Some Arsenal fans have taken issue with Unai Emery's explanation about Lucas Torreira's best midfield role.
The Gunners head coach was speaking ahead of his side's Premier League clash against Southampton, with Torreira expected to start at the Emirates.
Torreira was a mainstay of the Arsenal first team in his first season following a £27million move from Sampdoria, but this term the 23-year-old has been behind Granit Xhaka, Matteo Guendouzi and Dani Ceballos in the pecking order for the majority of games.
Of Arsenal's 12 Premier League games this campaign, Torreira has only started four with the majority of his appearances coming in the Europa League and Carabao Cup.
When he has played, Emery has generally preferred to use him in an advanced box-to-box midfield position.
Despite many feeling that Torreira would be best suited in a deeper, more defensive holding role, Emery dismissed those concerns and explained his thinking behind the midfielder's deployment.
"But what is a defensive midfielder? We need that position for the capacity to build up, it's a big responsibility," Emery said in response.
"He can play as a defensive midfielder but we need a defensive midfielder [to be] offensive because the build up for us is very important. At the moment he is in that process.
"He can learn and improve but needs time, and at the moment to give him that responsibility as a defensive midfielder but building up and creating a lot of combinations with our team, he needs more time.
"At the moment for his position on the pitch he's helping us with two midfielders because the pressure he deposits was the best of our midfielders and his capacity to get in the box, to get opportunities to score, is very good for the team."
Some Arsenal supporters took to social media to respond, with the majority believing Torreira is not being given the chance to flourish in his favoured role.
