Just wondering what it takes to make it through the ranks/youth setup at Arsenal? Are we doing enough to develop/grow local young talent, as it is NOW obvious we cannot compete with the bigger boys in the transfer market (wages and transfer fee) for world class/decent players...... I was wondering what is stopping us from growing our own talent? I remember the Arsenal youth team with Wilshere, when we won the FA youth cup, only 2 players to my mind (Frimpong and Wilshere) made it from that group. A mate of mine speaking to a former Arsenal Scout, who now works for Southend, opined that Arsenal when looking for talents are only looking for players good enough to play in the Champions League........ Where are these young guns? Just wondering how Bendtner made it at Arsenal and someone like Luke Freeman was moved on?
Who is Luke Freeman? Most 25 man squad's have players that range from about 21 to 34. The youth squad you're talking about would've likely only ranged 16-18 so it's not a surprise that only 2 made it, you're not going to churn out 11 players ready to play for you each year.
But Arsenal has often signed hopefuls for real money - and they have not made it. The cost of this ' buy loads- one in 6 years might make the reserves' policy has proved to be a waste of money and effort. We've pinched ready-made like Walcott, Jenks, Oxo anyway !!!!!
Luke Freeman, I think we signed from Gillingham for upwards of 1million, we have now sold him to Stevenage...... I am not expecting us to churn out 11 world beaters from the Academy every year, but just wondering why we scour the globe for mediocre players, when maybe the problem could be solved by growing our own.......we have players like Djuorou, Chamakh, Arshavin etc......are we saying we could not get anyone better than these guys from within?
Wenger wanted the big youth policy which would supply British players for years to come. Then as it didn't fare well, he switched to importing youth. So - he then started buying stop-gap players, and pinching other clubs prospects. That hasn't been great either - so he is buying anybody available on the last days of transfer windows. Strategy ? Policy? beats me - what on earth is he doing? What is his plan for the next x years?
Wilshere, Frimpong etc. are the first to be schooled exclusively in the new Wengerball style of play. The problem with British youngsters is deep-rooted. They play on large pitches too early, and this encourages the "lump it for the lad who grew taller younger and is therefore faster" method of winning. In Spain, they play with less numbers, on smaller pitches with smaller balls. You don't play 11 v 11 until you're into your mid-teens. This encourages technical skills are you have to have fast feet to keep the ball, and work in small, tight spaces. For this reason, British youngsters are traditionally...rubbish. They're described as having "passion" rather than fantastic footwork. Wengers methods should have changed that, and it should be that from now on more and more British youngsters come through the academy as they've been schooled right from 8 years old in the methods of developing technical ability. Wilshere and Frimpong are the first or what will hopefully be a good bunch. Afobe and Aneke look good, and there are others coming through behind them.
what a pointless comment, thanks for that. care to justify in any way why playing in a European style from the youngest ages won't make the Arsenal academy more successful, and why it wouldn't take time for those players to make it through to the first team?
@Bonstar. Interesting observation RE: getting our youth players over here to play to play on big pitches too early. I have a 13yr old boy who plays as a striker for the local team, very pacy, as regards developing technically, we have to rely on youtube for clips on maestros like Johann Cruyff, to master the cruyff turn. I actually thought playing on a big pitch early was an advantage....... So we should be expecting big things from our academy players in 4yrs time? It really baffles me that we cannot buy a goal for love nor money (well apart from RVP)...... I hope the next henry, kevin campbell, ian wright, alan smith is going to be promoted from within...
If you think Frimpong and Wilshere play in a 'European style' - I give up!! Care to define European style for me? As a matter of interest I have an English nephew who has played the Arsenal u-14s/u-15s sides. He noted that only 1 in those teams appeared to be British and they were all speaking other languages.
I also feel organically growing our talent is our best route to glory (with our current setup)....... A lot of names have been mentioned in this transfer window, some of them big them big names, that in a bidding war, we'll be blown out of the water...... I don't think there are bargains or hidden treasures to be developed anymore (like in the days of Henry, Viera, Pires), as we all know we made these players into household names........ In recent times I have not known the club to go for talents everyone knows about....
Omo, playing on bigger pitches is a distinct disadvantage. You give the ball to the biggest guy who can hold off other players because he's more physically developed, or you lump it over the top for the fastest player to run on to. As players age, these things equal out, and you are left with unskilled players who now don't know what to do. You play on small pitches and you learn to have fast feet, keep the ball moving, pass, more, pass, move etc. These skills are far more transferable to football as you get older. European style I would describe as pass and move, play triangles, break fast. Utilising a 4-3-3 rather than the British "kick it and rush" style of 4-5-1. As far as the split between British / foreign players in the Arsenal youth set-up goes, your knowledge is vastly superior to mine. I have no idea as to how many youngsters are British or otherwise. It is a real shame if the local lads are not being given the opportunity however, as it is they who are more likely to be loyal to the club later in life. From the recent England Youth Games: Under 16's - Jordan Brown, Alex Iwobi Under 17's - Isaac Hayden, Jack Jebb, Chuba Akpom, Austin Lipman Under 18's - NONE Under 19's - Nico Yennaris, Oxo, Benik Afobe Have all played from Arsenal. Now that's not a HUGE amount of players, but it does show that there's SOME English talent coming through. The Under 18's is a weird one. Obviously that's no guarantee that they'll make the grade at senior level, but it shows they have ability.
We do grow our own players that's the whole point!! One thing Wenger has done right at this club is establish a world calss youth set - which we are starting to see the benefit of now. Wilshere, Frimpong, Gibbs, Coquelin, Jay Emmanuel Thomas, Afobe etc.. are just the start.
@Bonstar, I see your point about the disadvantage of playing on a bigger pitch. I just wonder why the FA have not implemented this at the grass root level. I hope my boy who averages 3 goals per game is not benefiting just because he quick . I know home grown local talent is more likely to stay loyal to the club (we shall not mention a certain Mr Cachley) .
Basically what he said! Wenger said it will take about 10+ years to sort out the youth system and get some good decent players coming through And the beginnings of that are Wilshere, Frimpong, gibbs if he wasn't made of glass etc who have been at the club and trained since they were about 8/9 they know the Arsenal way, but also have the english desire and strength that we've been missing, chances are we've been abit lucky with 2/3 (4 if you count Szneznky whose been at the club since he was about 15/16) within a year or 2, but slowly we'll get maybe another player or 2 each year coming through possibly every year! Just imagine if we have a team full of Wilsheres/Frimpongs!! all young, all known and played with each other most of their lives, with amazing technical skill AND that english desire, strength, "grit"
Sounds ideal!! To have Gibbs, Wilshere & Frimpong already competing for first team places, plus Lansbury who I still believe could have the required quality to play for Arsenal. That's 4 players. It's just hard to see who the next ones will be. Any ideas folks?
I think the arsenal youth set up is pretty good compared to other clubs, look at Chelsea for god sake. The days of a whole team of home grown players are long gone, Celtic won the European cup in 1967 and the whole starting 11 were born within 20 miles of parkhead, now that's what you call a home grown team. Nowadays you are lucky if there is one or two home grown players in a EPL team, unfortunately all the money attracts the top talent, when in the past these players would not have wanted to come to England.
