Here we go again. http://www1.skysports.com/football/...orwich-eye-Bournemouth-midfielder-Harry-Arter
As I remember it Arter was a highly rated prospect at Charlton, but left suddenly. No official explanation, but rumours of a fight with Moo2. Fair play to him, he went down the divisions and rebuilt his career quite successfully.
We should be happy as Charlton fans, it's naïve and ignorant to think it is possible to predict and keep all the right youngsters.
At the time I always thought he was the better of he and Wright (both were linked with moves away at similar times), but he had a tough run with injuries. He plays with the same tenacity as his brother in law and has impressed me in the games we played against Bournemouth.
Don't understand, Oz. Surely the point of the Academy is to develop our own players for our own benefit, not our rivals' benefit? Arter came through just before I started watching the under-18's, but according to all reports he was highly rated within the club, and the rumours were that he left for non-football reasons.
Arter (and Wright) were coming through at the time when Pardew built an unbalanced squad with far too many central midfielders. Looking back he should have been trying develop Arter and Wright, rather than spending money on the likes of Racon and Sinclair. http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2007-2008/flcham/charlton.htm http://www.footballsquads.co.uk/eng/2008-2009/flcham/charlton.htm
A great man once said "You can never have too many midfielders". Was it: Fergie Curbs Pardew or me? It wasn't Hansen. He said "You can never have too few kids" (or something like that ...)
Yes of course ideally we would develop and benefit, but it isn't possible to keep every one, and some blossom later on more so. If they leave for other reasons then perhaps that was out of our control also, in some cases. Hindsight is a wonderful thing, but just try and think of the many, many highly rated youngsters and how many go on to be genuine 'shame' they got away types. Some are good footballers, but if they aren't carving it up like Ronaldo or messi, they can be viewed as just another ok player, and the club looks elsewhere for someone with more spark.
