Rio Ngumoah

[peterbread]

He definitely deserves more minutes but at the same time he’s able to make this type of impact because of when he’s coming on.

I don’t mind them being a bit cautious with him if you look at the recent history in football and young players being overplayed. The club has a few examples of their own.

But the balance needs to be found and he is probably being underused right now. The good thing is he is starting to get more minutes.

I think he’s looked better on the right in the last couple of games he’s played than on the left.

[Charly]

Im not really confudent Slot knows how to get the best out of the team at the moment

[danperkins]

Nice cameo and that type of player, pace and who can actually dribble and beat a man is just missing from the side and makes us so much more easier to defend against.. Arsenal have Saka, Odegaard, Madueke, Eze, Trossard and Martenelli who can do that.

[Tatterdemalion]

It's good to see him delivering. He's even got the same step-overs Ronaldo had in his early career...

More to the point, surely this is food for thought for Salah, Gakpo and Slot.

Can't wait for Frimpong to come back as well. Put him and Rio on the wings for a while each game and see the difference.

[SB]

Yeah as someone else pointed out it’s nice to see a right footer on the right side putting crosses in other than overlapping fullbacks ( which obviously leaves us vulnerable on the counter attack) . Everyone knows Mo & Cody will cut back onto their favourite foot & it’s not working for us.

[baitman]

Yeah as someone else pointed out it’s nice to see a right footer on the right side putting crosses in other than overlapping fullbacks ( which obviously leaves us vulnerable on the counter attack) . Everyone knows Mo & Cody will cut back onto their favourite foot & it’s not working for us.

[SB]

In that case I’m glad I didn’t say a wise person pointed it out

[Exiled_red]

I know Frimpong isn't fit at the moment but I'd quite like to see how we looked with Ngumoha on the left and Frimpong on the right. My concern earlier in the season was a potential lack of goals, but given Salah and Gakpo can't hit a barn door I'm less concerned about that now

[Doc_Piptorious]

I know Frimpong isn't fit at the moment but I'd quite like to see how we looked with Ngumoha on the left and Frimpong on the right. My concern earlier in the season was a potential lack of goals, but given Salah and Gakpo can't hit a barn door I'm less concerned about that now

Think Rio is still very much at the level where starts would not help him compared to 10 to 20 min (not including added on time) cameos against tired legs late on in games.

Reckon if he were starting against fresh full backs and midfielders he would get caught early in games with some physical treatment and then be running on fumes later on.

On the other flank I would very much be splitting minutes between Salah and Chiesa and make it clear to Salah that he has 60 minutes to empty his tank out there so no need to conserve energy, and then let Chiesa go all out for the remaining 30. Would be doing that at least until Frimpong is back.

[danperkins]

Rio getting more game time is good but yeah being a starter is just because we are desperate to find solutions to the ****ness of Gakpo and Mo. Ideally everyone is fit, Rio can get some cameos, as does Chiesa & Gakpo and Mo are benched and we have genuine width and pace there instead. Currently we are hobbling along, riding our luck and hoping for the best & also Slot is like anti Epstein, he hates kids & also hates Chiesa.... maybe he hates Italians too i dunno. Rio & Chiesa aren't the answer but they also need more game time, especially when lads ahead of them in the pecking order are performing woefully.

[Doc_Piptorious]

Rio getting more game time is good but yeah being a starter is just because we are desperate to find solutions to the ****ness of Gakpo and Mo. Ideally everyone is fit, Rio can get some cameos, as does Chiesa & Gakpo and Mo are benched and we have genuine width and pace there instead. Currently we are hobbling along, riding our luck and hoping for the best & also Slot is like anti Epstein, he hates kids & also hates Chiesa.... maybe he hates Italians too i dunno. Rio & Chiesa aren't the answer but they also need more game time, especially when lads ahead of them in the pecking order are performing woefully.

Chiesa I would have no issue with in terms of starting games. He is a scarpper when he plays and savvy enough to give senior defenders fits with his workrate and tenacity.


Just think it is a bit early for Rio to be up against fresh defenders on a regular basis.

Actually could do the 60/30 minute think on either flank using Chiesa and Rio too. Let Chiesa harry and harrass the defenders whilst they are fresh then sub him off on the 60th or 70th so that Rio can run at them then.

And then let Salah and Gakpo compete for minutes on the opposite flank. That way it is only a max of one of Salah or Gakpo on the pitch at the same time and would mean each flank has a different style of attack. One side cutting in all the time and the other side bringing energy and directness.

Then bring in a genuine threat in the summer.

[danperkins]

Chiesa I would have no issue with in terms of starting games. He is a scarpper when he plays and savvy enough to give senior defenders fits with his workrate and tenacity.


Just think it is a bit early for Rio to be up against fresh defenders on a regular basis.

Actually could do the 60/30 minute think on either flank using Chiesa and Rio too. Let Chiesa harry and harrass the defenders whilst they are fresh then sub him off on the 60th or 70th so that Rio can run at them then.

And then let Salah and Gakpo compete for minutes on the opposite flank. That way it is only a max of one of Salah or Gakpo on the pitch at the same time and would mean each flank has a different style of attack. One side cutting in all the time and the other side bringing energy and directness.

Then bring in a genuine threat in the summer.

Yeah, I get the call for Rio but it's just that we are a bit desperate for change, genuine pace and positivity but he's much better suited for 20 or 30 mins vs fading defences imo. Chiesa will run and work, that in itself is huge and much more than what Salah offers, considering Mo's productivity has dropped off a cliff. Slot has made us harder to score against, the defence has improved but without Wirtz we looked absolutely lost going forward. It's so glaring the lack of pace and a player that can actually beat a man, I'm not sure how we got into this position.

[Exiled_red]

Think Rio is still very much at the level where starts would not help him compared to 10 to 20 min (not including added on time) cameos against tired legs late on in games.

Reckon if he were starting against fresh full backs and midfielders he would get caught early in games with some physical treatment and then be running on fumes later on.

On the other flank I would very much be splitting minutes between Salah and Chiesa and make it clear to Salah that he has 60 minutes to empty his tank out there so no need to conserve energy, and then let Chiesa go all out for the remaining 30. Would be doing that at least until Frimpong is back.

Sorry wasn't clear in how I put that across, I wasn't so much saying he should start regularly I agree with points about his development etc, more a in an ideal world those two are more of what I would like to see us play like with players we have in the squad at the moment. It wouldn't happen for a variety of reasons

[Doc_Piptorious]

Yeah, I get the call for Rio but it's just that we are a bit desperate for change, genuine pace and positivity but he's much better suited for 20 or 30 mins vs fading defences imo. Chiesa will run and work, that in itself is huge and much more than what Salah offers, considering Mo's productivity has dropped off a cliff. Slot has made us harder to score against, the defence has improved but without Wirtz we looked absolutely lost going forward. It's so glaring the lack of pace and a player that can actually beat a man, I'm not sure how we got into this position.

Think it is pretty obvious (with the advantage of hindsight of course).

Salah was coming off of a close to career best season in terms of return and Gakpo was coming off of a pretty good season too.

Don't think anyone saw the decline of both (to the degree it is now) coming. Sure maybe a small drop off but we would still have been expecting Salah, in the league alone, to get into double figures (high teens maybe) for goals and the same for assists and we would have been expecting maybe 10 goals and close to 10 assists from Gakpo in the league too.


Enough to make up the difference whilst new players settled anyway. No way was the sort of drop off both suffered expected imo. And similar could be said for the huge drop off seen in guys like Mac Allister and Konate (off pitch stuff notwithstanding for both).

I reckon the plan was based on Salah and Gakpo between them giving at least 75% of last season's G/A return (not an unreasonable assumption imo to expect them to do that. 75% of their own numbers that is. ) and buying a season before having to bring in someone(s) new out wide.

[BobTheCharmer]

I wouldn't start him but I would give him at least 30 minutes every game. Perfect running against tired legs. He should be on for salah every game regardless of the score.