UEL: Dundalk v Arsenal | Thursday, December 10 | KO: 17:55 GMT | BT Sport

[AbouCuéllar]

ESR still looks like he needs a first division loan to me, still looks a bit raw and unready to take the mantle as a team's primary creator.

Better footballer than Willock, though.

 

[Rimaal]

True but he's still our highest goal scorer this season and deserves a PL start, seeing as we cant score in the PL.

He's not good enough.

 

[Blood on the Tracks]

Runarsson is appalling. We're in big trouble if Leno picks up a long term injury. Backup keeper needs sorting out properly in the summer.

 

[Bloodbather]

ESR still looks like he needs a first division loan to me, still looks a bit raw and unready to take the mantle as a team's primary creator.

Every time the prospects of ESR playing in the first team get brought up I see this line of thinking. Can't be the primary creator, we can't rely on him, this and that. Strikes me as a false dilemma. There's surely a ground between only letting him play Europa League or sending him on loan and making him into a regular starter, no?

 

[PressResistance]

Azeez's 10 minutes with more highlights than all our midfielders combined
bar Partey, you love to see it.

 

[yorch44]

I watched Arteta, after the Balogun, goal and he was just strolling around with his hands in his pockets he didn't show any enthusiasm or show any encouragement to Balogun, he seems to be very grumpy lately.

He doesn't believe in him maybe... So he doesn't want to be forced to play him in the league and feel the pressure

 

[Iceman10]

65k was the source i saw. I just don’t think he’s nearly our worst problem.

bigger problems: Xhaka starting, Auba not even trying to score, Arteta’s insistence on primarily crossing aimlessly into the box, lack of youth players playing even though they are performing better than seniors

Handling of the youth players is a concern. Seems like Arteta has too high a bar, more like a barrier, combining in with his treatment of Saliba. unlike Emery who was pretty decent until he crumbled under pressure. Can’t retain talent with that approach, and we aren’t Man City.

 

[Sniper Mik]

Someone create a thread for Azeez por favor

 

[Ash10]

ESR still looks like he needs a first division loan to me, still looks a bit raw and unready to take the mantle as a team's primary creator.

Better footballer than Willock, though.

Who isn't?

 

[Makingtrax]

Azeez and Balogun look like stars of the future. Lovely stuff.

They’re not the answer to our immediate Premier League problems though. That **** show rolls on.

 

[Gooner416]

I'm actually from Canada, not Iceland.

Always knew you were a Newfie hunting down them puffins!

 

[Macho]

I feel bad that I just can’t get enthusiastic about the youth.

Pepe was trash today also. Everyone’s precious ESR started and we still looked out of ideas.

Think I’m tuning out for the season at this rate.

If Arteta is serious about his crossing shtick, Cedric should start admittedly.

 

[EmeryCouldnt]

I feel bad that I just can’t get enthusiastic about the youth.

Pepe was trash today also. Everyone’s precious ESR started and we still looked out of ideas.

Think I’m tuning out for the season at this rate.

I mean... we scored 4 goals from open play today....

 

[AbouCuéllar]

Every time the prospects of ESR playing in the first team get brought up I see this line of thinking. Can't be the primary creator, we can't rely on him, this and that. Strikes me as a false dilemma. There's surely a ground between only letting him play Europa League or sending him on loan and making him into a regular starter, no?

I see what you mean, but a couple of weeks ago I was saying my secret hope for this season was that ESR would come in and grab the lack of a 10 space operator spot by the horns. I think that's a little optimistic, I think basically we must sign someone in the winter window (Buendía, Szoboszlai, or Aouar) who is a bit more advanced/has a bit more personality.

If we do that I don't really see where ESR is going to get the minutes to develop into the player we need him to be, I would start Saka, *att. midfielder signed in winter*, and Willian before him.

Sure, you can keep him around as a sub, but then he's just relegated into Reiss Nelson limbo, who's spent a year and a half without any real development here.

 

[Macho]

I mean... we scored 4 goals from open play today....

I actually wasn’t impressed with any tbh.

They won’t translate to the league or knockout stages of this cup think I’m just over this team.

 

[Iceman10]

The problem with Balogun is getting excited about a talent when we are apparently so close to losing him. Another test for Mikel and the club in the short term. I saw a comment above about an ESR loan, but as with Balogun I don’t see a pathway of loaning him (again) and keeping him.

 

[A_G]

doesn't sound like any of the EL performers will get a chance against Burnley

 

[Melquiades]

Kinda crap performance all things considered with lots of sloppy passing. The performance against Rapid Wien last week was far better against better (but still bad) opposition.

The Good:

- Balogun is obvious class and has to be considered the best young player currently in the squad. Pay him whatever he wants to keep him at the club, basically. Has played maybe 60 minutes total in this competition and created 4 goals with legitimate class play. Perfect situation would be to get him signed and loan him out to a Burnley-type team for the remainder of the season. Losing him would be a disaster.

- ESR didn't blow any doors off but always has a good first touch (unlike most other players in the squad today) and always makes the right, smart play. Almost all of what we did in the first half went through him. Faded a bit in the 2nd half after taking some tough tackles.

- outside of Elneny's wonder goal he was industrious and workmanlike in midfield and should be starting the next PL game over Xhaka.

- I know people don't like Cedric much but he played a solid vanilla squad-player type game with few mistakes and a couple good moments going forward. Same for Mustafi. They probably aren't guys you want starting PL games and don't have much of a future at the club, but they did their jobs well enough today.

- Nketiah worked hard and was pretty decent. But the difference in class and upside between him and Balogun is glaringly obvious. Gets pushed off the ball too easily and you wonder if he's destined for the wing eventually.

- Azeez had a couple nice moments in his brief stint. Shame he didn't get more minutes in this tournament.

The Bad :

- Willock scored a goal that their 47 y/o fatty keeper bungled but he was mostly terrible tonight. Poor touches of the ball, poor passes, indecision with the ball at his feet, generally just looked lost. If you can't stand out against a team like this in your 71st game for the team, it doesn't bode well for you.

- AMN had moments where he looked like an England international playing against Irish farmers but played with the intensity of someone who is an automatic PL starter out for a training run, not someone who should be hungry as hell to get back in the main squad. Compete level not good enough.

- Pablo Mari had moments where he looks really elegant with the ball at his feet ... and the next moment would bungle something horribly. Poor coverage on the 2-1 goal. Pace is an issue.

- don't want to be too hard on the kid, but Cottrell looked small and overwhelmed.

The Ugly :

- Pepe was just godawful. Turned the ball over countless times. Poor touches, poor passing, selfish play. He should be dominant against a team like this and instead was a liability. Not encouraging and you have to think the team will be looking at cutting their losses in the upcoming transfer window if anyone makes a semi-decent offer.

- Runnarsson ... ugh. If Leno gets hurt, this team is in huge trouble. This should probably be his last game of the season - I don't think you can risk him costing you the round of 32 EL game with a performance like this, or the Newcastle FA Cup game.

 

[Mo Britain]

Runarsson doesn't look like he'll cut it. Waste of money from the Emi sale.

Is that Estonian kid any good?

 

[novar]

Kings of rural Europe