There comes a time when younger players need to be given a chance, especially when they are performing well for either the Arsenal under 21’s or their country at their respected age group and right now we have one or two who are doing just that.
Chuba Akpom is scoring for fun for both Arsenal and the England under 20 side, Hector Bellerin is looking solid for the Arsenal reserves side and Isaac Hayden is showing that he’s already a very composed defender both for club and country.
This weekend we face Hull City and we are without Calum Chambers as he’s notched up so many bookings, he’s now banned for one game. Surely Bellerin will be given another chance to prove he has what it takes to perform at this level?
Then we have Lauren Koscielny struggling with an Achilles injury which could present Isaac Hayden with his chance to play alongside Per Mertesacker.
I haven’t seen a great deal of Hayden but from what I have seen he looks a composed and calm player, a strong guy who isn’t easily brushed off the ball and one who knows how to tackle and he certainly didn’t look out of his comfort zone during the league cup fixture against Southampton just a few weeks ago and I’d much prefer to see him play than Wenger opting for a 5′ 10″ Nacho Monreal!
Of course it would be far better to have a big strong experienced centre back ready to step in the squad like most other clubs have, but we haven’t. What we do have is a 19 year old, 6′ 2″ Arsenal man, ready to take his chance and just as Calum Chambers has proved, if you are good enough, you are old enough.
Arsene Wenger has described Hayden as being a player whose key assets are concentration, intelligence and strength. Equally comfortable at centre-back or in central-midfield, whilst having also previously featured at right-back and as a play maker.
That kind of opens up a whole new debate really, if Wenger believes Hayden is as good in midfield as he is in defence, which in my opinion is pretty darn good, why on earth has he not been given a chance to play there?
After all, it’s not like we are seriously lacking a defensive midfielder is it??
Isaac Hayden could be the solution to a couple of problems we have on the pitch, if only he’d be given the chance……
Arsene Wenger signed a 19 year old Calum Chambers and has relied on him since the start of the season. Well in my opinion, it’s about time he started looking at a few players who are already in the Arsenal Academy and have been for a number of years, especially the English ones as it’s been a long time since Jack Wilshere burst onto the scene…
That’s it for this weekend, more internationals today so let’s hope and pray for no more injuries…..
Have a good day folks…
You nicked my post 😛
Morning……………….
Morning Wath, nah, just beat you to it… 😉
I was taking my time…. It is Sunday after all and a nice lay in is of course order of the day 😀
As we have previously discussed think Hayden needs to play and be given a chance for sure. Seems assured and very level headed and if he isn’t given a chance then what’s the point in him being there. As you say Chambers has been trusted to play so lets give Hayden the chance to shine and show us what he’s got. We could def do with his physical presence that’s for sure.
Suppose will be quiet on here this morning all those car “freaks” will be out polishing and waxing……………….
🙂
What I don’t understand Wath is he’ll sign a 19 year old and throw him in, yet another 19 year struggles to get his chance..
There are many many things “He” does Rico that beggar belief and have no rational explanation..!
Until this afternoon, then they’ll be driving the cars at 20 mph…. 😉
Couldn’t agree more Wath.
I know we don’t see what goes on day in day out but from the outside his treatment of Campbell is shocking and the boy looks useful yet he’s just basically being ignored.
morning all
However, we need another central/full back.
Next Saturday: Bellerin or Coquelin on the right?
I think Kos will be fit for Saturday. Anyway Haydyn could go to the bench. Besides, we are out of the League Cup.
This weekend we play: Asprina; Debuchy Kos , Chambers;Arteta-Ramsey-Diaby-Ozil- Walcott, Giroud and Gnaby..
Well, this is our injury and suspend team for this weekend..I think I didn’t miss anyone…
That’s a really strange one with Campbell, have a sneaky feeling Wenger is sulking after his agents comments about wanting out….
JM, totally agree that we need to sign a CB/CDM in January but in the meantime, the team could just be a lot stronger if Hayden was drafted in.
Our midfield is still all over the place…
agree rico.
Morning Rico and all. As long as we don’t sign any big strong players we’ll be ok.
Excellent topical post Rico.
Lol@Joaquim. Asprina? Maybe Aspirin would be perfect. Goodmorning HH
Morning Adam, thanks. I know it’s not the perfect situation but imo, Wenger needs to open his eyes and look beyond Flamini and Arteta…
Big strong players is exactly what we lack isn’t it… So clear to everyone but the man in charge!
I wish Wilshere was ‘big’ and ‘huge’. It’d def. be problem solved.
Good Morning mumblies and grumblies.
Hayden and Bellerin and Akpom are far superior to what Denilson was. Yet he got his chance over and over again. Same with Bendy.
Sometimes I really enjoy that injuries occur after the window closes…..it will give those young ones the chance to play. Especially if AW is forced to play them.
If those three above manage to play well and prove themselves it will give us three positions from inside.
Trouble is Tiz, he’s not….
I shall mostly be washing and polishing after Theo has won the Russian GP!
Re the younger members of the club, I wonder if Wenger goes and watches them when they arrive at 16 and then ignores them until they are 23 and are past it! Many people form an opinion on first showing and never alter their view thus they never get their pick? Perhaps that’s why there were wholesale changes this summer at youth level. Brady and co just couldn’t persuade the pensioner that some of the kids were worth a shot? Or perhaps as they were having so little effect Wenger decided to shake the thing up? But, in any event , bar Bellerin none of the others have even had a peep at showing their ability at first team level. Surely this has to change and very soon too.
We have run out of old team alternatives, they are all injured, or playing on carrying injuries. Time to give youth a chance, I think.
Morning all. Nice one Rico, you’ve set me off again!
Devil, can you be sure they will get their chance though? Knowing Wenger it will be Coq at right back and Monreal central if Kos is still injured…
Thanks Wavy, like you, I am watching Theo. Poor Nico after his hideous piece of driving at the start… 😉
Wavy, Hayden had his chance against Southampton and he looked at home imo. Akpom has to soon follow him as Welbeck can’t play every game and I hope Sanogo doesn’t get the nod ahead of him but sadly I suspect he will….
He seems to symbolise the decline of the German nation! Cutting corners to gain advantage only to find you have been stuffed for your carelessness! Such a shame
Serves him right!
here we go again depending on rookies
that is the one million dollar question? will they get a chance?
Been following youth teams again as much as I can for a couple of years now and it seems to me we’ve a lot of talent at the moment. First I was able to see them live (tv) was the next gen semi against Chelsea a couple of seasons back. Five players stood out for us and were as good as anything Chelsea had despite them just shading us.
They were Hayden, Akpom, Olsson, Bellerin and Gnabry. Gnabry was maybe the best of the lot, but not by much, and everything in their development since suggests this remains the case. So, if Gnabry was indeed good enough, and if the others are at that level, yep, we need to fight hard to give them a proper chance at the club.
Olsson may well have jeopardised his chances with his impatience to play, but Bellerin, Hayden and Akpom are at the point where there is little more they can do- in almost every u21 appearance they perform very well (with Akpom as a striker it’s more visible-6 in 4- but the other two are at that level also)
Hayden is presumably here till Jan at least, and might just get a chance if/when the crisis strikes, Akpom may well go on loan beforehand (think rules allow that). Either way, I’m twitchy and dying to see those two in particular get a chance (no offence to foreign lads). Funnily enough my attention turned to the youths when watching the first team was most painful. In particular I was hoping to see some high quality English players who possesed things the first team lacked and was unlikely to buy in. Hayden and Akpom stuck out immediately- a fast, powerful goalscorer, a tough tackling physical dm/cb. That’s what I’m talking about. And if Hayden were to get in and excel at dm, that would actually be one in the evidence column against Wenger’s work of recent years (i.e ‘jeez, who’d have thought we could do with a proper dm, eh!?’)
The incredible thing is that there are another 3 or 4 who strike me as being at or near that level one year down- Zelalem, Maitland-Niles (fast, excellent technically, and looks like he may grow to be a bit of a beast), Crowley, Tafari Moore- with the year below that also looking extremely promising. The bitch is that the u21 league is a pile of crap in terms of playing time, with 2,3 or even 4 weeks between games. If they played most weeks and if Akpom had kept scoring as he was, he’d probably have added a few more braces and perhaps a 3 or a 4, and the pressure would be huge to give him some time in first team.
In the current climate, however, there are three ways youngsters get a chance at a big club : crisis; when you’re in superb form and can play them at safe times; or if they’re once-in-a-decade freaks like Rooney.
So we’re almost certainly looking at crises before they get their chances. I just hope that every fan who really wants to see them get a chance, accepts the inherent short-term risks that come with it. Many certainly won’t. They only find it acceptable when it comes off immediately. Which is a recipe/climate for never giving them a chance.
Just take a look at Jose’s record. I think he gave the Newcastle defender (name’s gone) his start at Inter… and that is it in terms of risking a player at the start of his career in top flight football. While for Wenger it’s Ramsay (17, no pl experience), Gibbs, Chesny, Fabregas, Walcott(17, no pl) , Ox (17, no pl), Wilshere, Anelka, right back to Monaco days where he brought through Thuram, Petit and a young African snapped up from Cameroonian football called George Weah.
Traditionally, he will do it, but I think the current climate is the worst ever for it (and that’s without being sensitive to fans attitudes these days, which if you did, you’d never risk it).
Binjgunner – what do you expect with such a small squad and so many injuries?
Devil, my guess is no….
Really good comment Rich and totally agree about fans giving younger players support. I would rather see all three who I mentioned in the post be given their chance right now than Wenger trying to make certain players fill a gap when it’s not their position.
Theo, Theo, Theo!!!! What a player!
Great win Lewis….
Catch up later folks…
Personally I think Arsenal will find it very difficult to bring young players through. The way the top echelons of the PL is shaping up I am not convinced we have the overall team strength that will allow that luxury. I look at Belllerin being thrown in against Dortmund and hope that isn’t the blueprint. Allowing the progression through youth teams to the first team seems to me to require really top class organisation and that is one thing that we just don’t have.
Cheers Rico. Thing I left out of my post (was pushing my luck as was) is that we’ve never had as many experienced pro’s about in midfield/wide positions as now. This is a problem as far as youngsters getting a chance goes. A similar situation at Chelsea and City means that all their talk and investment in youth is never likely to amount to anything when you have subs on the bench who cost plenty in transfers, are well established players, and may be earing 60-100+ grand per week.
Chelsea have particularly good youth team but they also have, typically, Willian, Mikel, Remy,Filip Luis,etc on the bench- massive wages, top players, itching for game time.
Our bench might not be that good, but on a typical week there’ll be Pod, Ox, Rosicky, Flamini, Monreal, etc. Without injuries, we have a serious issue about giving these experienced players enough game time to keep them just about happy enough with the situation, if that’s our wish (with Campbell there seems no wish, but he’s probably just lower down that hierarchy of people he’s worried about keeping involved). Even with a mass of injuries, nothing has yet opened up for all the promising strikers/ midfielders.
My take is that we need one, probably two , bigger big players, and we’d do well to move on 3-5 of the current big players in next 3-12 months. Pod, Rosicky, Flamini. Arteta, Campbell, even Cazorla is in the frame.
Stronger first team, slightly smaller pool of established stars (after a period of intense competition, i.e any of the six I named could prove themselves as ones who want to/should remain) outside it, and room for youngsters to play. As it stands, without an injury crisis and with a determination to keep established players happy, youngsters won’t get a look in.
Rich has already told us the problem and it’s an old hobby horse of mine . We need a proper reserve league for these kids to cut their teeth in. Playing them against other kids doesn’t help them progress. Kevin Campbell , Arturo Lupoli , Nickie Bentner were all shit hot as kids but when it came to the first team were over shadowed although Campbell did well as a back up to Wrighty and Smith . In the main last year Hayden could have been marking players like Kevin Phillips old but full of trickery , he would have learned more in half an hour than he will in a season of under 21 matches.
Is Wath out of bed yet?
Lazy sod….
Adam, I’d have thought we were one of a few clubs in the PL who are able to bring younger players through when they are good enough as we hardly have a squad full of world class players keeping them out.
Rich, when are you going to write a few posts for HH? You make so many good comments.
Afternoon all…
Hi Kev, I suspect he’s back in it by now…. lol
Afternoon Rico and the House.
Excellent post Rico. He is good enough and if
Bellerine and Chambers are old enough so is Hayden.
For the past year Ginge Kev and myself have been saying that he was good enough and should be given the chance and I have the feeling that when the time is right he will get it.
The U 21 have not played since 19Sept and as he is now too old to play for the U19 so the only games he has played has been for the England U20 team (3 games all won).
On that score I completly agree with Potter ( spot on mate) we need a res league like the London cmbination. Untill then players the same age of Akpom Bellerine and Hayden
will not get the games they deserve.
Saying this I believe Hayden is the best young defender we have and would not be out of place in the first team.
By the way another great win for Theo’s twin
Afternoon Rico….
Afternoon All..,
Good post….
Afternoon Rick, thank you..
I know you, Kev and Ts have been bigging up Hayden, and I now know why. He looks ready to play for the first team imo….
Thanks Kev. You watching the game later?
Glad Gibbs misses out, at least he should be fit for the weekend.. 😉
Re-watching our season review (2013/2014).We showed something we’ve lack for some many years…PASSION and TEAM CHEMISTRY.I really love that team.And what a great great guy Oliver giroud is,full of passion,never stop trying even when he’s losing sitters,his workrate and attitude is second to none.Wenger should have build on that great team.
Still missed a few payers in midfield and up front though Sukky….
Looks like Welbeck has joined the physio room club now.
Bloody heck!!!
You couldn’t make it up Potter…..
Sorry Rico, busy today…
I thought that Hayden had a very impressive game against Southampton in the League Cup.
If he started against Hull, it wouldn’t worry me at all.
But if Kosielny doesn’t make it, I reckon that Wenger will go with Monreal.
Wenger is quite a conservative, safety first manager…
Coquelin at right-back seems the obvious choice to me with Chambers suspended…
Night All
No worries Kev… Night to you, have a good evening..
In fact night all, I’m off to watch TV….
Catch up tomorrow…..
Cheers, Rico. Damn good to know those comments were appreciated. I’m lousy at keeping it short when talking about Arsenal, and in general people seem to keep it short and snappy on comments boards.
Not sure I should be encouraged to talk/think even more about the club (it’s getting out of hand the last couple of years) , mind, but it is quite tempting to finally get my day in the sun above the commenting line, so maybe I’ll send something to the Highbury House email address in near future.
Ordered a Wenger biography yest, so maybe there’ll be something worth talking about from that.
Anyway, will look forward to next post. I’m sure there’ll be a few things to say about Arsenal lads for England*. Very decent I thought from Wilshere. If Rooney were Henry/ Rvp in their prime , Jack would’ve had four or five top quality assists this week.
*Someone at the club needs to work with Ox on heading this week. Looked like he closed his eyes on replay of Wednesday’s missed chance, and I’m pretty sure he did the same again tonight. Wouldn’t have believed a pro could be making the same mistake (taking eye off ball) this amateur did until he was in late twenties, but I reckon he is. Bould, have a word!
Campell had a great world cup and see how he’s treated by Wenger,and you expect Wenger to play youth who are unproven?
Yes Sukky I do
The Campbell thing is a conundrum , he showed in the world cup that he has something worth pursuing but for whatever reason is not getting the chance to play. I just hope that nothing has put Wenger’s nose out of place and that’s the reason he is not featuring.
Morning Rico and all. Wet and windy old morning in London.
Morning all.
Great post!!
Sorry for the delay, did my ankle and was knocked out by some pretty handy painkillers last night!
The post raised some great issues…..not one of us would date try to explain why some players get an abundance of chances while others rust away in the shadows.
Lansbury is merely one is like to have seen have a good go, and there are plenty of others I’ve hears mentioned but not seen okay.
I think Sanogo has something, but if I’m right, he’s still at least a season or two away from being good enough, if ever, so I can’t defend the choice to persevere with him, especially when we see a guy who has done well at the top level, Joel Campbell, who can’t get a look in.
Why?
I’m gobsmacked.
Morning Adam, Scott and all..
What a horrid morning, wet, cold, high winds and pretty ghastly. Still, the summer is set to return before the week is out!
Thanks Scott, you and me both re Lansbury, Aneke is another who slipped away but will one day prove Wenger wrong imo.
The treatment of Campbell is shocking yet so typical of our manager and agree again on Sanogo, he’s not ready and should be out on loan in the Championship and spending a lot of time in the gym..
Rich, you’ll be disappointed I’m afraid as I didn’t watch England so nothing in the post about the game. To be honest, I thought it was an 8pm kick off and that clashed with Strictly etc… 😉
Has Wenger written a biography?
Henri had heart.
Loved him!!!
Ditto Scott.
Rico, imagine him standing by when Ozil and Santi had the crap kicked out of them v Chelski???
No way!
Agree again Scott, a true Arsenal man who imo, would have given 100% for his club and team-mates…
And sometimes, that’s more than enough, imo.
If we had players with his ‘attitude’ in the tunnel, life would be a little better imo. Tony Adams and Patrick Vieira proved that.
All this hugging and kissing before games gets right up my nose…
Yeah, should be growling and snarling at the opposition!!!!
Goodmorning house,seems welbeck is injured.
Or throwing Pizza 😉
Think he’s ok Sukky, well, according to Woy…
New post up now..