Daily Bits and Bobs

Arsenal can’t afford to lose what we’ve been waiting years for…

Posted on by rico

Morning all.

I think this is a crucial time for Arsenal FC. We’re not cash rich like City and Chelsea, we don’t have great players to sell like Liverpool had to fund their squad and lastly, more importantly perhaps, we have a number of players on relatively high wages which are likely to be an obstacle when trying to sell them. In other words, unless those particular players take a pay cut, we’re stuck with them until their contracts run out. Wasting millions in the process.

For Monreal, Cech, Lichtsteiner, Ramsey and Welbeck, this season is their last unless something changes. The following season, Jenks and Koscielny will be in the same position.

Meanwhile, our Academy is looking strong.

Martinez, Iliev and Macey. Mavropanos, Medley and Pleg. Smith Rowe, Willock, AMN, Gilmour and Bielik. And half a dozen others too. Saka, Nelson, Eddie and John-Jules.

We can’t lose sight of the fact that behind the academy players listed above, there are more too. Many more but only when they get older and break into the domestic cup squads will we see how their career is going. We can watch them up against their respective league opponents, but seeing how they fair against a championship or league one team probably gives us a better idea of where they are in their development.

Take Saturday for example. Blackpool are a big side with strong and physical players but those who played, weren’t at all fazed. They just got on with things. Willock looked more nervous during his post match interview than he did during the game.

The club is well stocked is what I’m trying to say. These youngsters have not only done well in the FA Cup, but in the Europa League too. They’ve had a taste of what it’s like to fulfil part of their bigger dream and there’s little doubt that some of their performances will have caught the eye of other club scouts and they’ll soon come sniffing with the offer of regular first team football.

If one or two leave and then perform well for their new club, we’ll be ruing the day they left, knocking the club and coach in the process too but the truth will be that when those same players were playing in an Arsenal shirt, ‘fans’ and I don’t mean all by a long way, wanted the club to sign someone much better than who they were watching beat Blackpool, Vorskla or Qarabag..

Of course Emery can’t select them all at once and throw them to the wolves, that would be foolish and probably cost him his job. We’re seeing him use them wisely, giving them their chance to show him and us what they have. Mixing them in with experienced players. I’ve not been disappointed at all really. Totally the opposite in fact as on a number of occasions it’s been the younger players who have shown up a few of their elders in my opinion.

Which comes back to the problem Emery has with some of the players he inherited and is stuck with. Players the youngsters should be learning from, believing in and certainly gaining confidence from. Which is why it’s important that the club sign one more central defender, one who leads with words as well as in his own game. A midfielder with similar abilities. Wise but not too old but not too young either as we’ve already got plenty of those. Give these youngersters a better calibre of player to learn from.

I guess that’s why I’d understand if we did see the arrival of Ever Banega and Medhi Benatia. Both are extremely experienced, the right age for the younger players to be given more time and a glut of trophies between them to brag about.

I know they won’t have any sell on fee etc but if we dont look out for those players coming though, we’ll be raising plenty of money by selling them.

A final word from Kev.

During his near 22 years in charge, Arsene Wenger earned himself a well deserved reputation for developing young footballers, many of who became world famous internationals, but almost all of them were sourced from other U.K. and foreign academies and signed as 15, 16 or 17 year olds. Only a select few came entirely from within our club, like a Jack Wilshere, Ashley Cole and latterly Alex Iwobi.

This policy is common now, you only have to look at the academies of Man City and Chelsea to see that, but back in 1996 when Wenger arrived and brought this policy with him to England it was groundbreaking, as was the fuss when he stole Nicolas Anelka away from PSG.

Back before Le Prof, it was down to good old scouting and having a network of part time enthusiasts who just watched football, any football – youths – reserves – non league – a few hardy souls looked abroad. Now though, every major club has its own scouting department complete with a database of every player or young player around the globe with a pulse.

Which is why I’m really enjoying the current crop of Arsenal youngsters, mainly because they are Arsenal youngsters. They’ve come up via our schoolboy teams and Hale End. They really are our kids.

I’m usually an old cynic, well maybe just a cynic, but I still think you get more loyalty from you’re own kids. They’ve invested a lot of their early life in the club, they feel part of its fabric and the fans ‘still’ love to see one of our own making the grade.

So I’m very pleased to see the likes of Nelson, Willock, Gilmour, Smith Rowe and Maitland Niles progressing. Medley and Nketiah too who although we got from Chelsea, are both Arsenal fans anyway. Next off of the rank is Saka, then Amaechi, Osei Tutu and Dominic Thompson.

When you add all this young talent to the likes of Torrieira, Guendouzi, Holding, Bellerin, Mavropanos and Iwobi we are looking at a generation of talented youngsters who along with some quality signings could be the basis of a squad capable of winning the title by 2021.

Have a good Monday and see you in the comments…


rico

45 thoughts on “Arsenal can’t afford to lose what we’ve been waiting years for…”

  1. Cicero says:

    Good morning Rico, you mention the one thing likely to block the wholesale use of our youngsters, the manager’s job. Emery is still very much an unknown quantity, he says the right things and appears willing to introduce some of the younger players in cup games, but when it comes to Premiership matches will he play, for Instance, Medley at Centre back or use Monreal or Lichtsteiner to fill a gap.

    We have at the moment just two fit first team strikers, would he take the risk of resting one and playing Nketiah in an away fixture oop noorth when doing so could put him at risk of dropping points and jeopardizing his own job?

    We don’t know how secure Emery feels, we don’t know how ruthless Sanllehi is. If results head south+whose head will be first on the block?

  2. rico says:

    Morning Cicero.

    Good point but we’re not going to be spending big money to buy players are we so Emery will have to use the youngsters. I’m not sure he wouldn’t be brave to play them, he’s given some a chance already.

    They’re still very young though both in years and football.

  3. allezkev says:

    Good point Cicero, another angle would be the fans, would they be patient with the youngsters in the team, especially when they make mistakes?

    Arsenal fans once had a great reputation for encouraging young players and giving them time, now I’m not so sure, in this age of instant media, Snapchat, Twitter and all the other rubbish.
    Young players are a product of their age, they’ll join in all this online tosh and suffer the abuse that seems commonplace on those platforms. It must have an effect?

  4. Cicero says:

    I doubt Koscielny and Mustafi will be fully fit by the weekend and would like to think Emery will be brave enough to put Medley alongside Sokratis on Saturday from the start. A back four including, Lichtsteiner and Kolascinac, would be fine but I would prefer Bellerin if he’s back to full fitness.

  5. Cicero says:

    Kev, I think the fans would prefer to see a young, fit and dynamic defender in the side rather than a club Captain who has to limp off halfway through the warm-up.

  7. allezkev says:

    I’d like to think you was right there Cicero, but if say Medley played at West Ham alongside Sokratis and we lose and he made a mistake for a West Ham goal, I somehow doubt that our fans would be too understanding, with him or Emery…

  9. Cicero says:

    Whichever defensive system and line-up Emery wants to play on Saturday he needs to decide on them today and have them work on building an understanding between them for the entire week.

  11. scottfromoz says:

    Morning all.
    Finally, the fruits of “protect youth” are being seen.
    I remember fans laughing it off for years but it was realistically always going to take a generation of players to come to the fore.
    It’s here, and it should continue producing quality players.
    They just need to be given their chance.

  12. rico says:

    I think Cicero makes a good point. We’re making school boy errors at the back anyway so playing Medley is hardly a risk. In fact the opposite I’d say, it’s a win win situation with him.

  13. Le Coq Monster says:

    Afternoon all and thanks Rico.

    What a fine post you have written, intelligent and informative, then also with Kev`s addition…………..intelligent and informative, but unlike the lady of the house he went and made me question his marbles with this ending…………..”When you add all this young talent to the likes of Torrieira, Guendouzi, Holding, Bellerin, Mavropanos and Iwobi we are looking at a generation of talented youngsters who along with some quality signings could be the basis of a squad capable of winning the title by 2021″…………………………clearly more crackers than Jacobs Cream Crackers !………………….and we all know what Cream Crackers is slang for !

    😆

  16. Le Coq Monster says:

    Dont worry Kev`…………………..you`ve a long way to go to be as crackers as me !………………….and I love being crackers !

    😆

  17. rico says:

    Thanks Lc.

    I’m with Kev though, if this group stay together, they could quite easily emulate what Utd. Stay together, train together and grow as a team together. Add a few along the way of course but I’m really optimistic for the future.

  18. allezkev says:

    So, it seems we cannot afford £14m for a Barcelona squad player…

    Is he any good anyway – or is he another Lucas Perez?

    FFP seems the reason we can’t spend, loans being the only option.

    I think the club will wait and see how Mavropanos and Koscielny respond after their injuries, so unless we lose another centre half to a big injury, I think a new defender this January is looking a distant prospect.

    The development of Willock is another reason the club might hesitate to spend or take a loan this January.

  19. andorrabyte says:

    Afternoon Guys…..was a bit late with my comments yesterday but the theme’s the same today really – the current crop of young players, and their ability, skills and desire to make it, and stay there at the top table is definitely at the top of the agenda.
    A good, positive post Rico with an additional extra from Kev, full of enthusiasm with the performances of those youngsters. They certainly gave us hope for the future and demonstrated that they are ready and willing to march on and make the places their own.
    Of course, Fabregas was only 16+yrs when he made his first team debut in a cup match and look what he achieved, so there’s a marker to follow, or, to better.

    I was under the impression that our American owner does not contribute to the AFC piggy bank from which new players are bought, Is this true?
    I keep reading your comments about a dearth of “serious available funds” which doesn’t exactly help the club get to where they would like to be.
    It has always been a sticking point with me that Arsenal needs a TRUE ARSENAL FAN to own the club, not an individual whose interests are purely monetary and, mainly in the USA.
    I had hoped Usmanov might have come up with something or even the Nigerian billionaire who apparently is also an Arsenal fan.
    Pity.

  21. VCC says:

    LC. I prefer that away yellow than the two we are currently playing in. I hate the light blue kit as much as the one we wore against Blackpool.

  22. allezkev says:

    It’s all a bit confused Rico, baring in mind the info we’re getting is from the same media outlets and they’re continually contradicting each other, several times in the same day.

    Surely it has nothing to do with selling advertising?

    If any of it has a grain of truth then I guess Arsenal want him on loan and Barcelona want to sell him, take your pick.

    The thing is, will Suárez alone turn Arsenal into a nailed on top four contender?

    No…

    So what’s the point, we might as well wait until the summer…

  25. Le Coq Monster says:

    Obviously, Rico is crackers too for agreeing with Kev ! 😆

    VCC………………….I hated the mint green away kit when I first saw it, but my grandson picked it as a present and I must say it looks fcuking mint on him. I even bought some matching mint football boots !

  26. Le Coq Monster says:

    Talking of crackers !……………………someone out there is more crackers than the three of us put together as I just read this on newsnow……………………………….
    Arsenal are bracing themselves for the potential exits of Aaron Ramsey and Mesut Ozil. But they’re already plotting for the future and have now got their £63 million bid for the talismanic Columbian, James Rodriguez accepted by Real Madrid, as per The Mirror.

    Rodriguez who fell down the pecking order under Zinedine Zidane secured a 2-year loan move to Bayern Munich and is currently serving his second season in Germany. The report claims that Bayern will not stand in the way of the deal.

    The report also suggests that Real Madrid do not see him fitting into their future plans and are hence, ready to offload him. The 27-year-old attacking midfielder is yet to hit his stride this season owing to injury.

  27. Rick says:

    Afternoon Rico and the house
    Two great posts today, I really don’t know how you do it.
    Kev I have been enjoying watching the present group of youngsters play for the past
    4years ,and to be honest I am over the moon to see how some of them are developing.

    It would not surprise me to see Smith Rowe and Jo Willock in the first team before the end of the season.
    As for Eddy I think he can score goals at every level he plays at and he should not go on loan.
    It looks like (to me) that he is just going through the stage of a growth spurt.
    He looks taller and a bit more baulky and the club should keep an eye on him.

    The u23’s are in action tonight at Brighton,will we see Pleggy Dino Ben Sheaf and Smith Rowe play
    The team could do with them

  28. rico says:

    I read that too Lc. What a pile of poop…

    Afternoon Rick, thank you.

    No Medley for the under 23’s? That’s a good sign..

  29. Joaquim Moreira says:

    news from eurosport.com:

    a) We now have a report that says Juventus could bring in Arsenal midfielder Aaron Ramsey during the January transfer window. The 28-year-old Welshman is widely expected to join the Italian champions in the summer on a free transfer but he could move earlier. However that would only happen if Arsenal can sign Mehdi Benatia from Juve.
    Paper Round’s view: For Arsenal this makes perfect sense: they can get rid of a player who has no future with the club (rightly or wrongly) and they can address the glaring holes in their defence. Of course that would entirely depend on whether or not Juve would be prepared to allow Benatia to leave. It would be a massive risk were one of their first-choice centre-backs to go down injured.

    b) Meanwhile it is reported that Portugal midfielder Bruno Fernandes would potentially cost Everton £35m. His release clause at Sporting CP is higher but the club are willing to sell at the right price. However he may not necessarily be Everton’s first choice as they will first look to turn Andre Gomes’ loan into a permanent transfer.
    Paper Round’s view: Fernandes has been linked to Tottenham Hotspur in the past and with the greatest amount of respect to Everton a move to the Toffees would be a slight step down. Perhaps that is a sign of his stock falling, or perhaps it is just other clubs looking elsewhere. Of course if Everton do sign Gomes then it may be Fernandes who has to look elsewhere…


    Fernandes is much better and younger than Benatia…

  36. allezkev says:

    Rick, Saka is absolute quality, but Amaechi isn’t far behind, Medley held back for 1st team?

    And what’s happened to Osei Tutu, is he injured again?

    I see that Arsenal have created the position of Loan Manager (Chelsea & Liverpool have them) ostensibly this guy keeps an eye on our players on loan, vets the clubs approaching us for players to take on loan and reports back to probably Per Mertesaker…

  37. Joaquim Moreira says:

    rico, swap him for Ozil 🙂
    Lisbon it will be a nice place for -Ozil, Probabil he will not be injury so often
    Ruben Neves from Wolwes will be fantastic.

  39. potter says:

    Man utd at home last 4 teams in hat ,us ,totts man u and palace. Tv needed a top game .quelle surprise.

  42. allezkev says:

    Saturday 26th, 12.00 kick off.

    That won’t help Man Utd, but that’ll be 4 successive games in London starting this weekend at Stratford, which should help our tired players with their recovery…

    Then 3 away games in 11days at Man City, Huddersfield and Borisov.

  45. rico says:

    A bit late but better late than never Kev. I suspect Wenger opted against help with sorting out loans, after all he knew everything about every club…

    New post up now

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