Lee Dixon blasts Arsenal loanee Maitland-Niles in West Brom v Newcastle
Lee Dixon blasted Ainsley Maitland-Niles was wasting a chance for West Brom in the first half of their goalless draw with Newcastle at The Hawthorns on Sunday.
Maitland-Niles, 23, found himself in a situation where he could have played Matt Phillips in on goal with the winger beating his marker on the left-wing.
However, the England international opted to make a harder pass to Conor Gallagher to his right but got the ball horribly wrong and it was easily dealt with by Newcastle’s defence.
Ex-Birmingham and England Women player Karen Carney suggested the pitch could have been an issue for Maitland-Niles but Arsenal legend Dixon wasn’t having any of it.
“You can talk about a sticky pitch all you like but that was a blatantly terrible pass from him,” said Dixon on Amazon Prime at half time on Sunday.
“He’s got more quality than that.
“If you’re going to hit a ball, over-hit it rather than under-hit it because it just kills the move.”
That, of course, was in the first half but there was yet another chance with just over 25 minutes.
He found himself wide on the right and did brilliantly to beat a Newcastle defender but, again, his pass into Mbaye Diagne was played behind him.
Not again
It’s not the first time Maitland-Niles has fluffed a relatively simple chance to play a team-mate in on goal since he joined West Brom on loan from Arsenal in January.
It’s been a mixed start for the 23-year-old at The Hawthorns with him playing centrally in Sam Allardyce’s midfield instead of out wide, where he got used to being used at the Emirates.
Against Manchester United last month, Maitland-Niles failed to find Diagne with a pass that would have put the Senegal striker in on goal against David De Gea.
The match ended 1-1 but had Maitland-Niles found that pass, it would have more than likely been a win for the Albion, who were by far the better team.
Maitland-Niles is proving wasteful at opportunities you don’t want him to be and it’s something that must be worked upon.
It could also be something that’s led to him not being played in the midfield by Mikel Arteta in North London and wasting opportunities like that won’t help him play in his preferred role at his parent club.
In other West Brom news, this Albion player has seen his company strike a deal with a high-flying Championship club.
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