afcstuff @afcstuff
Ainsley Maitland-Niles vs. Southampton:
103 touches
71 passes completed
90% passing accuracy
6 tackles
3 interceptions
Thought he was very good today 
We have another gem here. He looks very versatile.
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I have liked him for a long time and picked him ~18 or so months ago to be one that would break through, but I had almost written him off. Like the look of him. Very athletic and incredibly composed for his age - Xhaka should take note.
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Looks quality but so skinny, will need to bulk up at least a bit to play CM surely?
very quick feet and very composed though
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Give hime some steaks 
His old man mustache on young boy face really annoys me.
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Going a bit over the top in the Xhaka hate, no? Maitland-Niles is a decent prospect and I like you have always liked him–remember making his thread on the old forum when he was 15 and mistakenly calling him Ashley–but doesn’t have the passing range nor quality on the ball in general that Xhaka has nor will he ever, realistically.
The reality is that Southampton gave our midfielders all day on the ball today, so that certainly helps. Ox as you said in another thread looked like Alex Song in 11-12, and well, Alex Song himself will tell you, Alex Song in 11-12 can happen when the opposition/exigency of the match isn’t too great. It’s different when the conditions change though…
It wasn’t really over the top - just that he needs more composure. In general, yes, I am not a fan. I have not been impressed with his passing, composure, vision, or touch for someone so highly touted and expensive and having an impressive beginning in Germany.
I expected a great deal more and really just of the simple stuff, not anything outrageous in terms of offensive contribution or dictating play, etc.
Anyway, my judgment isn’t really hate - it is incredibly hard to meet the standard of a top player at Arsenal - we have had loads of decent players who didn’t really hit that standard. I hope Xhaka does, but I am not betting on it atm.
Wasn’t referring to you specifically, I just feel a bit that with Xhaka when he was signed and in the months after it was the trend to overhype him and exaggerate his ability, and now the trend is to do the opposite. Every time I watch him he looks a tidy enough player for me (though I’ve–we’ve?–let to really see him against top sides where as @A.F tends to mention his potential lack of pressing resistance/one-footedness/lack of mobility could be exposed a bit more), and his range of passing is a joy to watch, but then he seems to have one or two ‘doh’ accidents here and there. It should be remembered that Arsène Wenger asks a lot of his midfielders–or doesn’t make things at all easy on them perhaps is the way to put it–and only really two extremely experienced players in Arteta and Cazorla have really done the job in the centre of our midfield in the last 10 years or so really, since Vieira left and Cesc moved to a more advanced position.
Anyways, I responded to the post mainly from the wording which maybe I misinterpreted, it was just the idea that Xhaka should take note from Maitland-Niles was a bit much for me to take. Maitland-Niles will be lucky to have a career good enough to ever play enough games in our midfield to get exposed and critiqued as much as Xhaka has for his play in Wenger’s mess of a centre midfield.
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Yeah odds are against AMN making it here, but he did well today and certainly seems to have a nice calmness about him to go with pretty decent technique and very impressive physical qualities. He tracked runners back to our goal line on a few occasions and prevented crosses quite nicely.
Like a young Le Coq really, versatile in a number of areas, combatant in nature and has a decent passing output.
Still, it’s nice seeing one of the youths put in a solid display!
This team has been crying out for a player like Niles.
Someone who can sit in front of defence, find space and pass a ball.
Never seems to get flustered. Will become a great player. For us I hope.
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Am I exaggerating when I say he looks so tiny? A few podcasts I listened to today they were raving about his physicality and that he reminded them of Kante??
He reminded me more of how santi plays at DM with quick feet and calmness when under pressure but much too small to play that position in the prem
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This isn’t hindsight as I wanted him to start anyway but Wenger really should have played him over Coquelin. It was one game yes but Chamberlain-Niles looked good together.
I’m better than Coquelin on midfield, at the moment… imagine Niles.
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A big part of me wants to stick with AMN as Santiago replacement next season
I would 100% want him to start in CM ahead of the either way
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He looks like a good prospect. Don’t see him as a replacement for anyone in the first team at the moment but more as an option to try out. Hope he gets some game time on a consistent basis to show us what he is all about.
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I’d like to see AMN get some more chances this year because you never know.
I’ve gotta say though that he doesn’t seem to have a big ceiling to me. I haven’t watched him extensively but what I have seen is a good athlete that is nothing special with the ball, like the Chuba Akpom of midfielders.
The Europa League and the League Cup are good chances for him to shine.