By Tony Attwood
It was gruesome for the start of the season. Played four, won one, lost two, drawn one. Worst of all a horrible 2-5 defeat to Manchester City (not their Elite – that’s the reserves – but their under 18s).
We are used to dominating the under 18. Only team ever to retain the championship. All that sort of stuff. So one win in four????
But now, consider the second four games. Played four (logically) won three, lost none, drawn one. Scored nine, let in three.
Best of all a 3-0 away win against the Junior KGB in Fulham. And the names of the future are…
- Damian Martinez
- Ben Glasgow
- James Campbell
- Jamie Edge
- Martin Angha (c)
- Elton Monteiro
- Jeffery Monakana
- Kyle Ebecilio
- Philip Roberts
- Alban Bunjaku
- Nigel Neita
8 played and we are up to third, four points off the leaders. All is far from being lost. Chelsea yoof are 9th.
The reserves meanwhile are top, playing four, won three, drawn one. And the big players in the last game were…
- James Shea
- Havard Nordtveit
- Jernade Meade
- Gavin Hoyte
- Ignasi Miquel (c)
- Roarie Deacon
- Craig Eastmond
- Conor Henderson
- Benik Afobe
- Chuks Aneke
- Jay Emmanuel-Thomas
- Substitutes
- Sean McDermott
- Cedric Evina
- Daniel Boateng
- Oguzhan Ozyakup
- Gilles Sunu
I have left in the links to the Arsenal site in the hope that they work, in case you want to read up on anyone. But let me, if I may draw your attention to Hardvard Nordtveit, not away on loan anywhere despite doing rather well in pre-season. And Ignasi Miquel really impressing in the centre as captain.
Or perchance, Craig Eastmond, who has already made his breakthrough into the first team and is just waiting for his next chance, Benik Afobe and Chuks Aneke of whom volumes are already being written, and then finally…
Gilles Sunu.
I wrote a lot of my usual waffle about him following the fabuloso Euro Championship final that France won with a wonder goal from him this summer. And then he vanished. Where is he, I asked. No one knew. Talk of loans, talk of not signing a new contract. No help from Arsenal.com which is still hugely out of date on the topic.
None of it stacked up. Would we really let a youth international of the under 17s and under 18s just vanish after he had captained France and equalised for France in their victory over Spain in the U-19 European Championship Final.
Have a read of this from the official Arsenal web site
“Meade picked up a loose ball in midfield before playing a great through-ball into substitute Sunu who was brought down inside the box by Mark Halstead. Emmanuel-Thomas stepped up and calmly placed the ball into the roof of the net past the keeper’s outstretched left hand.
“Sunu sealed the win in injury time when he rounded the keeper and slotted into the empty net after being played in by Emmanuel-Thomas.”
So back to business as usual. Top of the reserve league as you would expect with a youth system like ours, and a lovely 3-0 youth win over Chelsea.
It is getting going.
I think sometime after your mention of Sunu’s absence (but still a couple weeks ago), the Arsenal website had a note that he’d returned to training after a cartilage problem. Good to see he’s back.
I have to admit, though, after reading Young Guns last season, I’d gotten passingly familiar with the u-18 and reserve teams. But now this year, it seems like the entire youth team has turned over! It’s already mid-october and I’m still trying to get a sense of which ones are tipped to be future stars…
has sunu started playing again?
Yes Sunu has, and looked fantastic against Blackpool, which we won 3-0. Seriously good, you would have never of known he had a injury.
In terms of the the arsenal win. It was possibly a reverse, Chelsea had all the possession. Looked the stronger of the teams, but due to it being the Martinez show (Goalkeeper. Who right now is phenomenal, absolutely shit hot. Looking like he could be another Schezney. Set up our third goal with some lovely distribution to a player Roberts we got from Norwich city, who i think looks really sharp up front. I think he will go on far in the Arsenal Youth System if he keeps it up.