William Saliba: Here to Stay ✍️

[Weliveinacrazyworld]

Nice lost 2-0 to Lille yesterday. Lille now move to 1st in the Ligue 1 table with 76 points, PSG down to 2nd with 75 points.

Saliba's highlights vs. Lille:
Someone over at r/Gunners offered a great analysis of Saliba's performance:

MASSIVE DISCLAIMER:

I watched the entire game and was not able to capture all of Saliba's touches on the ball. With the ball, he was solid but not his usual fantastic self. Very rarely broke the lines but was very comfortable in rotating the play and passing out from under pressure, Lile pressed really high and Saliba found a lot of smart sharp passes out of it.

That being said, Nice in general were uncharacteristically poor, with most of them looking genuinely disinterested in doing any off-the-ball work. Imo, Saliba's biggest weakness is his off-the-ball defending skills and positional sense. Even then, Saliba was uncharacteristically poor. It's understandable that a young CB might not have the best positional sense as that quality usually comes with age and experience. However, Saliba is a smart player and steps up really well to pinch passes into the forwards. I think Lile knew this and pretty much only attacked from wide, and with Nice's poor fullbacks, Saliba and Todibo were regularly exposed throughout the game.

For the first goal, I think it's very poor from Saliba who has a habit of turning his bum into the ball as he rushes to block a shot. Its basic football: tuck your arms, make yourself big, and don't turn your back on the ball. Saliba routinely makes this mistake and this time Nice are punished for it. It's not like he's facing a thundercunt either, it's a smartly placed finish with the side of the foot. I'm glad he's getting exposed a little bit in Ligue 1 tbh, so when he comes back he's learned from his mistakes and grows as a player.

The second goal is pretty unlucky tbh, this is like the third time Saliba has won a clearance and it's fallen to the opposition who's hit an absolute beauty. Can't really blame him for wonder goals but his clearance was still poor. He stood in position well but ultimately got a timid flick on it instead of a meaty french forehead. Understandable, preventable mistake that he'll learn from hopefully.

There was also a few moments in this game where his poor acceleration almost resulted into a goal, as Saliba only just had the turn of pace to pass it back to his keeper as Yilmaz almost broke through on a weak back pass to Saliba. He also missed a few fizzed low crosses into the box that would be largely preventable if Saliba stood his ground instead of getting sucked into the near post area. He is poor in covering both the cutback and the pass across the 6 yard box, needs to grow in that particular area before he can be a regular for us.

A very interesting aspect of this game was the sending off of Jordan Lotomba, Nice's Right Back. This red card, similar to Dani Ceballos' midweek, was borne mostly out of incompetence and frustration. Two stupid, reckless, and arguably unneeded challenges saw Adrian Ursea's side go down to 10 men. This pushed Saliba into a LCB in a back 3, where they played a 3-4-2 in possession and 4-3-2 when defending. However, in transition, Lile found a lot of joy down Saliba's side. I don't blame this lack of positional understanding completely on Saliba, as Rony Lopes regularly left Saliba isolated as he bombed forward from left midfield. However, it has to be said that Mavropanos looks much more comfortable in a back 3 compared to Saliba. Back in January when Saliba's loan to OGC Nice was approved, he featured in a back 3 and was regularly exposed in the transition until Nice decided to bring in todibo on loan from Barcelona. The two have formed a strong partnership together as center halves but their naivety is sometimes exposed by their oppositions.

Ultimately, I think this game was a great learning experience for Saliba. Lile are on a title charge and Nice rolled over in their wake. Nice started poor and were shellshocked for the first 30 minutes, but Saliba bounced back well. There were nearly a dozen of occasions in this match where Saliba's simple passing helped Nice rotate the ball into good positions into midifeld, but ultimately it didnt not result to much as Nice displayed poor decision making in the final third.

As an aside, Soumare was pretty good and dominated the midfield with ease. I don't know what his asking price is, probably 20-30 million, but he is definitely worth a shout as a partner to Partey in midfield in the "Xhaka" role, if we continue to play a 4-2-3-1 instead of a 4-3-3.

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

Basically David Luiz 8 successful long passes so you better use him next season stop f**king around with holding

 

[Yousif Arsenal]

 

[Artisan]

That's what Artita said about AMN, if this kid is smart he'd be handing a transfer request as soon as the window opens.

 

[balthazar]

"as things stand" what's that supposed to mean? unless he is loaned out or sold?

 

[GDeep™]

"as things stand" what's that supposed to mean? unless he is loaned out or sold?

Maybe we’ll sign someone. We are linked with CB’s.

I just don’t see Arteta, when under pressure, suddenly developing a 20 year old CB. Keep saying it, you need courage to play these guys, 20 is very very very young for a CB. Wenger would’ve played him and not finished 12th or whatever.

 

[Rasmi]

That's what Artita said about AMN, if this kid is smart he'd be handing a transfer request as soon as the window opens.

nah if I was his advisor I would just chill. Arsenal has spent 30 million on him 2 years ago and he has not played 1 competitive match. They know they either has to use him or sell him and if it’s a sale. He will have a lot to say where he goes. You can’t play hardball with 30 million player when everyone knows you don’t want to use him.

 

[truth_hurts]

Seeing Fofana be this good for Leicester hurts. Saliba has to be playing at least semi regularly for us next season.

 

[14Henry]

Whichever scout was watching Saliba and somehow missed Fofana needs his head looked at. That isn't just based on today but all season. Either that or Saliba was playing like prime Nesta when being watched.

We were after Soyuncu as well and missed that trick as well.

 

[truth_hurts]

Plenty of variables here though.

A. Fofana could just be better than Saliba - he always was, he currently is and always will be.

B. The mismanagement of Saliba coupled with the way Fofana has been blooded in correctly by Rodgers has open a wide margin in terms of there development.

C. Similar to above, Fofana has been developed around Evans and Soyuncu, whilst Saliba has been playing with kids in the u23s.

D. Saliba isn't good enough.

Any which way you look at it, we've ****ed up.

 

[Rasmi]

Plenty of variables here though.

A. Fofana could just be better than Saliba - he always was, he currently is and always will be.

B. The mismanagement of Saliba coupled with the way Fofana has been blooded in correctly by Rodgers has open a wide margin in terms of there development.

C. Similar to above, Fofana has been developed around Evans and Soyuncu, whilst Saliba has been playing with kids in the u23s.

D. Saliba isn't good enough.

Any which way you look at it, we've ****ed up.

I think it’s purely bad coaching . The fact that we didn’t even register him for Europa league and gave him some minutes there to get experience says everything. We played Luiz and mistaking against molde. There is really no excuse. And Arteta said he decided to register mustafi who he wanted out and Mari who was injured

 

[Penn_]

Fofana would’ve had the same treatment here under Arteta,

If it was Saliba at Leicester you’d then be complaining how we missed him.

This is on Arteta, you can’t make judgments on someone that was cast aside for no valid reason.

 

[Hunta]

The way we’ve acted with this lad is absolutely
criminal. Just been reminded of our refusal to let him play in the cup final last year, only to then not play him afterwards.

What a horrible club.

 

[The_Playmaker]

Plenty of variables here though.

A. Fofana could just be better than Saliba - he always was, he currently is and always will be.

B. The mismanagement of Saliba coupled with the way Fofana has been blooded in correctly by Rodgers has open a wide margin in terms of there development.

C. Similar to above, Fofana has been developed around Evans and Soyuncu, whilst Saliba has been playing with kids in the u23s.

D. Saliba isn't good enough.

Any which way you look at it, we've ****ed up.

We were heavily linked with Soyuncu and didn't buy him. Leicester bought him and developed him in his first season. He only played 372 minutes in his first season. They picked the games he played and then they coached him extensively. The following season he was a starter.

It has been a bit different with Saliba. In the season loaned him back he completed around 900 minutes where as Fofana completed 1200 in that season. However the season before that after which we bought him, Saliba had around 1200 minutes and Fofana only 120 ish. Saliba was the more experienced and he was further along in his development.

He then got injured towards the end of the. season. He came back early for pre season and trained by himself to get up to speed. Pre season started and he wasn't up to speed. He played a friendly. Had a few training sessions and was deemed not ready by Arteta. He didn't even bother trying to develop him or give him an actual competitive fixture. They messed up his loan and then let him rot into he reserves because they failed to put him I the Europa league squad.

Fofana wasn't eased in like Soyuncu in England. They had injuries so he had to play. He just happened to be a success based off his physical attributes. The primary concern with him was his defending, not how he built from the back. Kind of how like Gabriel looks fine defending for us, but is a bit shaky on the ball sometimes.

Saliba needs a chance this season. I am so confused by our links to a RCB. What is the point? Unless we plan to sell Holding which I doubt. Mari has been preferred to Gabriel of late. I am not sure why to be honest. He has a mistake in him, his passing isn't that much better than Gabriel's. He may lose the ball less, but his pace of pass slows us down so much.

If we want to dominate the ball and play high up the pitch. Anderson, Holding and Mari are not the profile of player to keep us high up the pitch. Xhaks, Elneny, Cebllos and Ødegaard are not the type of players to win loose balls and keep us with sustained attacks.

I am really worried about who we are going to buy. I don't mind Berge, Bissouma, Aarons, Emerson, Lamptey links. Bertrand? What is the point in that. Anderson? Extending Laca? Daka and Edouard are available for decent fees. We need to actually buy for the squad not Arteta. The fact that he seems to be buying his players means we don't have a vision for a style of football. Come Decemeber if he gets sacked, we are left with players he wants to play with his brand of football that would no longer be possible.

 

[Rasmi]

Fofana would’ve had the same treatment here under Arteta,

If it was Saliba at Leicester you’d then be complaining how we missed him.

This is on Arteta, you can’t make judgments on someone that was cast aside for no valid reason.

Even french expert on talk sport were saying fofana was bigger gamble and saliba was more ready. It shows the importance of manager and club environment for young players. Two players same age can make two difference and their career can go opposite way depending what manager they get. But the club ether have two use him or sell him now. You can’t loan out a player you spent 30 million again and be in situation after 3 years he has played no competitive game for you

 

[Sebastes]

The (mis)management of a prospect/30m investment alone is a sackable offence for both Mikel and Edu imo.

This is my main issue with him, the way he's handled our young players. If we had the same season but with Saliba, Willock, AMN, Guendouzi and Reiss getting a fair amount of chances together with Saka and ESR being starters I doubt anyone would have a lot against Arteta right now.

 

[Maybe]

Come Decemeber if he gets sacked, we are left with players he wants to play with his brand of football that would no longer be possible.

I still struggle to understand what that brand of football is, quality aside.

We are playing from the back, which means heavy involvement of CB's in the buildup, but at the same time he loaned out Saliba, the only CB who can actually do it (aside from Gabriel who seems to be a backup option these days for Arteta).

How can we ever control the ball if our CB's can't play a high line, or play from the back with players who are terrified of receiving the ball? Mari, Holding, Luiz, they can't play that style. Wenger wanted to play a suicidal high line and brought Koscienly for it, how can he bring Mari in and extend the contract for Holding when they don't suit his game? Under pressure, both players panic and kick the ball as far as possible, they have no vision or quality to play anything else.

So I'm asking, what's that mysterious brand of football all of you here are talking about? Where is that mysterious coaching you all talk about, which players actually developed under Arteta?

Looking at Saliba and Douzi (and some young players who stayed), I have absolutely no hope that Arteta can develop any young player here. He doesn't have the patience or knowledge Wenger had, he only wants to work with a finished product. He will rather work with Xhaka and Elneny than develop a young player who would be better than both within a year. He will rather sign Mari than work with Saliba who would be better within 2 weeks.

 

[HairSprayGooners]

Fofana would’ve had the same treatment here under Arteta,

If it was Saliba at Leicester you’d then be complaining how we missed him.

This is on Arteta, you can’t make judgments on someone that was cast aside for no valid reason.

These are just assumptions.

 

[14Henry]

Managers stay in a job on average something like 2 years. No club in the world buys players specifically for just that manager. They sign players on the basis that they are good players and good assets to the club regardless of who the manager is.

Imagine every 2 years a new manager comes in and says oh I need 5-6 new players.

 

[Macho]

Lol Fofana would have had the Saliba treatment.
Soyuncu would be getting slated here after his mistakes, he’d probably make more cause of the way we are.

I’m legit surprised people can’t see this?