y va marquer wrote:

Martinelli doesn't cope with pain too well, I thought he was done there.
I guess he'll be benched as a precaution in the second half?

I would hate that. They've got 15 minutes to evaluate during the half, and should be able to make a determination if he can continue. Personally, I think he's fine.

Needs to build some match fitness, so every game helps.

Claudius wrote:

Don Pacifico wrote:

The fact that Martinelli has gone straight into the team and Nelson struggles to get on the bench really is a damning indictment of the latter.

all of them. 

Or maybe it is Arteta making another stupid decision, because he doesn't like something about him?

Clrnc wrote:

Pretty sure Nelson is injured?

Not specifically this match but over the course of this season.

Doc wrote:

Want to see Martinelli, Saka + 9 in the league. Dont give a fuck who tbh

Don't forget Leno. Without him we are screwed.

Ray wrote:

Don Pacifico wrote:

Care to elaborate?

Arteta picks the team, has nothing to do with Nelson.

And he deliberately picks a worse player every time because he gets a thrill out of it?

Clrnc wrote:

Pretty sure Nelson is injured?

He’s been back in training for about a week.

Ray wrote:

Don Pacifico wrote:

Care to elaborate?

Arteta picks the team, has nothing to do with Nelson.

Are you suggesting that he irrationally dislikes Nelson? Nothing I've seen of him over the last three seasons suggests he's comparable to Martinelli.

flobaba wrote:

Ray wrote:

Arteta picks the team, has nothing to do with Nelson.

And he deliberately picks a worse player every time because he gets a thrill out of it?

Hence the "dodgy decision making" part of my post...

swider wrote:

Claudius wrote:

all of them. 

Or maybe it is Arteta making another stupid decision, because he doesn't like something about him?

These kinds of statements do my head in. I mean I'm all for kicking the dog while it's down, but now we're basically spitting on it too.

Don Pacifico wrote:

Ray wrote:

Arteta picks the team, has nothing to do with Nelson.

Are you suggesting that he irrationally dislikes Nelson? Nothing I've seen of him over the last three seasons suggests he's comparable to Martinelli.

I'm not saying he is better than / comparable to Martinelli. I'm saying forming conclusions on players based on whether Arteta picks them in his team is a fools errand.

Don Pacifico wrote:

Ray wrote:

Arteta picks the team, has nothing to do with Nelson.

Are you suggesting that he irrationally dislikes Nelson? Nothing I've seen of him over the last three seasons suggests he's comparable to Martinelli.

Oh no. It's just Arteta. he doesn't like the tattoo on Nelson's left butt cheek.

AAStyle- wrote:

Doc wrote:

Want to see Martinelli, Saka + 9 in the league. Dont give a fuck who tbh

Don't forget Leno. Without him we are screwed.

we're screwed either way   

Only 2 I'm really interested in seeing these day

Martinelli has added himself to the guys I want in the starting line-up.
Now we should figure out how to use Martinelli, Saka and Aubameyang together. Thoughts?

Drip! You see it with Martinelli. You don't see it with Willock, Nketiah, etc. I like them all, but they're not going to save us from the darkness.

Ray wrote:

Don Pacifico wrote:

Are you suggesting that he irrationally dislikes Nelson? Nothing I've seen of him over the last three seasons suggests he's comparable to Martinelli.

I'm not saying he is better than Martinelli. I'm saying forming conclusions on players based on whether Arteta picks them in his team is a fools errand.

Maybe...the end product from Martinelli Vs Nelson is night and day though.

Arteta very recently said something about Nelson's game had clicked. He must not be 100% to not even make the bench.

flobaba wrote:

swider wrote:

Or maybe it is Arteta making another stupid decision, because he doesn't like something about him?

These kinds of statements do my head in. I mean I'm all for kicking the dog while it's down, but now we're basically spitting on it too.

Maybe he is failing to meet one of his non-negotiables? We cannot know, but I know he picks Willian over other players pretty much week in, week out.
Let's not forget that one of the first things Arteta did as a manager was benching Martinelli.

Claudius wrote:

Martinelli has added himself to the guys I want in the starting line-up.
Now we should figure out how to use Martinelli, Saka and Aubameyang together. Thoughts?

Drip! You see it with Martinelli. You don't see it with Willock, Nketiah, etc. I like them all, but they're not going to save us from the darkness.

He has a swagger. Plays with such confidence and most importantly is decisive, just knows what he wants to do with the ball. 

Arteta may not like traits in players like Nelson, possibly because it doesn’t align with his vision of football. It doesn’t necessarily mean Nelson is not up to it.

I don't rate Nelson at all initially. When everyone is fawning over him and compares him to Sancho after a u23 game against City, I watched him for the first team when he broke through and he was average. And average throughout, scared of taking his man on, constantly passing back etc.

But this season I think something has changed for him, he is brave on the ball and started to play with his shackles off to become more useful. Just more impressive generally in all his appearances for us. Obviously Martinelli is a level above in talent but Nelson is easily better than Willian. Him not playing this match has nothing to do with his supposed quality, especially when our manager plays Mustafi over Saliba.