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General Reserves Talk

  • Thread starter M+D
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teamsoutheast

Well-Known Member
Nketiah and Willock are too good for U23 level. They need a loan next season and need to show the mentality and attitude required to keep their respective coaches picking them week in week out. If they can sustain first team football at a high level next season then they will be well on their way to first team football. On a side note, I noticed that Stephy Mavididi made his debut for Juventus at the weekend. I hope he is given more chances going forward, as there is a decent striker in him.
 

Mrs Bergkamp

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PRECISELY!

I think a couple of problem positions for us going forward will be LB and CB. We have promising CBs but I still think a more dominant CB in his mid 20s. LB we don't have anyone ready to take over from Monreal and surge past Kolasinac.

But the forward positions we can potentially sacrifice because we have some serious talent there. I'd probably only bring in one winger if possible and then sell one of Iwobi/Mhkitaryan or loan Amaechi/Saka with new deals in tow. I think with some more trust and senior appearance, we'll see them thrive eventually.


Much will depend on who's driving the recruitment policy. If it's Emery, I can see a lot of experienced signings, which might get us results in the short term, but may affect us long term. This is why the Sporting Director is such a pertinent topic of interest despite it seeming a benign position. It's important we shift focus towards relatively young talents on the cusp of greatness with the odd big deal here and there, and leave the squad roles to our Hale End crop. Building that type of squad will set us up nicely for the near future IMO.
Wenger always trusted youth especially in the League Cup. What he failed to do was supplement youth with some experience. The team of 2007-2009 had so much potential. We need to go back to that and the fans as desperate as we are to win a trophy have to embrace the youth that's of the calibre of Cesc/RvP. Emery is conservative but let's give him the best we can in crucial areas and make him play Saka and others to see if they have what it takes in real life.
 

Mrs Bergkamp

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Seriously. If young players leave Arsenal now because of 'lack of opportunities' then they are being ill advised. If they look at Sancho and think, that can be me, then they are taking a massive risk by leaving us. You get opportunities at Arsenal if you are good enough. You have to be the right age and more often then not we tend to get it right when we give them the opportunities.

I am all for Saka and Amaechi getting their chance, but they are still very young and can wait a little longer till they get their shot. They may not need loans due to their physicality, but they only need to look at who is currently getting game time to know that if they get their head down and work hard, they should be a first team regular within the next 3 years.

Bellerin, Holding, Guendouzi, Iwobi and Maitland-Niles. Thats 5 young players we trust. Nelson is the next in line and if it goes to plan, Willock, Smith-rowe, Nketiah, Saka and Amaechi will come through right after.
The bolded part is crucial. Under Wenger even with intense pressure that was true. I feel Emery might have to be forced in to playing youth that he doesn't know. Time for Freddie and Per to force the issue.
 

Impact

Established Member
How good is Saka at left-back? Think there's an opening there if he wants it. I fancy Amaechi a bit more for the front three position.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
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How good is Saka at left-back? Think there's an opening there if he wants it. I fancy Amaechi a bit more for the front three position.
He's very good at LB, it's his regular position for England and has played there a number of times already for Arsenal. Main issue is that he's become so effective as an attacker that it's hard to justify dropping him back. However, with his strength, athleticism and defensive contribution complementing his attacking play and dribbling, he'd be a monstrous attacking LB/LWB. There's definitely an opening if he wants it, and an easier one too. It's just not the opening he wants IMO. Ljungberg noted that he played him in a few games for the U23s further back and he was visibly apprehensive in those games - the word "unhappy" was mentioned. Saka is definitely looking for that LW spot.

I fancy Amaechi more as an attacker myself. He's just as raw, but so effective at beating players and getting into dangerous positions off the ball. It's a shame his injury happened when it did. We have to get him signed up and continue his development - he could be a devastating attacker.
Saka is too good an attacker to be played as a defender. His future should be as a wing forward for Arsenal.
He's making a case for himself definitely. He has an ability to wriggle out of tight spaces with such ease and acceleration that you can't help but think it would be useful in more attacking scenarios. However - as we've seen with AMN - at the top level, sometimes you have to get in where you fit in. AMN has molded himself as a RW and CM respectively for the last 5 years, yet the first position he could get a consistent run that emphasized any strengths of his was at LB then RB. It may not be ideal for now but as long as it amplifies ones strengths on the field, it could be very good long-term.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was a central midfielder too until very recently. He's now one of the top performing RBs in the country. I admit, I did not see AMN becoming a good full-back but he's proving me wrong game by game (even his poorer ones). Saka already had far more full-back experience than AMN at the same age - it's not impossible that he eventually adapts to an LB role. If it is worked correctly, it won't even harm his offensive game - Kolasinac basically lives in the opposition half. Saka could take that spot in time.
 

al-Ustaadh

👳‍♂️ Figuring out how to delete my account 👳‍♂️
He's very good at LB, it's his regular position for England and has played there a number of times already for Arsenal. Main issue is that he's become so effective as an attacker that it's hard to justify dropping him back. However, with his strength, athleticism and defensive contribution complementing his attacking play and dribbling, he'd be a monstrous attacking LB/LWB. There's definitely an opening if he wants it, and an easier one too. It's just not the opening he wants IMO. Ljungberg noted that he played him in a few games for the U23s further back and he was visibly apprehensive in those games - the word "unhappy" was mentioned. Saka is definitely looking for that LW spot.

I fancy Amaechi more as an attacker myself. He's just as raw, but so effective at beating players and getting into dangerous positions off the ball. It's a shame his injury happened when it did. We have to get him signed up and continue his development - he could be a devastating attacker.

He's making a case for himself definitely. He has an ability to wriggle out of tight spaces with such ease and acceleration that you can't help but think it would be useful in more attacking scenarios. However - as we've seen with AMN - at the top level, sometimes you have to get in where you fit in. AMN has molded himself as a RW and CM respectively for the last 5 years, yet the first position he could get a consistent run that emphasized any strengths of his was at LB then RB. It may not be ideal for now but as long as it amplifies ones strengths on the field, it could be very good long-term.

Trent Alexander-Arnold was a central midfielder too until very recently. He's now one of the top performing RBs in the country. I admit, I did not see AMN becoming a good full-back but he's proving me wrong game by game (even his poorer ones). Saka already had far more full-back experience than AMN at the same age - it's not impossible that he eventually adapts to an LB role. If it is worked correctly, it won't even harm his offensive game - Kolasinac basically lives in the opposition half. Saka could take that spot in time.
With how Emery uses the left wing back in his system, it seems Saka would be a perfect fit. Without a doubt.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
How old is Balogun? Unbelievable numbers
Balogun is 17. Will be 18 in the Summer. And yeah, his numbers this season are out of this world. Nketiah-level numbers. If he can carry this up to U23 next season, won't be long before the hype starts to build around him.

With how Emery uses the left wing back in his system, it seems Saka would be a perfect fit. Without a doubt.
Saka could be a top class full/wing-back in our system if he really wanted that spot. He very much prefers playing further forward however. And honestly, he could become world class in either position of LB or LW.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Didn't see it lol the guy should be tried in pre season this summer heard great stuff about matt Smith too
Matt Smith is an interesting one because not many are talking about him, but he's a very cultured CM. Great passer, decent dribbler under pressure and generally very clever in the position. One to watch.
 
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