Who is on the bus?: Page 6 - The Arsenal discussion forum and community: One More in the Tolly

Who is on the bus?

banduan

Really doubt Pepe in the middle is gonna happen.

Clrnc

Ricky might be on to something. AMN has performed really really well under Arteta in the first few games and then gone completely, not even on the bench and fell behind both Mustafi and Sokratis as a RB. It's insane. Other than attitude in training I can't see any other reason why Arteta dislikes him so much

Ricky1985

Klaus wrote:
Ricky1985 wrote:
I'd like to add Maitland-Niles because I think he could become a monster right back but frankly the way the guy has behaved he deserves to be playing on the right wing for Southampton next season.

Curious what you mean by this. How has he behaved exactly? Do you know anything we don't? I've only seen him put in good performances since Arteta took over, and then he got mercilessly frozen out in favour of Bellerin who is exactly half the player on one of his good days.

If anyone have to play for Southampton next season I'd send them the guy who was the worst player on the pitch against Olympiakos the other day.

I really did not like that interview he did on Sky. It was aired just before the game and he was Arsenal's starting right back and doing well. Keep quiet, put your head down and work and be grateful for playing in front of 60,000 fans every week at the club you, I assume after 15 years here, love.

I also think his idea that he's going to be some sort of star at right wing reflects badly on him. There's nothing wrong with having confidence in one's own ability but that's just taking the biscuit. And it ties in with another big problem I have with him: his incredible arrogance on the pitch. I rate his talent at right back hugely, he can do just about everything you'd want there, but I have seen him put in some of the worst performances I have ever seen from an Arsenal player in the past 12 months. And it has nothing whatever to do with his ability. He plays like he thinks he is above the position, which is just what he has said in interviews; he tries to jog when the lazy shit should sprint, nonchantly play a square pass across the box, makes a token gesture at an attempt to block a cross, doesn't bother competing at the back post etc.

Bellerin was dreadful the other night, I agree, but it was not for the want of trying. That I can accept. The same for Saka: he says he dreamt of playing as a winger when he was a kid: fair enough, but on the pitch he has played his heart out every single time. He could barely stand upright in the second half against Everton but he gave it all he had regardless.

Maitland-Niles needs to wake up and realise he's blowing a massive chance of not just making it at Arsenal, but at ever becoming a top player. And he needs to do it fast. Arteta picked him in every one of his first 5 games and he did well, but if the guy trains anything like he plays (let's face it: of course he does!), I'm not surprised Arteta has chosen to go with Bellerin now that he's fit again. As Clarence says: going with Sokratis and Mustafi in recent times speaks volumes.

I really hope this is good for him, that he becomes more humble and he realises what he could have if he'll just work for it. A situation similar to that which a certain young French midfielder at the club finds himself in too. I really hope they figure it out.

Claudius

When was the interview?

Ricky1985

Around September time.

Claudius

Oh, I thought he was over all of this. As far as we could tell when Arteta took over, AMN was one of our better players. Seemed to me to be a player who was doing exactly what you are saying, putting his head down and doing his job.

Ljungberg also mentioned something about Saka's desire to play right wing around November. But why do we treat AMN differently when he expresses a desire to play other positions versus Saka. Is it just because Saka is a much more electrifying talent and we love that?

Ricky1985

I spelled out what bothers me in the post above; the interview is just a small part.

If, however, in another 4 years, Saka gives an interview right before a game where he whinges about being played fullback because he's a right winger "by trade", even though he can't get near a game in that position because he's crap there: then I probably won't be best impressed then either.

awooga83

I agree Ricky, I think AMN has a position he'd prefer to play in but the reality is that his opportunity is at full back. There is no guarantee that he will get the chance he wants it that he's even good enough there. I would think the opportunity to have the chance to play in the first team for Arsenal would a dream given how many players don't make it in top level.

Put his mind and focus onto being the best he can be in that position and making it his own. Rather then an attitude of well I'd rather not play in this position and wait for you to realise I'm a winger. You don't always get to dictate that and being a full back may be his only top flight opportunity so he should take it seriously.

Captain

Nah. Can all end in tears, but everybody needs to back themselves.

Claudius

Captain wrote:
Nah. Can all end in tears, but everybody needs to back themselves.

Yeah. Show a little bit of belief

Qwiss

You can have belief and still play out of position for a while. I don't think Saka lacks belief. Is AMN more likely to become a starting midfielder for us (or someone better than us) by refusing to play RB?

goon

Yeah. Honestly if it's ok for the likes of Saka and Auba, and both put their all into it, then AMN has no excuse. In fairness to him, he was actually doing well, but I'm guessing he didn't respond well to some constructive critisism.

Anzac

Here's the irony of what he has said = how much defending do you see from top FB/WBs in the modern game? LFC's FBs are highly regarded but they play as wingers in the opposition half more than anything, same at MC, and same as what AMN was doing in the inverted RB role. Bellerin has never been a top defender & even Tierney is looked at as an attacking weapon as is Kolasinac.
Bottom line I don't get why he felt the need to say anything & it looks like he's shat in his own nest as a result.

Anzac

goon wrote:
Yeah. Honestly if it's ok for the likes of Saka and Auba, and both put their all into it, then AMN has no excuse. In fairness to him, he was actually doing well, but I'm guessing he didn't respond well to some constructive critisism.

This.

Clrnc

[font=Source Sans Pro]After the Olympiacos defeat and looking at our young players these days, including how our loanees are faring this would be my ideal squad as things stand for next season. I would keep most of our backups as long as they are on a cheap wage and isn't completely shite (e.g. Martinez). Focus more on the big players we need to sign since finances will be tight[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]GK[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Leno [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Martinez[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]RB[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Bellerin [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]AMN (if he wakes up his idea and start taking his Arsenal career seriously. Otherwise, Max Aarons can't come fast enough since Bellerin is really average these days)[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]CB[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Luiz [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Chambers[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Saliba[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Mari (if he fails his loan audition then we might need another CB since we don't know what state Chambers will be back in. Demiral, Pau Torres, Gabriel, Matvyenko will all be interesting options.)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Mavropanos[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]LB[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Tierney [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Kolasinac (I know Saka has performed well but over a season with both Tierney and Kolasinac with fitness problems I will give it another year with these 3 remaining)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Saka [/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]CM [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Guendouzi[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Ceballos (If he is available permanently on a not too expensive price I will take him)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Xhaka (He won't leave, Arteta rates him massively)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Partey (50m, perfect)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Aouar (I would prioritise getting him. He will be the linkage between our midfield and attack. He can do everything, all rounder. 60m will be worth it for him)[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]ESR[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]WF/CF[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Pepe[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Nelson[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Aubameyang[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Nketiah [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Martinelli [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Jonathan David (Don't really have any names off the top of my head but we need a class LW and recently watched his impressive performance against Roma)[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]Out [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Sokratis[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Mustafi [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Ozil [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Lacazette [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Torreira (I would sacrifice him, don't see any outstanding qualities in him for Tetball moving forward)[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]Loan Out[/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Holding [/font]
[font=Source Sans Pro]Willock[/font]

[font=Source Sans Pro]So basically we need 3 big signings IMO, 1 CM, 1CM/AM and a LW which will probably set us back around 120m. At best our outgoing might fetch us 60-70m. Doable? [/font]

goon

I don't think we need a winger. Pepe and Nelson for the right wing, Martinelli and Saka for the left. Perfect.

Klaus

I think we've got enough wingers and strikers too even if we sell Lacazette. The only one we absolutely can't do without in the attack is Auba, so let's hope we get at least a 5th place finish and can convince him to stay.

Midfield is the big problem area, but it might be hard to solve in 2020 if Torreira has done his ACL. I think we need to sell in order to buy this summer, which means getting rid of players like Xhaka and Torreira to fund their replacements. We can't do that if he's going to be out for most of the year. I don't see us signing more than one starter now.

Clrnc

goon wrote:
I don't think we need a winger. Pepe and Nelson for the right wing, Martinelli and Saka for the left. Perfect.

I am not convinced over an entire season Martinelli and Saka, 2 young players without much experience will be up to it for us to have a top class attack completely. Ideally we need someone ready made but I can't think of anyone right now and Sancho is out of our range definitely. But yeah that's the 3rd priority IMO for our summer, midfield is more important

Klaus

Auba is playing left wing Clrnc. I don't like it but I don't expect it to change under Arteta. If we keep him we're set. Martinelli is good backup, and then you've got Saka who could move up from fullback in emergencies.

Clrnc

So, Auba-Nketiah-Pepe?

Ideal world Nketiah will be a sub for Auba as a CF. If Auba and Nketiah is both injured we are fucked isn't it.

The worry is if Lacazette stays, that would mean Auba is mostly on the wings and we will be fucked for another season.

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