Up until yesterday he'd played it very safe in all of his first team games (including Reading in the Cup last year, for example). Yesterday was when he showed little bit personality as Wenger said. Tried to be more involved in the interplay and influence the game himself.Originally Posted by Syn
Good little player, looking forward to see him develop. I like that he's very mature in his approach and as we saw yesterday can be pretty devastating when he is direct.
Yeah agree.
That's what I mean when I say he did 'okay' against Stoke last week, every time he got the ball he'd retreat in his shell and pass sideways instead of pick the ball up with real vigour. Yesterday was different, he dribbled more, had greater passing range and played little through balls.
A lot of people were worried that 3 games in a week would be too much for the kid but I think it had the opposite effect. It allowed him to build up his fitness which he needed in order to put in a high-tempo performance like he did against Swansea where the game is typically more open. And of course at a younger age it's much easier to play 3 games in a week.
He has clearly got talent but personally I've been a little disappointed. He's been playing it safe, too safe for my liking. He's good at keeping the ball and playing a simple pass and move game but he's not aggressive enough, or hasn't been in the last 3 games. He drops back into our own half or into the central areas passing in little triangles but it's all in the wrong area of the pitch. He should be closer to Giroud, ready to play off any lay-offs, making runs behind the opponent's backline or trying to isolate their leftback to run at. The only time he ran at the defenders in the last three games was that one against Swansea in the first half - and he nearly created a goal.
That said, he is only 18 and has done a decent job. Great composure for the goal and impressive workrate in defence.
I think he probably could have been more adventurous from what we've seen so far but I think his performances have been fairly mature. There's no expectation on him to gamble and take risks, all I want to see from an 18 year old player is some competence and he's shown it.
Long range propensity to shoot aside (which is only really down to his approach of caution) he is basically the exact same player as Chamberlain. It is uncanny. Even in the positions he takes up and the way he moves with the ball. That said, it is not a bad thing to have two Chamberlains, particularly when the real one is injured....doh!
Going forward I would like to see him in our half a lot less and play much further up the field. The combination of pace, skill and power is deadly, particularly on the counter so in such occurrences you don't want him in slapping/talking distance of his own goalkeeper.
I do think Wenger has had his hand a little forced with him but I suspect that his approach of caution gave him a platform of trust in which the manager was willing to play him yet again yesterday. Hopefully now he feels he has that trust he throws a little of that caution to the wind.
Too early to tell but a good prospect for sure - Ox-like built and style.
Its great to prove some of the doubters ( & I'm one of them ) wrong, that we can continue to develop 1st team players from our youth set up - in these days where the big clubs have to strive for instant success & can't take risks on untested youngsters.
Just not sure that with a midfield already containing Jack, Ozil, Rambo & Santi with Flamini/Artete as DM - how we are also going to cater for Theo, OX & Gnabbers. Think the poor lad needs to make immedite HUGE impact otherwise he faces years on the bench or we'll sell him.
He looks decent doesn't he? Combination of pace, power and technique that me and Wenger both love.
He's just starting off so I can forgive him for making sure he's defensively tight and playing it simple. He's also shown enough flashes of quality to demonstrate what he could bring to us if we did fully develop him. Not a bad 3rd choice RW to have at all.
From what I understand he's actually more of a number 10 than a winger. Like Chamberlain however, he will likely have to develop his game on the right wing and it will be a long time before he gets much action in the center.
It is incredible that only a month in we are faced with a situation where we are missing ALL 4 of our first choice wingers. Glad this lad has got some minutes under his belt and could yet demonstrated himself to be a viable squad option for later in the season.
Disgusting the way the afterhours immigrantbros are only mixing with their own kind and refusing to participate in the pub forum scum culture of GW.
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