Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 2019/2020 Performances

[BigPoppaPump]

He has the potential to be a great player but he just doesn't pay attention during games, he has some of the worst focus I've seen. Reminds me of Xhaka that it seems like neither pay attention when they make passes at tmes.

 

[lazyfreak]

I think people need to get over the idea that this guy is a midfielder (specifically CM), or at least he isn't anymore! It was only in Wenger's final season where he got any form of regular minutes, albeit mainly against low level opposition and filling in at both midfielder and fullback positions... basically a utility player and that's pretty much where him being a midfielder ends.

Emery comes in, he buys Guendouzi and Torreira while Maitland-Niles only fills in at RB/RWB. Never considered as a CM. Now in Emery's second season, Willock gets promoted and brings in another CM, albeit only on loan. He also doesn't bring in a RB despite Bellerin's long term injury. There's even talk, even if it's just among the fans that Smith-Rowe is potentially a future CM. Even if we don't keep Ceballos, we'll probably bring in another CM.

Now Maitland-Niles is the only recognizable RB we have while Bellerin is still recovering. Therefore he either makes the RB spot his own or he finds a new club. There's no two ways about it anymore really. No more excuses about him not being a RB whether he plays like $h!t or not!

 

[Dennis_Bergkamp_10]

He's not good enough at RB. Plain and simple.

 

[lazyfreak]

He's not good enough at RB. Plain and simple.

Then we need to sell. He's not gonna be playing in midfield even if you rate him as one. Plain and simple.

 

[grange]

Last 4 posts are pure cancer. Why can't he do a similar role as John Obi Mikel? Play in the middle as a sub and lock it down defensively? Plus, he's versatile enough to fill in as a wing back when needed. He's getting more confident and has been looking better at RB lately.

Why would we sell this guy? Insanity.

 

[Trilly]

I think people need to get over the idea that this guy is a midfielder (specifically CM), or at least he isn't anymore! It was only in Wenger's final season where he got any form of regular minutes, albeit mainly against low level opposition and filling in at both midfielder and fullback positions... basically a utility player and that's pretty much where him being a midfielder ends.

Emery comes in, he buys Guendouzi and Torreira while Maitland-Niles only fills in at RB/RWB. Never considered as a CM. Now in Emery's second season, Willock gets promoted and brings in another CM, albeit only on loan. He also doesn't bring in a RB despite Bellerin's long term injury. There's even talk, even if it's just among the fans that Smith-Rowe is potentially a future CM. Even if we don't keep Ceballos, we'll probably bring in another CM.

Now Maitland-Niles is the only recognizable RB we have while Bellerin is still recovering. Therefore he either makes the RB spot his own or he finds a new club. There's no two ways about it anymore really. No more excuses about him not being a RB whether he plays like $h!t or not!

Are you related to @bojed ?

 

[lazyfreak]

Last 4 posts are pure cancer. Why can't he do a similar role as John Obi Mikel? Play in the middle as a sub and lock it down defensively? Plus, he's versatile enough to fill in as a wing back when needed. He's getting more confident and has been looking better at RB lately.

Why would we sell this guy? Insanity.

The only thing that's cancerous here is the notion that he's still a midfielder. Pretty much every match day when his mistakes and weaknesses are being discussed it's always, "he's not a RB" or "he's still unfamiliar with the role" etc. that gets bandied around. From there they mention that he should be playing in midfield where he'll supposedly be "class". It's gotten tiresome already. People need to accept that he's a RB now. Either he improves and makes it his own or he should be sold.

Mind you, the guy use to be a winger before Wenger thought it'd be a supposedly good idea to convert him to what was suppose to be a DLP! Playing RB shouldn't be that big of an adjustment. Look no further than Bellerin, RW -> RB!

Can he do a similar role like Mikel? Absolutely he can. But the real question is, will he be given an opportunity to do so? The most obvious answer is a big no! There's also question marks if he's even good enough to do so as well.

Are you related to @bojed ?

Nope. My avatar is just a pisstake.

 

[Jury]

I think people need to get over the idea that this guy is a midfielder (specifically CM), or at least he isn't anymore! It was only in Wenger's final season where he got any form of regular minutes, albeit mainly against low level opposition and filling in at both midfielder and fullback positions... basically a utility player and that's pretty much where him being a midfielder ends.

Emery comes in, he buys Guendouzi and Torreira while Maitland-Niles only fills in at RB/RWB. Never considered as a CM. Now in Emery's second season, Willock gets promoted and brings in another CM, albeit only on loan. He also doesn't bring in a RB despite Bellerin's long term injury. There's even talk, even if it's just among the fans that Smith-Rowe is potentially a future CM. Even if we don't keep Ceballos, we'll probably bring in another CM.

Now Maitland-Niles is the only recognizable RB we have while Bellerin is still recovering. Therefore he either makes the RB spot his own or he finds a new club. There's no two ways about it anymore really. No more excuses about him not being a RB whether he plays like $h!t or not!

He's a midfielder ffs. That he may or may not be good enough to hold down a position in our midfield, is irrelevant; that's the position he was playing before he was asked to fill in for Bellerin. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. The facts trample all over it. He's a midfielder, plain and simple.

If your argument is that he'll most probably never get his chance in MF when Bellerin's back, so we should maybe think about selling him, then you might have a point, but then where's our RB cover gone? Fact remains he's a midfielder playing RB.

 

[Arsenal1508]

It is absolutely criminal that he doesn't try to nullify his defensive deficiencies by utilizing his attacking strengths.

He has to play like Dani Alves. When he goes forward, he needs to start shooting for goal . Ensure wing backs don't bomb forward by pegging them back. I wish he was smarter to realizie this...ffs he was a winger for the youth team. Surely he hasn't forgotten how to strike a ball.

 

[Rex Stone]

He has the potential to be a great player but he just doesn't pay attention during games, he has some of the worst focus I've seen. Reminds me of Xhaka that it seems like neither pay attention when they make passes at tmes.

Thought his passing and possession was his best aspect yesterday. Didn’t make the wrong decision very often at all.

 

[Impact]

Think he has more tools than Torreira and think he'd be a better partner for Guendouzi and Willock than Xhaka tbh.

Remains to be seen if Emery/Edu rate him enough as a midfielder.

If not, they should be clear with him about playing at right-back. Part of his slowness to adapt is due to the fact he just doesn't see himself as a defender.

 

[Kingofthebongo]

Then we need to sell. He's not gonna be playing in midfield even if you rate him as one. Plain and simple.

We can either sell for decent money or keep him as a utility player ala El Neny, if he is happy to be that, as he is not a horrible version of that.
2nd string RB/RWB and emergency CDM/CM/defensive RW.

 

[Big Poppa]

It is absolutely criminal that he doesn't try to nullify his defensive deficiencies by utilizing his attacking strengths.

He has to play like Dani Alves. When he goes forward, he needs to start shooting for goal . Ensure wing backs don't bomb forward by pegging them back. I wish he was smarter to realizie this...ffs he was a winger for the youth team. Surely he hasn't forgotten how to strike a ball.

This is one of the weirdest posts I've ever read. You don't nullify anything by doing that, you just avoid the problem.

We don't need another Eboue and we have more than enough firepower in attack. He needs to learn both sides of the game but his first job is to learn how to defend.

 

[Big Poppa]

He's a midfielder ffs. That he may or may not be good enough to hold down a position in our midfield, is irrelevant; that's the position he was playing before he was asked to fill in for Bellerin. Your opinion means nothing on the subject. The facts trample all over it. He's a midfielder, plain and simple.

If your argument is that he'll most probably never get his chance in MF when Bellerin's back, so we should maybe think about selling him, then you might have a point, but then where's our RB cover gone? Fact remains he's a midfielder playing RB.

Yeah don't know what lazyfreak is on about.

AMN only ended up filling in for Bellerin because Lichsteiner was ****. He'd only ever played in midfield before that, and at RB in emergencies.

I'd have given my left nut for Meunier, Samedo or Perreira during the summer window.

 

[Garrincha]

I think people need to get over the idea that this guy is a midfielder (specifically CM), or at least he isn't anymore! It was only in Wenger's final season where he got any form of regular minutes, albeit mainly against low level opposition and filling in at both midfielder and fullback positions... basically a utility player and that's pretty much where him being a midfielder ends.

Emery comes in, he buys Guendouzi and Torreira while Maitland-Niles only fills in at RB/RWB. Never considered as a CM. Now in Emery's second season, Willock gets promoted and brings in another CM, albeit only on loan. He also doesn't bring in a RB despite Bellerin's long term injury. There's even talk, even if it's just among the fans that Smith-Rowe is potentially a future CM. Even if we don't keep Ceballos, we'll probably bring in another CM.

Now Maitland-Niles is the only recognizable RB we have while Bellerin is still recovering. Therefore he either makes the RB spot his own or he finds a new club. There's no two ways about it anymore really. No more excuses about him not being a RB whether he plays like $h!t or not!

 

[kraphtous]

And when asked about his future, he continued, “I like to think of myself as a winger at 25 years old, starting every week for Arsenal, scoring and assisting goals.

“I don’t feel like I’m there. I’m still young and I have a lot of learning to do.”

It doesn’t seem like he knows what he wants yet.

 

[bojed]

Are you related to @bojed ?

Piss off mate

 

[SingmeasongSong]

Think it's premature to say either now, that he isn't going to play CM here any time or will be a first team regular in general.

All I can see is a player that has everything in his locker to be worldclass with only his mind stopping him once in a while. He isn't a lesser player than any of our other talents and is perfectly suited for a CM role as well as unplayable as a RB at times and then again poor on other days.

But that tells you all we can know for now and none of us except himself decides, if he's going to have the progress and the mindset to transform into the player he could ultimately be for us. There's a worldclass player in there, but there's also a very mediocre version of him that might show up for most of his career.

 

[Trilly]

Piss off mate

Just your zombified alter-ego then. My bad, easy mistake to make.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

I don't know with him he was good in NLD but really bad today gave Delafeou everything he wanted too many wrong passes and moments when he didn't care