Gabriel Martinelli: Mikel Arteta's biggest failure?

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:13:16:24:49 by Padre Pio.

I think there has been a definite drop in form and perhaps like one or two others in our attack he was overachieving in terms of his output during his purple patch. Also it isnt easy when everything he doing is being compared to Starman on the far side.

Still I think what's going on around him has a big role to play as well, Saka has had the White and Odegaard axis for support, where as the left side has been chopping and changing due to injuires, new arrivals, Rice been played between 6/8 etc.

Having said that he's playing in a crucial part of the pitch for us and perhaps he hasnt kicked on because he's not as talanted as we all hoped he would be. I think he has between now and the end of the season to prove to Arteta he can step up again or he could very well see himself relegated to a squad role going forward.

First of all, he needs to coach a settled Left Side Triangle with good communication skills.
Then, how to use Martinelli pace to play "give and go" and quick one-two to bypass 2- or 3-man makers with one of them sticking to him like a leech to shake him off the ball.

Temas realized that they can neutralize Martinelli by pressing him instantly, then push him harmlessly to the sidelines, and preventing him from inverting and turning on the bylines.

Martinelli is a "push and run" dribblers and why 2- or 3-man markers will usually win the ball.
Arteta must add more variety of Martinelli movements when inverting or hugging the lines with the threat of "give and go" to bypass all those man-makers.

Without an effective Left Side Triangle like 2022/23 season, Martinelli is ineffectual as a left winger.

Suddenly, during his injury-wrecked 2023/24 season, he had lost all confidence in his shooting ability, and rarely attempted his trademark shot of cutting inward and finding a split-second and yard of shooting space, bend the shot into top corner of far post.

Agreed, after 2023/24 season, Arteta is still clueless on how to improve Martinelli, or fine tune tactical formation, and still persists with the same old same old that every EPL managers and his dogs knew how to render Martinelli harmless at left flank.

Best for Martinelli to leave for La Liga or Series A where he will find joy with his pace and a better tactically astute manager.

Martinelli is poor, a headless chicken etc. And he's not going to improve, is he ?
But sadly he's the only person who's got any pace and we have to play him.

That's how bad it's got at Arsenal now.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

He can improve if he plays in La Liga or Series A.
His skillsets are more suitable in European teams with a manager who understands him.

This is the only thing that i will agree on whole heartedly.. Martinelli was insane with his finishing for someone his age and always made great runs into the box. Some of the headed goals that he has scored, re inforced that faith that i had in him.
Unfortunately, because he is defensively very good, Arteta turned him into a WB to cover the entire left flank and asked him to hug the touch line and turn provider for others.

He has never shown this to be a strong part of his game.

If we would have tried converting him into a center forward when Arteta just got here, he would have excelled and could have been the next C.Ronaldo. Instead , now he struggles to be even the next Gakpo and Gakpo doesn't have great passing either.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:11:04:03:22 by CazOnARola.

You give him time to think he'll miss or dribble off the field. He's a two touch players forced in a non-counter attacking team. We need a winger with successful take-ons because it the recycling doesn't work, a player has to do it on their own.

Theodore roosevelt - In any moment of decision, the best thing you can do is the right thing, the next best thing is the wrong thing, and the worst thing you can do is nothing.

Walcott was a headless chicken who was not the smartest striker on the pitch. He had pace, loads of it and he put it to great use for Arsenal. But he was also aware of this own weaknesses. He knew he was not the most skillful in terms of dribbling and not a natural goal scorer like Henry. He tried to improve his other qualities to be a better player. He reached out to Henry and spent many after practice hours to improve his finishing and positioning. He reached out to Beckham to improve his crossing and where to put the ball where it will hurt the opposition the most. He succeeded on those counts, became a better striker for Arsenal and went on to become Arsenal's 8th highest goal scorer with 108 goals over 397 appearances for Arsenal.

Martinelli is only 23 years old and like Walcott, tends to run into blind alleys before losing possession. With some personal dedication and sacrifice, he can receive help to be an even better footballer than he is now. Maybe Henry can help out Martinelli like how he helped Walcott.

Quote:

mapleleafgooner
Walcott was a headless chicken who was not the smartest striker on the pitch. He had pace, loads of it and he put it to great use for Arsenal. But he was also aware of this own weaknesses. He knew he was not the most skillful in terms of dribbling and not a natural goal scorer like Henry. He tried to improve his other qualities to be a better player. He reached out to Henry and spent many after practice hours to improve his finishing and positioning. He reached out to Beckham to improve his crossing and where to put the ball where it will hurt the opposition the most. He succeeded on those counts, became a better striker for Arsenal and went on to become Arsenal's 8th highest goal scorer with 108 goals over 397 appearances for Arsenal.
Martinelli is only 23 years old and like Walcott, tends to run into blind alleys before losing possession. With some personal dedication and sacrifice, he can receive help to be an even better footballer than he is now. Maybe Henry can help out Martinelli like how he helped Walcott.

Wenger used to play Walcott as an inside forward. Crossing was left to Sagna and we never made much of those crosses anyway. Walcott has scored tons of goal running in the inside channels between the FB and the CB and as well finishes across to the far post on the outside of the FB.

Arteta is using Martinelli in a way that completely under mines his strength and exposes every single weakness in attack.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:01:11:04:04:24 by CazOnARola.

I think Klopp was putting a curse on him and it worked

"When we had to suffer the team is a lion because they suffer together." 4 July 2020 at Wolverhampton Wanderers
Arteta on his team's first away victory at a club above them in the Premiership since September 2015 at Leicester.

At this time he's the best we have upfront.

"𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝘀𝘁. 𝗜𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗱, 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴."

Quote:

mapleleafgooner
Walcott was a headless chicken who was not the smartest striker on the pitch. He had pace, loads of it and he put it to great use for Arsenal. But he was also aware of this own weaknesses. He knew he was not the most skillful in terms of dribbling and not a natural goal scorer like Henry. He tried to improve his other qualities to be a better player. He reached out to Henry and spent many after practice hours to improve his finishing and positioning. He reached out to Beckham to improve his crossing and where to put the ball where it will hurt the opposition the most. He succeeded on those counts, became a better striker for Arsenal and went on to become Arsenal's 8th highest goal scorer with 108 goals over 397 appearances for Arsenal.
Martinelli is only 23 years old and like Walcott, tends to run into blind alleys before losing possession. With some personal dedication and sacrifice, he can receive help to be an even better footballer than he is now. Maybe Henry can help out Martinelli like how he helped Walcott.

Agree Maple.

Although he had limitations, Walcott was one of those players who never really got his flowers from Arsenal fans and football in general.

Scored 108 goals for the club. Never got into trouble on or off the pitch. Didn't celebrate when he scored against Arsenal at the Emirates a few years ago and still got booed off when he was substituted.