Morning all.
‘Dear fans, what a send-off.
‘I couldn’t have dreamed of playing in front of such an amazing crowd again here in Hannover. Thank you very, very much. It means the world to me that I am able to say goodbye here.’
As much as there’s plenty of Arsenal fans who’d have loved the big fella to have said goodbye at The Emirates, Hannover was where it all began at eleven years of age in the youth setup. Naturally, he was promoted into their first team where he remained for just three years. Off he went then to Werder Bremer. Already dubbed as the big pole, he went on to be known as the BFG. Big friendly German, or at least that’s what I believe it means. His international career was already underway and he’d become the mainstay of their defence. Last stop for him was of course to Arsenal in 2011 during that final day of the transfer window panic. Whilst his final match was played at the club where his career kicked off, his future remains with the club for whom his last competitive ball was kicked. Arsenal FC. Fitting that one of his best performances for the club came in an FA Cup winning final at Wembley after which he soon decided enough was enough.
Saturday was an emotional day for him, topped off with tears of pride as he left the pitch with just minutes to go in the match, replaced by his 67 year old father.
Merts wasn’t built for speed but he could read the game. He was a calming influence in defence and as Rob Holding would probably testify, not a bad player to have by your side when you’re thrown in at the deep end.
His job now is to oversee the Arsenal Academy, to help turn our young hopefuls into proper footballers. He certainly has plenty to work with too as both the under 23’s and 18’s are showing great promise at their respective levels.
Yesterday I mentioned about about how I find it more exciting when a player is plucked out of nowhere for peanuts and becomes a great footballer, instead of paying the extortionate fee a ready made star demands. Well, there is one thing that tops both and that’s when a player comes through our own Academy. I know we’re not alone in that department either because so much pressure is on the big clubs to be successful, they don’t have the time to bring players through. The clubs which do have the time, or they need to rely on younger players because their budget dictates they do, as soon as they look like they’re going to be good, another club makes an offer they can refuse and they’re gone. Southampton have probably been the biggest sufferers over recent years.
Just look at the England team which beat Spain 3-2 away from home last night.
Pickford: Sunderland, now Everton.
Trippier: Man City, now Totts.
Maguire: Sheffield Utd, now Leicester City.
Gomez: Charlton Athletic, now Liverpool.
Chillwell: Leicester City, now Leicester City. (Totts tried though, failed)
Barkley: Everton, now Chelsea.
Dier: Sporting Lisbon, now Totts.
Winks: Totts, now Totts.
Sterling: QPR, now Man City.
Rashford: Man Utd, now Man Utd.
Kane: Arsenal, dumped by Brady (allegedly) now Totts.
Substitutes:
Butland: Birmingham, now Stoke City.
Bettinelli: Fulham, now Fulham
Dunk: Brighton, now Brighton.
Mount: Chelsea, now Chelsea. (On loan at Derby County)
Maddison: Coventry, now Leicester City.
Sancho: Watford, now Borussia Dortmund.
Alexander-Arnold: Liverpool, now Liverpool.
Walker: Sheffield Utd, now Man City.
Admittedly, that’s not the full squad which Gareth Squad picked for this recent international break, nor is it his most experienced and if one went back to the squad who participated in the World Cup, I’m sure there would be even more examples of players who play for one of the so called bigger teams, yet were brought up through a different club academy.
Not one Arsenal player in this recent England squad and the only one who has been called up by Southgate is Danny Welbeck and we know where he came from. Even Rob Holding and Calum Chambers appears to have dropped out of the England setup with the under 21’s.
So I think it’s fair to say that the Arsenal Academy has been failing for a number of years now, too many to remember really but again, we’re not alone.
For Arsenal though, that could soon change with the likes of Maitland-Niles, Nelson, Smith-Rowe, Eddie and even Willock if they all continue to improve and I bet if one was to look a bit harder, they won’t be the only ones.
Yes I know, one of those started their very young careers somewhere else. Not that’ll we’ll care then eh?
This was posted on yesterday’s blog. In some ways it’s sort of relevant?
Morning Potter Scott Rico et al.
Watching Ingerland last night, silently on my iPad whilst ‘black earth rising’, (compulsive tv, all about the trials of one of our sponsors, Rwanda.) I digress. I thought the football reminiscent of our recent Fulham game and also Watford! First half brilliant finishing and really rapid movement of the ball brought results, similar to goal. 3 v Fulham, well none were as good as that! But the second half, as with long periods against Watford it was backs to the wall stuff. On the whole goodish defending, well enough at least, to earn the win. New Ingerland = new Arsenal?
Perhaps I’m getting a bit ahead of my self but open expansive, rapid ball movement is definitely the way to go imo.
Koz doing a Toure? Where’s the love? Des champs will give him a kiss when next they meet, the French always do, although more often than not it doesn’t mean much, in relationship terms!
Overcast but dry here, for now.
To respond to today’s post.
What ever happened to project youth? Jack and Ramsey were the only two who came through. There were dozens who didn’t . Some are still playing in the lower leagues, but not many have achieved much elsewhere, Kane is the exception.
I do think of our current crop of young players there are several who could break through and become regulars, I the future. The question I would pose though is, would any of them turn or grow into world class footballers? It seems much less would see them out of the club! Perhaps that’s Dick’s attitude to Ramsey, he’s good but he’s just not quite good enough, or consistent enough. So, he has to go. However, investing in Torriera and Guendozi seems to suggest that there is space in the team for young players, if they are good enough!
I really hope that some of our home grown products are seen as good enough and stick around long enough to prove their point. A couple of home grown world classies would be magic. Here’s hoping.
Morning Wavy, I guess we can include Iwobi now but Ramsey came from Cardiff. Much of the next crop coming through are ours though which is great.
I’d be embarrassed if I was Koscielny, fancy saying that about Deschamps.
The future certainly looks bright for our youngsters, even moreso with BFG at the helm.
Morning guys.
No proof yet to say he’ll be great Scott, but let’s hope so.
I’ll back him in, Rico.
You only need to se whom directing traffic while coaching to think so 🙂 🙂
He’s just got “it”, from what I saw.
I can’t even explain it.
He’s an absolute natural, and has an aura about him, and players just stop and listen to every word he speaks.
Good morning Rico, you workaholic you. No day off then?
We are by no means the only club that runs an academy stuffed with “Hopefuls” and “Prospects” there must be hundreds of kids up and down the country beavering away in the hope of making the big time. An awful lot of them just wont manage it and will either move on to lower leagues or leave football altogether. There are also the ones with the talent but not the application or determination to succeed. Then there are the ones who believe that having signed a professional contract it’s all done and dusted, but the money goes to their heads and fills the space where their brains should be. A season or two sees them shifted out on loan and, often, quietly sold off.
The early morning mist has almost cleared and the sun is breaking through to disperse the remnants. There are around seven buzzards chasing each other above the meadows opposite the house, a lovely sight.
We have been watching a pair of marsh harriers hunting over the broads , fascinating watching their tactics ,that’s the delights of nature for you.
So many kids have been the next whoever but never made it , all you can do is encourage . I have a 10 year old nephew who was picked up by Norwich however although he is technically a better player he is little and has been discarded because they just want big powerful athletes.
When he was told I met one of his coaches and mentioned Santi Cazorla and Messi , he replied that they were not looking for that sort of player.
The mind boggles.
Potter, quite a few of my sons schoolmates are not only attending the football school, but for some reason, are playing rep football as well.
Many of them are very good players who have not made these squads, yet bigger, quicker kids with much less ability have been selected.
Why?
Coaches at the youth level do not want to produce footballers, they want to win games and that’s the problem with the game here.
We received my son’s football report for the season yesterday.
Technique is no issue, but being small isn’t a drawback at the school because they want to produce good footballers down the track, so the terms “driven” and “fearless” were great to read.
Ego is the down fall of many young players.
Not jut their own, but that of their parents and coaches.
Hi Cicero, the benefits of a bad nights sleep. Had to pass the hours somehow..
Me too Scott, until proved otherwise..
That’s odd Potter, very odd and so naive.
New post up now.