Arsenal: 4 positives & negatives of Arthur loan signing

3. Arthur Has Been Misused – Arteta Can Unlock His Potential

As might have been noticeable from the above, Arthur’s time at Juventus has been hampered by the way he’s been used. Under both Andrea Pirlo and now Massimiliano Allegri, the Italian managers’ desire to field him in a withdrawn role has not suited his skillset.

When a player’s weakest traits are his defensive output, handing him more control over that area seems like a peculiar choice.

There is a player in there. There really is.

Pirlo certainly tried to play a more modern game, but injuries hampered Arthur’s progress. And now with Allegri, who favours defensive minded midfielders and an exceedingly unappealing brand of football, limitations have been put on the Brazilian in terms of what he can offer. Arteta is in every which way a modern coach with modern principles who can unlock Arthur’s ability on the ball.

Everything comes with the asterisk of his antics off the pitch and the concerns over how he can replicate his finer traits in the more intense Premier League, but he’s been held back by being asking to perform most of his actions in deeper roles where the emphasis isn’t on playing as much in the opponent’s half.

This is not to say that Arteta is a superior manager, just that stylistic fits are so crucial for players. There are no bad players, only bad fits.

Continued on next page…