Thomas Partey (5)

[DiamondGooner]

Overwhelmed yesterday as was Lokonga.
It was a tactical error starting with 2 forwards.
Midfield needed more help.

Tactical errors are down to Arteta.

However I understand it, he had a winning team, if he changed it and we lost everyone would of been up in arms.

Also Lacazette drops into midfield from that no10 position so they did have a third person on hand.

The issue was we need an appropriate level of partner for Partey, I'd go as far to say even Elneny with his defensive attributes would of been better for Partey to partner yesterday to avoid being as overwhelmed.

Lokonga at his stage should be the back up and playing less difficult games.

.......... this area though is very fixable even with some of the options we have on hand now, the biggest worry actually for me yesterday was the 0 goals, so what if Liverpool only scored 2-0 that still wouldn't mean a win, our attack couldn't pin or hurt Liverpool on the break, that for me mean't we could never have won this game.

[Power n Glory]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

[jayramfootball]

Overwhelmed yesterday as was Lokonga.
It was a tactical error starting with 2 forwards.
Midfield needed more help.

Tactical errors are down to Arteta.

However I understand it, he had a winning team, if he changed it and we lost everyone would of been up in arms.

Also Lacazette drops into midfield from that no10 position so they did have a third person on hand.

The issue was we need an appropriate level of partner for Partey, I'd go as far to say even Elneny with his defensive attributes would of been better for Partey to partner yesterday to avoid being as overwhelmed.

Lokonga at his stage should be the back up and playing less difficult games.

.......... this area though is very fixable even with some of the options we have on hand now, the biggest worry actually for me yesterday was the 0 goals, so what if Liverpool only scored 2-0 that still wouldn't mean a win, our attack couldn't pin or hurt Liverpool on the break, that for me mean't we could never have won this game.

Yes it was a tactical error down to Arteta.
Can’t play two up away to Liverpool.
As for the young players, it is what it is.
The strategy is to blood these youngsters early and build a young squad that will grow. They are not an immediate fix. They will have more games too where they get overwhelmed this season.
We’re only starting the rebuild rally after putting it off for too long.

[EliteKiller]

Excuses, excuses

West Ham played Soucek cost 19m (26) and Rice (23) as their midfield pair - we had Partey 45m (28) Sambi (22) ......... West Ham won 3-2 by limiting Liverpool to shots from distance and using their possession (30% compared to our 37%) far more effectively.

The constant excuses for our underperforming players in big games are wearing very thin - Partey is simply not performing, that's on him.

[Power n Glory]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

You could Fabinho or Pirlo in there and they'd get overrun and exposed.

He's gone from having Koke next to him to Lokonga.

Disappointed with Lokonga as well. Maybe I've been spoiled over the years getting see the performances of Vieira, Fabregas and Wilshere when they arrived on the scene but so far I haven’t seen much that makes Sambi stand out. He needs to come out of his shell a bit more. It's a but a Denilson like.

As for Partey, I think a player of his stature should be able to stand on his own two a bit more. I was hoping we'd have a player on our hands that has a good all round game and will make an impact regardless of who he's next to. Sambi isn't fantastic but if we're saying Partey needs a better partner, I'm not sure if Xhaka, Elneny or AMN is a massive upgrade and they all have their own flaws they may hinder Partey as well. Does that mean it's another bust of a season? He's 29 next summer so he kind of needed to hit the ground running.

[jayramfootball]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

You could Fabinho or Pirlo in there and they'd get overrun and exposed.

He's gone from having Koke next to him to Lokonga.

Disappointed with Lokonga as well. Maybe I've been spoiled over the years getting see the performances of Vieira, Fabregas and Wilshere when they arrived on the scene but so far I haven’t seen much that makes Sambi stand out. He needs to come out of his shell a bit more. It's a but a Denilson like.

As for Partey, I think a player of his stature should be able to stand on his own two a bit more. I was hoping we'd have a player on our hands that has a good all round game and will make an impact regardless of who he's next to. Sambi isn't fantastic but if we're saying Partey needs a better partner, I'm not sure if Xhaka, Elneny or AMN is a massive upgrade and they all have their own flaws they may hinder Partey as well. Does that mean it's another bust of a season? He's 29 next summer so he kind of needed to hit the ground running.

Lokonga isn't ready for a first team place, he should be slowly bedded in whilst starting CMs have injuries etc.

i don't think any of the CMs we have suit Partey or get the best out of him. Elneny is the best out of a bad bunch but he's average.

We really need to address CM. Imagine Ndidi or Bissouma next to him.. it would transform our midfield.

Instead of blaming all Partey's partners in the middle as not suitable I think it is probably time to start laying the challenge to get better at his door.
It should be him helping Lokonga settle in and gain confidence, not him relying on Lokonga or Xhaka or AMN to play at a high level.
Partey is a senior player and needs to do more - he's not consistent and looks to me as if he struggles with the press and pace in the PL.
There is no doubt he is a talented player - but it may just be he is more suited to leagues where he has more time on the ball.

[jayramfootball]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

You could Fabinho or Pirlo in there and they'd get overrun and exposed.

He's gone from having Koke next to him to Lokonga.

Disappointed with Lokonga as well. Maybe I've been spoiled over the years getting see the performances of Vieira, Fabregas and Wilshere when they arrived on the scene but so far I haven’t seen much that makes Sambi stand out. He needs to come out of his shell a bit more. It's a but a Denilson like.

As for Partey, I think a player of his stature should be able to stand on his own two a bit more. I was hoping we'd have a player on our hands that has a good all round game and will make an impact regardless of who he's next to. Sambi isn't fantastic but if we're saying Partey needs a better partner, I'm not sure if Xhaka, Elneny or AMN is a massive upgrade and they all have their own flaws they may hinder Partey as well. Does that mean it's another bust of a season? He's 29 next summer so he kind of needed to hit the ground running.

Lokonga isn't ready for a first team place, he should be slowly bedded in whilst starting CMs have injuries etc.

i don't think any of the CMs we have suit Partey or get the best out of him. Elneny is the best out of a bad bunch but he's average.

We really need to address CM. Imagine Ndidi or Bissouma next to him.. it would transform our midfield.

How?
Partey's issues seem to be dawdling on the ball and lacking the strength to fend off tackles. He doesn't like to be rushed. How are these things going to improve if he has Ndidi or Bissouma next to him?

[EliteKiller]

Soucek and Rice are two of the best CMs in the league lol

Exactly the point - Partey at three times the cost is half the player - we paid for the best and got very average ....

[EliteKiller]

Lokonga isn't ready for a first team place, he should be slowly bedded in whilst starting CMs have injuries etc.

i don't think any of the CMs we have suit Partey or get the best out of him. Elneny is the best out of a bad bunch but he's average.

We really need to address CM. Imagine Ndidi or Bissouma next to him.. it would transform our midfield.

Think you're pissing in the wind - Partey should 'suit' anyone who plays alongside him, he's the senior player, not a newboy. He'd be just as poor alongside anyone else you just wouldn't notice him as much.

[theHotHead]

Unfortunately very underwhelming. This fellow isn't able to distribute properly, beat the press and get the ball out of the defense or tackle when necessary.
But, inspite of the fact that both he and Willian are Arteta/Edu buys, must say was excited when both the arrivals were announced. That either didn't pan out ( Patry, so far) is beyond me. Both have gotten ample opportunity and freedom to prove themselves but didn't deliver.
The arguments that Arteta is naive and has no idea how to use them doesn't apply to either. They were both experienced and so called capable players supposedly at the top of their respective careers and brought in to drive the team forward. If important players, thought to be the fulcrum of the team, don't deliver in crunch games, like we have been seeing since Ozil ( under late stage Wenger, Unai and Arte), then you are in trouble. That's why we are 22-4 at Anfield , and haven't won there since '13(?).
This is a conundrum any Arsenal manager have to solve, otherwise we remain an also ran outfit.

Isn't able to beat the press ?? Since when was that the job of one player ?

[theHotHead]

Excuses, excuses

West Ham played Soucek cost 19m (26) and Rice (23) as their midfield pair - we had Partey 45m (28) Sambi (22) ......... West Ham won 3-2 by limiting Liverpool to shots from distance and using their possession (30% compared to our 37%) far more effectively.

The constant excuses for our underperforming players in big games are wearing very thin - Partey is simply not performing, that's on him.

Perhaps its simply down to the manager who is incapable of setting up the team properly.

Partey was top class for Athletico, he should be top class for us too. Arteta isn't getting the best out of him.

[theHotHead]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

You could Fabinho or Pirlo in there and they'd get overrun and exposed.

He's gone from having Koke next to him to Lokonga.

Disappointed with Lokonga as well. Maybe I've been spoiled over the years getting see the performances of Vieira, Fabregas and Wilshere when they arrived on the scene but so far I haven’t seen much that makes Sambi stand out. He needs to come out of his shell a bit more. It's a but a Denilson like.

As for Partey, I think a player of his stature should be able to stand on his own two a bit more. I was hoping we'd have a player on our hands that has a good all round game and will make an impact regardless of who he's next to. Sambi isn't fantastic but if we're saying Partey needs a better partner, I'm not sure if Xhaka, Elneny or AMN is a massive upgrade and they all have their own flaws they may hinder Partey as well. Does that mean it's another bust of a season? He's 29 next summer so he kind of needed to hit the ground running.

Lokonga isn't ready for a first team place, he should be slowly bedded in whilst starting CMs have injuries etc.

i don't think any of the CMs we have suit Partey or get the best out of him. Elneny is the best out of a bad bunch but he's average.

We really need to address CM. Imagine Ndidi or Bissouma next to him.. it would transform our midfield.

We had a perfectly fine defacto DM in Torreira and managed to balls that up royally.

[Power n Glory]

He's been disappointing and he's no spring chicken. He's picking up a lot of injuries, he's 28 years old and hasn't been able to command the midfield as I had hoped.

You could Fabinho or Pirlo in there and they'd get overrun and exposed.

He's gone from having Koke next to him to Lokonga.

Disappointed with Lokonga as well. Maybe I've been spoiled over the years getting see the performances of Vieira, Fabregas and Wilshere when they arrived on the scene but so far I haven’t seen much that makes Sambi stand out. He needs to come out of his shell a bit more. It's a but a Denilson like.

As for Partey, I think a player of his stature should be able to stand on his own two a bit more. I was hoping we'd have a player on our hands that has a good all round game and will make an impact regardless of who he's next to. Sambi isn't fantastic but if we're saying Partey needs a better partner, I'm not sure if Xhaka, Elneny or AMN is a massive upgrade and they all have their own flaws they may hinder Partey as well. Does that mean it's another bust of a season? He's 29 next summer so he kind of needed to hit the ground running.

Lokonga isn't ready for a first team place, he should be slowly bedded in whilst starting CMs have injuries etc.

i don't think any of the CMs we have suit Partey or get the best out of him. Elneny is the best out of a bad bunch but he's average.

We really need to address CM. Imagine Ndidi or Bissouma next to him.. it would transform our midfield.

Agree with most of that and that's why I'm disappointed with Partey so far. We definitely need to address the midfield. Sambi, Partey and Odegaard are the three players and recent signings I'm the most disappointed by. The right player in midfield can really transform our tempo and attack and it seems like we've just bought players that have posed similar problems to the past.

- Sambi - Still young and not quite ready.

- Partey - Similar to the Xhaka and Ozil problem where he's a goldielocks player and conditions around him need to be perfect in order for a decent performance.

- Odegaard - Now we're playing with two strikers, not much room for him but even as a 10 hasn't performed well.

Hopefully, Ode and Sambi get better because they have youth on their side but Partey is getting on a bit and breaking down a lot with injuries.

[EliteKiller]

If you want to view football in such a basic way without any context then go ahead.

Fact is there's many factors that affect a footballers ability to perform. They need a good partner next to them, they need structure around them etc. If it was all about simply buying a player, plodding him into the team and expecting world class performances, why are Man Utd sh*t having spent stupid amounts of money on top class players?

So what you're saying is no player can play well unless he is surrounded by world-class talent - do you want me to list players who have made an average team so much better - surely that isn't needed?

Ian Wright says hello .... or Mahrez at Leicester .... world-class performers lifting very average teams

[ag6789]

Partey doesn't look confident or comfortable. He was thought to be the fulcrum in the middle which he has not turned out to be.
Regarding beating the press, of course one man can't do it but he should take the lead in evading his marker and wriggle out of a tight spot to find space . Cazorla used to do it every time . He might not have the finesse of Cazorla, but is expected to hold on to the ball when challenged and make safe forward passes. Not pass back to the GK who is also pressed or to another marked defender. That's what exactly Xhaka had been doing for last 5-6 yrs, and he was thought to be an upgrade on 'Xak.