Ainsley Maitland-Niles: 2019/2020 Performances

[al-Ustaadh]

When you say appropiate position, is that the position the player prefers over what he is suited to. Before you answer think back to theo wanting to play number 9 but even with some game time there it didnt suit him. Just because a player says that his best position doesnt mean he can actually play there.

He's suited to play defensive midfield/box-to-box. Even Wenger talked about that. He's been thrown into RB due to injuries and the fact we persist with Xhaka while having bought Guendouzi and Torreira.

 

[MutableEarth]

When you say appropiate position, is that the position the player prefers over what he is suited to. Before you answer think back to theo wanting to play number 9 but even with some game time there it didnt suit him. Just because a player says that his best position doesnt mean he can actually play there.

In this case though, AMN is a better midfielder than he is a full back and always was.

 

[OSBK]

He's suited to play defensive midfield/box-to-box. Even Wenger talked about that. He's been thrown into RB due to injuries and the fact we persist with Xhaka while having bought Guendouzi and Torreira.

Exactly that wenger talked about him, and then didnt play him there. Emery doesnt fancy him there eithier. Both managers playing him rb/rwb where even there he has gone from great to a calamity in games.

We must be seeing different players. I dont see AMN as a good enough cm that would elevate us. I see AMN as a good cm in the championship but not arsenal.

 

[OSBK]

In this case though, AMN is a better midfielder than he is a full back and always was.

Sorry pal disagree. Guy is another iwobi, he will be benching a bottom 6 team soon.

 

[MutableEarth]

Sorry pal disagree. Guy is another iwobi, he will be benching a bottom 6 team soon.

Maybe he will, maybe he wont. Either way, the point was that he was never gonna be a full back and I knew he wouldnt because he is better in midfield.

 

[OSBK]

Maybe he will, maybe he wont. Either way, the point was that he was never gonna be a full back and I knew he wouldnt because he is better in midfield.

I agree with you on that he was never a fullback. Had he never been shoehorned into the fullback role his devolopment would have been different.

 

[al-Ustaadh]

Exactly that wenger talked about him, and then didnt play him there. Emery doesnt fancy him there eithier. Both managers playing him rb/rwb where even there he has gone from great to a calamity in games.

We must be seeing different players. I dont see AMN as a good enough cm that would elevate us. I see AMN as a good cm in the championship but not arsenal.

Go back to the United game at Old Trafford a few years ago. That's how good AMN is in midfield. It's unfortunate he hasn't been given the time.

 

[SingmeasongSong]

In this case though, AMN is a better midfielder than he is a full back and always was.

Oh what could've been.. such an incredible talent - don't think he'll have a great career here anymore. Might ultimately find something special somewhere else, as a midfielder.

 

[Hleb's Sirush]

We must be seeing different players. I dont see AMN as a good enough cm that would elevate us. I see AMN as a good cm in the championship but not arsenal.

I must be seeing something else too. Never saw anything impressive about AMN. Even his supposedly good games were littered with countless sloppy touches, giving the ball away numerous times and being unable to control the simplest of passes. Not even worth mentioning his lack of concentration. The only thing he seems to have going for him is his athleticism.

Imo the worst first team player we had in ages, and we have had quite a few really bad ones in recent years

 

[Symbia]

Realistically ndidi passport says he is 22 so he cannot be older.

I won't go further, I won't!

 

[CJJ]

...

Imo the worst first team player we had in ages, and we have had quite a few really bad ones in recent years

You must have short term memory... lots of worse players than AMN "in ages".
Squillari, Djourou, Santos, Sanogoal, Källström.. the list goes on

 

[MutableEarth]

Oh what could've been.. such an incredible talent - don't think he'll have a great career here anymore. Might ultimately find something special somewhere else, as a midfielder.

Most likely he will if he leaves. If he goes to a team that will play him in CM, his career will improve IMO. He would still need to start concentrating more over 90 mins though, it's really a singular fatal flaw.

 

[9jagooner]

Most likely he will if he leaves. If he goes to a team that will play him in CM, his career will improve IMO. He would still need to start concentrating more over 90 mins though, it's really a singular fatal flaw.

Difficult to say with AMN. Asides from the academy, did he play in midfield at any other level? Even at Ipswich, I remember he did very well on the right wing before injury set in.

 

[truth_hurts]

We sold the infinitely more talented and useful Alex Iwobi. We could fetch 25-30m for AMN so let's get him gone.

 

[DasBootist]

We sold the infinitely more talented and useful Alex Iwobi. We could fetch 25-30m for AMN so let's get him gone.

Give him a chance ffs. Iwobi never played wing-back for us and AMN already has an assist this season whilst playing for Unai (Black Hole) Emery.

 

[truth_hurts]

Give him a chance ffs. Iwobi never played wing-back for us and AMN already has an assist this season whilst playing for Unai (Black Hole) Emery.

I want better for our club. He isn't a full back and we have lots of better (and younger) central midfielders and attackers.

 

[DasBootist]

I want better for our club. He isn't a full back and we have lots of better (and younger) central midfielders and attackers.

Iwobi was sold to balance the books. If any club is willing to pay close to £40,000,000 for AMN I doubt he'd still be at Arsenal.

As it stands, I don't see the harm in him staying.

 

[truth_hurts]

Iwobi was sold to balance the books. If any club is willing to pay close to £40,000,000 for AMN I doubt he'd still be at Arsenal.

As it stands, I don't see the harm in him staying.

We must just rate him differently. I don't think that he is s***, but never going to be better than squad filler. Think he could carve out a decent career.

 

[The_Playmaker]

There is some perspective needed. He is 22 ffs. Also, Iwobi had seasons in his preferred position. AMN hasn't even been given 3 games.

 

[MutableEarth]

Difficult to say with AMN. Asides from the academy, did he play in midfield at any other level? Even at Ipswich, I remember he did very well on the right wing before injury set in.

They played him on the right side of a 3 quite a few times. He had his debut for Arsenal v Galatasaray in midfield. After that, he played a 90 minute match as the deepest midfielder v Southampton and had a very good game, and had a couple other decent outings there. Honestly, it all started going weird for him the very first time they played him at RB. It was against Preston (he had never played full-back ever before that game) and he had a really tough time. I knew it was a bad decision even then. They had something with him as CM the first few games he played there and they unnecessarily tried this RB experiment. Ruined his development IMO.

I don't think he's helped himself though. He at least has to shoulder some blame due to the fact that his biggest flaw that he needs to work on isn't really related to a position he plays in - rather, it's an intangible problem that remains regardless of position. That said, I think we would see a lot more out of him if we actually played him where we can get the best out of him more often - and that is definitely not RB, but CM. Where he belongs, **** what anyone has to say otherwise.