By Tony Attwood
One of the problems we face with our younger players is that for every one who comes through the system and plays for the first team there are a dozen or more who get to the reserves or go out on loan, and then are deemed not good enough.
Because of that we hear about the players who didn’t make it (Lansbury is the latest example, Kyle Bartley just before him) more than the ones who do.
It is an interesting fact which sits in the background as we come to the changes being introduced by the Premier League and the FA.
On the one hand there is the Elite Player Performance Plan (EPPP), which aims to increase the number of Premier League players qualified to play for England. At the moment it is 39% – the idea is that it should somehow be raised to 50%.
Elsewhere there is the new under 21 league and the NextGen competition for under 19s, both of which Arsenal are participating in.
The Under 21 league has started well with Arsenal winning both games thus far (against Bolton and Blackburn). NextGen starts tonight.
The under 21 league is seen as a partial alternative to loaning players out, especially as we can put out an over-21 goalkeeper and three over-age outfield players.
Just to give a clue as to what the club is doing in the under 21 league, here’s the team we put out last time around
- James Shea
- Martin Angha
- Jernade Meade
- Ignasi Miquel
- Daniel Boateng
- Craig Eastmond
- Conor Henderson
- Thomas Eisfeld
- Chuks Aneke
- Sanchez Watt
- Chuba Akpom
Meanwhile back with NextGen (an under 19s equivalent of the Champions League) kicks off tonight at Barnet’s ground against Marseille.
Arsène Wenger has said he will watch all the under 19 games not just to see the Arsenal players but also to see what players other teams have picked up.
But of course loaning still goes on. At the moment we have Ryo, Benik Afobe, Daniel Boateng, Denilson, Joel Campbell, Wellington and Samuel Gallindon – all out on loan. And the chances are more will follow.
Woolwich Arsenal: the club that changed football
- Who referees the referees?
- Calling football chaotic gives chaos a bad name
- Bill Parker, an Arsenal man who went to the States
- Ref Review, Chris Foy. Oh my!
- If you are going to boo, then boo for the right reason
- How Arsenal might play if Mr Usmanov was in charge
I was wondering if anyone here might have a streaming link for the Next Gen series tonight ? im kind of anxious to see our young blood on the field. especially since i’ve been hearing all these buzzing about eisfeld. much appreciated.
really dispointed that lansbury did not make it,it would make sense to flog theo and kept him in the long run we will find out was never given a chance
That’s why Monsieur Wenger is very much contented with what we have.
I hope this time around he surprises the Doubting Thomas as always.@Tony will we be watching the Next-Gen and on which TV channel?
Yep philip roberts has now also gone on loan to inverness caledonian thistle in the spl
I totally forgot Watt was still around! By all accounts a nice guy and a committed yet limited player. The boy can score goals though. In the long term though compared to Afobe, or Obi-Wan as the Bolton fans have named him, he’s got a long way to go.
Yennaris open at 8″, I follow via Twitter at @ArsenalLive
OMG, our youngster very agresive, at 20″ Akpom make it 2-0
any streams for this game?? pleaseee!
3-0 final score. 🙂 Happy gooner here
There are a couple of things I wanted to highlight about today’s NextGen game, one being the confidence of the young players. The other thing is how ‘the Arsenal way’ of playing football is really starting to bear fruit. Terry Burton’s starting line up was again significantly changed for a third time in a week, but the players were all confidently playing our type of football and that is a Wenger legacy.
“…we can put out an over-21 goalkeeper and three over-age outfield players.”
So, we could have kept Almunia.
Bendtner and Park?
And an opportunity for Squillaci to shine.
Good informative post, Tony. Big thanks.
Big Al,
I’d rather we won and kept a clean sheet if it’s all the same to you 😉
Goona Gal,
I’d like to highlight that the tickets were free and all this seasons home games are free IIRC