Lee Dixon has responded to Nicolas Pepe after the Ivorian admitted that he was frustrated at the limited playing time that he was getting at Arsenal.
The winger was Arsenal’s most expensive signing in the summer of 2019 after he impressed for the French side, Lille in the previous campaign.
The attacker struggled in his first season at Arsenal and the arrival of Mikel Arteta hasn’t helped him.
Arteta has improved several players at the club and Pepe has shown little improvement under the Spaniard.
Arteta is looking to get the club in a position to achieve quick success and he has axed Pepe from his starting XI for league games.
The Gunners signed Willian from Chelsea for free in the last transfer window and the Brazilian has been the preferred starter in Arsenal’s league games this season.
Pepe voiced his frustration at not playing enough games at the Emirates this season after he went away with the Ivorian national team.
Sky Sports posted the interview on their Twitter page and Dixon responded simply: “Play better then”
Pepe has been criticised for his performances, but he has scored twice and provided two assists in the Europa League this season.
He must play better than who? Willian is worse than Pepe at the moment but he starts anyway. So why can’t Arteta give Pepe the same chance as Willian?
How wonderfully honest! “Play better then”! Those true words should be told to every player who is left out and moans as to why he is not chosen Seems so obvious that thewhole point of any top team is to WIN.
If any player chooses not to play for the team -listening Mr Ozil? – then Lee Dixon ,honest as the day is long, has given the plain and obvious reason. Those with character will accept it; those without character won’t! REALITY!
Don’t make men like Dixon anymore, imagine ozil playing in the same team as men like…..
Lehman… Dixon.. Bould… Keown… Adams… Winterbourn…viera…petit..
Parlour…wright…berkamp…
Henry…..now they were real men they would kick ozil off the training pitch…
Yes Jim, I truly believe those real men would refuse to take the field with OZIL. They are men and believed in really working for and earning THEIR money, whereas Ozil…….!
So sad some fans just cannot stop relating anything and everything under the sky to OZil. Ozil is what he is and he need not prove to anyone what he is, Arsenal and Germany fans know that so he need not worry. Anyway coming back to the post, Dixon is perfectly right, but I still feel Pepe should be given more chances over Willian, either on the right wing or try him as CFwith Auba on the left and nelson/Saka on the right.
I just don’t know if these players live in reality or just their deluded millionaire bubble.
They all cry about game time and being treated unfairly but ever time they are given chance after chance they just stink out the place.
We are not a charity / academy or babysitting club that is here just to wait until a given player can decide when to pull their finger out. We are not going to keep playing you while you are not improving us. Each time you are given a chance you never take it apart from feeling sorry for yourself.
These primadonnas are so frustrating. Some of them are so entitled, no hard work but expect to just be chosen automatically.
That is why I am liking Arteta even if he seems to be one dimensional at the moment. But I am loving the way he is handling some these overpaid and overrated entitled players.
Put in the work and performances and you will be rewarded.