Ainsley Maitland-Niles: Yutility

[MutableEarth]

Ideally AMN shifts centrally to take Coquelin's spot, Da Silva takes the wingback spot, and Bielik takes Elneny's CB spot. The senior players haven't been earning their spots, and it's time for more yougnsters to have a go. I haven't even gotten to bloody Walcott either...

Precisely. Dasilva has impressed there this season despite also being a central midfielder, and is actually left footed. Nelson is also not a "crossing" winger, he's better at playing intricate passes in the final 3rd. Would be a mistake to try to make him a traditional RW so RWB doesn't really help him there either.

Still don’t see why it’s such a disaster that this teenager isn’t playing his preferred role

This tends to happen in bigger clubs and believe me, he is ecstatic just to be out there with the senior team.

As great as he is as well, I haven’t seen anything that separates him from all the great youth that have come and gone. Injuries aside, the cream always rises to the top, if he’s gonna make it then he’s gonna make it.

It's less to do with them playing out of position which isn't ideal anyway, but the fact that they're being played out of position to accommodate senior players in their preferred positions who are not playing well at all and are unlikely to improve any time soon.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

I'm all for Nelson and Maitland-Niles getting game time, but there has to come time where they get time in their preferred positions. Nelson is not a full back, he is one of the most talented attacking player in the country.

Maitland-Niles has been doing some recovery from what I would call a dreadful pre-season. For me I think he is getting there and adapting well. But there must make his head spin when Wenger tells in interview that Elneny, Coquelin and more midfielders needs to be on look out because Maitland-Niles is close. Coquelin has now started two games for our "b-squad" and playing like 3rd division player. When is enough and enough, and Maitland gets his apparently "close" chance of playing in midfield?

 

[GunnerBP]

I'm all for Nelson and Maitland-Niles getting game time, but there has to come time where they get time in their preferred positions. Nelson is not a full back, he is one of the most talented attacking player in the country.

Maitland-Niles has been doing some recovery from what I would call a dreadful pre-season. For me I think he is getting there and adapting well. But there must make his head spin when Wenger tells in interview that Elneny, Coquelin and more midfielders needs to be on look out because Maitland-Niles is close. Coquelin has now started two games for our "b-squad" and playing like 3rd division player. When is enough and enough, and Maitland gets his apparently "close" chance of playing in midfield?

I think it is pretty clear that Wenger is using the first half of the season as an opportunity to give these players minutes in the first team that they normally wouldn't get.

Also, the Europa League and League Cup give players like Giroud and Walcott chances to prove if they deserve minutes in the first team.

By the second half of the season, our matches are going to be more intense. FA Cup, knockout round of Europa League, and Premier League. Wenger won't be able to have an A and a B squad in the second half, and the squad players that earn first team chances based on performance will get chances.

AMN, Willock, Nelson, Nketiah still have some valuable League Cup matches too. If we make it to the semis or final of that competition, and these kids have a decisive impact then they are definitely ready.

I think all of them are developing nicely this season.

AMN will eventually get some minutes at CM, but I don't think he needs that right now. When he plays you see the talent, but you also see he loses focus and it is better that he works that out on the flanks.

 

[krengon]

Play too many young players and we'll get battered even in the Europa league, most of them are not ready for that level and way too raw atm. Playing the fringe senior players with a few younger players is the right approach.

 

[Macho]

It sounds silly but I’m actually sick to death of developing these sh*tty English youth in Prem and CL (when we had it)

Hearing them play out of position in cup games is actually music to my ears.

They will come into the team, start off good then eventually lose hunger whilst their salary goes up. Only to dump them when it clear they aren’t pressing on or crocked cause they’ve been getting clattered by grown men who know Arsenal “lack cojones” as it is.

Unless they are Fabregas levels (who may I add played out wide often in his teens) I actually don’t want to know. At all. They should take what they are given, thank the lord and force Wenger to reassess how and where he should play them. Let them go out on loan and muck about on someone else’s dime - or wait until they are good and old enough to play. Maybe this season, maybe not. In any case keep doing your thing Wenger.

 

[hydrofluoric acid]

Play too many young players and we'll get battered even in the Europa league, most of them are not ready for that level and way too raw atm. Playing the fringe senior players with a few younger players is the right approach.

Yes. I mean the players learn probably a lot from playing with some like Mertesacker, old and experienced head. Or Debuchy who is giving it all, even at this level. Just feels like Walcott and Giroud consider it beneath them playing with kids in b-competitions.

 

[yybecause]

Fantastic first half

 

[kraphtous]

He is absolutely dreadful as a LWB (as you would expect a young CM to be). Wenger really needs to drop Elneny once and for all and give this kid a chance. But then this is Wenger in 2017, a coward who is afraid to drop older members of the squad for youngsters.

 

[MutableEarth]

He had a very solid game today. He struggled with end product IMO but while he has a decent left foot, he's not gonna create much with it considering he's mainly a right footed player.

He needs to play in midfield now, this LWB **** has gone on long enough, and even though he was impressive today, it was galling to see him out wide while Coquelin and Elneny were providing nothing in midfield.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Our best player today always welcome a player that can play in 2 or more position

 

[MutableEarth]

 

[Jasard]

He's getting a good share of minutes but id say its quickly getting to the point where if he doesn't play in his actual position it will destroy his chances. We've seen it time and again.

 

[rich 1990]

Still don't see it.

 

[Mark Tobias]

Still don't see it.

Also can't see the hype. Good but not great.

 

[samshere]

Still don't see it.

Also can't see the hype. Good but not great.

You'll start seeing it when he starts playing in his natural position. You shouldn't judge a youngster playing in an unfamiliar role. He's done enough to show that he warrants a place in the mf ahead of El Neny.

 

[Mark Tobias]

You'll start seeing it when he starts playing in his natural position. You shouldn't judge a youngster playing in an unfamiliar role. He's done enough to show that he warrants a place in the mf ahead of El Neny.

Absolutely agree with that. Especially the bit about Elnothing.

 

[Trilly]

He had a very solid game today. He struggled with end product IMO but while he has a decent left foot, he's not gonna create much with it considering he's mainly a right footed player.

He needs to play in midfield now, this LWB **** has gone on long enough, and even though he was impressive today, it was galling to see him out wide while Coquelin and Elneny were providing nothing in midfield.

I'm just waiting for a season where I can say "You know what, I'm happy with how Wenger has handled things this season".

We haven't got enough depth in defence but have too many squaddies in midfield and attack. Prospects who deserve game time are being played out of position and I think Wenger is just using this play out of psoition excuse to cover for his poor squad management.

 

[dashsnow17]

'Tis mighty frustrating this, for the first time almost too much squad depth?

Coq & Elneny are blocking AMN & Willock, while Walcott is blocking Nelson.

It's not the end of the world, they're all still young. But Coq/Elneny/Theo need to be moved on asap for the youngsters to have a chance to come through.

 

[yybecause]

Good managment by the Boss to constantly give youngsters chances this season. Just look at the game Niles had last night away from home, in a **** turf against team that went all in, supposedly. Compare that to his first two games this season...
Nelson, 17 year old, has good minutes for the first team behind him and its still November. Joe Willock, barely had any u23 football last season and here he is, playing Europe games (not yesterday).

Now I understand hate people have for Elneny and Coq, and boss himself, and I also get it that we live in a inpatient society, but Wenger is doing this right, like it or not. Youngsters are well managed this season, unlike previous where we didnt have chances to rotate them, be patient, ho through the learning curve of young players.
I would recommend you all to read Bergkamp’s book about this too

 

[rich 1990]

You'll start seeing it when he starts playing in his natural position. You shouldn't judge a youngster playing in an unfamiliar role. He's done enough to show that he warrants a place in the mf ahead of El Neny.

I could start ahead of El Neny.

I appreciate he's out of position but there's still nothing in him that stands out to me. Nelson's a different matter.