Mikel Arteta says Thomas Partey’s “adaptability” was a key reason why he and Edu made the Ghanaian a transfer window priority.
The 27-year-old joined Arsenal from Atletico Madrid on deadline day after the Gunners triggered his €50 million release clause and he’ll join up with his new teammates at London Colney after the international break.
While his side has made a solid start to the new campaign, Arteta is aware that there are big improvements still to be made both in attack and defence. Partey’s presence should give him the opportunity to experiment although he wouldn’t be drawn on exactly how he’ll deploy the new boy.
In an interview with Arsenal Digital, Arteta said: “We identified him a few months ago and we have been following his progress, and obviously the more you know about the squad, you know more about where you think you can improve it.
“We believe he has the right qualities, both with his character and his personality and as well with his technical qualities and positional options that he can give to the team.
He added: “I think he allows us to play different formations and he can fit in within those formations in different positions, which is a really good thing to have in a squad where, in midfield, I think we were a little bit short.
“I have a few things in mind that I want to start to train with the team and [Partey’s signing] is going to give us a little bit more adaptability and more balance in defending and attacking transitions and the way we have to set up certain structures to attack better in certain moments of the game.”
Despite a stale market that made it hard to offload players, Arteta admits the way the Gunners traversed the transfer window was to his liking.
“I am very pleased,” he said. “I think we did quite a lot of the things we wanted to do. I felt that we had the right people doing the process.
“I think that the plan that we put together, with all concerned and everybody trying to get the deals done whether they were in or outs…it was hectic, it was to the last minute but to be fair it’s been a really challenging market.”
Arteta: Partey gives us more artetapartey
What’s important is that you tried
You’re magnanimous.
A liberal Partey to govern our midfield? Intriguing!
Had to try somethig different than just the regular “party” theme…?
Looks like people don’t think ‘VAR Will Solve The Problem’. I think its not the technology that is the issue but the people behind.
The play(pun) on his name is never going to go. No Thomas, No Partey
Thomas himself wouldn’t like it to go away. Apparently, he used to introduce himself by saying, “Hello, I’m Thomas Partey, not fiesta,” early on in his career in Spain.
See above
A Parteyta revolution is coming!
So many swings. So many misses.
We like Tom Partey, we like, we like Tom Partey!
Thomas Partey’s coming, Arsenal’s really jumping
Hamstead to Stoke Newington
He really is a hero
The football is flowin’, and our goals just keep on growin’
So if you like Tom Partey
Get on and move your Body…
We like Tom Partey, we like, we like Tom Partey!
San Francisco is tough to replace…
I’ve got it…
Hamstead to Stoke Newington
He’s really got his game on
It worked. All missed so badly I laughed each time.
There is no Doubting Thomas will improve us
Very underrated comment.
You tried your best but failed miserably, the lesson is never try..
I have a good feeling of what’s to come within the next 3 years.
A premier league title in those is the minimum requirement. We can always dream.
Really looking forward to seeing Partey in an Arsenal shirt.
I think his midfield presence in the team will get more out of the other midfielders who start alongside him.
I’m excited to see him alongside Ceballos in a more fluid 4-3-3 formation with a front 4 of Willian (AM), Saka (LW), Auba (ST), Pepe (RW) when we want to control possession a bit more (definitely something I think Arteta is talking about in terms of adaptability here). That is easily enough and much more creativity as a team than we have been able to put on the park for a long time. I also love the balance in attack between technical/creativity of Willian and Saka and the direct goal threat of Auba and Pepe. I agree too that Partey… Read more »
I agree even though I think it will be Saka through the middle and Willian on the left. Only problem with that formation is that you place all your wide player in there at once will placing two no. 9 types in Laca and N’K on the bench. So am wondering If Arteta would like to play with one of those from the start so he has a wide option to go to from the bench during the game…
Aint no Partey Like a Thomas Partey , Cus a Thomas Partey don’t stop!!
I like the fact Arteta didn’t come in with a rigid idea of formation and how he wanted to play, instead shaping the team around what he had at his disposal and the limitations of some of the players and squad overall.
That being said, with the additions we’ve made, I look forward to Arteta hopefully now having the right players to really shape the team in his vision. Given what he’s achieved so far, this is an exciting time!
He definitly adds great pieces we can now build upon. But I think we are quite away from a dream squad. But some potential is really there.
Up The Arsenal!
Party pieces?
Seems like we are finally the chameleon team ey..
loving the fact that auba has started warming upto partey even before meeting him ?❤️ #mycaptain
#BringbackOzil
#whompwhomp
Excluding Ozil even from the Europa League squad does seem a bit like cutting off your nose to spite your face. He’s going nowhere, that much has made abundantly clear. We’ll still be paying his 350k per week. Why not let him earn at least some of that?
Arsenal have no problem paying his wages the last time I checked.
Because the team is more important
?
What a well crafted, intelligent, constructive counter-argument you offer.
Lolz
I will be gutted if this guy doesn’t have a Beastie Boys inspired chant.
He’s gonna fight, in red and white, Thomas Paaaartey. Help me out guys.
Yeah!
It’s our partey and he’ll score when he wants to, score when he wants to, score when he wants to.
You will cry too when he scores on you!
It’s almost a pity our relegation form didn’t continue last season or we could be pushing for promotion singing ‘we’re going up, so you better get this partey started’
Having 5 goal keepers on the Europa league list is also a way to bring more adaptability! Oh, wait, two are already on loan…
I don’t know if you like to make false statement or you are just ignorant like “Arsenal paid 15 Millions for Ceballos loan fee”. Three GKs does not count towards NHG quota.
“I felt that we had the right people doing the process”
Um, not Raul?
When he said we were ‘a little bit short in midfield’ he was thinking of Torreira.
No he was very short
How we adapt when we play the likes of Liverpool and City as well as moments within the games when we didn’t see much of the ball is key to how far we have come! Compared to when Freddie, Unai and Arsene (post-Santi Cazorla!) were in charge.
Let’s see – injuries aside it has a lot more going for both the team and fans to be hopeful about!
Arteta: lets get this Partey Started
Tonight were gonna Partey like its 1998 (1999 never happened)
Does this man ever say the wrong thing? Absolute class act in front of the cameras. We are lucky to have him.. he will only get better!!
And like Moses, he Partay’d the sea and led his chosen ones (Gooners) to the promise land
Till death do us Partay’d said the F.A Cup as it recognised it belonged to the Arsenal more than anyone else
The Departay’d starring Leonardo Di Caprio, Matt Damon and Jack Nicholson.
That’s so tenuous.
And totally irrelevant
Isn’t it ironic that I was just reading a lyrics writing blog where some football analysis suddenly broke out
It’s a tasty looking spine… Leno – Gabriel – Partey – Auba
Hopefully Partey plays against City.
“I felt that we had the right people doing the process.”
Cheeky little dig at Raul there methinks. Love it.
maybe its time for the partey puns to end ?
Seconded.
Partey poopers!
If you feel tired of Partey jokes, at least ot wouldn’t have been any better with Aouar ?
That would have been aouars of entertainment
Dont stop the Partey!!!
Hopefully he is the long looked for link we’ve needed in the middle of the pitch. The last consistently effective center mid we’ve had for my money was Carzola before he got hurt. Ramsey certainly had his moments, but of course couldn’t stay on the pitch consistently and wasn’t ever really a stay at home midfielder. Wish we would have gotten Partley at a slightly younger age so we could have him longer, but hopefully will be a key figure for us for the next 3-4 years.
Yes, that sounds reasonable. I’m always a little wary of a “final piece in the jigsaw” scenario only because we’ve been down that path a few times over recent years. However, the team will be stronger with him – there’s no doubt about that.
Well, everyone seems to think we’re so fucking perfect now with the absence of Ozil that I’m now fully expecting top four.
And if we don’t get it, then, in all probability, that’s me and my 25 year season ticket renewal finished.
The club’s made its No Ozil bed – and as far as me splashing out well over three grand for my ticket alone – it’s going to have to prove to me that it’s still worth coughing up for.
We keep hearing about this revolution. Enough talk, let’s see some proof. Fourth place.
Move to the lower tier, under a grand. Just over if in Champions league
*35 year season ticket renewal.
Aoaur would have been a transformational buy with better creativity to dove tail in conjunction with Ceballos. But Partey to me seems more pragmatic in terms of more solidity at the base. Likely he will be played with Granit. There are several reports (Conveniently ignored of course) of him speaking about a potential partnership with Xhaka before he was signed. But I think we also have the ‘adaptability to pair with Ceballos or Elneny for variation/cover/ rotation. And I don’t think we are going to be rigid in selection nor positioning. Likely Ceballos will be emphasised higher up the pitch… Read more »
https://www.espn.com/soccer/blog-the-toe-poke/story/4204905/wengers-radical-rule-changes-ex-arsenal-boss-proposes-kick-insoffside-tweaksdiy-free-kicks
Our illustrious and radical Ex boss at it again innovating. Agree with his offside ruling.
https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/07/thomas-partey-spoke-glowingly-about-new-arsenal-teammate-granit-xhaka-during-transfer-talks-13384761/
Hopefully, he can also further improve Xhaka. Some times the right player combination also brings out the best in both.
https://www.sportskeeda.com/football/news-houssem-aouar-reflects-failed-arsenal-move-summer-window-partey No competition for Aouar this window represents a bit of a mis opportunity considering next summer won’t be the same. But we went about it too clumsily considering. There was as mentioned start of window, no reason to believe we could afford BOTH Partey and Aoaur. Both had their different strengths and would impact midfield in their own way. In terms of Aoaur pursuit, Edu tried to be too clever. Bypassing (the sensitive) Aulas was a mistake. The previous experience with Liverpool calling Aulu’s bluff and Lyon eventually (panic) selling on Fekir to Betis for low 20m drew wrong… Read more »
“It was as poor as say Wenger offering 40m+1 quid for Suarez”
Would be a fair enough point other than the fact that Wenger had nothing to do with negotiating that deal and was, as Ray Parlour said, as outraged by it as we the fans and Liverpool were.
Well said.
I’m getting a bit tired of seeing Wenger being saddled with the mistakes and bad business choices of Ivan Gazidis. I wish people would do a bit of research before slinging the mud.
Looking forward to the return of Martinelli. He seems a bit forgotten. Maybe that’s a good thing, instead of his importance becoming inflated by his absence.
Agreed. He had some really impressive moments last season. If his development continues once he is fit again he could be a very important attacking player for us.
https://www.facebook.com/ChrisWheatleyFootball/videos/340971750338768/
Video of Partey playing for Ghana vs Mali recently
– Press breaker in a 4231 – DM/sweeper in a 433, to drop back from midfield to help become third defender in a 343 – player to drive the team forward in a 343 as one of the midfielders, especially against top teams, to carry the ball or play the direct ball. He is the key to flexible systems, using same mechanism of rotating players through the wide areas but keeping 5 forward and 5 back at all times that we have been doing. But that is really restricted to rotating to overloads on Auba’s side of the pitch. Being… Read more »