UNAI’S NIC OF TIME

Pepe still ‘adapting’

UNAI EMERY has warned Nicolas Pepe must go through an “adaptation” period in English football before Arsenal fans see the best of the club’s £72million record signing.

Ivory Coast star Pepe has shown only glimpses of his quality since arriving at the Emirates in the summer as he struggles to get used to the pace of the Premier League.

Gunners boss Emery has already ordered him to bulk up and has now revealed the club is putting the 24-year-old through extensive video analysis and working on making him better tactically.

Pepe scored 22 goals in 38 games for Lille last season, but has yet to find the target in any of his six appearances for Arsenal.

Emery said: “He needs more adaptation. He is playing well, but progressively we know there is going to be more performance in him to help us. I want ant to do now quickly the last t step in the adaptation for us, for example, e, against Aston Villa.

“We are working with him first for that adaptation after training, now we are al s o watching individual al videos with him, and to push him to achieve hieve the details tactically. We need him because he is playing well, but we also need in our organisation to be strong with every player to improve a lot.”

Emery knows how hard it is to keep Gunners fans h a p py – as highlighted by the angry fallout from blowing a 2-0 lead at Watford before the euphoria of the 3- 0 win at Eintracht Frankfurt.

Emery said: “When we are winning, I stay calm, when we are losing, I stay calm. We have that responsibility for our supporters.

“We know we are playing for the supporters. We know our responsibility and want to give them special moments and to feel connected with us because it is not only how we can win, but also how we play.”