UEL: Arsenal vs Dundalk | Thursday 29th October | 20:00 GMT| BT Sport 2

[Macho]

I hope for the sanity of the fans we score some 50 pass team goals starting from GK to striker, so they can stfu and stop crying.

I expect a strong/senior squad until we have group stages sewn up, so sorry to all those hoping to see Nelson and those other kids.

Hoping for Elneny, Pepe and Eddie starts.

 

[Maybe]

I expect a strong/senior squad until we have group stages sewn up, so sorry to all those hoping to see Nelson and those other kids.

Tbh, don't see much of a difference between Nelson and "seniors". If seniors and the manager are incompetent to make anything work in the attack, why would I care if Nelson or any youngster has a bad game?
It's actually the youngster (Saka) who is the only player at our club willing to create something in the attack.
We've had the same debates last year when everybody wanted an experienced CB, but we see now that Gabriel, even at a young age, can dominate the game.

The obsession with experience needs to stop

 

[Penn_]

Chambers won’t play, isn’t it the norm to ease them into u23 games after such an injury?

 

[Tourbillion]

Unacceptable if we continue to play a team full of first teamers at this stage. What would be the ****ing point in hoarding all our youngsters instead of selling them or loaning them out?

Arteta knew what he signed up to and nurturing our youth is a big part of it.

 

[The_Playmaker]

ESR, Nelson, Willock, AMN all need to start. It's that simple.

 

[Macho]

Tbh, don't see much of a difference between Nelson and "seniors". If seniors and the manager are incompetent to make anything work in the attack, why would I care if Nelson or any youngster has a bad game?
It's actually the youngster (Saka) who is the only player at our club willing to create something in the attack.
We've had the same debates last year when everybody wanted an experienced CB, but we see now that Gabriel, even at a young age, can dominate the game.

The obsession with experience needs to stop

It’s not me it’s Mikel

I personally don’t really care who starts, you’d think our kids could brush these guys but we’re a nervous bunch so you never know.

 

[Rex Stone]

Elneny at CB is definitely a shout. I wouldn't bother with either of Xhaka/Ceballos. Get Azeez in there.

Is Azeez ready? What’s he like as a midfielder?

 

[mazinarsenal1988]

Any explanation why we didn't sign Saliba for EL?

 

[Tourbillion]

Is Azeez ready? What’s he like as a midfielder?

World class.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Any explanation why we didn't sign Saliba for EL?

No explanation so far but seem we were ready to loan him out

 

[Kav]

No explanation so far but seem we were ready to loan him out

I don't think he can be loaned out until January window opens. Would be good for him to get consistent game time to develop.

It would be really funny if we lost this match. I would just laugh.

Well Arteta did not register Saliba for the Europa league for some reason.

So with Luiz and Holding out, we can't even rest Gabriel.

Yet he included Mari, Mustafi and Chambers. 2 of which are still injured and Mustafi himself coming off an injury. The sad part is that you have idiots on here defending him for that decision.

 

[Maybe]

Is Azeez ready? What’s he like as a midfielder?

He struggled so far to be a regular for u23, although he looks to be the best player in that group when he plays. No way he's gonna play this season for the first team

 

[RunTheTrap]

He struggled so far to be a regular for u23, although he looks to be the best player in that group when he plays. No way he's gonna play this season for the first team

I think he’s looked great whenever he’s featured in the u23s in recent months. For whatever reason, Bould doesn’t fully trust Azeez yet. He prefers Akinola for some reason.

 

[Rasmi]

I hope for the sanity of the fans we score some 50 pass team goals starting from GK to striker, so they can stfu and stop crying.

I expect a strong/senior squad until we have group stages sewn up, so sorry to all those hoping to see Nelson and those other kids.

Hoping for Elneny, Pepe and Eddie starts.

Scoring 50 against these amateurs won’t change anything if next pl game we are back to the same level. Arteta won’t get judged on what he does vs Dundalk. I also think he is feeling the pressure and plays very strong team here and use fatigue vs United if we lose that game. If he doesn’t think his b team can beat this team then we are in serious trouble

 

[MutableEarth]

Is Azeez ready? What’s he like as a midfielder?

He's not really ready in the way that a Fabregas or even a Guendouzi was. Guendouzi had flaws but he was a dominant personality.

Azeez, both physically and technically, can play in this team now, but he doesn't quite have the intensity for first team football yet and hasn't quite learned to use his considerable control to the effect that a player of his talent ought to. That said, he's improved considerably in this regard in a short space of time, and the only reason he hasn't played for the u23s more is because Steve Bould is having a mare this season and preferred the more experienced Olayinka and Akinola over him (both are older than Azeez). The former went on loan, freeing up space for Azeez to start lately and he's been one of the better performers in an overall underperforming team.

As a player, he's a pretty dynamic midfielder who can play as an 10, 8 or 6. I think he's best as an 8 right now, the club want to develop him as a 6 which would be a natural progression for him. He's a perfect technician - great passer, dribbler, amazing first touch and a ball progressing machine, good athlete aswell and can intercept the ball quite well. Doesn't win enough duels though and every now and then gets Maitland-Niles Syndrome (i.e. so much talent that they just get sloppy out of pure carelessness). At full intensity, he could control games if he wanted to.

 

[RunTheTrap]

He's not really ready in the way that a Fabregas or even a Guendouzi was. Guendouzi had flaws but he was a dominant personality.

Azeez, both physically and technically, can play in this team now, but he doesn't quite have the intensity for first team football yet and hasn't quite learned to use his considerable control to the effect that a player of his talent ought to. That said, he's improved considerably in this regard in a short space of time, and the only reason he hasn't played for the u23s more is because Steve Bould is having a mare this season and preferred the more experienced Olayinka and Akinola over him (both are older than Azeez). The former went on loan, freeing up space for Azeez to start lately and he's been one of the better performers in an overall underperforming team.

As a player, he's a pretty dynamic midfielder who can play as an 10, 8 or 6. I think he's best as an 8 right now, the club want to develop him as a 6 which would be a natural progression for him. He's a perfect technician - great passer, dribbler, amazing first touch and a ball progressing machine, good athlete aswell and can intercept the ball quite well. Doesn't win enough duels though and every now and then gets Maitland-Niles Syndrome (i.e. so much talent that they just get sloppy out of pure carelessness). At full intensity, he could control games if he wanted to.

Thank you. I think the club has enough 6’s though. Partey, Xhaka and Elneny for the first team and then you have Patino and Smith who could possibly break through therefore I would personally like to see him develop as an 8 but his favourite player is Busquets and Per has already said he’s going to be a 6. How good is he defensively? I saw that he gave away a penalty against United in our draw against them recently.

 

[Trilly]

Unfortunately I’ll be able to watch this. Usually miss our Thursday games ffs.

 

[NieThePiet]

Leno - Bellerin, Mustafi, Gabriel, Tierney - Xhaka, Ceballos, Partey - Saka, Laca, Auba

Everything else would be a surprise. Need the best 11 to beat Dundalk.

 

[MutableEarth]

Thank you. I think the club has enough 6’s though. Partey, Xhaka and Elneny for the first team and then you have Patino and Smith who could possibly break through therefore I would personally like to see him develop as an 8 but his favourite player is Busquets and Per has already said he’s going to be a 6. How good is he defensively? I saw that he gave away a penalty against United in our draw against them recently.

I like him as an #8 too, makes really good runs which is an underrated feature of his game. He's pretty good defensively when he's switched on and makes good interceptions like Matt Smith but he doesn't go into duels with the kind of conviction you'd like. Azeez appears to indicate that he prefers being an #8 because he likes to score/assist and he's got a really clean, beautiful strike on him so I can see him scoring goals as an #8.

 

[dka1]

The obsession with experience needs to stop

A - ****ing - men.

Arteta knew what he signed up to and nurturing our youth is a big part of it.

I'd argue that as a club that is severely short on resources in comparison to the competition it is an essential part of trying to gain an advantage.

I'll give the players the time IF I see potential AND I see a style of play and plan that will bear fruition in the future.