• ! ! ! IMPORTANT MESSAGE ! ! !

    Discussions about police investigations

    In light of recent developments about a player from Premier League being arrested and until there is an official announcement, ALL users should refrain from discussing or speculating about situations around personal off-pitch matters related to any Arsenal player. This is to protect you and the forum.

    Users who disregard this reminder will be issued warnings and their posts will get deleted from public.

The Under-23s Thread

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Indecisive play led to that penalty. Saliba let his man go a for a split second there. Hillson was poor there aswell.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
We havent carved out enough good chances IMO. Having both Olayinka and Akinola together hasn't worked out and Cottrell has been good but not much seen of Salah and Lewis overall. Cirjan needs to come on IMO.
 

Manberg

Predator
A very Wenger-ish Arsenal. Lots of pressure that lacks end product then make mistakes at the other end.

I'm not convinced by our youth coaching set up and think we may need a revamp like we've had for the senior squad.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
Too much route one football...

Pass by Salah-Eddine to set up a near goal for Balogun with his left was pretty though.

I'm not convinced by our youth coaching set up and think we may need a revamp like we've had for the senior squad.

It's nice to see Brighton basically playing as a Potter side would. Would be nice to have that kind of continuity but tbh I haven't seen enough of the U23s over the last couple seasons to know if the 20 minutes I've seen of this game with the very direct passing and no real build-up is an exception or a rule.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Too much route one football...

Pass by Salah-Eddine to set up a near goal for Balogun with his left was pretty though.



It's nice to see Brighton basically playing as a Potter side would. Would be nice to have that kind of continuity but tbh I haven't seen enough of the U23s over the last couple seasons to know if the 20 minutes I've seen of this game with the very direct passing and no real build-up is an exception or a rule.
The game needs Azeez and Cirjan IMO. Shame we didnt have a player like one of the u18 wingers available for this aswell.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
The last 5-10 minutes were much better.

Olayinka clearly the weak link in this team, not really sure what he's doing, he's in the ten zone the whole time when we have the ball, and we've already got Cottrell, a false winger in Salah to cover that space.
 

Ibadan

Thread Bump Police
What are people's half time thoughts? I thought there was a real lack of any kind of fluence in build up play.
I don't think this midfield suits this game. We couldn't hold the ball or sustain pressure on brighton because Akinola and Olayinka are more comfortable at destroying play rather than dictating it. Hopefully we see some changes.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
Mixed half IMo. Some good play, particularly from Cottrell and occasionally Salah-Eddine & Olayinka. Full backs are a bit shaky otherwise but Ballard and Saliba have been mostly solid apart from the latters error.

Balogun not getting too much good service. Lewis threatening but inconsistent - did really well for Cottrells goal.

I am not terribly pleased with Boulds set up here, we aren't passing well enough in the middle and final 3rd. Missing another direct winger on the other side IMO and I think we need Azeez in for Akinola so we have a bit more technical ability and ball progression from the middle. Cirjan would be good to bring on aswell, an extra threat with Cottrell and Balogun. Oyegoke for Alebiosu aswell, hes really close to a red card.
 

Ibadan

Thread Bump Police
The last 5-10 minutes were much better.

Olayinka clearly the weak link in this team, not really sure what he's doing, he's in the ten zone the whole time when we have the ball, and we've already got Cottrell, a false winger in Salah to cover that space.
I think he was trying to play in that grey area between midfield and attack. I don't mind him being higher up the pitch to provide an option for the CB's on the ball.

Saliba got the ball to him a couple times which allowed Olayinka to turn and unsettle the Brighton defence. Ideally we'd have someone more comfortable on the ball in that position but I get the thinking.
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
I think he was trying to play in that grey area between midfield and attack. I don't mind him being higher up the pitch to provide an option for the CB's on the ball.

Yeah, he is, but it doesn't make sense given the other players, it's basically a 4-1-4-1 in the build up, with everyone deferring to Saliba to force a pass in between lines.

He should be in the midfield looking to receive. Basically just what techincally unsure/immature players do when either not receiving proper instruction (Bould) and/or hiding.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
I think he was trying to play in that grey area between midfield and attack. I don't mind him being higher up the pitch to provide an option for the CB's on the ball.

Saliba got the ball to him a couple times which allowed Olayinka to turn and unsettle the Brighton defence. Ideally we'd have someone more comfortable on the ball in that position but I get the thinking.
Yeah, I think Olayinka was better than Akinola for sure and picked up some really good positions, just inconsistent with the ball. Akinola was pretty deep and moved the ball OK but his passing got a bit erratic at the end. We needed one of them rather than both.
 

nick gould

Well-Known Member
We havent carved out enough good chances IMO. Having both Olayinka and Akinola together hasn't worked out and Cottrell has been good but not much seen of Salah and Lewis overall. Cirjan needs to come on IMO.
Salah played that beauty of a chipped pass to Balogun who should have scored.
 

Ibadan

Thread Bump Police
Yeah, he is, but it doesn't make sense given the other players, it's basically a 4-1-4-1 in the build up, with everyone deferring to Saliba to force a pass in between lines.

He should be in the midfield looking to receive. Basically just what techincally unsure/immature players do when either not receiving proper instruction (Bould) and/or hiding.

It's definitely a weird mix. I'm still not sure what Salah Ouhad M'hand M'lady is really up to on the pitch. Is he supposed to be cutting inside to allow Alebiousu to hug the wing?
 

AbouCuéllar

Author of A-M essays 📚
Salah Ouhad M'hand M'lady
:lol:

Think it's just Bould forcing the most senior players into the lineup without regard for the balance of the team, which is fair enough, main point of U23 is just to get them football.

That's why I say would be nice to just be rid of Olayinka, the team makes so much more sense with Salah-Eddine in Olayinka's position--a player with the confidence and personality to receive and pass in build-up--and Cirjan in Salah's, or Azeez in Olayinka's and Salah where he is. In short, one of Azeez/Cirjan for Olayinka. Or for Akinola for that matter, but Akinola presumably we've signed him because we feel he offers things to the U23 side Olayinka doesn't.
 

MutableEarth

Reiss' Dad
Trusted ⭐
:lol:

Think it's just Bould forcing the most senior players into the lineup without regard for the balance of the team, which is fair enough, main point of U23 is just to get them football.

That's why I say would be nice to just be rid of Olayinka, the team makes so much more sense with Salah-Eddine in Olayinka's position--a player with the confidence and personality to receive and pass in build-up--and Cirjan in Salah's, or Azeez in Olayinka's and Salah where he is. In short, one of Azeez/Cirjan for Olayinka. Or for Akinola for that matter, but Akinola presumably we've signed him because we feel he offers things to the U23 side Olayinka doesn't.
Olayinka will go on loan soon IMO.
 

Latest posts+

Top Bottom