Morning all.
With 15 year old Ethan Nwaneri having had his record breaking moment last weekend, it’s hard not to wonder who’s next. Perhaps no one again this season although I wouldn’t bet on it. If Mikel Arteta’s players can secure top spot in the Europa League Group before the final fixture or two, then I wouldn’t be at surprised to see one or two youngsters drafted in for those fixtures and why not? Imagine what it must feel like playing for the first time in the senior team, mind blowing I’d have thought. With so many of our under 21 players out on loan, it’s the rest of the youth players who’ll be trying to catch Mikel Arteta’s eye.
Ten of our players have received call-ups to international youth team squads. Seven of them are in the England set-up. Charlie Patino, Flo Balogun, Brooke Norton-Cuffy, Ethan Nwaneri, Myles Lewis-Skelly, Lino Souza and Amario Cozier-Duberry. (Son of ex Chelsea player Michael Dubery?) some of those listed have already played for their respective England age group within the last couple of days however, Norton-Cuffy has withdrawn having picked up an injury. In addition to the above listed players, Henry Jeffcott has been called up for Northern Ireland, James Sweet for Wales and Teodor Minchev for Bulgaria.
Having ten youngsters away on international duty at this stage of their footballing life is great for the club as well as it is for the players selected. It shows the academy is producing young guys with potential. Liverpool reportedly have 16 youngsters currently on international duty though.
Senior Arsenal players called up for international duty this time is:
Aaron Ramsdale (England), Matt Turner (United States), Karl Hein (Estonia), Kieran Tierney (Scotland), William Saliba (France), Takehiro Tomiyasu (Japan), Thomas Partey (Ghana), Bukayo Saka (England), Martin Odegaard (Norway) and Granit Xhaka (Switzerland).
Twenty Arsenal players on international duty in total. Not quite the 28 of Liverpool but still, if certain managers can’t see what’s staring them in the face then the better it is for Arsenal. Having the three Gabriel’s, White, ESR, Nketiah, Holding, Zinchenko, Lokonga – and anyone else I’ve missed, back at Arsenal either taking it easy or recovering in time for the first north London Derby of the season won’t do them any harm at all.
2008/09, that’s where this Arsenal are heading towards as far as the average age of the squad goes. The oldest player back then was Manuel Almunia, the youngest, Jack Wilshere at 17 years old. In between there were names which looking back, I wonder how the heck they were ever signed let alone stayed. We had a few really good players too like Cesc Fabregas, Adebayor, Tomas Rosicky, Abu Diaby (pre injury) and Samir Nasri etc but the rest really were just making up the numbers. Arsenal finished the season in 4th place, 18 points behind Man Utd.
I know the game has changed because of the ownership and investment etc but it’s only now that our squad is much younger as an average but over the last couple of years, the club has signed younger players without sacrificing quality. Most of whom have been individually bought for less than £50 million and they’ve taken to Arsenal like ducks to water. When the only thing the media can write about is the Gabriel Magalhaes tweet about Sunday’s match, it’s clear Arsenal are doing something good.
The problem I foresee is hanging on to our players and that includes the youngsters who are thrown into the limelight whilst playing for their respective countries, regardless of at which age level. But, as a friend said to me yesterday, as other clubs are sniffing around our players, Arsenal will be sniffing around theirs. With Arsenal able to boast about having a very young squad, young players are going to know that if they’re good enough, they’ll get their opportunity under Mikel Arteta. Just not before they’re ready. Omari Hutchinson might have become impatient but by moving back to Chelsea, I’d have thought his chances of getting into the first team are less than they would have been at Arsenal. Not because Chelsea are better than us, but because they throw money at new signings like it’s going out of fashion.
We’ve seen many players jump ship when other clubs come calling. Ashley Cole being the hardest to take imo, but Nasri, Adebayor, Clichy, Sagna, Fabregas, RvP – the list is endless. I’m sure some move for better wages, others because they’ve considered Arsenal to lack ambition but in my opinion, the latter of the two no longer applies. Arsenal are showing ambition both on and off the pitch. With such a young squad, we’re on the rise and at quite a rate of knots too and what level headed youngster wouldn’t want to be a part of it? Especially if he’s an Arsenal fan.
I’ve read, heard Arsenal’s improvement be played down somewhat with the ‘greater tests to come’ being spewed out but if beating Crystal Palace and Brentford away from home in the fashion we did isn’t enough to convince people that vast improvements on last season are evident, then so be it.
All we need now is to hear that William Saliba, Bukayo Saka and Gabriel Martinelli have signed new contracts. Oh, and a midfielder arrival in January.
See you in the comments.
Good morning Rico,
With our young squad the opportunities for our even younger players will be limited so long as we can hang on to the current crop. I’m sure that if they are good enough they will get to play in the first team, but they will have to be patient.
Morning Gooners, a nice way to start the day, thanks for that Rico.
There’s quite a lot of movement between clubs at academy level, Liverpool are quite adept at poaching young players from other teams’ academies, so it worries me when I see them sniffing around Nwaneri. It’s annoying too because it tells me that Arsenal are vulnerable or seen as so. We take players from other clubs as well but I don’t remember us taking a player from Man Utd or Liverpool or Man City or even Everton. I guess the best young northern kids are poached by the big three up there. London is a rich source of talent and all the northerners are on the case, tapping up the kids from Fulham, CPalace, West Ham, Watford etc, but Arsenal shouldn’t be among those…
Morning Cicero, Kev, all.
I’m a firm believer that if these youngsters are good enough, they’ll get their chance. As they push their way to the top, others will have pressure on them to perform. Either that or we’ll start making money selling.
Thanks Kev. Liverpool are the worst aren’t they but I imagine Klopp is worrying about his ageing squad and how much replacing players will cost. I can see them dropping out of the top four this season.
Yes Rico, the stars are aligning, many teams in flux with new managers and players, other teams have peaked and are in decline, even Man City don’t look at relentless so maybe there is a window of opportunity for Arsenal to take advantage of and do a Leicester?
Matt Smith is a possible for our next debutant, he is not too dissimilar to Elneny in style. Walters is a certainty this season, he’s just recovered from an injury but he is a classic Arteta player, someone who can fill in 3 or 4 positions and do it well.
Ha ha Kev, I hope they align on the injury front too.
Matt Smith in the next EL or League cup perhaps?
Afternoon Rico and all
I have mixed feelings about our younger players being seriously looked at by their country team, On one hand it shows we are improving but on the other it could work against us if the get injured or lack of rest between matches.
Afternoon Geoff. I don’t. It’s good for them.
I’m all for our younger players getting as much experience as possible. Meeting with, training with and playing with lads from other clubs can only be a good thing. The matches themselves will give them a sense responsibility and teach them how to handle the pressure of competitive football.
Did anyone watch the England/Italy game? I’m sorry to say that I did. A complete waste of a couple of hours.
With Southgate in charge of this bunch of no-hopers our World Cup is over before a single ball has been kicked.
I am all giving younger players a run when possible, knowing their coach will look after their wellbeing and manage them for a whole season. However, when they play for their country, the manager has only one thing on his mind that is to win and if the player gets injured, he does not care as he just picks another player for the next match.
I watched some of it Cicero, awful football. As said the other day, I think Gareth Southgate’s days are numbered.
Morning..
The FA should be seriously looking for his replacement now, he’s a dead man walking.
Good morning, all, I’ve just got time to watch the NLD then dash off to the GP surgery for my winter flu jab and Covid booster.
No England player had even an average game last night, Dyer and Maguire were dreadful, Sterling just as bad and Kane was his usual ineffective self. I’ll give a Saka a pass, asked to play on the wrong side of the pitch and as a wing back he was totally without support in both defence and attack. No doubt he’ll cop the flak which really should be directed at Southgate.
I’m all for Southgate going. Yesterday.
England need to rip things up and start again with younger, fitter and more passionate players imo.
Tomiyasu has withdrawn from Japan squad apparently and Partey from Ghana. Good if true as they’re coming back to England.
Good first half, deserve to be more than 2-0 up..
Nice size crowd for our ladies team. Let’s hope they can get a few more in the second half.
The 3rd goal a very nice clean header now 4 nil best part is the ladies look hungry for more goals.
Not a follower of ladies football but any four nought against that lot has to be welcomed.
I read somewhere that as Naweri has played for the first team should he be poached we would get a bigger fee than if he was just coming out of the juniors
Nice win by the ladies but can’t wait until the mens resume,
Let’s hope we have Naweri contract sorted before someone comes a calling.
4-0 Nice ! 🙂
Yep a very good win despite the fouls committed by the Spud’s evil little fullback and guess what? Her name is Neville!
Four goals, a clean sheet and three more points. Top of the League.
How many clubs can say they have the number one position in both men’s and women’s football?
Seems wrong though that five PL minutes should make a difference to a fee. Ridiculous really.
You say that Cicero, the worst challenge came from Arsenal. Lucky the ref didn’t see it that way.
Great result. Hope Chelsea and City drop points tomorrow.
Rico, Arsenal committed three fouls in the entire game, Spurs committed eleven four or five of which were by Neville. We had one player booked Spurs had three.
I know Cicero, but the worst imo was committed by an Arsenal player. That’s all I’m suggesting. Totts were cynical with their challenges though.
New post up now