.
But wasn’t Timber excelling at left back before his injury?
He is not a left back. Excelling before his injury? He last 20 minutes in his first game at LB. Playing him LB woukd becas stupid as Partey at RB. Grandad is correct, we need a proper
LB.
Tell me what position he played in then in the preseason games where he excelled if itwasn’t at left back?
Pre season are that, pre season. He isn’t a LB.
And ?
White isn’t a CB, Rice isn’t a left 8, Havertz isn’t a ST and yet, this is where they are best.
Timber was awesome at LB and this is where he played with the under 23.
Partey can’t sprint, him at RB was, something…
You ate right.
All there is to it.
Reggie 👀 Article 3 August 2023 15.30 Yash Bisht ….”Why Timber should start at left back ahead of Zinchenko and Tierney.”
AND? Another poster doesn’t kniw he isnt a LB. He is a RB and RCB. Arteta played Partey RB, he isn’t a RB. Both have “covered” in the past but that is not their position.
Totally agree Partey at RB was the stupidest decision ever but whether it’s his usual position or not, Timber will be our left back next season. BTW You obviously didn’t read the article properly and haven’t mentioned that Tomiyasu isn’t a LB either for some reason, but seems to be doing very well there, somewhat like Timber, both naturally right footed, but also excellent with their left, I think that’s called an inverted LB which is the system Arteta plays.
I feel a little sorry for Martinelli.
I believe he is really suffering from the absence of Xhaka.
We tried Havertz on the left side of midfield, and he failed there.
We tried Jouginho in midfield and his presence did nothing for Martinelli.
We have Partey in midfield now, but all that he does is to allow Rice to go forward, and he rarely occupies the left side.
We have had Zinc, Kiwior and now Tommy at left back, and none have shown real attacking qualities down the left. (Zinc seems to spend most of his attacking time all over the midfield.)
Most of our play has gone down the right hand side, and opposition teams seem to concentrate their defence that side.
This has allowed Trossard, who is more of a goal poacher, to have success when the ball is played across the from the right! He requires less help from a left sided midfielder.
If you cast your mind back, this is exactly what ESR used to do when he played on the left.
But, when we play Martinelli, he needs to have support from midfield to help use his pace, just like Saka is currently getting from Odegaard (and White)!
So, unless Arteta gets a proper left sided midfielder in the summer, I fear Martinelli will become obsolete.
Excellent analysis
Excellent analysis. Martinelli thrived last year with an inverted Zinchenko and Xhaka forward in his channel. The strategy changed this year with personnel. DO NOT GIVE UP on Martinelli. He is only 22, he has pace, a good shot and works his socks off getting back. If Trossard is 1A, Gabe is 1B. He gives us a change of pace, long outlet passes and instant offense. He should have had our 2nd goal at ManU. We need the depth and cover. He will come good and with good strategy should give us 15 goals a year for years to come. I am looking forward to many good years with Martinelli and key member of our team
Rice is our proper left sided midfielder, no doubt about that
Martinelli striking me as a bit of a one trick pony, we just don’t get the space we did in the early parts of last season as teams deploy low block defensive strategies
Martinelli needs to adapt his game to tight spaces and add to his armoury
i hope he can or we might be looking at the next Tierney
@JW
Excellent analysis
Got to keep Martinelli, as he’s proved he can fit into Arteta’s way of playing. He’s not had a season like last season, but many young players go through that stage and come back into form.
Martinellis big problem is, his awareness and a distinct lack of a final ball. Martinelli and Jesus both play football by themselves and forget, there is a team around them. I wouldn’t go as far a sell Martinelli but I would say, if the right offer came in, then I would. He could be a fantastic player but he could be a one trick pony. At times he is unplayable but even then, he is wasteful when it come to producing.
Plus, he most definitely, isn’t a striker. He isn’t cool enough.
Martinelli would definitely come good for us next season, that I’m sure of
Truth be told, Martinelli is having a season to forget. I’m sure he can’t wait to see the end of it.
Martinelli has NOT improved in the last 3 yrs.
He cant dribble past a player, despite his speed and his 23yrs of Age advantage.😒
He is the Major Problem why Gabriel Jesus has struggled as a Striker.
The Day I gave up on him was when he couldn’t get pass an 18yr old Newcastle Right back making his Debut when they controversially beat is 1 0.😟😕
Being joint top scorer last season contradicts your “Martinelli has NOT improved in the last 3 yes”.
Also he can dribble past players, as he proved on Sunday.
Martinelli excelled when partnered with Tierney at LB. Their overlapping play was on point. Since Tierbey left, Martinellis game has suffered. He still young though and can adapt his game accordingly, given the right coaching. Jus sayin…
And yet Martinelli was joint top scorer last season with Zinchenko playing Left Back.
@Herr Drier
Fair enough…👍🏾
👍
Exactly. I think Martinelli has missed a player capable of playing him the right passes like Zinchenko can.
But, what do I know. Armchair manager, I am.
It’s a pity you did not even realize that it was Zinchenko that was playing behind him last year when he hard his best season so far.
Gabbi Martinelli, seems to be a Gunner through and through. He has performed outstandingly for AFC from an early age!
At 23 GM is a footballing diamond. Why would anyone consider ditching a diamond that would shine with a suitable polish?
AFC has “polished up” Havertz! Is it out of the question that a similar approach might bring the very best out of GA?
Just thinking back a year or two; AFC converted a good centre back, BW, into the best. right back in the Prem!
Did AFC not also use a very very promising youngster, BS, playing left back? This shining, “two footed” diamond now scores regularly for club and country from the right wing: despite being regularly “double tracked” by defenders! Two on one, with regular attempts to kick the lad off the park!
Surely at this top level the best management and specialist staff tweak the coaching structure to fit match by match demand? Surely skills are moulded and evolved maximising required and obvious talent?
Correctly developing required aims brings dividends! Why not then apply this in relation to the goalkeeping potential of the out of favour AR? Is it not possible to develop, correcting any perceived deficiency, “playing out and distribution” thus adding “meat to the bones” to the outstanding athletic and shot stopping ability of the younger taller man?
ESR; another great asset with exceptional multi positional potential, and goal scoring ability. Sad to believe that this might well be realised too late when he is possibly lost to AFC?
James Webster, you are also a real gem. Loosing the likes of Martinelli and ESR would be devastating for Arsenal’s future development. The likes of Trossard and Harvetz are capable temporary fill ins, perhaps one season wonders with very little to offer in the future. I am also frustrated by Arteta’s reliance on those two lumberjacks White and Tomiyasu. Look at what City achieved by having fast attacking wing backs in Walker and Gvaudiol . In contrast we are too predictable on the overlap and rely too much on Saka and Martinelli to try to open things up. And watching the Spuds, City game live the commentator has just called full time and it really is all over. . The Spuds gave it a shot but some of their players let the team down badly. Normally I wouldn’t care. But ..
What about the other 19 teams that play bombing forward wing backs. Ben White has been stellar this season and last and we have conceded the least amount of goals in the league. You are talking utter nonsense if im being honest. Did you know Havertz is 24 ??? Offer little in the future ?? We can get a good ten years out of Havertz and atleast 2 out of Trossard. Maybe ESR and Martinelli are the one season wonders !!!!
For a minute there I thought you were gonna suggest developing Ramsdale as a LW 👀
Havertz has been at the club one season and massively improved. Martinelli has been here since before Arteta so ???
Hoping for a West Ham miracle. Unfortunately this team might not win anything as we don’t seem to do well in FA Cup and Carabao Cup. Better next season we also take the cup competitions serious. City will definitely buy better players and improve their team further. Sadly we always lose games we should easily win and that’s not sign of a good team.
As mentioned above. I too think Martinelli has been found out. He’s a speedster and that quality has served him well in the past. But a lot of teams will have fast and capable right backs so all they have to do is keep Martinelli on their outside and match him for pace on his runs. He doesn’t have a trick in the bag to do much else other than run at speed and will always attempt to run to the byline in the hope of going linear towards goal. Unfortunately, he’s martialled too well nowadays for that to be effective and is not able to do much beyond that. He either has to learn some additional skills, is employed in such a way that we can hopefully utilise his limited skills in another way or…..make way for someone new. I would love for him to once again be a major offensive part of the team but he’s not going to be unless he can do more than he currently does!
I would not be shocked if we went for Neto who can play either wing. I do believe Martinelli’s form is part down to the support he gets on the left side of midfield, but regardless, he simply has not progressed. I hope we keep him and bring in Neto for competition and rotation on both flanks. We need depth like City have if we are to progress as a squad.
if Neto wasnt injured for the majority of the season and previous ones i would love to have him on board. I think hes up there with Neymar with dribbling and tricks