Former Arsenal striker Ian Wright has criticized Nicolas Pepe for not showing enough desire in performances so far this season.
The North London club signed the winger for a club-record fee of £72m, but things haven’t really worked out in his favour so far. Though he has shown glimpses of his brilliance, it has not come through consistently enough.
Ian Wright who was talking on the BBC Radio Five Live show took notice of the fact that the Gunners need more from the forward, he said:
“We definitely need more out of him, I’d like to see him play more and getting the creative players ramming the ball down his throat to get him taking on players.
“In Arsenal’s current state in respect of money we cannot afford to pay that kind of money for somebody and three managers now are not really sold. That can’t happen, we’re not in that luxurious position. Whatever happens we’ve got to get a tune out of Pepe and quick. Three managers have benched him.
“I’m not seeing enough movement from him, not seeing enough hunger from him to want to make something happen and he needs to start doing that because questions are starting to be asked.”
It is always tough for a player to move to a country and instantly hit the ground running, but when a player arrives with this kind of a price tag he is expected to start showing his worth instantly.
But based on the bits and pieces that he has shown, the manager will be hoping that he can do it on a more consistent basis. He is still young and might take time to properly adapt to the surroundings and show the tricks, flicks and goals that made Arsenal splash the cash on him.
Now there is a two week break and the Gunners are off to Dubai for a training camp. This will be a good opportunity for the winger to show manager Mikel Arteta what he is made of.
There is a lot of pressure on Pepe being the record signing but he has to put that behind him and focus on his game.
Once he starts contributing on a more regular basis, the pressure will automatically melt away. A lot of football is still to be played and Pepe is sure to have a part to play in it.
