He hasn't taken the next step we hoped he might, he is also not as useless as many would have you believe, what does the data say is going on here with Martinelli?
Clearly Arteta values him. Perhaps for his defensive work, perhaps because he stretches the field by staying wide. I don't know. I do think that this season is a critical season for him. Will he learn to produce an end product with all those very productive players around him? WIll he learn to drive into the area and take on his defender that way, the way Noni does? Will he find Big Vik in the box more now that we have a real box poacher? All questions. As for me, I like him, and I really hope he comes good esp this season. We need him to be effective no matter if he starts games of finishes them.
I do not know if he is going to be a role player or a regular starter going forward. But he is outstanding defensively, which Arteta values, and he provides a speedy attacking wide player, which contrasts with Eze/Trossard. Ironically for all the discussion of Martinelli, I am still convinced that Trossard is the player who should have left. I suspect that Eze is going to take all the minutes that could have been Trossard, as a skilled player, moving inside, and strengthening build up play. Martinelli is going to (probably) continue to be the defensive emphasis wide hug the line attacking player. Trossard did get some minutes against Forest, but looking forward, to me it seems like Arsenal will have Eze and Martinelli on the left as two contrasting players and Madueke and Saka on the right. All 4 players can swap sides (as saka started to do more last season). As long as Eze is healthy, I think Trossard is going to get very few minutes outside the League Cup. And Martinelli will continue to get minutes when Arteta (at a minimum)wants to strengthen defensively to control games in the last 30 minutes.
Clearly Arteta values him. Perhaps for his defensive work, perhaps because he stretches the field by staying wide. I don't know. I do think that this season is a critical season for him. Will he learn to produce an end product with all those very productive players around him? WIll he learn to drive into the area and take on his defender that way, the way Noni does? Will he find Big Vik in the box more now that we have a real box poacher? All questions. As for me, I like him, and I really hope he comes good esp this season. We need him to be effective no matter if he starts games of finishes them.
Well, he came good today! Thankfully!
And again today...so maybe the hand wringing is misguided?
I do not know if he is going to be a role player or a regular starter going forward. But he is outstanding defensively, which Arteta values, and he provides a speedy attacking wide player, which contrasts with Eze/Trossard. Ironically for all the discussion of Martinelli, I am still convinced that Trossard is the player who should have left. I suspect that Eze is going to take all the minutes that could have been Trossard, as a skilled player, moving inside, and strengthening build up play. Martinelli is going to (probably) continue to be the defensive emphasis wide hug the line attacking player. Trossard did get some minutes against Forest, but looking forward, to me it seems like Arsenal will have Eze and Martinelli on the left as two contrasting players and Madueke and Saka on the right. All 4 players can swap sides (as saka started to do more last season). As long as Eze is healthy, I think Trossard is going to get very few minutes outside the League Cup. And Martinelli will continue to get minutes when Arteta (at a minimum)wants to strengthen defensively to control games in the last 30 minutes.