Nathan Aké

[iseah100 5,612]

Has a CL assist though.

[The Skipper 20,593]

please read the edited post.

and i am not sugarcoating anything. looking at how filipe defends, and the rumors that he might be leaving in the summer, ake going on loan seems foolish. and as i said, he did more wiht that one pass than RLC did in the whole match. also, with ake, there is some past references too where he has performed 10 times better than what rlc put in today.

You're not being fair at all IMO. This is RLC 2nd's senior game, too harsh.

[didierforever 7,349]

You're not being fair at all IMO. This is RLC 2nd's senior game, too harsh.

again, please read the edited posts. nothing harsh about them.

i am not saying he should be loaned to vitesse or a championship club. infact i admit, it might have been nerves and the fact that he was playing as a no.6 rather than no.8 which i gather is his natural position. but i am calling his performance as i saw it. dont see a problem with it.

[Mechromancer 262]

on the bench you mean ????

Looks like he knows good jokes. Mou must love the guy.

[The Skipper 20,593]

again, please read the edited posts. nothing harsh about them.

i am not saying he should be loaned to vitesse or a championship club. infact i admit, it might have been nerves and the fact that he was playing as a no.6 rather than no.8 which i gather is his natural position. but i am calling his performance as i saw it. dont see a problem with it.

One thing I will agree on is Ake's future at LB though. I think he can easily provide us a good squad rotation option there - especially is Luis is going. If not he should definitely go out on loan to a PL club where he'll get all the game time in the world. He's a good player already, interesting to see how he'll develop with regular game time.

[supporter 3,088]

Nathan Ake will be one of the great midfielders for us with Ruben Loftus-Cheek. It's just a feeling, but this guy has a tactical sense with and without ball, leadership ability and maturity beyond his age with a great ability to distribute the ball.

Aké is likely to go on loan to Boro with Aitor Karanka next season. I'm sure he will be one of the big surprises of Premier League next season.

With only 20 years he has a great future ahead. It's a shame he has not had many opportunities to us, but next season he will prove he is able to be with us in 2016-2017.

Regards.

[CurlyHairLikeLuiz 1,625]

imo next season he'll either go on loan to a PL club or stay here and be second choice to Azpi at LB and 2nd/3rd choice DM (depending if we give Mikel the boot or not)

[didierforever 7,349]

One thing I will agree on is Ake's future at LB though. I think he can easily provide us a good squad rotation option there - especially is Luis is going. If not he should definitely go out on loan to a PL club where he'll get all the game time in the world. He's a good player already, interesting to see how he'll develop with regular game time.

after coming down the booze and football high, guess i was a little harsh on RLC last night.

the expectation and hype around him is massive and i guess i got caught up too. just a 2nd start for the guy and its understandable why he would be playing it safe.

would like matic-RLC pivot in next match and it should be played the way they are meant to be played, RLC as no.8 and matic as no.6.

also, the expectations and hype need to come down. people were saying that RLC should and can easily replace rambo for next season, which does not help those who have just seen him in these 2 matches or a couple of youth finals.

[supporter 3,088]

Nathan Ake vs West Bromwich (Away) 18/05/2015 HD

Remember his name

I would like to see on Sunday our midfield with Matic - RLC - Ake.

Regards.

[Stats 6,980]

He was at my university not too long ago watching his brother play a football match. Nice lad. Had a laugh about the Fabregas incident on Monday where he tried his best to laugh but could not help it.

[King11Didier 916]

He looks really comfortable with the ball in his feet, which is quite expressive as he is very young. That is the thing which I like the most in him. I'm pretty sure that a loan in PL will be good for him and he can make it in the starting XI. Maybe for clubs who are now promoting or for clubs who will blessed with staying in the PL. Hope we will see him in the blue kit more often in the near future

[lionsden 4,689]

His positioning and calmness on the ball at all times are very impressive. He plays with maturity beyond his years

[kellzfresh 7,226]

His positioning and calmness on the ball at all times are very impressive. He plays with maturity beyond his years

He impresses me more than RLC imo. I really don't know why RLC has the bigger hype, Ake seems better to me.

[The Skipper 20,593]

He impresses me more than RLC imo. I really don't know why RLC has the bigger hype, Ake seems better to me.

Because RLC has a higher ceiling. Ake can turn into a very good squad player for us though, whereas RLC, if he develops IMO can be a special player, influential player on both sides of the pitch.

[kellzfresh 7,226]

Because RLC has a higher ceiling. Ake can turn into a very good squad player for us though, whereas RLC, if he develops IMO can be a special player, influential player on both sides of the pitch.

Ake is already the better passer, he's more mobile, he seems the better tackler and he's positional sense is very good.

RLC will beat him for physique and long range shooting, so what else is he better than ake at.

[supporter 3,088]

The best choice for Aké and for us is trying he fits the position Left-back because it is difficult to succeed in a big team as midfield still young.

Ake next season is likely to go on loan to Boro, and Jose should talk to Karanka to try to Ake play next season as Left-back to play more than 30/35 split between Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup and so he can return in 2016 to be a substitute for Ivanovic with Azpilicueta as Right-Back and Nathan Ake as left-Back.

I am also surprised because everyone talks about Ruben Loftus-Cheek and nobody talks about Ake. RLC is having a spectacular performance and he is our future, no doubt, but I think we should take advantage of this big opportunity that we have with Ake and RLC to try that they are in our starting eleven regularly in 2016.

Regards.

[The Skipper 20,593]

Ake is already the better passer, he's more mobile, he seems the better tackler and he's positional sense is very good.

RLC will beat him for physique and long range shooting, so what else is he better than ake at.

I'm not sure you know what type of player RLC is if that's the only thing you're comparing between them Ake is definitely better defensively, he's a defensive player. RLC is a much bigger threat going forward with his powerful and neat dribbling, and just general ability going forward. RLC is a true B2B midfielder, like Yaya/Pogba whilst Ake is just a true defensive player.

RLC isn't first and foremost a DM... Ake is. They're different players. RLC can become a force on both sides of the pitch when he sharpens up defensively and tactically. Ake only on one side (defensively, as a versatile LB/DM).

[OhForAGreavsie 5,775]

The best choice for Aké and for us is trying he fits the position Left-back because it is difficult to succeed in a big team as midfield still young.

Ake next season is likely to go on loan to Boro, and Jose should talk to Karanka to try to Ake play next season as Left-back to play more than 30/35 split between Premier League, FA Cup and League Cup and so he can return in 2016 to be a substitute for Ivanovic with Azpilicueta as Right-Back and Nathan Ake as left-Back.

I am also surprised because everyone talks about Ruben Loftus-Cheek and nobody talks about Ake. RLC is having a spectacular performance and he is our future, no doubt, but I think we should take advantage of this big opportunity that we have with Ake and RLC to try that they are in our starting eleven regularly in 2016.

Regards.

Hello Supporter,

Another enjoyable post. Thank you. I must say however that I don't agree about Nathan as a left back. I don't think he's very good at it. The club tried hard last season (13/14) to give him as much playing time as possible in that position for the junior squad. He did his best of course but he just isn't a natural full back. His movements always look like reactions rather than anticipations. It's as if he is always having to think about it, always having to tell himself, "Oh yes, I'm supposed to be over there now." He has no instinct for left back.

For me, DM is definitely Nathan's strongest position. That too was never his natural place in the side but he has an aptitude for it that he lacks for the full back position. At DM Nathan has great spacial awareness. He is excellent at letting the ball run across him to buy half a metre to make a pass, or at touching the ball into an area which his direct opponent can't reach because his momentum is taking him away from that spot.

I am disappointed that Nathan has not had more chances this season and it's hard to be confident that he'll get minutes from Jose in the future. I am sure though that if Nathan struggles to get game time at DM, he'll struggle to get it elsewhere too.