Afternoon guys.
The surprise of the season last year wasn’t winning the Premier League, Max Dowman scoring against Everton or David Raya winning the golden glove award. No, it was the emergence of Myles Lewis-Skelly in central midfield. Not because I didn’t think he could play in that position but because it seemed to me that Mikel Arteta was never going to give him the chance to do so. After a few must win Premier League fixtures in which he was part of the team to secure the points needed to win the title, he was selected to play in the Champions League final against PSG. An Arsenal team which stopped a strong PSG team beating us over 120mins.
Yet now, a move away from the club is being rumoured. As is a move away for Ethan Nwaneri by the way. I don’t know if either is true but I sure as heck hope not. What is the point of having an academy if when players become very good, we sell them? Even more crazy in my opinion would be selling them just to make for another player who might turn out to be an overpriced dud?
Very good Hale End players are like gold dust I think and when they do come along, I always want to see them playing in red and white, not at Chelsea or Man Utd and if Myles ends up at either club, which is what is being suggested, I think I’ll lose faith in what Arsenal FC are trying to achieve, or rather how they are trying to achieve it.
I’ve spent the last 10/15 years moaning and groaning about how the likes of Manchester City and Chelsea have constantly throw good money after bad to win trophies but are we not now verging on doing the same?
If Arsenal can cast aside talent like Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri at 19 years old instead of coaching them, improving them as the years go by, what does say about our coaches or indeed the manager? What does it say about the club, the same club which has spent millions of pounds on what I consider to be some bang average players.
Madueke or Nwaneri? Nwaneri all day long. Madueke or Dowman? The latter of course.
Havertz or Nwaneri? Yes, Nwaneri for me.
With Lewis-Skelly, it doesn’t need to be an and/or because we need four midfielders players to get us through a busy season. That is unless Arteta wants to overplay players to the point of collapse again. Plus, we have a crock in Riccardo Calafiori who if he breaks down again, Lewis-Skelly might be needed in defence.
Surely Arsenal should be building on what was achieved last season, not ripping part of it up and starting again.
Moan over.
Never mind Rico/Dev, rumours like Myles and Ethan only gives succour to the Doomers and encourages them to revisit all their hang-up, issues and personal unhappiness surrounding themselves and:
the club,
manager,
coaching,
academy manager,
ownership,
scouting,
recruitment,
sales,
you know pretty much everything concerning the club.
In fact many of these so-called ‘fans’ – you can’t call them supporters – were no doubt devastated when Arteta finally got us over the line.
But those same ‘fans’ were also dancing in the streets of Budapest after the CL final and all because the club never played their favourite U18 player in the 1st team 5 years ago and they took it personally…
Good..
Zubimendi has also distanced himself from transfer rumour insisting he wants to stay at Arsenal
I think it would be for me.
Is Kounde any good?
Kounde anyone ? El Mundo reckons it’s on the cards. Just another story , ?
As for selling the family silver , it would be the final straw for a lot of people.
Wonder if he’ll go on loan Devil, or stay put until January.
I hope it’s true too, time will tell I guess.
Yes Rico. He is very similar to PArtey on movement and stature.
I just read that MLS and his agent/mother have come out and said that what we read today was all fabrication and that he wants to stay at Arsenal.
Fingers crossed the latter is true.
Evening Devil, Ife looks a strong lad..
Good evening Rico and all
Sell MLS??? No way. Why should he be sold?? if he was 26 years and is what he is then yes, but not a 19 year old who played in the CL final.
I go beyond him being sold. I think about what message does it send to Hale Enders?? To the young ones.
On the other hand did you see the Ibrahim performance?? Maybe Ife has something to do about it. Maybe the coaching team feel that Ibrahim is superior to MLS.
I dont want him sold. If he goes, especially to Chavs or Utd, I would be extremely disappointed.
Hope you are right Cicero. Tomorrow I think re the Eclipse.
Lebo, try not to be influenced by the harbingers of doom…
Heaven, Obi and Hutchinson saw the pound note signs and good luck to them, but let’s see where they are in 2 or 3 years times?
Imo, it’s far too early in their career to be cast aside, especially when the club are going out and spending £60m on a player like Madueke.
Thanks Pbarany, I get what you’re saying but in the case of MLS and Ethan, they are far from reaching their prime or ceiling. It’s easy to see how good they are now so they should only get better.
Ha ha ha, it’s funny you say that Cicero but I’ve been thinking about doing a ‘great leap forward’ recently…
Hey Kev, do you drive one of those Chinese built cabs? You do know that they are bugged and send details of all your fares and driving hours back to Beijing. 老大哥在监视你
Cicero, we can always rely on you to put a calm and thoughtful spin on things whilst others are doing what they do best, dooming…
We’re on the same page Lebo.
Im worried about both Kev..
August has always been called the silly season in journalistic circles, the time when serious journalists and the people they write about are “out of town”. Unfortunately, sub editors are always looking for a headline and there are numbers of junior hacks out there only too ready to make up a story and get their name on a by-line.
Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri leaving? not while the Sun shines in the sky!
OH! There’s an eclipse of the Sun later this week. Scary!
There is one point I disagree with you. You asked:
What is the point of having an academy if when players become very good, we sell them?
I don’t think we are selling them because they are good. I seriously think that we are selling them because they no longer have the extreme high ceiling they had a year or two ago. And it is true. They don’t have the Yamal-level ceiling any more, but obviously because they didn’t get the support in the past 2 years.
The same happens with Dowman. It is not past tense, but it is done nevertheless.
Nwaneri could have been salvageable a year ago, but the Eze-transfer finished him. Not merely his chances to succeed at Arsenal. Eze ‘cannibalizing’ his minutes leading to the shameful first half of the season and the subsequent opprobrios loan priced him down. He is no longer the future. He is still a good player, but not any more multiple shelves above Smith-Rowe or Nketiah.
The same happened to Myles. Zubimendi, Hincapié – and especially Norgaard – deprived him of 1500 minutes that could have held him on hos amazing development trajectory. But when you are the #3 at any (single-player) position, you have no future. I am pretty much shocked how come this is not common knowledge to everybody who likes and follows football).
And that lead us to Dowman. While his ceiling probably hasn’t dented yet, he is the #3 RW behind England internationals, who are far from retiring or moving away. Even Scott Willis estimated 710 first team minutes to young Max. And that would (don’t kid ourselves: will) bring him down from Yamal to Semenyo. And the year after to Iwobi’s level. It is practically done, just hasn’t happened yet.
I won’t even start Salmon and Ibrahim. Marli is #4 and there might be a new RCB signing on the horizon. Ife is #4 in the pecking order.
My apologies for the painfully long comments.
That’s a very noble and amiable post, Rico. No sarcasm here, I could marry you for less.
I would consider printing and framing this:
“If Arsenal can cast aside talent like Lewis-Skelly and Nwaneri at 19 years old instead of coaching them, improving them as the years go by, what does say about our coaches or indeed the manager? What does it say about the club, the same club which has spent millions of pounds on what I consider to be some bang average players.”
However it is slightly naive. This is no longer the club that sees the academy as an abundant source of reinforcements. While it hurts to right this, but probably this is an inevitable and positive change. The support of good players characterized by Wenger (Zelalem, Traoré, Lupoli, Dasilva, John-Jules, Sheaf, Macey, Yennaris, Eastmond, Thomas) and Emery (Pleguezuelo, Medley) were probably no longer suatainable.
I would still argue that at least excellent prospects should be given full support (Ballard, Patino, BNC, Walters, Sousa, Hutchinson, Flores, Azeez, Smith, ACD, Biereth, Heaven), but that’s complety debatable.
However the generation talents – the gold dust, as you called them – should be off limits. These are (were) Yamal-Cubarsí-Diomandé-Bouaddi level talents, well above the 16y qualities of Zaire-Emery, Mainoo, or Ngumoha.
Unfortunately – and I’m eaqually heartbroken and furious here – this is no longer the club that considers nurturing even generational talents. While on the surface it seems there is a fast track involving Nwaneri, MLS and Dowman, it is not burried that deep to see that there is no conscious succession planning; only impatient – often panic – signings in the hope of instant impact.
That is a perfectly legitimate argument if somebody doesn’t give a shit of the academy being destroyed, as long there are trophies on the way. I would strongly disagree, but this is not a true or false dilemma, but a matter of values and philosophy. The problem is with the people still in denial Who believe that we are winning trophies AND developing elite level talents at the same time.
I don’t want Martinelli to go, but apparently Roma are sniffing around him even if the fee suggested is laughable. Didn’t Chelsea quote something outrageous for Neto last week, I mean the whole market is like a Fred Karno Army skit…
Rico, we’ve just signed one of the best centre- mids in the PL, of course Chelsea are sniffing around a quality player who might now be available and who they can turn around in 18 months and sell for a profit. Have you looked at their midfield, it’s pretty well stacked. I more worried about Ethan…
I hope this does not happen because if Myles goes to Man U, it vindicates Obi and Heaven heading there recently. And I cannot recall any midfielder his age who is better in the EPL, there may be some, but very few. And Ethan? We have no hope of keeping his brother if he leaves. We might as well write the academy off if this happens. Moan over….
Just feels like there’s more to this story..
Clubs’ enquire about players all the time, some enquire and don’t talk about it, some enquire and make it common knowledge to try and force a deal, then there are the agents who are quite obviously open to telling everyone who’ll listen because it’s good for their client, sometimes, and more importantly it’s especially good for them,
of course it is…
Neither should be even considered for selling imo Kev. I’ll lose a lot of faith in what Arteta and co are doing if both/either go.
Chelsea have made a new enquiry about signing Arsenal’s Myles Lewis-Skelly.
The club have a long-term interest in the midfielder and have made another check on his availability following Arsenal’s signing of Bruno Guimaraes.
However, Arsenal do not want to sell Lewis-Skelly to a local rival and a team they may have to compete with for the top places this season.
Manchester United also have a long-term interest in Lewis-Skelly. However, United are still deciding whether they will commit to signing another midfielder or a left-back before the deadline.
It is questionable whether United would be able to do any more significant deals should they make a move for Lewis-Skelly.
This is amid a market of high prices for central midfield players this summer, although he can play both positions.
Chelsea were linked with Lewis-Skelly in January.
Last season, Arsenal kept their squad together despite a big spend.
They want to be ambitious again this summer – but there is an acceptance there will have to be sales. Players like Ethan Nwaneri and Lewis-Skelly would represent pure profit.
I’ve been reading for a few days that Arsenal have put a €90m price tag on the head of Zubimendi, maybe to test the water or more likely to tell suitors to bugger off? Therefore I cannot imagine the club doing that and then selling Myles, I just don’t believe those stories, in fact I think it’s more likely agents trying to generate some business – for themselves of course.
The agent of Nwaneri is always at it, he needs his player to be constantly in the headlines so that the sponsors are weighing in.
Of course we’ve seen Man City sell their own talented youngsters with two of them being currently at Chelsea, meanwhile Chelsea deal players like Cool Hand Luke, Newcastle also, as have Aston Villa. I’m afraid it’s possibly the way the game is going. Young players get agents who agitate and try to engineer transfers in order to enrich themselves. I remember Cesc sacking an agent who went behind his back to try to get him sold without his agreement, it didn’t stop him leaving in the end but we were a club without ambition at the time.
We have plenty of players we need to be moving on and to me Myles for certain and Ethan aren’t among them.