The enigma that is Joe Aribo

I think Aribo whilst being one of our most skillful players lacks self belief at times
It needs to he hammered home to him not to be playing so safe in the bigger matches
For me his so safe game play takes everyrhing away from what he has & you see performances like today
 
Aribo wasn't at his best today.
I would have subbed him forr Arfield.
Aribo to Wright does not fit the system
 
Clearly lacks the mentality & belief in these games.

He had numerous opportunities to take the game by the scruff of the neck and make things happen today but passed the buck.. It's borderline criminal given the talent he has.

Great against the smaller teams but rarely shows up in the derbies or the tougher away fixtures domestically.
 
Scaramanga said:
He wasn’t even the first to be brought off mate so if anything Aribo probably feels his position in these games is quite safe, I personally don’t think that’s a good thing. Being dropped might be the boot up the arse he needs. It’s like someone else said, it’s not just the lack of time on the ball and the poor passing, he just generally looked like he wasn’t really pushing himself today which is a lot more disappointing.
Click to expand...

That's the thing that worries me as we all know Gerrard has his favourites who will figure through thick and thin. He must surely see it's not working for him in these games in midfield yet starts him every time.

Lackadaisical is the best way to describe his performances in too many of the big games. Holds it up when he should simply be moving it on and tries to do a Hollywood pass or trick in an area we can't afford to be losing the ball.
 
Our midfield was very ineffective today. Aribo and Hagi were not at it today. Understandably GK was off it today and nobody could dare criticise him for not being his usual best. There's never anyone in the team other than AM who has a nasty streak about them. We have fantastic ballers but we need that bit of grit at times in games like this.
 
In games like today he should be where Hagi plays but because Arfield has went off the boil he's brought Hagi in. I like Aribo but for me in games like today and Thursday you can't play Aribo and Hagi in the same side it needs to be 1 or the other.
 
  • Like
Reactions: dmg
I think he's your typical academy type player. Put him on a training ground and his skill level with be top marks. A lot of these talented footballers just lack the mental strength to get them through games especially in Scotland. Outstanding talent maybe just needs a bit more graft and physical agility.
 
in a 4-3-3 we can't carry anyone, and from early on today it was obvious wee needed Arfield's attitude and work rate in there.

I'd like to see him in a midfield four as the most advanced player, but even then he needs to work harder and cover better. At times today he was making sure McGregor and Turnbull didn't have it their own way, but needs to do it for 90 minutes, like Davis always does,
 
Aribo was a empty shirt today again.
Hagi also had his chance after being left out Thursday.
Both dissapointed again
 
Leo_Ger said:
I'm going to be overly harsh considering this season and what Aribo has contributed.

I can take playing poorly but the effort today from him wasn't acceptable. Barely broke out of a jog all day.

There's certain games where you need to win your battles before you get to play.

There's a lot of talk about him playing at a higher level, unless he brings a higher intensity and application from the first whistle I think he'll struggle to do so.

You don't get 20-30 minutes to work yourself into a game at the next level.
Click to expand...

but he’s been really really good in friendlies.......
 
Just feel that Aribo and Hagi are "horses for courses" sort of players. Both undoubtedly talented but unsuited to games when we are not playing the game in and around our opponents penalty box.

In games like today and in Europe we really need more intensity and pace.

Thought in the last quarter of match, particularly following introduction of Wright, had us looking the more likely to win it in last 15 minutes.

His energy, directness and willingness to press made big difference, we really just can't carry players who are unable to do this in the harder fixtures.
 
bkerr72 said:
In games like today he should be where Hagi plays but because Arfield has went off the boil he's brought Hagi in. I like Aribo but for me in games like today and Thursday you can't play Aribo and Hagi in the same side it needs to be 1 or the other.
Click to expand...

for fans, his flexibility in this regard is unfortunately to his detriment. for the management team though, it must be absolutely invaluable. I'm with the poster above who said he looks like he's been run into the ground/
 
wsb&warmy said:
Today and in January (and the 0-2 defeat at Ibrox last season) he was deployed in the middle 3.

That's what happens when that happens. Aribo is better than that, but play him in the correct position and he'll show you that.

In my honest opinion.
Click to expand...

He played in the left 10 role in the September defeat in 2019.

Midfield 3 was Jack, Davis and Kamara.
 
JW1988 said:
Pre injury he was on great form

since returning he has looked like he’s really struggling, languid, short passes to team mates, no real running power going forward or back (Hagi was the same today)

Is it just a case of poor form?

We will be upgrading in the summer and certain players are maybe catching the managers eye for the wrong reason in the last few games.

All that being said.
55, still undefeated and 1 more cup to go for.
let’s go
Click to expand...

Slowly starting to really dislike Aribo. Has undoubted talent but the heart and desire of a mouse. Turns up in about one in four which simply is not good enough. Today we'd have been as well starting with 10 for the little he did. I get he is a fav of SG but if I was in charge I'd punt him.
 
Willger said:
Feel Sorry for Hagi, he seems to be the first guy off every time we a change, Aribo hasn't justified his Jersey for tha last few games. Great ability but needs to apply himself more.
Click to expand...
Hagi never offered much either to be honest
 
Scaramanga said:
I wonder what happens to him in these games? I mentioned it after Thursday but I’m a huge fan of him, he’s such a gifted player and we’ve seen him produce moments of real quality to win us games and provide us with great entertainment in general.

So why do these games seem to pass him by? That’s a fair few times now in games against them where you’d barely know he was there and when he does get on the ball he’s not exactly being productive. Like I said, I’m a huge fan but I’m mystified by this and hope the gaffer can find a way to get him firing in these fixtures. Far too much talent to not be a factor in these types of games.
Click to expand...
To be fair, I think he is Glen Kamara's best pal and both of them might have suffered the most emotionally regarding Thursday night,
Certainly, I think the entire side looked leggy and a bit drained.
Which given the result shows how resilient this Rangers team can be.
 
CrocodileDundee said:
It happens in every game he plays against them. It’s like he doesn’t get the intensity of the fixture. He should have been off when arfield came on but once again hagi is sacrificed. He’s fine against the diddy teams but has yet to control a game against a top side for me.
Click to expand...
Agree with all that CD. High intensity games pass him bye, plus he jogs about a lot instead of going with the runner. Poor on Thursday and poor today.

Take that result as I thought we had a hangover from playing these c***s on Thursday.
 
This was the game I expected him to put his foot on the ball and make things happen or drive on and draw fouls but it bididnt happen, same as Thursday after driving us forward in the 2nd half the following Thursday.
 
BertsEBT said:
He's becoming less enigmatic for me the more I watch him. He's obviously got ability but I've got serious questions over whether he can kick on from here or whether this is as much as we're going to get from him. Its not a footballing problem, more of a desire, game awareness and attitude. Compare him to Kent in the bigger games and there's one we can trust and one that has still to earn that trust.
Click to expand...
One thing he needs when not playing well is to be energetic and chase everything, i would have taking him off before Hagi!
 
Last edited:
bilkobear said:
To be fair, I think he is Glen Kamara's best pal and both of them might have suffered the most emotionally regarding Thursday night,
Certainly, I think the entire side looked leggy and a bit drained.
Which given the result shows how resilient this Rangers team can be.
Click to expand...

Fair enough, but I thought Kamara was fine and this is sort of OF showing is becoming a regular thing with Aribo. If he was generally good in these games and this was more of a one off I wouldn’t have batted an eyelid given the events of Thursday.
 
Willger said:
Feel Sorry for Hagi, he seems to be the first guy off every time we a change, Aribo hasn't justified his Jersey for tha last few games. Great ability but needs to apply himself more.
Click to expand...
I'd also say in fairness hagi want great either...... but he was busting a gut to cover on the right and that's not really his game.

We really need jack on right side and either hagi or aribo on the right.

Aribo is a massively talented player but I think Gerrard is struggling to find his correct position
 
bilkobear said:
To be fair, I think he is Glen Kamara's best pal and both of them might have suffered the most emotionally regarding Thursday night,
Certainly, I think the entire side looked leggy and a bit drained.
Which given the result shows how resilient this Rangers team can be.
Click to expand...

Can't buy that at all.

Everyone knows how talented Joe is; you could probably make a case for him being the most skilful player in the league. Before today, I was expecting a big performance from him. I was actually sure he'd be the difference.

But that was just bad. He's a quiet kid and a down to earth lad. I wonder if he just can't get to grips with the occasion of an Old Firm.

There's a mental thing that he's lacking when it comes to these games.
 
If we get a good offer for Aribo I would sell him, we all know the talent he has and he has helped us win the title but too often in big games he goes missing.

It doesn't help when he is asked to play in a midfield 3 either, he is a forward or don't play him at all.
 
He does his best work as a number 10 in a 4231 against weaker teams we should be improving the midfield in the summer and that should free him up to play further forward
 
The frustrating thing is we all know just what he can do when he is on it, but atm his on it games are few and far between.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
Can't buy that at all.

Everyone knows how talented Joe is; you could probably make a case for him being the most skilful player in the league. Before today, I was expecting a big performance from him. I was actually sure he'd be the difference.

But that was just bad. He's a quiet kid and a down to earth lad. I wonder if he just can't get to grips with the occasion of an Old Firm.

There's a mental thing that he's lacking when it comes to these games.
Click to expand...

Without fans there it's just another game for the players. He's a talent for sure but he's 2 seasons in now he is what he is.

Outwith his worldly against Braga what massive game has he turned up and done the business for us out of nowhere when it really mattered?
 
He reminds me of what we got from Barrie McKay, talent is not in doubt, on their day unplayable but too much meh.

Lack of application that I think you either have or don’t have that hunger.

A 9 out of 10 once every couple of months, with quite a few 5s is no good to us, we need everyone to be a minimum 7 out of 10 week in week out.
 
Id disagree.

Couple of passes astray, but i think one of his better midfield displays.

He quietly did some realy good defensive work and broke up a fair amount of play.

Not a typical performance we would expect from him
 
All the midfield 3 were very leggy today & way off their best.

It’s harsh to single out Aribo IMO, Davis & Kamara didn’t play well either.
 
prenzlauerbear said:
Have defended Aribo to the hilt on here, but it's a problem now.

He should be taking games like that by the scruff of the neck and bossing them. He had plenty of opportunities to make something happen today but just didn't get into the match.

I still have faith in him as a player, but it's unbelievably frustrating to watch at times.
Click to expand...
Each time he's 25 yards out we expect a Braga twinkle-toes - not an unreasonable expectation against lesser opposition than EL!
 
I think if either Arfield or Jack had been fully fit and firing he'd have been on the bench.
The midfield needs at least one addition in the summer,two if Kamara leaves should we get a massive offer after the euros.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Share this page

Latest posts

Back
Top