Pepe Needs Time At Arsenal – Unai Emery

Posted by: Folamidavid in Sports Oct 3, 2019

Arsenal coach, Unai Emery has begged Nicolas Pepe to cope with the pressure that comes with being the club’s record signing.

The London club plashed out £72 million ($87m) to sign the Ivorian from Lille in the summer, but thus far, he has not made any meaningful impact in England.

He has scored just one goal this season and it came from the penalty spot vs Aston Villa. On Monday, he left the pitch after 70 minutes vs Manchester United and it was another weak display as always.

Speaking on his form recently, Emery has said Pepe should not be bothered about justifying a huge price tag.

His words, “When they are here working and playing, it’s not relevant to speak about the money,”

“Not for him, not for young players or experienced players. They are players, they are human, they play and are not thinking about that. I am not thinking about my salary when I am the coach.

“The players are not thinking about salary or what one club paid to use him.”

“We are playing every time, as a coach or a player, under pressure.

“[Being] under pressure is a positive. We are at a big club with a very demanding objective.

“Every player is in the selection to be here and it’s a privilege to be here. That privilege brings pressure, of course. But it’s positive.

“Not for the salary, not for how much the club paid for him. No, no, no. It’s because we need to achieve a good performance, individually and collectively. We need to be very demanding of ourselves.”

“He needs to play, get confidence, know progressively better the other players,”

“Every player needs time when they arrive here. Young players or players as important as Pepe.

“I was speaking with him and [Dani] Ceballos. The Premier League is a very strong competition. It is the best competition and the strongest competition in the world. Liverpool with Man City are the two best teams of the moment, they are very physical.

“We need quality and the adaptation to play at that intensity. Because you need to think quickly, to move the ball quickly or keep the ball with strong intensity around you. We are in that process and Pepe, is the same.”