Ainsley Maitland-Niles says his relationship with Mikel Arteta was never bad, but that the Arsenal manager sought to get more out of a player who had perhaps lost a little focus.
The 23 year old started the first five Premier League games under the new boss, but fell by the wayside after Hector Bellerin’s return to fitness, and was even left out when Sokratis was deployed as a right-back.
It led to Arteta publicly challenging the player to do more, saying, “Ainsley needs to put his head down and work hard and show me every day in training that he wants it more than anyone else, he wants to play for this club and fight for his place.”
He then publicly praised a change in attitude and work-rate after the lockdown, isisting “He has changed a lot of things, a lot of positive things.
“He has all the attributes and qualities to become a really important player. It’s up to him.”
Maitland-Niles played a key part in the FA Cup success, starting in the both the semi-final and the final, and despite interest from Wolves, Arsenal rejected the bid. He has since gone on to become a full England international, a recognition of his development, and the Academy graduate puts it down to Arteta’s influence.
“There was never a rocky relationship between us,” he said.
“It was just he demanded more from me than I was demanding from myself. He told me that and I had work to do to get back into the team. That’s as simple as it was.
“Of course the manager can always see different things then a player can see because he is looking at it from a different angle. He has got different feelings, different emotions to what I feel at the time.
“It is a good job that I did listen. It is all paying off now.”
Asked what specifically Arteta had done to help his career get back on track, he continued, “He just installed a lot of confidence in me that I had in myself, but maybe I didn’t know how to bring out. He has helped me do that.
“We work well as a team together and he knows how to get the best out of me. And now I am learning to get the best out of myself more regularly now.
“I can only thank him along the way and carry on the run of form we have had.”
Under Arteta it’s clear that hard work pays off. Maitland-Niles is expected to start tonight’s Europa Clash with Rapid Vienna.
You can see the difference Arteta’s approach & coaching has made to a number of players, AMN, Mustafi, Elneny etc all have improved. Let’s hope he stays around for years!
AMN – a true footballing conundrum
He thinks he’s a RWF
We think he’s a RWB
And his official position is CM
He’s a guy who can carry a ball, and that’s all a footballer is . Hah @Kola
Hopefully he’s past wanting to play in a particular position and realises his versatility is a positive. I’ve got a feeling there’s plenty of improvement left in him too.
But his ‘best’ position is ice cold Penalty Taker. Heh.
AMeN.
Really like how AMN has approached things, and the result is there to see. At the very least a coach/manager can improve the players he has to work with, and AMN, Mustafi are good examples of that.
Versatility can actually be a great advantage. Amazing players like Alaba and Kimmich at Bayern are pretty versatile and able to play in multiple systems/positions, and AMN could become that for us.
We’re really reading the same thing in different articles and stories now – Arteta is the manager, and he’s managing! Shock, horror perhaps but it’s good to see someone who is in charge imposing himself on the squad and telling players, where necessary, to pull their finger out! We certainly didn’t get that with Wenger, who was far too “relaxed” with some players particularly towards the end of his reign, and Emery wasn’t really able to communicate effectively in the relatively short time he was with us. The approach hasn’t always worked, and it won’t in every case. Ozil is… Read more »
Maitland Niles is always one of the names on the team sheet I see which fills me with calmness.
Someone should defo make one of those annoying Facebook motivational quotes that reads:
Live your life like a Maitland Niles penalty.
Great post. Arteta is doing what the great bosses do: taking control. With Arteta it’s “my way or the highway”. Good.
As for Özil he can just fuck off now: he’s a disgrace to football. The club should put him on a slow boat to Timbuktu.
Sorry to disappoint you, but Timbuktu FC have just announced that they can’t afford Ozil’s wages no matter how long it takes him to get there. Foiled again!
Timbuktu is int the middle of the desert or is that the joke that im allowing to whoosh over my head?
Timbuktu? Will Kola be there to prevent him fron being taken hostage?
Exactly. People respond to challenges two ways: #1 They rise up and take those challenges head on and become better; or #2 They play the victim and shirk away from the challenge. Point fingers of blame at the challengers and disappear when the going gets tough. AMN and Mustafi are great examples of #1; No prizes for guessing the example for #2. Arteta is trying to build a squad of #1s and credit to him for it. We have a history of fragile #2 in the last decade of Wenger’s tenure that he pampered to too much IMO. This is… Read more »
That Saliba view is actually fairly feasible, having just thought about. It would certainly sweeten the slightly bitter stuttering start we’ve had to date. Also, if it turns out he’s a pampered #2, and we have to sell him in a year for £20m back to St Etiene, so be it. I want players coming to Arsenal knowing what to expect and willing to put in the effort, not just turning up for the paycheck. Heck, Aouar came out two days after all that got called off and said he wasn’t fussed it fell through. If that wasn’t a relationship… Read more »
Did it work with Matteo?
Bloke clearly said it won’t work with everyone. Guendouzi has had a mass wake up call, who knows how it will work out when he comes back.
I recently watched a highlight reel of Arsenal’s defensive errors last season. I can genuinely say Guendouzi and Sokratis were involved in 75% of them.
If Matteo is still serious about his Arsenal career, he has to improve on his ball retention in the defensive 3rd.
The result is dependent on the character. If they can’t rise to the challenge in a positive and determined fashion then they can’t be the type we want around. If for instance guendouzi comes back after a season and says ‘boss I’ve been a bit of an idiot, can we start again’ then you’ve got a different player than the one who left and someone to work with who could potentially improve us.
You can see alot of progress over the years.
I love that he is showing his quality.
And of course
He’s one of our own.
( Says the Icelander who has only been to two games since 2002 ) … 😁🇮🇸
that makes you one of own too buddy
not least given that same criteria applies to our back up goalkeeper
Goodluck tonite