Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 2019/2020 Performances

[Maybe]

That's all great, but I don't think he will get many chances as a midfielder unless we sell a couple of them. Currently it's Xhaka in this B2B role (or whatever he plays) and him being Emerys favourite will make things harder for AMN to even get a chance

 

[Ricardinho]

What are you getting at?

That they're lookalikes?

 

[Oxeki]

I keep hearing some people saying we should play him in midfield. This guy misplaces simple passes on the wing when he has acres of space. imagine him in the middle when he doesn't have time and space on the ball, Some of you will be begging Elneny to come back.

 

[TakeChillPill]

Agreed. Here’s his perspective on that.


We should’ve signed another RB a long time ago

Playing as a CM requires you to be extremely versatile. It is also one of the toughest positions to play in as it requires so many qualities: Stamina, defensive inteliigence, good technique, good passing, general game intelligence. In that regard RB is an easier position.

AMN has been exposed so many times at RB it's not even funny. Most of the times he's been exposed it's been due to his own errors. Miss placing simple passes (if he did that in CM he would be castigated), having poor touches of the ball which leads to losing the ball, making poor decisions when it comes to passing and tackling. Losing concentration consistantly.

He's shown very little that warrants him playing in CM from the games that he's played. I'm confident is Willock covered at RB he would do a solid job compared to AMN.

Also he seems mentality weak. At best I can see him playing for a low level EPL team or top level Championship side, maybe even at midtable bundesliga team at CM. As far as I'm concerned he doesnt have a long term future at the club and we should try to move him on at some profit at the season.

 

[Ewarwoowar]

Regarding Ainsley's tackle vs Villa- Just watching the game between Sheffield vs Liverpool and a Shef' player stooped to head the ball as Mane lunged for the ball, he missed but luckily only grazed the Shef' player. The ref gives free kick to Shef but, no yellow for Mane, which I thought should be automatic but the co-commentator is adamant it was unjust to Mane.

Now to me the Shef player was always getting the ball first, it is borderline whether there is intent but if you are risking injuring to some ones head surely that has to rank worse than AMNs and the fact he did in factget the ball.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Playing as a CM requires you to be extremely versatile. It is also one of the toughest positions to play in as it requires so many qualities: Stamina, defensive inteliigence, good technique, good passing, general game intelligence. In that regard RB is an easier position.

AMN has been exposed so many times at RB it's not even funny. Most of the times he's been exposed it's been due to his own errors. Miss placing simple passes (if he did that in CM he would be castigated), having poor touches of the ball which leads to losing the ball, making poor decisions when it comes to passing and tackling. Losing concentration consistantly.

He's shown very little that warrants him playing in CM from the games that he's played. I'm confident is Willock covered at RB he would do a solid job compared to AMN.

Also he seems mentality weak. At best I can see him playing for a low level EPL team or top level Championship side, maybe even at midtable bundesliga team at CM. As far as I'm concerned he doesnt have a long term future at the club and we should try to move him on at some profit at the season.

I don't agree with that at all. Name central midfielders that look competent at full back. Delph is a competent midfielder not known for giving the ball away in midfield yet at left back he is a complete liablity.

Then take one of the best right backs on history in Lahmn who was asked to play central midfield and struggled.

Just because AMN struggles at full back, it doesn't mean he is the same liability in midfield. In fact every midfield performance shows the complete opposite of that. When on the pitch playing right back he looks the most comfortable when he ventures infield and he always looked more comfortable playing left back as he came infield.

Playing on the side of your dominant foot requires a completely different game. It is rare that players are comfortable wide on their dominant foot and also central. It requires a different body shape in receiving the ball.

 

[Vinci]

He's just an average player, no matter where he plays. Much prefer Chambers at right-back.

 

[Trilly]

Then take one of the best right backs on history in Lahmn who was asked to play central midfield and struggled.

No he didn’t ?

 

[<<reed>>]

I don't agree with that at all. Name central midfielders that look competent at full back. Delph is a competent midfielder not known for giving the ball away in midfield yet at left back he is a complete liablity.

Then take one of the best right backs on history in Lahmn who was asked to play central midfield and struggled.

Lahm, Kimmich, Alaba, Zinchenko, all of them can/could do a job as a CM.
Lahm didn't struggle in midfield, he was just too good as a RB and Bayern had even better midfielders.
Right now AMN is just a pace merchant with good crosses.

 

[Symbia]

I don't agree with that at all. Name central midfielders that look competent at full back. Delph is a competent midfielder not known for giving the ball away in midfield yet at left back he is a complete liablity.

Then take one of the best right backs on history in Lahmn who was asked to play central midfield and struggled.

Just because AMN struggles at full back, it doesn't mean he is the same liability in midfield. In fact every midfield performance shows the complete opposite of that. When on the pitch playing right back he looks the most comfortable when he ventures infield and he always looked more comfortable playing left back as he came infield.

Playing on the side of your dominant foot requires a completely different game. It is rare that players are comfortable wide on their dominant foot and also central. It requires a different body shape in receiving the ball.

Ramsey was very competent as a full back.

 

[Trilly]

Ramsey was very competent as a full back.

Playmaker just lies sometimes to suit his argument.

Earlier this season he was using the benching of Ceballos to criticise Emery saying that Dani was having ‘constant man of the match performances’. He’d barely played 180 mins for us at this point.

 

[celestis]

Ramsey was very competent as a full back.

Yeah and Flamini was part of a defence that recorded a record number of clean sheet in the CL . Lauren was a mid before he became a right back .

 

[Oxeki]

I don't agree with that at all. Name central midfielders that look competent at full back. Delph is a competent midfielder not known for giving the ball away in midfield yet at left back he is a complete liablity.

Then take one of the best right backs on history in Lahmn who was asked to play central midfield and struggled.

Just because AMN struggles at full back, it doesn't mean he is the same liability in midfield. In fact every midfield performance shows the complete opposite of that. When on the pitch playing right back he looks the most comfortable when he ventures infield and he always looked more comfortable playing left back as he came infield.

Playing on the side of your dominant foot requires a completely different game. It is rare that players are comfortable wide on their dominant foot and also central. It requires a different body shape in receiving the ball.

Stop lying bro. Lahm didn't struggle in midfield. Infact at the time he was arguably Bayern's best player while playing in midfield. I remember him putting out elite Performances, Pep even called him the most intelligent player he's managed. Kimmich for the past 2 years has been one of the best RB in the world. He looks world class in midfield too. I'm sick of this excuses.

Most of the mistakes AMN makes are unforced. Imagine him in the middle of the park being pressed relentlessly for 90 mins. he'll make Xhaka look like Xavi.
Sergi Roberto looks both class both in RB and in midfield.


I'm not saying he's garbage. But he's not good enough to start for us in midfield. Playing him and xhaka in the same midfield is just pure banter

 

[Kav]

Yes AMN makes mistakes and he should be held accountable for them.

However some of you lot are so biased it's not even funny.

If Lacazette had been asked to play RB for the last 2 years and gave crap performances many of you would defend him and say oh no he's not a RB. Play him up top instead. Well it's the same with AMN.

He learned his game in midfield so he should be played there or let go to another team if he's deemed surplus to requirements.

Damn biased lot this set

 

[lazyfreak]

Yes AMN makes mistakes and he should be held accountable for them.

However some of you lot are so biased it's not even funny.

If Lacazette had been asked to play RB for the last 2 years and gave crap performances many of you would defend him and say oh no he's not a RB. Play him up top instead. Well it's the same with AMN.

He learned his game in midfield so he should be played there or let go to another team if he's deemed surplus to requirements.

Damn biased lot this set

Your example of Lacazette is just weird to put it mildly. When was the last time a CF at any club had to fill in at at any position in the back especially for a lengthy period? I can't!

You say he "learned his game in midfield". If you're referring to CM then that's false. He was a winger (mainly on the right) before being converted to a CM around 17 or so. Yet at that time he still considered the wing to be his "natural position".

 

[TakeChillPill]

Yeah and Flamini was part of a defence that recorded a record number of clean sheet in the CL . Lauren was a mid before he became a right back .

Proves my point. He should fair well or at least competently at RB. he has the most important physical attribute which is pace, which at RB is the most likely to be exposed (if he was lacking it).

So in theory any half decent CM with a bit of pace should be more than comfortable playing at RB....it's simply an easier position.

Flamini and Lauren as you've mentioned, , there's also Essien.... Petit was too good for LB hence moved to a more important position in CM.

For me AMN....mentally and technically isnt good enough for arsenal, he hasn't progressed in a position which he's been playing for almost 3/4 a season. HIs short comings haven't been due to his lack of understanding of the position, rather his poor, touch, passing, technique.

 

[Kav]

Your example of Lacazette is just weird to put it mildly. When was the last time a CF at any club had to fill in at at any position in the back especially for a lengthy period? I can't!

You say he "learned his game in midfield". If you're referring to CM then that's false. He was a winger (mainly on the right) before being converted to a CM around 17 or so. Yet at that time he still considered the wing to be his "natural position".

Note I said midfield not CM. Don't infer or presume I'm saying CM. I would have stated so otherwise.

Secondly not because one is a good winger means they will be a good defender. It does not transpose.

Thirdly to the posters citing a few Cm's who've played RB or converted to that position - the general consensus is that Midfielders don't make great defenders. There is an art to defending and the player needs to have the requisite skill and talent to be able to play that role. If a player is versatile them they will adopt but it doesn't mean they will be good at it.

AMN is a victim of his versatility. He's not a good defender. However I have not seen enough of him playing in midfield (whether centrally or on the wing ) to determine if he sucks at that as well.

All I'm saying is you don't judge a DM by his ability to create chance for his team. So why are we judging a midfielder for his lack of defending nous. The blame rather lies with management for not going out and getting a good back up to Bellerin.

 

[Iceman10]

AMN is not a disaster and is not finished at Arsenal. Even if he can't be backup RB he should be given a chance in CM. That chance might not come around much this season, but if over the next two transfer windows we offload Xhaka and Torreira for a quality holding midfielder and hopefully securing Ceballos on a permanent there will still be room for AMN, at least as a utility/rotation option.

We're in transition with our full-backs right now, and it is not all on AMN, it is a tough test when there is little help from elsewhere on the pitch, esp. if there is potential for him to be isolated a lot in two on one situations. If we're going to have more attacking full-backs, even with Bellerin and Tierney, and the inside forwards are not going to track back much, the importance of additional defensive support from CM is important. As with a number of marginal situations, some of this is on the player, some on the manager (getting the most from what he has now), and some on transition of club from pre-Emery still ongoing.

 

[Garrincha]

Not convinced passing will be an issue at all in midfield. People forget he was mainly playing on the left side under Wenger 17/18 in the back 3 or 5 LWB / LM role. He looked far more comfortable as could open up body & had the wider range of passing available.

Hopefully he can take the lessons learnt from RB & really kick on in midfield. There could easily be a role there for him in a three. Emery really struggling to find the balance maybe its him behind a two.

Always mention this one match! But truly exceptional anchoring the midfield allowing Ox to go forward.

 

[Ciscoo]

I like him, but these performances have been inexcusable. He’s had a pretty golden opportunity to establish himself and you’d think a player with decent football IQ would adapt better. How will that translate at CM, when the tactical instructions get more complex? It’s worrying how none of his qualities really stand out at the moment.

With that said, it feels like Emery could help him out more. He’s being played as a poor mans Bellerin because, for some reason, we rely so much on our full backs to create. That clearly isn’t his game. Does Emery really have to be this tactically rigid?