Arsenal manager Unai Emery extends tactical challenge to midfielder Lucas Torreira
Torreira has been involved far higher up the pitch than usual for the Gunners
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Your support makes all the difference.Recent speculation has suggested Arsenal‘s Uruguayan midfielder Lucas Torreira is wanting a move away from the club after failing to become a first-team regular this season – but manager Unai Emery says he should be focused on improvement with the Gunners.
Despite being popular with the fans and playing a big role at times last term, Torreira has been on the fringes in 2019/20.
He has started only four Premier League matches and has played fewer minutes in the league than the likes of Joe Willock and Dani Ceballos, ahead of the weekend games.
But Emery has instead issued a challenge to Torreira, to improve in the areas needed to contribute to this Arsenal side – both in terms of consistency and his positional work.
“Lucas played well last year. This year he’s not been consistent,” the manager said.
“My challenge to him is to improve, do better with tactical issues, but above all be consistent.
“He is young. His process here is starting. He only started playing in the Premier League last year
“He progressed, but this year he needs to progress again. He is a very good, important player for us, and his focus needs to be with us 100%.”
While playing games is the primary factor behind Torreira’s apparent unhappiness, there’s also the fact that his role has been switched.
Having been one of the two in central midfield previously, Torreira has recently been playing further upfield, supporting the attack.
Emery wants to harness Torreira’s ball-winning ability and athleticism in more attacking areas for now, while he continues to learn what is required to protect the defence in a key, deeper position.
“Being a defensive midfielder is a big responsibility. He needs to achieve confidence, play more matches and get more experience to get that confidence,” Emery continued.
“He can play that role – but we need a defensive midfielder to be offensive.”
“He can learn and improve but he needs time. He’s helping us. His contribution is positive, but he needs to be demanding more of himself. When his process is better and he has more experience, he can take more responsibility.
“His response was positive. We showed him how he can improve. He’s a good player – he has very big commitment.
“Right now he’s helping us with his capacity to get in the box to get opportunities to score.
“He is in a process, but his process needs to improve. He has a very big future here but he needs to think and improve. He has to learn in some situations to do better.”
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