Gabriel Martinelli scored the winner in Arsenal’s 3-1 victory over Crystal Palace last night, with his injury time goal giving us the lead after a rocky performance.
The Brazilian has impressed from the bench in a number of appearances of late, but competition for places is extremely high at present, and we can’t possibly play them all.
The manager admits that he is very close to being a starter, but playing a team full of youngsters isn’t an option.
Mikel Arteta gets quizzed on Gabriel Martinelli's performance, and on how close he is to the Arsenal starting XI at present 👀👀👀 pic.twitter.com/V1WgzRMMKS
— Just Arsenal News (@JustArsenal) May 20, 2021
Where does Martinelli rank amongst our wingers?
Patrick
There is no competition for places in Arsenal in the case of Martinelli, it’s just pure preference and interest of the coach. Players who are not up to Martinelli get selected week in week out. The coach must be humble and work for the interests of club.
I could accept his natural reluctance to depend too much on youngsters if our experienced players were producing the goods, but in the case of Auba in particular,many of them have not.Martinelli has not had a chance to get match fit this season so the fact that he has not pulled up any trees in his brief cameos is not surprising.I am confident that Martinelli will go on to at least emulate Saka and ESR , as like them he has the skills ,energy and versatility to fulfil a number of attacking roles.Personally I think he could make it as a central striker as his running off the ball makes him difficult to pin down.Where ever be plays, I trust he will become a regular next season.
His comments on Martinelli tend to ring hollow when he brings on that coaster Willian.
Ask yourself, would Willian have made that run?
The honest answer in “No.” Willian would have been floating somewhere between the center and the wing, watching and waiting for a teammate to step up and provide a bit of magic.
Martinelli out works Willian by miles; tracking back, making those runs, looking to get the ball, don’t even get me started about the difference in hunger and desire between the two.
In terms of having an impact, ability to change a game, providing a spark, and giving 100% EVERY time they take the pitch, who does this describe?
A 32 year old, veteran of the PL on massive wages, or a 19 year old in their 2nd year with the club, who missed half the year with an injury?
The fact that Saka, ESR, and Martinelli show more hunger and desire than the veterans is shocking, and should be embarrassing to the experienced players.
I’d rather see more of these type youngsters than the pampered, overcompensated, experienced, players who continually let us down with their performances who too often don’t give 100%.
Give me a Saka or ESR who love the badge over a overpaid mercenary like Willian who signed for wages not love of Arsenal.
I would love a manager to understand and respect that by rewarding them with all the chances that were wasted on Willian.
DURAND, And so say all of us!
MA’ s clear reluctance to give MARTINELLI A PROPER CHANCE IS PUZZLING AND POSSIBLY MORE SINISTER THAN JUST TROUBLING. We all know it makes no football sense, so my guess is there is something more than football reasons behind this wrong decision making.
I STRONGLY SUSPECT THAT WILLIANS CONTRACT HAD A MIMIMUM APPEARANCES CLAUSE IN IT. If so, that is a grave and serious mistake.
AS WAS SIGNING HIM AT ALL! And Martinelli has been the unfair victim of this miscarriage of justice.
That’s the more reason why we should go for an experience manager that is not learning on the job who will pick players purely on merit
Martinelli vs Willian. No brainer even for the deluded. Willian is finished, Arteta fell for the three card trick and what a pension Willian has. Martinelli is everything right about football. What would Ronaldo have been if Ferguson hadn’t played him. Sorry but Arteta is not the brightest bulb in the chandelier and, with the squad we have, a quality manager would be a year beyond Arteta.
Folarin Balogun too. Another diamond set against overpaid players resting on their laurels and their reputations. We just need a manager to manage them.
To be entirely fair, Willian was a very fine player in his day, as 37 full caps for Brazil demonstrate.The decision to recruit him which I believe was driven by Edu, was a big mistake , no doubt about it, and let’s hope the rumours of him leaving are well founded.Martinelli has yet to win one full cap, but let’s hope he can emulate William in that respect during his time with Arsenal.
Grandad the most pertinent word in your post is “was” . If we are discussing was’s, I COULD PUT TED DRAKES NAME FORWARD AND IT WOULD MAKE EQUAL SENSE TO YOUR WILLIAN POST. I realise Ted is dead but so, effectively and in a football sense, is Willian.
Of course a manager will favor a player they personally recruited over a player already on the books when they arrived.
The concerning part is after months of trash performances Arteta still favored Willian over Martinelli.
Lets see with the new season if Martinelli gets a fair shot or if he is kept on the bench again by Arteta, for more of his “He’s not ready” type nonsense.