Miguel Azeez Nuts

[DasBootist]

Concur wid @Wrighty4eva in that Azeez could be an internal solution as Partey's understudy, but he has fallen behind in his development thus far.

Hopefully he continues to improve on loan and comes back a player Arteta can depend upon

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Yeah, I have to agree with you @MutableEarth , that Azeez has a better passing technique than Patino. It's really quite good.

Another quality performance. Compare this with what you see from Maitland-Niles (okay, I didn't watch the match against West Ham, but the only highlights I saw he looked completely lost as a midfielder, as per). He's already a better midfielder for me.

 

[drippin]

Yeah, I have to agree with you @MutableEarth , that Azeez has a better passing technique than Patino. It's really quite good.

Another quality performance. Compare this with what you see from Maitland-Niles (okay, I didn't watch the match against West Ham, but the only highlights I saw he looked completely lost as a midfielder, as per). He's already a better midfielder for me.

Is Segunda Division League One level? Or half way between Championship & League One? Or?

 

[Rasmi]

Concur wid @Wrighty4eva in that Azeez could be an internal solution as Partey's understudy, but he has fallen behind in his development thus far.

Hopefully he continues to improve on loan and comes back a player Arteta can depend upon

He looks to be a lazy player. Bit like AMN and soft. As a 6 you have to be a fighter

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Is Segunda Division League One level? Or half way between Championship & League One? Or?

I don't think there's much difference between the Championship and Segunda. As with everything in England, there's a bit more environment in the stadiums, a bit more money and investment in the clubs and higher wages. We compensate with a higher tactical and technical level in the average player and average manager (though England is always improving in this respect). Probably something like the difference between the current level in the Premier and La Liga (which remains pretty minor, despite the massive economic gap).

All in all it's basically as good as a Championship loan, and better in some ways, given the type of tactical instruction he'll be getting, which is more beneficial for a club of our philosophy. It makes sense we chose a Segunda loan for Azeez and a Championship loan for Patino if you think about it, given that Azeez needed work tactically in the 5 position, and Patino needed work with the rhythm and physicality of top level football.

It's funny because I think even if you just compare these compilation videos you can really appreciate the difference in the styles between our leagues / cultures...in Patino's you see a lot of intensity, directness, physical duels and unorganised but intense pressing, and also a lot of space to be exploited if you play well. In Azeez's you see a lower rhythm than in Patino's, but more controlled spaces, and less pressing and physical intensity but more organisation.

If we can keep them both it would be nice if we could send them both to a first division La Liga side next season, as Patino looks like he still needs tactical and technical refinement and looks to be evolving very well physically. If they keep doing well maybe a lower table or promoted side will take a chance on their talent, even though it's typically pretty rare for us to give big minutes to young pivots. But if Azeez especially keeps producing mature displays like this I can see scouts of the lower table sides and future promoted sides betting on him.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

given that Azeez needed work tactically in the 5 position

Think it's worth mentioning that if you look at the top 5s in the big clubs in world football right now, 5 have been trained here in Spain (Busquets, Rodri, Fabinho, Thomas, and Casemiro), 1 in France (Tchouameni), and 1 in Germany (Kimmich, partly under Pep--tbh, I don't know if Kimmich is actually a top 5, I'm going off of reputation alone, and since he has been playing there they haven't done anything of note in CL). Jorginho arguably can be included here, which would make it 5 to 2 or 3.

In short, for developing a top level 5 tactically, this is certainly the place to do it. England certainly isn't. It's hard to think of a positional 5 from or developed in England ever, really. (I guess Scholes in his later career would be the closest thing...anyways, people like Xavi and in general here in Spain we rated him so highly for a reason.) Not enough appreciation in the footballing culture for intelligence and positional restraint, more appreciation for physicality than the more important aforementioned, and in no position is decision making and intelligence more important. So a loan here was an astute reading on Per and co.'s part (not sure if Arteta weighs in on these kind of things, I'd imagine given how obsessive and micro-managing he is, that yes, any player who has interested him from the academy in training will have had his input involved on these loans, and Azeez would certainly fall under that category having debuted under him and been involved often in first team training, and given his quality). Or to be fair they might just have realised their mistake after a couple of failed loans in England.

Worth remembering Azeez's debut, as I think some of us might have forgotten how special a talent he is, or come to discard him in our thoughts in favour of Patino. But tbh that little cameo was more impressive than anything Charlie showed for the first team. They're two very different players, but hard to say who is more talented...only question is what has happened with Azeez, if his application has been right between now and his debut, though that's all speculation.

Miguel Azeez produced a classy moment on his Arsenal debut vs Dundalk

Miguel Azeez produced a classy moment on his Arsenal debut vs Dundalk

www.givemesport.com

 

[lomekian]

Yeah, I have to agree with you @MutableEarth , that Azeez has a better passing technique than Patino. It's really quite good.

Another quality performance. Compare this with what you see from Maitland-Niles (okay, I didn't watch the match against West Ham, but the only highlights I saw he looked completely lost as a midfielder, as per). He's already a better midfielder for me.

The two are better at different kinds of passing. Patino is a wonderful tempo and control player. Azeez the better long passer. Both still need to add greater urgency, and neither are fantastic athletes (not terrible or anything, but not a real strength for either).

As for Ainsley - he's just lost, period. It's tragic seeing how much worse he is in central midfield than he was 4 or 5 years ago. His great weaknesses has always been consistency of technical focus and sustaining urgency, but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with his game technically and of course he's a brilliant athlete.

Inverted full back should have been a role he could excel in, but for some combination of reluctance, inconsistency of on pitch focus and application, he'll be lucky to make a top flight career now. To think the guy was an international not so long ago and was shutting down attacking players for fun.

Such a shame. Azeez and Patino not a patch on his physical gifts, and not really better than him technically, but Patino in particular has always had a better 'feel' for midfield in terms of control and decision making.

 

[AbouCuéllar]

The two are better at different kinds of passing. Patino is a wonderful tempo and control player. Azeez the better long passer. Both still need to add greater urgency, and neither are fantastic athletes (not terrible or anything, but not a real strength for either).

As for Ainsley - he's just lost, period. It's tragic seeing how much worse he is in central midfield than he was 4 or 5 years ago. His great weaknesses has always been consistency of technical focus and sustaining urgency, but there is nothing fundamentally wrong with his game technically and of course he's a brilliant athlete.

Inverted full back should have been a role he could excel in, but for some combination of reluctance, inconsistency of on pitch focus and application, he'll be lucky to make a top flight career now. To think the guy was an international not so long ago and was shutting down attacking players for fun.

Such a shame. Azeez and Patino not a patch on his physical gifts, and not really better than him technically, but Patino in particular has always had a better 'feel' for midfield in terms of control and decision making.

Defensive ability and physicality has always been Ainsley's strength. I read that he was as rapid as Auba when they did speed training. He best profiles as a defensive RB like Wan-Bissaka, or a ball-winning destroyer like Coquelin, but he just doesn't have the maturity or concentration levels for that, really.

Regarding the other points you know I've never really agreed with you on AMN. There is technical ability and then there is applied technical ability. AMN has the former but doesn't have the latter, and the latter is all the really matters. Tonnes of players have better technical ability than Busquets...not many have better applied technical ability. In terms of the things we care about associated to technical ability in real terms at the top level, press resistance / dribbling ability, passing range and weight of pass, quality of control...I'm not sure we've seen any of it.

I've never seen a midfielder in AMN. He just doesn't have the personality for it. His passing looks okay technically but it's not good neither in accuracy, range, nor decision making, which in short, means it's quite bad (this without making mention of his biggest weakness, the sense for opening himself up to receive a pass in the first place). We've hardly seen a game from AMN at premier league level where he looked like a viable option as a midfielder. There was one against Southampton--or Swansea?--, I think, in the FA Cup?, that we all liked but even Coquelin had games under Wenger under the right conditions with the right opponent, or at Valencia for that matter, where he looked like a baller. Doesn't mean much.

So naturally I don't see him as an inverted wing-back for us which is just as much a midfielder / playmaker / decision maker role as it is a defensive role, and it is becoming this way in basically all top sides (hence why AWB doesn't play for United).

Long story short: to use the old cliché, football is played with the brain not with the feet, if you have nice feet and great physical conditions but not the brain to go with it you are not interesting at all. That's why I'm interested so much in on-the-pitch personality @Trilly .

Ainsley's call-up probably was a bit of a curse in disguise for him. Made him think he was better than he actually was. Which is why I wanted us to sell him in that moment and take advantage of it, because his value was never going to be higher. The reality is the call-up meant nothing, it was based on defensive performances in a counter-attacking system where all he had to do was defend, which played into his strength, a very cool looking penalty in a pressure situation, and the reputation he had as a converted RB coming from the technical Arsenal academy, who was really a midfielder. But the reality is duping low level international managers like Southgate or Deschamps means nothing, they're as bright as a boat of contraband.

Re: Patino and Azeez I'm not so sure I agree. Azeez looks to me like he has a better weight of pass and passing range and technical consistency in his touch and passing, and from these two starts with Ibiza he looks to be controlling tempo nicely. For whatever reason he showed this more in his earlier days in the youths than his latter where he drifted and disappeared more (could easily just be level of motivation, especially after having come back from loans).

Patino looks more electric technically to me and more daring...Azeez's dribbles are to cooly evade pressers and continue moving possession, Patino's are for this reason sometimes but also often to eliminate and pass markers in midfield. Patino also looks like he likes direct passes between the lines, over the top or into channels, or switching play, but differing tactical instructions may be an important variable here.

From what I can see so far Azeez looks the better controller and tempo dictater, and Patino the more unpredictable and direct. Basically, as @MutableEarth said, an inferior version of Wilshere at this point in his development (doesn't mean Patino can't become the better player, though, Wilshere aside from injuries never matured tactically, but that also has a lot to do with manager, Patino has that advantage should he come into our team). But as noted potentially greatly differing tactical instructions and philosophies comes into play here big time, though the personality we're seeing from each is still revealing to a certain extent.

All in all Azeez looks the more refined player to me at this moment in time, which is normal considering he's older, though perhaps surprising given his failed loans and the sensation that Patino had passed him in terms of esteem and chances at a future here.

 

[Maybe]

He looks to be a lazy player. Bit like AMN and soft. As a 6 you have to be a fighter

Like Lokonga in the PL?

 

[Rasmi]

Like Lokonga in the PL?

Lokonga is a much better passer and proven at much higher level. Captained Anderlecht when he was younger than Azeez who is in segunda. League 1 level football

 

[Maybe]

Lokonga is a much better passer and proven at much higher level. Captained Anderlecht when he was younger than Azeez who is in segunda. League 1 level football

What does this have to do with what you wrote before?

 

[MA08]

I can't see how Lokonga is better than this guy.

Done with this club

Which club are you off to?

 

[MutableEarth]

Again, looks better deeper on the pitch - albeit this looks like it was a tricky match. Definitely playing it safe but I don't mind that. Played in a 2 man midfield this match. Definitely feeling more confident but the challenge for him is to start stepping up the pace a little, and perhaps a tad more ambitious passing as we know he's capable.

 

[Blankety Blank]

Great to see Azeez making a decent stab of things in the Spanish 2nd tier.
The boy has talent.
What I will say is the real test will be if he can deal with the intensity of the English game. Patino is coping very well in the Championship in that regard and so I have little doubt he will have a good prem career.

Jury still out on Azeez. It will be interesting to see his next step. Does he get a loan to the championship and regular game time next season.
People need to understand some players are more suited to slower leagues or cook at different rates b4 they get up to speed.

Before people get carried away with a few you tube highlights.
Fact is Lokonga is way ahead of Azeez at the moment and still a step Infront of Patino in development terms.

 

[Melquiades]

Like Lokonga in the PL?

I hate making judgements off Youtube videos but I've definitely had the same comparison come to mind.

Nice passing technique, not a lot of ball-winning in the videos.

 

[drippin]

Hmm. He hasn't played much recently. Not good enough? Wasn't his performances promising in the start? Another loan coming?

"Miguel Azeez is no longer a UD Ibiza player.

Arsenal and UD Ibiza have reached an agreement to end the loan that linked him to our club. From UD Ibiza we wish him all the luck in the world in his professional future. Thank you Michael!"

 

[TheGreatWright8]

Hmm. He hasn't played much recently. Not good enough? Wasn't his performances promising in the start? Another loan coming?

Damnn what happened

 

[akhil]

Got dropped after the WC started and hasn't played much since. Didn't even make the bench for a few games. Ibiza still lost most of those games and are dead last in the league.

It'll be interesting if he's on the bench for the cup game this weekend, means we're going to keep him as emergency cover. He's not a bad player at all and is the closest player we have to Partey in terms of style. Hopefully he's improved defensively playing for a team that got battered every week.

They changed managers twice already.

 

[MutableEarth]

He was doing alright till they sacked the manager. Honestly I think he needs to join a team that needs a 6, the role he's been earmarked for. Ibiza didn't even need one. Should try France, maybe go to Baloguns team, they need somebody actually decent on the ball.

 

[Mrs Bergkamp]

I hope we can manage this lad more carefully and he has some urgency to do well. He feels like one who is slipping away from his ceiling. At this rate, I'd keep him for cover. 20 minutes every match.