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The Under-23s Thread

Tom349

Active Member
What's everyone thoughts on Akinola. I wasn't a fan at first but I am coming around. Very good at breaking up play and is comfortable in possession. Reminds me a little of Bissouma.

Was also impressed with our defence today.
 

Maybe

You're wrong, no?
Forgot to say that Oulad guy with yellow boots looked really impressive, first time I saw him today
 

Tosker

Does Not Hate Foreigners
it's beginning to look as if Kevin Betsy and Per are building something special for the future
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
What's everyone thoughts on Akinola. I wasn't a fan at first but I am coming around. Very good at breaking up play and is comfortable in possession. Reminds me a little of Bissouma.

Was also impressed with our defence today.
He was fantastic today, I've always thought he had good work rate and bravery but very little technical quality - he looked a completely different player today. Betsy's doing fantastic work with these players. Walters looked solid when he came on for Balogun, Monlouis and Ogungbo were outstanding in defence and Lopez had BY FAR his best game for us.

Also thought Salah-Eddine had a very good game alongside Patino and Akinola.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Mazeed Ogungbo has gone from strength to strength under Betsy. Our best defender so far this season IMO. Seems to have found his niche as a left sided CB in a 3. Still would like to see more of him as a LB or in a CB pairing.
 

Geofranco

Would let Saka date his daughter

Player:Saka
MOTM guys? I'll say Patino was exceptional and gives me Fabrages vibes already, by far the best passer of the ball at the club

I would have given it to Balogun if he stayed on. When he was playing, he was by far the best on the pitch, it looked too easy for him. Biereth was also very exciting to watch, his movement and finishing technique is clinical. Tim Akinola and Mazeed Ogungbo were so fun to watch. Akinola was marauding with so much power and technique looked surprisingly assured at all times lol. Patino showed his class, but don't think he was the best on the pitch.
 

Geofranco

Would let Saka date his daughter

Player:Saka
He was fantastic today, I've always thought he had good work rate and bravery but very little technical quality - he looked a completely different player today. Betsy's doing fantastic work with these players. Walters looked solid when he came on for Balogun, Monlouis and Ogungbo were outstanding in defence and Lopez had BY FAR his best game for us.

Also thought Salah-Eddine had a very good game alongside Patino and Akinola.

Lopez was working so hard all game. The stamina, concentration and technique of all the players was fun to watch. Not just for Arsenal, but Chelsea too. The tempo of the game remained high throughout. Chelsea players actually looked quite young. They didn't look as physically imposing as some of their other groups. Ogungbo looks really powerful and strong in tackle, good technique on the ball too. Salah-Eddine and Patino looked like the most technically gifted players on the pitch.
 

teamsoutheast

Well-Known Member
Make no mistake.....this was a VERY impressive result beating last season's PL2 runners up. It was the manner which we won this match which impressed me most. I didn't watch the full match but i'm hoping I can catch it somewhere online (If anybody has a link, please point me in the right direction). From comments made on here, it seems Patino, Salah Eddine Ogungbo, Monlouis, Lopez and Biereth had very good games. Biereth is just the striker we need. He works so hard upfront and his work rate alone will grab him a few extra goals. He seems really aggressive in the box which is good to see. I can imagine him being a pain to play against.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Make no mistake.....this was a VERY impressive result beating last season's PL2 runners up. It was the manner which we won this match which impressed me most. I didn't watch the full match but i'm hoping I can catch it somewhere online (If anybody has a link, please point me in the right direction). From comments made on here, it seems Patino, Salah Eddine Ogungbo, Monlouis, Lopez and Biereth had very good games. Biereth is just the striker we need. He works so hard upfront and his work rate alone will grab him a few extra goals. He seems really aggressive in the box which is good to see. I can imagine him being a pain to play against.

Entire match.
 

Henry boi

Well-Known Member
Have patino, jack henry Francis and salah amid ever started a game together. I know it wouldn't work at the top level seeing that non of them is a DM but surely you play this trio together at the u23s at least a few times lol.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
What's everyone thoughts on Akinola. I wasn't a fan at first but I am coming around. Very good at breaking up play and is comfortable in possession. Reminds me a little of Bissouma.

Was also impressed with our defence today.
He's been pretty horrid every time I've watched the U23s.

Perhaps he's improved and it sounds like everyone agrees he had a good game the other day but I'm not really a fan of these non-prospects getting valuable minutes at U23 level, prefer to aggressively push U18 talents into the U23 team even if its at the expense of U23 results.

I saw enough of him on the ball to think, IMO, that there's nothing more than a low table PL side upside for him in the best of cases. Bissouma has much ability and composure on the ball (and I'm saying that about a player I have doubts if he can play for a top club because of his deficiencies in this area) and vastly different / superior physical conditions besides.
 

Geofranco

Would let Saka date his daughter

Player:Saka
Have patino, jack henry Francis and salah amid ever started a game together. I know it wouldn't work at the top level seeing that non of them is a DM but surely you play this trio together at the u23s at least a few times lol.

Patino and Henry Francis compliment each other so well. I remember the few games Patino played alongside Azeez, they just never really meshed. Plus Patino played more subdued. He has really become more assertive in recent weeks. I think for U23, Patino, Salah and Francis can def play together depending on the opposition.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Patino and Henry Francis compliment each other so well. I remember the few games Patino played alongside Azeez, they just never really meshed. Plus Patino played more subdued. He has really become more assertive in recent weeks. I think for U23, Patino, Salah and Francis can def play together depending on the opposition.
Patino and Azeez both want to do the same thing to a degree. The way to get both of them to do that is to play them both as 8s in a 3 with a more physical 6 behind them. Even then, tricky.
 
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