HIGHBURY HOUSE

Morning Gooners,

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Carl Jenkinson, Kieran Gibbs, Jack Wilshere and Aaron Ramsey, all five are expected to sign new contracts within days. Theo Walcott’s contract obviously needs sorting out and seeing Wenger finally playing him in a central role against Reading, that could mean all sorts of things. The main one of course is a compromise in negotiations of his position.

Each of the above are British, something we haven’t witnessed for a while and Five are English, even more unheard of for Wenger.

We could actually see Arsene Wenger fielding an Arsenal starting XI in the EPL containing five English players.

That’s right, FIVE… Heady stuff eh?

When did our esteemed manager last have the luxury of so many talented Englishmen to pick from in the Premier League…

A quick check, not scientific you understand, and (I think) the last occasion was during the 2002-03 season. Ten years ago…

The game in question was towards the end of a season that should have seen Arsenal crowned champions.
March 2nd against Charlton Athletic.

Those five Englishmen were:

David Seaman, Sol Campbell, Martin Keown, Razor Parlour and Francis Jeffers.

That season, Arsene used Ten English players in the English Premier League, the others being:

Ashley Cole,  Steven Taylor,  Jermaine Pennant,  Justin Hoyte and the unlucky Ryan Garry.

But if you know better, then don’t be shy, let me know, but remember, Premier League….

I might be mistake or even wildly optimistic, but I think that English clubs are gradually improving the techniques and development of their youngsters. We might not be quite up to the standard in Germany, France, Spain and Holland yet, but the gap is closing a little. Not as quickly as we’d like, but any progress, is in itself, progress…

Over the last few years, Arsene Wenger has not automatically been looking across the English Channel to his homeland and beyond for younger players, instead it seems that he is closely monitoring the Academy products of other English clubs.

It’s well known that Chris Smalling and Phil Jones were both on Arsene’s radar, before the Ogre of Old Toilet snapped them up. Of course, the ‘home-made’ product is preferable, those with Arsenal DNA and there’s a lot of talented and promising English youngsters coming along nicely in our own Academy.

Notwithstanding the five Englishman in the 1st team squad, we have a clutch of promising English youngsters on the brink of the senior squad.

Nico Yennaris is highly rated among Arsenal circle’s, closely followed by Benik Afobe and Chuks Aneke, both showing promise at Bolton Wanderers and Crewe Alexandra respectively. Behind that trio is Jernade Meade, Chuba Akpom and Jordan Wynter, they all have 1st team potential.

Whether of not Theo Walcott stays and keeps the number of English at five remains to be seen of course but many reports suggest that further talks have taken place. Let’s hope for a positive conclusion.

Let’s not forget, our five are all internationals too so those who once suggested Wenger was to blame for the demise of the English side, may just have rewrite their story but with a new twist!

Gossip as the transfer window draws nears:

The Times suggest that Arsenal have begun talks with Schalke over signing Klass-Jan Huntelaar!

The Metro suggest we are ready to swap Andre Santos for a River Plate midfielder Ezequiel Cirigliano, a 20-year-old Argentine who has been compared with Barcelona star Javier Mascherano!

The Daily Express reckon we are after Ajax defender Toby Alderweirel in January and let’s not forget that Zambia’s Stopila Sunza is soon on his way to Arsenal for talks about a move to us!!

Written by Allezkev