It’s fair to say that Thomas Partey is not performing anywhere near the level Arsenal needs and he seems to know it.
While nobody can doubt the effort of the Ghanaian, who has had extra responsibility thrust on him in the absence of Granit Xhaka, it’s clear by recent appearances, including an error-ridden showing at Old Trafford last night, that he’s struggling for form and confidence.
“The team is improving, each and everyone is doing our best,” he said after the 3-2 defeat to Manchester United.
“For me, I have to keep on doing my best, keep trying, keep improving, try to come back to my best, because the team needs me, the team needs us.
“I think we’re improving each day and it’s gonna be good. If we want to be at the top it’s normal that we have to fight, we have to be under control and try to win the games.”
Last night, Partey had an 80 per cent pass completion rate last night (48/60) and didn’t make a single successful*. While there were a couple of interceptions, his overall influence on proceedings was not at the standard required to give us a cutting edge in midfield. It was much the same at Anfield a couple of weeks back.
After starting the season sidelined with an ankle injury and having nursed a groin problem through the recent Interlull, it’s possible he’s again being hampered by fitness problems. Given he heads off to the African Cup of Nations later this month, he doesn’t have long to win over supporters who are starting to question his £50 million price tag.
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*via Stats Zone app
A huge disappointment
Don’t worry we have maitland niles to slot into midfield in January 😂😂
AMN could hardly have been worse.
Partey had a mare. He’s been really terrible all this campaign. MA should drop him for AMN.
I fully agree that partey hasn’t justified his price tag yet, but I have hope that he’ll come into his own soon. He’s had poor luck with injuries and fitness. People are suddenly talking like he’s been shit the whole time though, which I’m surprised about, I mean certainly he hasn’t been phenomenal but he’s certainly put in some great performances. even yesterday against United, he showed he can run with the ball well and he helped us get forward on the counter a lot. He was very wasteful and defensively suspect, yes, but if he can find consistency and… Read more »
I’d agree – he still has a rare ability to either turn or just ‘step through’ opponents initial high-press (often through the smallest of gaps), but then tends to just be lazy with his final ball… not sure if it’s a fitness issue tbh, seems more a question of focus and concentration?
Perhaps AFCON could be exactly what he needs – go to a different team, without the pressures of Arsenal, where he’s historically performed really well and is their leader.
There’s definitely a top quality player in there; hopefully just needs a run of games for a boost.
Clutching at straws.
The quality of opposition at AFCON is nothing compared to the EPL.
He looks like doesn’t care and that is what fans hate the most.
He didn’t look at all to me like he didn’t care. He had a bad game and has been unimpressive overall.
I remember defeats where our players looked like they run themselves into the ground, and lost basically because they were rubbish on the day, being accused after of not caring, not playing for the badge, no ‘pashun’ etc. It’s as if for football fans it’s easier for us to think that our players are amazing but don’t care than to accept they aren’t amazing, or even just out of form.
You may be right, that’s why I say he LOOKS like he doesn’t care. I sure hope he does.
I believe he cares but is just out of form due to the never ending injury layoffs.
It is also obvious that Arteta is trying to play him back to form but what irritates me about this approach is the fact that he might just get back to form around timw for the Afcon which will be good news for Ghana but bad news for us because he will surely come back banjaxed and the cycle of poor partey performances will continue. Smh
That’s just his casual looking demeanor, like Kanu.
If he didn’t care, Arteta wouldn’t play him.
Maybe that is what it is. I mean I do like his nonchalance just like I like it about AMN, but I have been so angry at him for his performances that it made me think he looked like he didn’t care.
You look like you don’t really know much about football.
I don’t think you know me enough to be able to say that. That is the impression Thomas is giving me lately, that’s all. I genuinely hope it is not true.
He may come good, but to me seems like the archetype of the signing we should no longer be making: players who’ve been great, cost loads, and once they come to a ‘top’ premiere league club will probably never have another good game. It happens more than the football press recognises, I think. I’m certain Bissouma would have been the same, and am glad we made a transfer in the style of Lokonga instead. We aren’t a club like Chelsea who can spend 70m, decide the player isn’t up to much then spend the same on the same position the… Read more »
Bissouma is already big and would have likely cost in the region of £40m in the summer. Probably why we looked to Lokonga instead.
That being said, Bissouma only has 18 months left on his contract now so Brighton may need to cash in this summer if he doesn’t sign a new deal.
Yeah that’s exactly my point on Bissouma.
Bissouma has issues.
The problem is, each time he starts to gather a head of steam, he picks up a serious injury or knock that means he has to start playing himself back to form again when he returns.
I remembered how he was controlling the midfield against Chelsea in preseason. Looked like it was going to be his season, until that f*cking Loftus Cheek clattered him.
He came back and was beginning to look decent alongside Lokonga, only to end up picking another knock before the Watford game.
If Partey thinks he needs to get back to his best, the best thing he could do is start watching some Atletico tape.
I think he just needs to go back…. to Atletico.
we need hungry players not lackadaisical has-beens who tries all the time to play the perfect Hollywood pass and misses it most of the time.
I think we got hustled. At Atletico he was simply a decent Dm who won it and gave it. Here Arteta seems to have given him the role of ‘midfield boss’ as if he can dictate games. I will say he does good stuff but instantly does something shit. He oscillates between good and poor every 5 minutes. Reminds me of pre Charlton loan Song.
This. As a previous post mentioned, we could have got Bissouma with the same outcome only difference is Bissouma is a few years younger. I could always see Song for what he was, a one season wonder. When he left I knew he would revert to type and so he did, so no love lost there. Partey is ostensibly a DM with a degree of ball playing ability but he is no way the midfield general he thinks he is or we expect him to be. He would be perfect at the base of the midfield once he ventures forward… Read more »
The irony that Torreira went the opposite direction on loan and won the Spanish league.
We have to stop signing players from big clubs. They think of us as a step down. Partey wanted to join a weaker team where he could be a star. I think he’ll have good games for us still, but he’ll never justify the price or reach the level he was at Athleti.
I hope he means his best at AM, because his best at Arsenal – which to me is the game at Old Trafford last season – was still some level below what he can produce.
Maybe the only sensible comment on this thread.
Partey has – in ONE game – played like hes capable. He’s had more than enough time to adapt, to cope.
Big, big mistake signing him.
Still think he’s a net positive for us. It speaks to how high his ceiling is that he is performing well below his best but still offers something to us. His pass/pre-assist to Martinelli for our second was sublime. It’s the kind of pass he can make regularly and that Arsenal should expect of him. He’s that good. It just isn’t happening with any consistency. Injuries are not helping…
One good ball all game.
Shall we count the giveaways, the misplaced passed, and how many times he was a passenger, ball watching? Its ALOT more than one.
Don’t forget the One tackle he’s made in the last 3 games.
Atletico’s style and players suited him.
We need to play a system that suits him, or/and bring in a ball playing midfield partner to take the creative burden from Partey. He would benefit from having a Verrati/Fabregas type of player alongside him, to control games from deep and get the team moving, (somebody like Xhaka but an upgrade) if Arteta’s vision is to dominate games, as he previously has said.
AMN was MOTM last time he played and yet hasn’t been seen since. Partey has been poor yet has kept his place. Elneny hasn’t started any games this season and we’ve seen the improvement with a more progressive midfield without him.
What’s wrong with picking players on merit? Plus we all saw this average Utd get absolutely battered at the Bridge yet escape with a draw yet Arteta set us up as if we were playing peak Bayern. This sitting back after scoring nonsense is for teams who are top notch at defending. Not us. Really disappointed in opportunity missed.
Am I the only one waiting for Aubameyang to also do some admitting?
Mushy PEA.
PEA culpa
Arteta has backed himself into a corner with Auba…that contract extension was a massive mistake and means his is almost duty bound to start him every week regardless of his poor form. Willian x10…and it’s costing us big time. Partey Is less of a problem than aubamayang right now.
They’re both massive problems.
Playing Willian was like being a player down.
Aubameyang is not quite that.
Not just him, our Captain is very poor at the moment. They both need to be on the bench for a good few games until they get their form and hunger back. They are both experienced players who should need able to dictate the game and take it by the scruff of the neck when needed and they are nowhere near that at the moment.
There’s improvement in our team no matter how you see it. Yesterday we played well if not for the penalty. One thing with is that he complicates things he should have just kept simple. He tries to do things that are very difficult instead of just playing a simple pass and then he will end up loosing the ball. I had a friend like that growing up, he’s built exactly like Partey and plays like him. When I look at Partey my friend comes to mind.
I saw a list of our 10 most expensive signings the other day and it was really eye opening to be honest, heart of hearts it’s a minority you could say have REALLY been a success for us, 3 or 4 of them? it’s quite disappointing to think of the money wasted, none will really be thought of as legends? I’d rather buy 3 of the Tavares’s/Lokonga’s/Tomiyasu’s types for any one of these single fees, and only have one of them go on to be a success to be honest. 10. Martin Ødegaard – 30m9. Shkodran Mustafi – £36.9m 8.… Read more »
Wow Alexis was a steal at 38 mil…
And this is just transfer fees, you include Salaries on top and wow…..!
If this poor form continues he should be made to change the name on his kit to Lemon. We’ve seen some good games but nothing sustained.
We all want him to be the player who excelled in Madrid, I disagree he’s been poor since came here he has had some games where he’s been fantastic but I do feel there’s a lack of connection between him and the club/fans, we’ve never seen him show this where he wants to be.
With the African Cup of Nations coming up it’s fair to say we need to look toward getting him fit in the summer and having a proper pre season ahead of next season
I’m looking forward to getting rid of him.
add partey to the list of big money flops. who’s the last successful big money signing we had since alexis sanchez? I can’t even remember.
How much longer do I have to wait to say this guy’s just not that good? Cuz guess what? He’s not that good.