By Tony Attwood
Arsenal is more than the first team, more than the “25” – it is a collection of teams including an all-conquering women’s team, and a youth team that has taken three trophies in the last two years.
Additionally we have our loanees. The number of these will rise over time (we hear that half the clubs in the EPL are after Lansbury at the moment) but already there are players out there doing their stuff.
So here’s a quick summary of how things are working out, outside the area of the top “25”
The loan system is under way…
Sanchez Watt is playing for Leeds United and is starting most games.
Kyle Bartley at centre back is playing for Sheffield United
Luke Freeman is playing with an injury, but still manages to to put in time as a sub for Yeovil.
Francis Coquelin is playing for Lorient in France, but was an unused sub in the last game.
Pedro Botelho is playing for FC Cartagena alongside Pascal Cygan. He played the whole of the last match and scored.
Samuel Galindo has finally got his work permit (he’s Bolivian) and will be playing for UD Salamanca.
The women’s league however is not underway…
…since Arsenal are in the Super League which will play through the summer starting next March or April next year.
At the moment the fixture list is looking rather threadbare with just a handful of friendlies, the Champions League matches and a couple of London County Cup games lined up. There aren’t even FA Cup matches to fill in the gaps yet since Arsenal have been given a bye until the 5th round. (Actually that’s the fifth round proper – in addition to the three preliminary rounds).
The FA has not published dates of the later rounds yet, but I imagine that the Super League clubs who have been given a bye to the 5th round, have done so on the understanding that their matches will be played in March onwards, rather than out of season.
Reserves: The reserves started off with a 5-0 win over Bolton, and have got Blackburn on 7th September. The exciting game however is 14th September against the Elite Squad!!! of Manchester City. Supposedly the Elite Squad!!! is in fact the graduates of the youth system at the Manchester club – and it will be interesting to see if it stays that way.
I’ve lost track of how many players Man City have in their first team squad, but I think it is about 38, which needs to come down to 25. So what will they do with the rest? Loan them out? Play them in the reserves? We shall see.
Our reserve team for the opening game was
- Vito Mannone
- Havard Nordtveit
- Thomas Cruise
- Gavin Hoyte
- Ignasi Miquel
- Craig Eastmond
- Mark Randall
- Chuks Aneke
- Nacer Barazite
- Benik Afobe
Youth:
The youth team played what was apparently a poor game against Manchester City for their opening match and lost 5-2. However in the second game there was seemingly an improvement and we won 2-1 against Sunderland. The team was
- Charles Cook
- Glasgow
- Boateng-
- Monteiro
- Brislen Hall
- Edge
- Webb
- Rees
- Monakana
- Neita-Meade
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Good article. I’m happy that someone else remembers those too. Last May as one of my customers said me about how Arsenal doesn’t win anything (he know that I love Arsenal) I just said: “Ladies won again, youth team won and reserves were 2nd. So it’s only men who disappoints” (knowing that some other customers heard only last part of that not knowing what it was about.) This year all of them will be better.
I would love it if Arsenal would give us more live reports with images from the reserve games. But I can imagine the costs are to high to give those games live.
Still whenever I can catch up with the highlights on Arsenal.com I have a look at them as I like to know what is coming in the first team inthe next seasons
Hi Tony, great post. Just a quick question for you. Ignasi Miquel if I am not mistaken he was captian for the game mentioned above. How do you rate him? I have been hearing great things about him, however, seeing that I don’t live in the UK I dont get to keep in touch as much.
I am interested to know what his qaulities are.
Thanks
Hi Tony,
JET also played in the reserves opening game, I think he scored or set up a couple in that game too (I can’t remember).
It will be interesting to see how many of the reserve players will feature in the fourth coming Carling Cup match. Spuds will have to put out a stronger team than ‘Arry would of liked for a 3rd round match.
I have only caught one look at Ignasi Miquel and he looked incredibly mature – but my predictions on the kids are worth about minus 5 on a scale of one to ten.
But I think the club rate him very highly, and he has played for Spain at youth level. The club website talk of him in the Carling Cup this season, although they wrote that before the first draw was made.
Tony, unless both the reserves and youth team have both starting spotting their opposition an extra man, you have Starting Xs listed…
Also, I heard the tactics and formation used by the first team are being employed at all levels of the youth system — do we know if this started last season with the switch to 4-3-3? I would imagine the youth teams have had an adjustment period, making their achievements that much more impressive.
Rusty, given my inability to count 11 players I am not sure any of my answers are going to be credible at the moment but yes, I believe that last season we were clearly seeing 4-3-3 at all levels in the club.
Do you notice though how, this season, when we kick off we have two players with the ball in the centre circle (obviously) and two more forwards on the half way line ready to move forwards. Then two behind them – the defensive midfield pair, and then the regular back four.
Of course it changes during the game, but it looks like 4-2-4 as an opener!