Arsenal: Ainsley Maitland-Niles, when will he snap out of it?

For a long time, I have stated that Ainsley Maitland-Niles’ greatest strength, his composure, is also his greatest weakness. And it is still true today. It begs the question: When will the Arsenal defender snap out of it?

Ainsley Maitland-Niles is a wonderfully gifted footballer. Sadly, he knows it and it is hurting his game. One of the most important aspects of some of the best footballers in the world is that they do not let their talent overawe their concentration and work ethic. Cristiano Ronaldo is the perfect example of this.

Find the latest episode of the Pain in the Arsenal Podcast here — Death, Decay, Despair

He is a sensational player with an outrageous skill set. But his most influential trait is his mind, the mentality with which he trains and perfects himself in practice and the application and commitment that he plays with on the pitch.

More from Pain in the Arsenal

Maitland-Niles is not nearly as talented as Ronaldo, obviously, but he does have a set of skills that would make many players jealous. His speed, his natural athleticism, his technical skill, his calmness on and off the ball, Maitland-Niles is a gifted individual with terrific potential. But he does not apply himself in the requisite manner. He falls short of his talent.

Specifically, it is his greatest strength, his composure, that infects his greatest weakness, his complacency. Maitland-Niles expects to win almost every loose ball because he has a terrific skill set. Because of this, he does not play with intensity and often loses out to opposing players who are not as sharp or powerful as him but simply ‘want it more’, whatever that may mean — for the record, I do not think that Maitland-Niles does not ‘want it’, I just think that he believes he has already got it without working for it.

Thursday’s 3-1 win over Valencia again produced moments of staggering complacency. The curious header from all fours back to Petr Cech that was intercepted and nearly prodded into the goal was a prime example. It was as if Maitland-Niles, as he allowed the ball to bounce, was thinking ‘I cannot simply boot the ball clear. I must do something clever. I know, I’ll head it back to the goalkeeper by crouching down.’ It did not work.

I have made this complaint regarding Maitland-Niles’ game for some time. Even last season, his first as a semi-regular senior player, there were plenty of moments in which is complacency got the better of him. It was a clear weakness that he needed to address — and given that this is a mental, not physical or technical, problem, it should be an easy fix. The fact that it still exists today begs the question: When will he snap out of it?

Because that is all takes. Concentration and commitment, which are the solutions to this composure-complacency problem, are choices. Maitland-Niles must simply choose to remain focused for every second that he is on the pitch. That just requires a moment of realisation, which he did have on Thursday. Maitland-Niles played with a far greater application after his strange header.

Next. Arsenal Vs Valencia: 5 things we learned. dark

For Maitland-Niles to fulfil his potential, he must solve his complacency problem. It seems like an easy fix, partly because it is, but he is clearly unable to put it right. When, if ever, will he snap out of it?

Home/Arsenal News