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Ainsley Maitland-Niles: Marching On To The Saints

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Deleted member 102404

Guest
Dude didn’t play football for a year and a half before joining them. The Roma move was a poor one.
He had months to prove himself at Roma.

TBH not sure why you even had to bring up Arteta. This was AMNs chance and he didn’t take it.
 

lomekian

Essays are my thing
Yeah, much as I love Ainsley and had very high hoped for him (and think he should have had more opportunities in midfield), the problem is between his ears. Not implying any problem of attitude, but he's always struggled remaining fully mentally engaged for 90 mins. Like Pepe (though it manifests itself differently), in almost every game he just has spells where his intensity drops off to a dangerous degree. I think had he more chances in CM it would have helped - easier to get away with out wide, but if he can't sharpen up mentally, he's going to end up wasting his talent and otherwise hard work.

He was poor at Roma more often than not - would do something good and then totally switch off. Guy needs a mental reset in a big way
 

Dokaka

AM's resident Hammer
I don't think anyone 'ruined' this guy, he's just not very good.

Has good physical attributes but is average technically and seems to have issues with both motivation and concentration.

It's a shame, think he'd be a genuine quality squad player for many high level clubs if he just accepted that role and worked hard. He's very versatile but his head seems far removed from his actual ability. He's clearly good enough on a technical level to play for a good team, there's just something mentally holding him back.
 

The_Playmaker

Established Member
Trusted ⭐
It would be nice to see AMN go to a team that doesn't insist on making him a RB.

I know you prefer AMN in midfield and you would rather see him move to a club where he can get more game time there.

However there has to come a point in his career where he looks at where he achieves success. He got his England caps based on his ability to play wing back.

Football is changing. More substations and higher physical demands mean fullbacks won't play every game in the season. It also means that the games call for different scenarios. Players to shut games down. Players to end games.

For all of AMNs lack of concentration in possession and as much as he has the ability to play Central midfield, I don't think his ability to play in midfield surpasses how good he is 1v1 vs a top class winger. I think that skill is more valuable.

I think Arteta used it while he was here and he still needs it in big games vs big players who keep AMNs mind engaged. Give him dead time where we are in control and he loses concentration. Give him. World class winger to deal with and he is focused.

Isn't it time he grew up? 2 failed loans. One at CM where the manager said to play anywhere for Arsenal. The other where he got no game time and still played fullback.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
I know you prefer AMN in midfield and you would rather see him move to a club where he can get more game time there.

However there has to come a point in his career where he looks at where he achieves success. He got his England caps based on his ability to play wing back.

Football is changing. More substations and higher physical demands mean fullbacks won't play every game in the season. It also means that the games call for different scenarios. Players to shut games down. Players to end games.

For all of AMNs lack of concentration in possession and as much as he has the ability to play Central midfield, I don't think his ability to play in midfield surpasses how good he is 1v1 vs a top class winger. I think that skill is more valuable.

I think Arteta used it while he was here and he still needs it in big games vs big players who keep AMNs mind engaged. Give him dead time where we are in control and he loses concentration. Give him. World class winger to deal with and he is focused.

Isn't it time he grew up? 2 failed loans. One at CM where the manager said to play anywhere for Arsenal. The other where he got no game time and still played fullback.
His 1v1 defending is about the only thing about him as a full-back that can be used as an advantage. Everything else he does there is exactly what happens when you put a midfielder there to play. He's not that good there, he's never been consistent as a full-back and he'd have been far better off if he just developed in midfield like he was supposed to. His career is already only a smidgen of what it could have been, and partly that's his fault for not applying himself fully but I also blame his managers for not moving him across the backline and never giving him the run of minutes in midfield when they had opportunities to do so and didn't. Just because they rate him more as a full back doesn't mean it's correct or that I should have to!

Wherever he goes next, I really hope for his sake it isn't to play RB. He'll never be as good as everyone thinks he is there, and it will only further mess up his career IMO.
 
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