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Sambi Lokonga: Sam Be the Man in Midfield?

Haphazard

Active Member
To be fair I think maybe he meant playing a more defensive role

I think with Lokonga it's more mental than anything and he needs a bit of confidence right now, it doesn't help when the player you are supposed to rely on for leadership and calmness is Granit Xhaka :lol:
 

razörist

Soft With The Ladies, Hard With The Mes

Country: Morocco
Would help if our manager didn’t drop Lokonga like a bad habit as soon as Xhaka was fit. Oh a young player that barely played since november is completely of the pace when chucked in outta nowhere? Who could have seen that coming? Not the guys paid millions to see it, no surely not them.
 

Taylor Gang Gunners

Say Yeh or You're Making The List
Trusted ⭐
Anonymous.

Nope. He made some important interceptions and his distribution was generally good. His tackling has already improved since he first came.

He does have a tendency to hang onto the ball a bit too long though. He’ll soon realise he doesn’t have as much time on the ball here than he might’ve done in Belgium.

He’s got huge potential. Physically and technically.
 

samspade

"You said I said" detection expert at your service
Are you deliberately trying to trigger me? He didn't do anything, all game. Just jogged back and forth and passed on responsibility. I was watching him closely after Forrest, he was hiding all game, again.
I agree he’s returned timidly.
I think you’re focusing too much on the last two games which have not provided the best circumstances for a young mf to go and express themesleves. He’s had very good games for us this season, he was excellent against Newcastle and I think he’s clearly got lots of ability. I find this odd because I think he has some of the traits you claim to see and like in Ødegaard.
 

Mrs Bergkamp

Double Dusted
Dusted 🔻
I think he's doing all right and he and we will be better once Partey returns. Being left to rot for six weeks, being paired with an imbecile and then left alone to man the midfield-lad's done okay imo.
 

Heavy Duty Rom

Outdated Tweets Merchant
I agree he’s returned timidly.
I think you’re focusing too much on the last two games which have not provided the best circumstances for a young mf to go and express themesleves. He’s had very good games for us this season, he was excellent against Newcastle and I think he’s clearly got lots of ability. I find this odd because I think he has some of the traits you claim to see and like in Ødegaard.
Ødegaard doesn't hide. He leads. Lokonga doesn't break a sweat, its like he's playing walking football at the park. I agree, at home he's had some decent games, but away from home, he hides. Its a personality thing, you can be confident, you can be great in training, but when it comes to the games, some players shrink, and i fear he's one of them.
 

EmeryCouldnt

Established Member
Ødegaard doesn't hide. He leads. Lokonga doesn't break a sweat, its like he's playing walking football at the park. I agree, at home he's had some decent games, but away from home, he hides. Its a personality thing, you can be confident, you can be great in training, but when it comes to the games, some players shrink, and i fear he's one of them.

I don't really sense a lack of confidence from him. He kind of appears quite confident, just lackadaisical. It's more a style than anything. But agreed that he isn't so much commanding the midfield. He's not terrible, but not great. Still young.
 

Heavy Duty Rom

Outdated Tweets Merchant
I don't really sense a lack of confidence from him. He kind of appears quite confident, just lackadaisical. It's more a style than anything. But agreed that he isn't so much commanding the midfield. He's not terrible, but not great. Still young.
I didn't say he wasn't confident, he is, he shows up for interviews, he sounds like a confident guy, but when the referee blows the whistle at the start of the game, he shrinks, especially away from home. He doesn't make himself available for a pass, he doesn't engage when defending, and he never seems to break out of his jog.
 

Big Poppa

Established Member
Trusted ⭐

Country: USA

Player:Saliba
One mistake in the first half aside, good comeback for him considering he played with martinelli and saka as his mid partners.
Not a criticism but I feel like they put in more tackles than he did. Saka and Martinelli were exceptional defensively.
 

pigge

#Pigge #Equality

Player:Martinelli
He relied on Xhaka, Partey and Elneny for way too long. Even by themselves we needed an upgrade.

Of the shadow CMs who featured fairly regularly under Emery, he sold Willock, banished Guendouzi and Torreira, loaned AMN with only ONE player coming in - Lokonga.

This is just poor squad management.
CALM DOWN. We are SOLVING IT by buying a striker this window.
 

Rasmi

Negative Nancy

Country: England
He relied on Xhaka, Partey and Elneny for way too long. Even by themselves we needed an upgrade.

Of the shadow CMs who featured fairly regularly under Emery, he sold Willock, banished Guendouzi and Torreira, loaned AMN with only ONE player coming in - Lokonga.

This is just poor squad management.
In his defence we have had poor squad planning for over a decade. We always in this position in January because we have just about enough mentality while other clubs seem to have one extra player in case approach
 

samspade

"You said I said" detection expert at your service
Ødegaard doesn't hide. He leads. Lokonga doesn't break a sweat, its like he's playing walking football at the park. I agree, at home he's had some decent games, but away from home, he hides. Its a personality thing, you can be confident, you can be great in training, but when it comes to the games, some players shrink, and i fear he's one of them.
If a 22 yo mf who’s brand new to the league and had a few months off is able to deliver at home don’t you think it’s worth giving him the chance to show his stuff more consistently? I’d get it if you thought he fundamentally lacks the tools but I don’t get being so fatalistic about something that’s more to do with confidence and stature at the club.

Sure Ødegaard doesn’t hide and presents for the ball but our team is based around moving the ball through the 10 and he’s had far, far more professional experience than Lakonga and he’s still **** the bed for us on more than one occasion, basically guaranteed us getting knocked out of Europa last year.

I thought everyone understood that he was bought as a young prospect who would be slowly introduced to the prem? Why go crazy over a few anonymous performances?
 

akhil

Well-Known Member
He relied on Xhaka, Partey and Elneny for way too long. Even by themselves we needed an upgrade.

Of the shadow CMs who featured fairly regularly under Emery, he sold Willock, banished Guendouzi and Torreira, loaned AMN with only ONE player coming in - Lokonga.

This is just poor squad management.
Forgot about Ceballos.

Lokonga and Partey added though.
 

Impact

Established Member
Curious player, Lokonga. Has shown in significant glimpses an aptitude and attitude for football at the top level. But at the other times, he has looked raw, timid and overawed.

Our midfield is of course a construction site with Mikel changing midfield roles/personnel often this season. But as we move to a 4-3-3, I’m interested to know how Sambi fits. He has qualities for both the 6 role and conservative LCM role but also has flaws in each. I don’t think he wins enough duels, aerial or ground, to be our primary defensive midfielder and I don’t think he offers enough creativity in the final third to help us push the dial in attack. Have to wait and see how the club choose to develop him.

Notwithstanding this, he is the only one of our summer signings that we can’t yet call a resounding success although I think he has won enough goodwill for another season.
 

EmeryCouldnt

Established Member
I didn't say he wasn't confident, he is, he shows up for interviews, he sounds like a confident guy, but when the referee blows the whistle at the start of the game, he shrinks, especially away from home. He doesn't make himself available for a pass, he doesn't engage when defending, and he never seems to break out of his jog.

Yes, I mean confidences on the pitch, not talking off thee pitch at all. You're saying he hides/shrinks on the pitch, which is saying he doesn't have confidence out there. I think's just his play style. I think he just keeps it simple and I disagree that he is hiding from the ball.
 

sergio_giorgini

Dying on Mt.Neymar Hill
What a pile of crud this guy is. Like a little boy lost out there strolling about gormlessly.

Kompany can F off too the big head ****.
 

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