Newly crowned Premier League 2 Player of the Month Reiss Nelson is one of the brightest prospects at youth level, and many have tipped him to make the breakthrough this season.
With EFL Cup and Europa League football requiring the manager to rotate his squad, the 17 year old is likely to get chances, and Arsene Wenger has been expanding on where he sees him fit into the team.
“Reiss can be one of the three strikers, he can be a wing-back,” he said.
“The only thing that you would say is that he is more of an offensive-minded player than a defensive-minded player, but then he has to learn that part of the job as well.
“He has a good engine and he’s a good dribbler as well, he can pass people, unbalance defences, open defences.
“Overall, I believe he has a good spirit and always wants to learn. The fact that Chamberlain left opens a little door for him, that’s one of the possibilities for him.”
It will be interesting to see where exactly he fits. The wing-back role may offset some of his stronger attacking qualities, but if Arsenal did revert to a back four – something we speak about on today’s Arsecast – a position further forward is certainly something he could have a good go at.
Why no Arseblog-patented artwork of the “little door”? 🙁
My biggest worry is it’ll be Walcott who will benefit from Ox leaving.
I know I’m in a minority who think Ox is on the way up.
An interesting report from Sportswitness this morning suggests, should we wish too? Draxler could be a legitimate target for us in Jan, with the World Cup next summer and his path being blocked by Cavani, Mbappe and Neymar.
Would be great if we got shot of Walcott at the same time, a player who clearly couldn’t care less about playing time in a World Cup year.
Get a good defender behind Walcott, give him game time and be patient with him when required, he will give you 20 goals. Disagree with you on Ox. He isn’t an intelligent player may be not even an intelligent boy. Can’t even figure out that people would see when you like a Wenger Out video.
Agree and disagree with you both. Walcott can get us 20 goals from the wing, very rare for a winger, AND Ox is on the up considering his last season. As far as who benefits is concerned, that depends on formation. Highly doubt Walcott will get a look in at RWB…
Why should Walcott care about playing for England? He can spend his time with his family rather than being slagged off by the likes of you when he plays for England. Walcott will get Arsenal 20+ goals a season if he is given the playing time, he is a goal scorer. 21 goals last season even though he didn’t play in the last 10 games or so due to Wenger changing the formation to 3/4/3.
“he can be a wing back”
And so it begins.
Eh? He played there in pre-season and everyone raved about him.
If he said he could play CB I might be concerned…
Defenses lapses are common when attacking players are tasked with with playing defensive positions and at Reiss’s age, it’s a footballing suicide. WB’s are often seen competing for headed duals. I am sure Reiss isn’t cut out for that yet or even to shut out a decent winger or tracking a run of an opposing attacker. These are just some of the many technical aspects of defending that you learn by practicing everyday from a young age not by suddenly playing in a new position just as you are about start your professional playing career.
“….from a young age…” and “….about to start your professional career…” tend to coincide every now and then. All is not lost in terms of Reece at wing-back in my opinion.
Everyone raved about his talent and potential, not about how well he’s suited to that role. I’d like to see his trickery in attacking midfield. What’s wilsheres position in midfield? What’s ramsey’s proper position? At their ages they should be experts on a set position. Instead they’re at best ‘able to fill’ holes in a lineup not really make a position their own. I’d like Reiss to be different.
Ramsey’s proper position is somewhere near the the opponent’s goal area on the left while the opponents have the ball in our half
Emphasis on pre-season though. Didnt Sanogo bang in 4 in the Emirates Cup? I think it’ll be too much too soon if we really expect him to start in the first team in his first full season. Let’s give the kid the chance to develop first
“he can be a wing back” does not equal “he’ll get lots of first team opportunities at wing back”. He’ll probably play home games in the Europa League and League Cup games. Hardly taxing if we’re playing shitty opposition.
Like Crystal Palace…oh wait
Isn’t that where he played mid-season and was very successful ?
If we go back to a 4-2-3-1 would be nice to see if Nelson can impress in Cup matches and Europa. With basically Walcott and Welbeck ahead of him he could get a chance on the right side in the Premier League too if he does well enough. Would be fun to see what he could do
Ian wright is acting like a child. He just reteriated on his stand against Mesut and Arsene Wenger. I mean seriously who slaggs of his former club and makes jokes. The media is a joke, so is Ian. Thats just disrespectful. I really really hope we prove him wrong..
Hes not slagging off his club. He’s slagging off the idiot in charge.
a) i feel like this has nothing to do with this article, b) nothing Ian Wright said was actually incorrect. Blind optimism and refusal to criticize is pretty much a recipe for complacency…*looks at Arsene Wenger*
“He is going to be a great player. Im absolutely delighted for him. He made the right choice” More or less what Ian said when he about ox. ?!
Good, because he’s likely right.
Left wing back I hope. So sad when we have to pay our centre backs there
so he’ll be playing CB then….haha
Being a petty person the picture of ox grinning lifting his l’pool jersey crest has got me hoping his career nosedives from here on.
Isn’t the real frustration knowing that at the moment he probably made the right choice
if we revert to a back 4, the most important thing I feel we gotta do is to play 2 disciplined engine players in CM. that means playing Coq + Elneny to defend and keep things ticking, or ramsey (IF he’s disciplined w/ no ramboing up the filed). with 2 centre backs + 2 defensive anchors we’ll + 1 of the full backs, we’ll always have 5 players ready to defend counters. I believe with ozil’s creativity and lacazette’s deadly finishing we wont need more than 4 players in attack to carve out good chances to score. Keep the balance… Read more »
centre back it is then
It will be quite amusing if we go back to a back 4, Reiss Nelson gets to start playing on the right wing, and Ox gets stuck playing right back at Liverpool since Clyne is injured. A certain karmic justice, you could say.
Next year: Wenger On How Iwobi Can Profit From Sanchez’s Little Door.
The guy just said he can’t defend and you want to play him at wing back? What has Peter Cech done to you guys? Anyways, the kid looks like top top talent. Worth having another Ozil in the team. Now don’t say they’re not similar players, I’m just saying they both can’t defend. Kids, kids ,kids. We need more kids at this point.
Whilst this is true and I look forward to seeing more of him, it will just be used by the dumb ass media admire excuses from Wenger.
Reiss is an attacking player!!! Wenger needs to stop with his lame experiments. I’m still pissed off he moved Bielik to CB. Don’t destroy thus guy confidence and play him as a rwb. Play him as part of the front 3
I think we’re going to see Maitland-Niles be the backup Bellerin at RWB.
Wow Arsene is good at coaching but not exactly good at negotiation so let’s get him to learn negotiations? Thus is why I feel Wenger has overstayed his time at Arsenal, get the man a Statue on the Bench and sign up a new Manager
I do not understand why Wenger always like to put players out if position. Diaby, Ramsey and Wilshere at left mid when they are CM, Monreal and Kolasinac at centre back when they play best at left back, Bellerin at left wing when he’s a right back. The results were there for us to see. Now, Nelson clearly plays best as one of the front 3 attacking players so why is he put out of position again as a wing back? No top manager put players out of positions to such extent as Wenger. I don’t understand him and I… Read more »
Nelson looks an exciting takent….however, this “he can play several positions” developmental style as ruined more of our youth talent. Versatility is good but specialization is better!