Morning all,
No doubt you have all read the comments by Yaya Sanogo who yesterday confirmed that he’s heading to Arsenal next season.
Arsenal could be a great club for me, I scored nine goals this season with Auxerre and they think I can improve my level in England.
I am pleased to be following in the footsteps of Abou Diaby who came through from Auxerre.
There are many teams interested in me, but Arsenal is my choice.
Pray be that the only thing Sanogo will have in common with Diaby is Auxerre, the injury situation is not to be laughed at is it?
Anyway, that seems to be one in the door, good luck to him and I hope for his sake and Arsene Wenger’s, he’s really over his injury problems.
Firstly I’d like to join all fellow Gooners in celebrating our hard fought win on Sunday. Cracking!
Have a slice….
Ok, at times we struggled but defensively we looked “sound” and the performance from Laurent Koscielny was top draw.
Onwards – Iv’e been watching some of our players who left for pastures new and those who were released or sold on by our club encouraged me to write up an article.
There were players who left us for the cash, others who felt silverware was the order of the day selfishly and players who just wanted to play as they weren’t getting the chance to show their stuff.
This article is predominately about some of the younger stars who were sold for a cut price or released.
Over the last 10 years we have been excited about the following players becoming stars, players who shone ever so brightly at youth level, who either progressed through the academy or were swiped from other clubs academies:
Nacer Barazite
Henri Lansbury
Jay Emmanuel Thomas
Luke Freeman
Jay Simpson
Hoyte brothers
Carlos Vela
Conor Henderson
Luke Ayling
Kyle Bartley
I picked those ten players as I have followed their progress since they left us. All of them showed true professionalism and respect when they departed our great club but some have fared better than others.
Nacer Barazite
He was meant to be the next Bergkamp, an eye for a pass and wuite a talisman in his early years. Could have played for Holland , got injured and after a loan here and there , and Derby County aside, slipped into mediocrity and ended up in Turkey , albeit for a top end club, and choosing Turkey over Holland hoping for a “Colin Kazim-Richards” fairytale, as his parents are of Turkish descent. Felt this player could have played a role, and left us too early.
Henri Lansbury
I was very upset we let him go for a meagre £1 million. This boy seemed the real deal and our next Romford Pele. He could shoot, tackle pass. Built at 6ft, he suffered glandular fever but overcame it and went on to be successful on loan. He was prolific at youth level at club level and internationally and was a real character in the dressing room. Most rated him as a better prospect than Wilshere at one time. Nottingham Forest are going places, but that isn’t really his level.
JET
Well, from wonder-kid with skill in abundance with a resemblance toKkenwyne Jones frame , this kid looked able to play amongst the best, he was prolific at youth level and had the world at his feet.
Then, before the idiot could show some maturity, he got nicked for smashing up his £100k motorcar before having a license and on loan he didn’t really put much effort in. I felt he went the same way as Pennant and we will look at him as a wasted tale of what could have been. Has now been released by Ipswich, what a drop in fortunes.
Luke Freeman
We paid £2m for him when he was 15 years old. He is a goal-scoring machine..
Well, this kid got so overawed he seemed out of his depth at our reserves and never set our coaches alight with his performances. We kept this lad for ¾ years and now at Stevenage, he hasn’t exactly given them their moneys worth. I think it was his lack of self belief and the attitude of ‘they paid £2m for me’, so I will just turn up and they will make me better. He went the other way, and perhaps a stepping stone at a championship club would have been better.
Jay Simpson
Another who I felt we sold too quick and too cheaply. He knew where the back of the net was and was very much liked by the coaches and players at the club. He , like Lansbury did not want to leave but as Wenger was looking at his forwards, he chose NB52 instead as the better prospect.
Well, he has worked his socks off and while not the quickest or most skilful, his goals have helped Hull City earn promotion and its players like him who inspired me to write the article. He has scored everywhere he has been and the promotion is a true testament to the boy who scored the first goal at The Emirates.
Hoyte brothers
We know Justin was a average right back and not worth the £3m we got from Middlesbrough but he left with dignity and because he wanted to play week in, week out. Always a gent and a friend within the club, but he could have pushed himself a little harder. He’s scored a cracker this season for Boro and it was that goal that made me think. He was better than he showed us. His brother Gavin was meant to be the real deal. What a waster, never fulfilled his talent as the fearsome centre back and now he’s a slacker in the lower leagues. He’ll probably end up as a Sunday pub team player.
Carlos Vela
Well this kid had it all but is a bit of a Taarabt.
Turns up when he wants to. We all saw why we spent £3m on him as a teenager but after 4/5 years at the club he finally got his chance, but seemed more interested in partying. Discipline wise he is immature and does not want to put in a shift. Always came alive when the ball was near him but walked at snails pace uninterested when not. I felt this guy had so so much more.
He now seems to be comfortable in Spain and unlike Lukaku who went to West Brom and had a real go, this kid wasn’t interested at all. It’s interesting to see him looking like a world beater in Spain and when I remember his cameos for us as a sub, I’d wonder if this kid is the same player?
I will never forgive him for forgetting his passport for that game in the Champions League versus Barcelona. C’mon as a kid , they don’t get bigger than that.
Conor Henderson
This kid is a brilliant passer of the ball, the right build and after overcoming serious injury, he started to show for the reserves that he was ready to step up. Wenger was tipping him, like Randall to break through. He finally got himself fit and has now decided to make a dash for it rather than try and get into our midfield.
Come on, Rosicky and Arteta aren’t going to be here forever. Frimpong looks like he’s moving on so there is a space opening up. However, he has chosen to go elsewhere in search of first team football. My question to him would be – ‘what have you shown to merit a chance elsewhere’? I fear Dagenham and Redbridge awaits.
Luke Ayling
He was considered the better player of the Bartley and Ayling partnership but didn’t have the build frame to be a centre back, so off to Yeovil he went , where he became a fans favourite and Captain. Nice to see he has built up his frame and has helped them earn promotion to the Championship.
He may not get to the Premier League with Yeovil, but I feel we will see him in the Premier League not before long. This was a lad we released, keeping Bartley for the extra year instead of keeping both. Most who watched reserve football will tell you it was Ayling who often bailed Bartley out of trouble and had the better technique on the ball. He never slagged off the club and is still good mates with Yennaris.
Kyle Bartley
He made the right decision in moving to Swansea, justified by winning the FA Cup. He did well wherever he went and after playing so well for Rangers, we should have made more effort with this lad, instead of persisting with Djourou. This lad is a no nonsense defender who reminded me of Steve Bould when he played.
Interestingly enough, I heard from a source at the training ground that he left for a £1 million as Wenger thought Ignasi Miguel was the better prospect. We could have saved a bundle by not signing Squid, caning Djourou and keeping him and his mate Ayling as reserve centre backs. I think he’ll end up like Matthew Upson. He knows his limitations and in Michael Laudrup will receive a good education at Swansea. I feel we messed up with him, just like we did with Lansbury. Another who shows effort reaps its rewards.
So, what are your thoughts?
Who will be this years could ‘has-beens’?
Written by George
Good Morning to the Lady of the House and fellow Gooners.
Morning all…
Great read George…
Lansbury is one I wish we’d kept …..
Great post George…
I cannot blame many of those lads for leaving. They were never gonna get a chance.
Young players make mistakes, but I suppose it’s easier to get rid of an Academy player than some foreign ‘Wunderkind’ who cost a fee and big wages and whose signing has to be justified…
Morning Cg…
Arsenal need good defensve midfeeder like yaya sanogo .pls wanger sing this guy
Think you have hit the nail on the head Ak re the young players v’s the overseas ‘wunderkind’…..
You see Dortmund will get £126k per player if they win the CL final….Norwich got £250k per man for staying up!!
Great read George btw.
very good article, i agree about the pairing of Kyle and Luke they would have made a far better choice than Djourou and Squid.Henri Lansbury was good enough to be a squad player when sold to Forest and was only going to improve!.
The rumour coming out of Hale End has always been that a bought in player got a better break than the ones that were home grown. Perhaps it’s because money was paid to get them in and so a debt had to be repaid or else that pride was at stake. Just a rumour !. However I believe that these kids went to the wayside because of the financial aspect of the premier league. Many teams scrapped their reserve teams because of the cost and second team football became the home of under 18’s. This meant that there was a great gaping hole between youth and first team football and to find a serious game they were farmed out into the loan system which many were not ready for. When they went out many were seen as make weight by their adopted clubs and never got the reasl chance to develop. Some were lucky , Lansbury got a good shift at Norwich and took full advantage. something which Billy big boots spurned with his attitude at the same place.
A proper reserve competitive league was needed played in front of a crowd to develop these players . Circumstance abandoned a few but some fought through it , unfortunately not with us.
Billy big boots ( David Bentley by the way )
I hope Dortmund win that one….
George – A very timely article regarding some of our former Young Guns, as we have just released another group from the Academy. It’s interesting to see how they have faired since leaving the club.
I remember hearing much about some of them in the Academy and Youth FA Cup teams and saw their occasional appearances for the first team in the likes of the League Cup. Many of us anticipated seeing a few of them make it through to the first team on a regular basis. However, that last step up, entry into the first team is a big one and has eluded many a promising young player. The failure to fulfill their early promise, whether due to a lack of mental, physical or technical development or simply a lack of initiative or emotional maturity is hard to anticipate. There a many large changes as they progress from their teens into manhood.
I feel for those that have worked hard for years and continue to work hard, but will never progress beyond being journeyman players. Best of luck to them. The sad ones are the truly talented ones that have what it takes physically and technically, but lack the drive or psychology to put it to good use and it is wasted. It must be difficult to realise you have wasted your talent and frittered away good opportunities, some never do, and life passes you by.
I can’t comment on individual cases as I have seen so little of them. Is this sort of failure/promotion rate the norm at other clubs?
If we picked 2 starting x1s for arsenal today still none of these would make either team. Probably only vela might get a sniff but it would be close between him and gervinho.
;ersonally I don’t think any bad decisions have been made with any of the youngsters released over the last few years and even the 15 that have been released this season are no closer than 3rd choice at best to make the first team.
Ah David Bentley, a legend in his living room…
The biggest waste of talent of the lot imho…
Shame though Potter, I’d much rather see a few more homegrown players be given a chance to fail…
Bentley had it all ahead of him, shame his head was so big….
It’s started….
http://www.fanatix.com/news/-/120047/
Meade is the one that surprised me, but then with Gibbs and Monreal, he’s never going to get a chance.. I think he’ll do well…
Deep joy Lee, another Mata and Hazard if we are to believe the stories….
Jay Simpson – I really look forward to seeing how he gets on in the PL, I wanted us to give him a chance, always reminded me of of a younger version of Wrighty…
Potter – Some interesting comments regarding the changes to the old reserve league and its replacement with the U18s, U21’s etc. To keep them after they are too old for the Academy teams the club has to give them a professional contract and that is where there is a real financial risk to the club due to its decisions. When they are 21 to 23, if not younger, the club has to make those hard decisions on what their professional prospects probably will be. That is rarely a sure thing.
Morning all , good post today .You have to ask the question if the coaching staff at Arsenal are up to the task of bringing the kids through.Apart from Jack ,Gibbs I am struggling to think of anyone that has really made it into the first team in the last 6 years.Surely some of the players you mentioned would have done better with the right coaching.
Arsenal prepare €24m bid for Stevan Jovetic, talks expected to start today [La Stampa]
The agent of Fiorentina striker Stevan Jovetic is in London to finalise a 29m euro (£24.4m) switch to Arsenal. [SportMediaSet]
Not many sympathy votes for Pulis this morning guys.Hard nosed F…….s
AK – David Bentley, Jermain Pennant and Niklas Bendtner; all legends in their own minds. Bentley and Pennant had something, but just couldm
n’t deliver the goods. NB52 thought he had something, many others thought so too. If he was half as good as he thought he was, he would have been a good player. Another waste of talent?
Jay, I don’t think they always get a fair chance, unless of course they show in training/reserves that they really aren’t good enough. But, we seem to have so so many that don’t come up to the grade.
However, seldom do any of them go on to have a career at the top. Whether that’s because the player really isn’t good enough, or isn’t coached well enough at the right age is anyone’s guess. I suspect it’s a bit of both…
Also, I think we have always had to many kids around the same age all fighting for the same/similar position, usually in midfield.
I think AW was once obsessed with signing young midfielders 😉
Jay, you know that! 😉
Jay – The beautiful game would benefit if the likes of Tony Pubis and Fat Sam Allardyce disappeared or were forcibly retired. They are tumours on the the game that need to be excised.
Agree Rico,but kids dont get through to the the top academys without looking the best in their age groups.
It seems Pulis is off to America to coach now Cg,That will put them back in the dark ages.
Swansea won Capital One Cup and not the FA cup
Rico – Many of our youth players like Sebastian Larsson have gone on to have good, if not stellar, careers at other clubs. Arsene even tried to get him back a year or two ago, but he didn’t want to be a reserve midfielder at Arsenal when he was a first team regular at Sunderland. This is the choice many of them face when offered professional terms with Arsenal.
Rico, 10.50…
My Fiver is safe… 😉
Canuck, Pennant could have been a top player mate.
He didn’t lack talent.
Where he lacked, was between his ears…
Calling Agent Ginge. Calling Agent Ginge.
I am currently at my assigned dead drop position outside London Zoo.
I am on the lookout for my contact, a man carrying a canoe over his left shoulder.
I am awaiting further instructions.
Are you reading me Agent Ginge…. 😉
Chamakh is off to Bordeaux,hope he can get his Bong through Customs.
AK, you synchronised your kettle mate?
Nice one George,
You left out Havard Nordtveit who is now Borussia Mönchengladbach DM… who would have thought… he was a big loss imho… he never had the build to play CB in the EPL but as a DM he is becoming as good as the Benders…
And then there is Oguzhan Ozyakup who was not given a chance because of JW… he had no choice as but to join Besikta…having taken counsel from Judas…
Morning all btw
Loud and clear Agent Ak of S20… Burma lodge… 😉
Fabrice also left because of Abu Dhabi … AW never wanted him gone…
That’s very true Jay..
As is that about Poolis 😉
AK – Yes! Both Bentley and Pennant had talent, but early success, lots of money, and an inablity to handle either did them in. Their heads got turned by the early acclaim and they couldn’t get them back on straight again. Wastes of talent and the time and money spent to develop them.
Ak, since Adam is ‘C’ you must be ‘Q’ with all the fine gadgets you use… 😉
Here on this side of the pond they use ‘officer’ instead of ‘agent’… I am told…
AK – Arsenal should put you on a retainer to drive the deadwood to the airport. We need to make sure they get on the right plane, so they don’t jepordise their tranfer deals.
So WHU think spending £15M on Carrol will take them forward?
Morning everyone.
Not many though Cg, he’s an exception 😉
Ts, none of us saw that coming re Nordveit and considering our manager is ‘midfield mad’ – surprised he didn’t spot that..
Well done to BM for having the vision to play him as a ‘DM’…
Morning all,
The list is endless george, sidwell didn’t do to bad for himself.
Bentley just couldn’t understand why Berkgamp was getting the nod over him every week.
tsgh, desperate times call for desperate measures, Chamakh obviously ain’t working for them.
No chance Ak 😉
Kev, does the canoe have a handbrake on it ? if so I might know who your contact is.
Ha ha Micko…
Interesting post. All that hope, all that talent, all that disappointment! How the young become over confident, arrogant and over paid. There are all sorts of reasons for failure but at the levels of expectation and hope we put into our small boys, all of whom are talented, skillful footballers at a very early age, there are only a very small handful who progress and have an abundance of ability greater than the rest. The rest fall by the wayside. The really gifted don’t! The really gifted you can count on the fingers of one hand. If we haveroduced two juniors who have made the first team we have probably done quite well. Of the list in the post none of the boys were good enough, good comparatively but none had that genius ingredient, the 2% inspiration that creates supreme ability. All those boys were able, very able but not quite good enough. Shame.
In passing, of Pennant, he was a product of his early years environment. He was never troubled by any adult involvement at all. He rarely went to school, in fact his attendance was only at the insistence of the school bobby. When he arrived at Arsenal he could neither read or write. The club sent him for lessons -he didn’t attend. It wasn’t until he got to Birmingam that they tagged him and he was a captive audience, at that point he started making a little progress with his life skills! Little surise that he he never reached his potential. He could have been a brilliant footballer, another Beckham, but he had no drive to succeed. A real shame, life really has passed him by!
There are many other talented boys out there who will go the same way. Just because a child signs up at nine doesn’t assur him of a glittering career. The drop out rate is enormous! Sad but true.
C.G I take your point on the contracts for the young ones but that’s exactly why reserve football is so important. Every match we have players on the bench that are expected to be at their peak if they are called upon for the last 20 minutes . Other than than that they get no competitive football , join them with a group of the best kids and you have the nucleus of a reserve squad that are fully match fit and developing when called upon.
Scott, you gone back to sleep? 😉
Sorry about this one guys ,couldnt resist it.Jesus said to the Israeites come forth,but they came fifth and have to play on ITV4 on Thursday
Calling Agent Ginge, Calling Agent Ginge.
I am in situ at the London Eye.
There are Chinese everywhere, I think the invasion has begun…
Agent Lee, kettle synchronised, tea bags in position. We a go go go,for a cuppa… 😉
Jeorge Bird, someone who follws the Academy players more closely than most, gives his views on the mass departures of our young players;
http://news.arseblog.com/2013/05/mass-departure-sends-shockwaves-through-the-academy-with-signings-likely-at-that-level/?utm_source=feedburner.com%2Farseblognews&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+arseblognews+%28Arseblog+News+-+the+Arsenal+news+site%29
😛 Jay..
Canuck, I think that there has been a slight change of policy at the Academy, hence the sudden exit of so many youngsters who were never gonna make the grade at AFC.
The group moving up from the U16’s, plus the likes of Ormande-Ottwell, Magubo and the German kid whose name escapes me, seems to be pointing towards a raise in standards. I hope so anyway…
Hiya Mick, when am I gonna get that pint you owe me?
Sanogo is having a medical with us then. That could go on for days….
Ginge, good point about Nordtveit and Ozyakup.
Lets not forget Fran Merida either.
Both Angha and Ebecilio have got moves, Angha to the Bundesliga and Ebecilio to the Eredivisie….
Boateng, strongly tipped to be outted, has been given another year. I think he has potential, but the next 12 months are shit or bust for him..
Cg, I didn’t realise it was Meades choice to depart. Good.
Jernade Meade was a suprise to me, I know he was short of stature, but he was a good footballer and certainly no worse than Santos.
I think there can be problems frkm outside of some of these kids careers, pressures from ‘friends’, agents of course and even family….
Walcott has shown the value of a strong family unit and the value of that kind of back-up, rather than old, bad influences that ultimately fcuk your career.
I really liked Merida Ak….
Alban Bujaku is a case in point, where his father (who I believe was his agent) was making unrealistic demands on the club…
Did his father see Alban as his son, or as a moneybox?
Afternoon all
Arsene Wenger has too much power?
https://twitter.com/natm_mag/status/337173704654061568
Yeah Rico, I thought he had a lot of skill.
Maybe, Meade decided to leave when Monreal was signed?
Nah Rico.
Just waiting for one of you to mention Aaron before i jump in lol.
Kidding.
Big 43 today, so thanking my hundreds…well dozens….ok, 2 friends on FB for their kind words 🙂
You and me both Ak, real shame. Hope Gibbs stays injury free next season… Can’t blame the lad though, he’s 21, he’s been patient and if I were him, seeing that lump Santos play ahead of me would have been enough…
Syg, is that facts or one mans opinion 😉
AK – According to my read of the Jeorge Bird article, it seems the “slight change in policy at the Academy” you mentioned may be overdue. It appears as if the club are streamlining the operation.
With a few glaring exceptions where some young players are clearly exceptional, it’s always a gamble when the decision to release a young player or offer him a professional contract. Sometimes the final decision is based more on whose ahead of him in the pecking order, rather than the abilities and talents of the player himself.
Many Happy Returns Scott, you are slowly catching Ak up 😉
Kev on Alban Bujaku @12:51
I am with eastern Europeans, Kosovans, Asians more than I am with English lads. Their’s is a straightforward mentality. They come here for a better life – a better life = them having more money.
The lad is Albanian (Kosovan). His father is Albanian (Kosovan).
It’s always about the money. The quicker he gets first team football the more money he will be on.
it’s a shame, but that is the reality of it.
You can add Stephen Hughes and David Noble to the bad attitude list. Contrast these players with another of our ex-youths, Paul Dickov who forged himself a decent career through sheer hard work. How I wish the likes of Arshavin and ‘Jogger’ Walcott had some of that spirit!
Wow scott, pushing up 50, Happy Birthday.
Thanks Rico.
Ease up Micko 🙂
And thanks mate…..
Happy Birthday Scotty!
Scott – Happy Birthday! Do NOT try and drink a glass for every year. We want you back for another.
Ta Lee.
Thanks CG….i had a very quiet one mate.
Off to bed now……have a great day everyone.
Thanks again….
Whatever did happen to Stephen Hughes, didn’t he go to Everton from us?
Hi Rico…Nordvert did not have franco-african DNa like Ramsey…lol
Ak.. I totally agree your post at 12:48 pm.. A typical example will be JET and Pennant who without the male influence they fell on the side of the road… Cashley is a rare exception where maybe a strong mother figure with strong family tires influenced his career but he still has issues with ‘skirts’…
Hi Micko… leave Shitemak alone… he still thinks he holds the European CL record for scoring in consecutive games.
Hi Scott… what happened to the tattoo?
Night Scott…
Happy Birth day Scottie boy… nice one and God bless…
Just don’t have another tattoo of Ramsey
Night Cg…
Hi Ts, I was thinking more of Denilson. Just how many chances did he get…
And he’s still on our books…
Hi SYG… don’t tell me you and the Albanian Mafia Shqiptare share a beer or 2 sometimes up north…
@Rico…Denilson like Reyes have deep seeded issues… imho…
He claims he lost his mom at a young age so he is not bothered about money… he just wants to settle.
Reyes being a gypsy can’t even settle in his own country… the same as Jesus Navas who is decent but no team wants to sign him out of Sevilla…
AW has not converted a CB to DM yet… I believe he has done it the other way round e.g include Thuram, Grimandi, Hadjovic, Boateng… I would love it if he turned Miguel into a DM though
He did settle Ts, in the middle of the park, so settled in fact, he hardly left the half-way line 😉
Reyes, well I thought he was bullied out by the Neville sisters, and our very own Henry….
Good Night Scott. I’m of to bed too. Have a good afternoon or evening all, till tomorrow. Keep the Faith.
Night Cg, sleep well…
I’m off for an hour or so too, laters….
Luis Aragonés has a lot to answer for regarding Reyes , apart from screwing up his career with The Arsenal he messed up his head so much that he became next to useless for Spain as well. His old style Franco-ist sentiments led to Henry and the other French players at Arsenal shunning him and because of his background Reyes was not strong enough to stand up to him.
Very true Potter… spot on…
Hiya Ginge ….
The ones I know are Muslim, so a beer is generally out of the question lol….
Hiya Potter – I think Ginge echoed that re: Aragones the other month. Anything else you have on that, is always worth a read.
So you did not do the ‘Ribery’ to them then SYG…
Ha ha … the Father-in-Law mentioned that re: Frank Ribery the other day… what a Lamb Shanker, eh?
😀 Lamb Shanker
Not much to add SYG apart from Aragones was bought up in Madrid in the Franco era. Spain at that time was a seriously Fascist country and despite in the late 60’s Franco’s demise many of the people still harboured those sentiments. I lived there during the mid 60’s and know just how in the grip the people were. He would have been bought up surrounded by these opinions and it would always be under the surface. Many Spaniards still don’t see what the fuss was about , witness the monkey chants that still happen today. As much as we may feel more evolved and have made moves regarding race , it will take generations before it is eradicated. As soon as people are faced with problems they will always turn on those that are different.
Terrible goings on in Woolwich….race related decapitation, apparently!
Soldier decapitated….
crazy … its like a war turf in these inner city areas now
Afternoon all…
What the heck is this world all about now, I am so glad I am not just being born into it…..
Puts our problems with football into perspective.
Brian Greenhoff has died, only 60 years old. RIP….
off to get an early dinner. I’m hungry 😉
Terrible news from S.E.London…
Sounds like an execution…
Afternoon all,
Thanks for the comments on my article. Just felt we, The Arsenal (coaching staff at club) were not generating the calibre of youth through the ranks, like say Southampton. Reading on through the comments , i think its Potter who makes the interesting point about pride and the foreign paid for youth has a higher chance of breaking through. Jack, and Gibbs aside, who else has made it from the English lads ? I can’t honestly beleive we didn’t have another 4/5 who could have been a better bet than some of the rubbish we have seen.
I eagerly await to see what the club does with the likes of Miyachi, Afobe, Yennaris, Eisfeld, Gnabry ,Akpom, Olsson, Bellerin and Aneke.
Here’s hoping we can some of the deadwood soon.
George, I think that Akpom, out of the English youngsters, has the best chance of making tne grade.
I hope Yennaris breaks-through as well, as he is a very tidy player and is also a dyed-in-the-wool Gooner.
I have my doubts over the prospects of Afobe and Aneke.
sickening deluded deranged act of violence… RIP soldier
evening btw…
Who have we signed then??
Evening peeps……
Terrorist act Ak, bastards!
Yes Ts, may that poor man RIP and may his family find great strength to cope….
Evening all. I cannot find the words about what has happened this afternoon in SE London. What that poor bloke’s family must be going through I cannot imagine.
sh1t…just seen on the news…wtf …sick bstards…
It’s horrific Adam
Adam, I kinda stuck to the triviality of football, because if I spoke my mind, I may end up offending ppl…
What kind of country, have our politicians created, that one of the members of our own armed forces, cannot safely walk our streets…
Don’t Kev. I too feel that I have to keep my feelings about our country close to my chest. I don’t want to offend anybody either and this is a football blog where we chat and have a laugh. The suppression of free speech though has in many ways contributed to the road we are on. Perhaps we do get the politicians we deserve after all. Recently I feel like a stranger in a strange land. We must hold those we care for close to us.
You two are not alone….
.
Adam, as usual, you articulate everything, as only you can.
I am off for a cup of tea and an enjoyable evening with my cousin.
God bless our armed forces, and goodnight Gooners.
George, that’s an understatement…
Amen to that Ak…
Nighty, enjoy your evening…
Yep!
On that rather sad note I am off for the evening. I wish all good people well.
Night Rico and Kev,
Very little changes in this awful world , It seems that today’s incident was religious/ racially motivated. Are you surprised I’m not.
An item on a T.V. programme last night was asking people to describe their impressions of what Hell might look like. Today we saw it in Woolwich.
21/05…….a bunch of brain washed uneducated nutters programmed to do this…
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I can’t believe the social psychological phenomenon bystander effect happened in London during the day…
May that poor Soldier rest in peace…. Savages is as close a word as possible that describes such cowardly cnuts…!
As you say Adam, words are not enough when this kind of thing happens.
Thoughts are with this young mans family and friends.
… Francois Hollande and Cameron banging on about defence, economic collaboration … do they care?
Anyway… hi WATH…
”our lands” bull**** in a London accent and wearing a Stone Island hat.. and they get an air ambulance to a private hospital…
Sorry guys enough ranting lets talk ….AW
As you say Ts, filth spouting on about in his land and with a broad London accent… scum….! nothing more nothing less who will get great hospital treatment and treated humanely in prison on 3 meals a day…!
Night Adam.
I’m not surprised either Potter, so much is racially or religiously motivated these day…
How do they even try to understand Wath…
I too am off for the day, an awful day for one man and his family and friends….
Good night all……
Ts/Wath – I hope he rots in hell….. Bastard!
… but its worth remembering that there are some very good Muslims, some are serving and at least one I know died with 3 Para BG in Helmand.
For all of us tomorrow is just another day, for one mans family , it isn’t and will never be. RIP.
Night all
Night Rico, George….. Well said George…!
Very hard to look at positives about that religious sect Ts….!!
I hear what your saying ….. But…!
Anyway before we get sidetracked onto a different tangent thoughts as said are with the young mans family under these awful circumstances.
Football can wait til 2moro…! Cheers all n take care.
Rico people like this need to be tied to the back of a truck and dragged around the highlands… with medical help given to them every 20 minutes to prolong their pain… after that they have to be left to rot in Siberian among the tigers…
Night all…
The incident echoed a Muslim extremist plot to behead a member of the British armed forces in 2007.
Fundamentalists based in Birmingham wanted to behead the soldier “like a pig” in a lockup garage, it emerged in court.
They hoped that the killing would undermine morale among members of the British armed forces serving in Afghanistan and deter British Muslims from joining up.
Jobless former charity worker Parviz Khan, 37, and his co-defendants drew up a list of 25 potential targets.
Detectives foiled the 2007 plot after spending six months spying on the gang.
Seven hundred officers raided eight homes and four businesses and arrested nine suspects.
At Leicester Crown Court, Khan pleaded guilty and was sentenced to life in January 2008, with a minimum of 14 years.
Life should mean life Ts… in a labour camp as well on bread and dripping…!
Prison is like a hotel 4 scum like that. Right am gone….
Evening all, A little late i know but i read the post and i have made my mind up that Project youth is not worth the trouble. Teaching Youngsters the Arsenal way seems to be teaching them to become Loanee’s as not to many seem to filter through. With clubs like United Chelsea and City who buy ready made players who come straight in and play regulary, seems to be the way forward, all Supporters are asking for 3 or 4 players none are asking for any of the youth to be given a try. Personally we all like to see experienced players come in and spending lots of money for them gives you the feeling that they will make the diference. We can afford the best so we should buy them and save money on our youth.. Forgot to say good post George you probably won’t agree sorry about that.
And AK great post yesterday 🙂
Very, very sad news about the British soldier.
What is this world coming to?
4-5 years ago, we had what later become known as the “Cronulla riots”.
Cronulla, is a well know beach just south of Sydney.
A group of young Lebanese guys basically took over the beach and bashed a Surf Lifesaver who stepped in when these cretins abused some young ladies.
Basically, Australians stood up to be counted and it was the first time i really felt young Aussies, as an entirety, showed some Aussie pride.
Since then, attendances at Anzac day have multiplied, and people have stopped taking this great country for granted.
Of course, this was a small minority of a particular race of people, so i do not wish to generalise here, but my point is that fantastic things can come from bad events.
I do not mean to trivialise the death of a solider at all, not compare it to the bashing of a person to this tragic event, but it can become something that steels the resolve of a hell of a lot of people, and can bring an entire nation together.
From down under, our thoughts are truly with the mans family and friends, and let us all hope something positive comes from this waste.
http://www.gunnerstown.com/arsenal/2013/5/22/a-resurgent-wenger-will-break-the-arsenal-transfer-record-not-once-but-twice-this-summer
So TV5 is on sale at £5m according to the media…
Morning Scott, Lee and all…
See, I said it was going to be a good summer for AW 😉
Morning guys.
Mick McManus has died….
Spent many a Saturday afternoon with my Grandparents watching him……
Brilliant article, Lee….thanks for that link.
Off to fitness class, catch you all later. New post will be up around 9.30