Many Arsenal fans, including myself, have been very critical of Unai Emery, but it’s only right the players take their share of the blame for Arsenal’s problems as well.
Performances have been so bad, especially away from home, where you have to ask are some of them as good as we think they are?
We keep saying the manager should be getting the better out of the squad he has, but how many poor performances does there need to be before we have to wonder if where we currently are is a true reflection of what level we are at?
I want to use Torreira as an example…
His agent suggested in the summer his client was struggling to settle in London. If that’s true it’s hard to see how the Uruguayan will be feeling any better given how his campaign has started.
He is no longer in our first team, and when he is not playing as our DM, not sure if that’s his choice or the coaches?
So, I’m not quite sure why the club would feel the need to have any ‘crisis’ talks with the player when in reality he last had a great performance over a year ago in the North London Derby.
To be a big club you need to act like a big club. Big clubs don’t fear players leaving and certainly don’t beg someone to stay when he’s not producing.
If the DM were to indicate he truly wants to return to Italy, I would consider getting money for him while his reputation is still high in Europe. Another 12 months of this and his value will be so low we might struggle to make any kind of profit on him.
I would try to convince someone from Serie A to give us 50 million in January, which you then use to fund us to get a defender with, with the likes of Guendouzi now ahead of him of him in the pecking order.
This is on the basis that Torreira really is homesick and not just another story (this one from the Metro) highlighting Arsenal’s problems that has come on during the international break. If he’s struggling to adapt, finding the language hard and overall just not happy in England, he’s not good enough for Arsenal to be forcing him to stay…
Your thoughts, be nice in the comments
Everyone apart from Emery knows why Torriera’s performance levels have dropped. It’s because he is a DM and Emery insists on playing him more or less as an AM. When Torriera first arrived we all agreed we had at last signed a proper DM and he was excellent. For reasons known only to Emery, he is now being played totally out of position. I was at the Bournemouth game and when he was brought on as a sub, Emery put him on the wing ffs. Of course Torriera now wants out, he’s not playing regularly and when he does he’s played out of position.
Torreira’s playing style is similar to Kante’s. Kante has never played as a pure central DM like Fabinho/ Fernandinho/ Matic who stays between two CBs and he is more of a mobile DM instead
Torreira has been playing as a mobile DM like Kante and he is not as good as he looks on his YouTube highlights. Probably because his stamina and pace are not as high as Kante’s
His tackles are excellent, but he just can’t cope with EPL physicality and I doubt he can be one of the next manager’s main starters. It’s better to sell him if he doesn’t want to play for Arsenal anymore, because we have got Chambers that was impressive as a central DM
Torreira caught on camera weeping over Xhaka’s misfortunes sums him up…weak!
Torreirra is a victim of an errant Emery. He is not played for sure and when played, he is played out of position. The writer mentioned that big clubs do not keep errant players. I also believe that big clubs never keep errant managers too. The players are alll affected by the errant Unai. No system, no structure and no formation. CONFUSION at best
even emery is struggling in the english language.torreira isnt happy coz of not playng .he is a good dm but emery plaYS HIM IN THE WRONG POSITION
50 mill??? You must be joking.
If that was possible, I am sure we would be happy to sell.
Torreira is a good little player and a battler but im not sure he is suited to the speed, hustle and bustle of the prem. He is small and small players to survive need to be either quick, technically gifted or super strong, he isn’t especially any of them. His attitude is great and he started all guns blazing but just the physical effort of doing it week in week out is having its toll. He is a good player not a great or potentially great player, he would do better in a different league than the prem, maybe. I don’t think he is a failure like xhaka but he isn’t a success either at the moment.
Cmon, @Reggie, don’t mince your words..just say it as it is! He’s a flop! Time to cut our losses and ship him off. Emery has been trying to convert him to a CM because he sees he lacks the stature of a no-nonsense, stamp-out-the-fire DM. It’s not working am afraid.
Definitely not a flop at all, thats xhaka, torreira has ability, he just cant cope with the rigors of the prem week in week out. I also think he and his family cant settle in a new country, which if it is the case he should be sold for everyones benifit.
Spot on Reggie .There seems to be some genuine interest in Torreria and Xhaka and hopefully we will get most of their transfer fees back.
Stop being PC. Torreira has been a flop as so far as much as Xhaka.
It’s weird how people try to be more civil / nuanced to some players but go for the jugular when it comes to Xhaka.
I can name so many flops in our current squads, some have been here longer than Xhaka or Torriera but they all get preferential treatment when they themselves have been flops.
And if Pepe does not pull his stuff together then next season I will label him a flop too.
I disagree, xhaka is a flop, brings nothing to the team at all. Torreira is not living up to his initial impression but at least he has had an impression and has shown some form of ability. Remember he wasn’t as dear as xhaka and we wont lose money on him like xhaka.
I was one of those concerned about Torreira’s diminutive size when we were linked with him. The fact of the matter is the guy regularly gets swatted off the ball like a fly and offers next to nothing when it comes to physicality and dominance in the center of the park. It certainly is not his fault, but the guy who decided to sign a dwarf for a DM should answer some serious questions. Nobody can remember the last time he had a good game either so my verdict is he is a flop. We bought him for £26M and I seriously doubt we will be able to recover the full fee. Maybe £18M or £20M overseas since no premier league team will sign him as a DM.
That’s my observation myself. Torreira just bounces off anyone in a physical contest.
From day one he was like a bulldog but always lost the ball by being easily bullied off it. He spends most of his time on the floor complaining about how he should have gotten a free kick.
Thought he would have the physicality of the likes of Messi, Hazard, Kante, Messi, Sanchez, Suarez, Aguero etc. Small in stature but not easily bullied off the ball.
Torreira is NOT a Flop as some of you put it
He’s a good DM
I am confident that Torreira will improve. He needs to be played purely as a DM nothing else
Emery has been playing him wrong
Torreira is a good Defensive Midfielder but we should get a better one so they can compete.
He is easily bullied off the ball. Even when someone is shielding the ball, they always hold Torreira off easily and he always ends up on the floor.
And he seems to tire very quickly.
Laca & Auba liked posts against the coach, Ramsey and Kos left,Ozil said unai is not a coach, Miki and Toreira are complaining about being played out of position,his very xhaka wants out
The core right there!
Emery out please before it’s too late
Ghendouzi ahead of torriera as DM shows how clueless emery is as a manager,ghendouzi doesn’t sniff danger,very weak in tackles,back and sideways passes in necessarily hold on to the ball to kill our counter,the truth is that ghendouzi has no place in that middle,a tortiera xhaka combo is still the best we have till we get upgrades, I will even play Niles ahaed of ghendouzi because of his tenacity,energy and surgical runs,emery is surely digging his own grave and will soon fall inside it
@Uchman. Really? Do you frankly understand football.You implied that Ghendouzi should be the least in the pecking order of our midfielders.One of our best performers lately should be kept on the bench for Torreira to play.lol. Your combo of Torrera Xaka is absurd. Think of something or try listening to anylists or experts who will give you understanding of the game.
Yes. Guendouzi is not good enough. He does not bring consistency to his game. He should be sent on loan. Torrera should be ahead of Guendouzi. You cannot win things with Guendouzi in your midfield. That is the truth. He is slow. Not quick enough. That is the truth.
I think its u that have to pay more attention to details. Ghendouzi brings absolutely nothing to our team apart from running like a headless chicken on the pitch slows our flow by holding onto the ball more than necessary, if u pay less attention to his hair then u will understand how weak a player he is. Xhaka has bn taking the flaks while the main culprit has bn ghendouzi
I agree with you. Emery is a failure and not Torreirra. Why not play him consistently as a DM and regularly too. Xhaka is not a DM and so is Guendouzi. The only Dm we have is Torreira but the coach wants him gone. It was a big mistake to employ Unai and it is a big mistake to keep him. He is slowly destroying Arsenal. Wenger would perform wonders with the players that are at Arsenal right now
I have watched our matches enough to know that Guendouzi still has a lot to learn. He is still raw. He does not have that consistency. A player for the future. But not ready yet to produce the consistency we need. Our midfield was been poor all season. Torrera should be ahead of him. As simple as that.
We do not have a midfield issue in terms of players but many options, but Emery still doesn’t get right balance which seems unreal.
The world can see our main pb which precisly is in central defense’s area. Therefore we must lock that area with a DM to seat in front of CBs.
Best in that role is Chambers who played there all last season, named team’s MVP. He is a CB who has that hability to play there, second option will be Luiz who also played in that position with success, his passing, headers, agressivity allow him to play there.
Leno
Bellerin Holding Chambers/Mustafi Tierny
Luiz/Chambers
Holding/Mustafi is a best CBs pair than with Luiz.
Anyhow, no matter CB pair, once Chambers seats in front, that shaky zone is safer, allows other midfileds and team to focus on playing forward.
Or they all focus on defending as we seen over and over, Auba even in our box, how do he score or Ozil pass him ball if defending?
We do need additions of a strong DM and a top CB as koulibaly who is allowed to go but we do have solution to limit damage we have weekly; play booody Chambers as a DM! He does have tried everything but that over & over, no ne can say this to him in this club ?
Our own fans and opposition fans have been bashing arsenals defence for years!! But although I agree we lack a solid back 4.. 5 if u include leno (who has been average since we signed him) it’s the MIDFIELD that let’s us down and has done for the past 3-5years.. emerys current options all have more weaknesses than strengths!! I know alot of fans praise for guendouzi.. I understand his work rate, passion and hunger to win.. I get he is young and has leadership qualities and a good attitude developing his game.. its just I find alot of the time he is holding on to the ball to much, runs round like a headless chicken, cant really tackle, has a lack of physicality, weak in aerial duels, lacks a killer pass, isn’t particularly quick and this kid is 1st choice midfielder at arsenal football club!! But he is also surrounded by clowns like xhaka, mr I’m going nowhere ozil, homesick torreira, ineffective cellabos and the kids willock and AMN.. we need 2 1st choice midfielders.. a powerful DM like ndidi or thomas pratley and compliment him with a CM like doucoure or van der beek then have guendouzi, torreira and willock to come on!!
👍 Let’s be honest Torreira and his family have not settled into life in London since day one, even when he was playing regularly. He complained about the weather and difficulty in learning English and is homesick for Italy.
The lack of physicality in midfield has been an issue at Areenal since Gilberto Silva and then Flamini left (the first time). The midfield has been bullied season after season and just not by so called top sides.