Clrnc sir, you’re taking an outlier as well who is probably the best teenager anybody normal has seen since Messi as the example of why we need to play a child.
And prior to this, we consistently had one of the 16 youngest squads in all of Europe (including places like Austria and Holland where teams are young) when Arteta focused on Saka etc.
People were annoyed Saka wasn’t in the FA cup final. He seems to be fine now as far as I can tell.
Claudius People were annoyed Saka wasn’t in the FA cup final. He seems to be fine now as far as I can tell.
People aren't worried about Nwaneri stagnating if he doesn't play a few more minutes, so not sure where you're going with this. The question is if Nwaneri playing more would've helped us.
QuincyAbeyie we looked shit. I doubt we would’ve solved significant structural issues that the team had. We had an Odegaard sized hole. Nobody is filling that, certainly not Nwaneri.
I've seen this argument several times - that Ødegaard is irreplaceable so there's no point in trying to fill the void. As if it's just a binary question of filling vs. not filling rather than degrees of filling.
We looked like shit, like you say. Whether Nwaneri should've played is certainly not a question of "would he have made us play as well as if we had Ødegaard", but "would he have made us play any better than what we did?"
QuincyAbeyie exactly. We looked so blunt without Odegaard. We needed someone with Nwaneris skillset.
Maybe, but you’re talking about an extra 15 mins here and there. I think it was Newcastle where he came on a bit earlier and struggled to get into the game until he had a late shot on goal.
To be perfectly clear, I think he should have been coming on sooner or maybe even starting. I can’t really see the harm. But I also can’t see any other reason why he’s not getting game time than those given.
Maybe there’s a bit of what @Burnwinter suggested in not wanting to promote him ahead of someone like Trossard too quickly, but I don’t even see how that would be a problem if you’re talking about being subbed on earlier or starting one game in 5. He also came on ahead of both Jesus and Sterling at times.
It's not that complex. Nwaneri could've played a bit more by now and it's been indicated with hindsight that he should've. Arteta hasn't played Nwaneri less than he could have purely out of a judicious desire to protect him.
Fine margins in this league and we've dropped points due to a lack of verve and creativity.
No, the flaw is armchair fans thinking they know better.
Why let facts like that get in the way?
That's why my list of comparable attributes didn't include intelligence.
Aren't all fans armchair fans, unless they don't have any opinion of their own except for "whatever happens is always the right decision, because I am in no position to think otherwise"?
Clive Palmer very good on Nwaneri on this week's ArsenalVision pod.
RocktheCasbah oooh I'm gonna listen to it tucked up in bed shortly.
daredevil No, the flaw is armchair fans thinking they know better.
Nope. Let's be clear, Arteta doesn't give a fuck about load management when there are other factors he deems more important. Don't ask me. Ask Ben White!
Load management for a 17yr old who cramped up in both league cup games is a little different than a seasoned pro who plays through hamstring injuries.
And of course it’s just one consideration of many. If you carry the team on your back every week then it’s pretty natural that you’ll be asked to do more than if you’re a kid out the academy.
I'd imagine Nwaneri being 17 and White being 27 has something to do with the different approaches being taken.
Would have been a lot of pressure. He's 17. Bringing him in replace Odegaard (and Saka - he was hurt too) is a huge risk. These are world class players You could do damage to his confidence if he doesn't perform well, increased risk of getting clattered by some caveman if he is isolated as the focal point of our attack, and probably lots of other factors one has to consider. You don't take that sort of risk unless you absolutely have to. I'm sure the temptation must have been there, however if we are a serious club, there was probably already a plan for optimally ramping him up into the first team prior to the start of the season. As much as possible you try to stick to that plan. That's what he's talking about when he's saying cement and bricks. There's things the kid has to learn, habits he has to break, ideas he has to imbibe. He's a baller, no doubt. But he needs to learn how to ball with the big boys at the top level consistently. No rush. Him playing often is unlikely to be what truly defines us this season.
And if it is, and it's deserved minutes, I'm extremely happy to be wrong: as this would mean he's earned his way into the first team, and we'll be seeing him do really special stuff as the season goes on. Either way, he's announced himself to the Arsenal fan base, and maybe even some non Arsenal fans are starting to notice. We have a special talent on our hands. Let's enjoy his development.
Thanks mates, no doubt without your help I'd be incapable of understanding this incredibly obvious point.
Meanwhile @daredevil you seem to have missed mine, which is that Ben White's situation demonstrates that managing player workloads isn't something that is always at the forefront of Arteta's concerns and he isn't always right when it comes to load management (note the qualification) because he's got other factors to be worried about.
You guys can be superbly obtuse. We're talking about Mikel Arteta, a football manager with a well-earned reputation for burning players out and practising a low rate of rotation.
flobaba Bringing him in replace Odegaard (and Saka - he was hurt too) is a huge risk.
No one has suggested that he replace anyone.
Suggesting Nwaneri should preferentially get half an hour to relieve (not replace) our starters is all that's been said. Nwaneri's shown himself to a highly effective, difference-making option off the bench this season. His body's young but he can handle half an hour of competitive football once or twice a week.
Forest was just further evidence we could've seen more of him.
