It's such a shame about Diaby, who knows what he could have been. He was such an amazing talent. I'm still holding out hope that he can come back and contribute this season. I think this move will be great for Frimpong, he needs games badly, and Wolves will be in a relegation fight for the rest of the season. I'm hoping he can go there and start every game for the rest of their year.
it still applies, given there being only 2 central midfielders in the formation. Song has to play since he would provide steel, but Wilshere and Arteta would have to alternate. As both are quality players, it would be too much of a headache for Arsene to choose and leave one out.
“Sometimes I’ll go on Twitter the day before a game to see what the fans are saying and people are suggesting I’ll deal with any players they don’t like - ‘Frimpong will get him’ and that kind of thing. They seem to have created a ‘wanted’ list of people for me to go for - I don’t know what they think of me! I think I’m going to have to make a YouTube video to show the fans the other things that I am good at. But then again, I’m not exactly Lionel Messi!” — Emmanuel Frimpong.
He's a good kid, apparently he's Jack's ace. Hope he comes back much improved as he and Coquelin are the future in that Song/Arteta role
coquelin looks a really good prospect to me, if fimpong can improve too we have a good deep midfield jack/arteta/ramsey as playmakers/passers and song/coq/frimmy as ball winners but song and coq are also good passers and look topenetrate offensively a nice balance
I agree. I have a fair amount of confidence in our midfield, suprising given how young it is. It's our defense, especially fullbacks, that is crying out most to me. (I just ranted in the transfer thread)
Watched the Wolves v Chelsea game. He started off tentative, and sloppy which is expected seeing as he's with an entirely new team. After about the 15th minute he began to assert himself and I thought Wolves had the better of the midfield. Lampard should've been sent off, ironically its the SAME type tackle that saw Frimpong sent off vs Liverfool. Refereeing is the single most important aspect of the game that isn't being addressed. Downright incompetence. Anyway his passing improved and he was tidy in distribution. He tired in the 2nd half and was replaced. Looking forward to seeing more of him.
with regards to fullbacks, i was noticing a weird lack of depth coming up the system. i mean, with the first team, both the first and second choices are out on both sides which, really, cannot be prepared for. but, looking through the system, there just aren't really any depth. i mean, you can look at the midfield and notice multiple kids that are exciting. same with the front. even at centrebacks. but fullbacks? not really. angha seems the closest thing to one and my impression was that he was a centreback who could move outside.
i really like coquelin and his potential. y'know, frimpong, for all that he looks horrid offensively, has made some really nice passes in the final third which, maybe shouldn't, but does surprise me. he reminds me of a younger song in that way: looks awkward as hell, pretty mediocre in the middle third and capable of delivering some insane final ball in the final third.
I'm willing to bet that between Gibbs, Clichy and Cole there have been a greater number of appearances by former academy players for Arsenal's first team than any other position in the last decade, so we've got a history of producing good fullbacks, we just seem to lack anyone after Gibbs at the moment. But, there's Traore who seems to be getting a decent number of minutes with QPR and we could have used, and Pedro Botelho on loan to Rayo Vallecano. Nico Yennaris seems to be a highly rated prospect as well, who I've not seen much of. I've read that with Yennaris it's been injury problems keeping him sidelined so here's hoping he goes on loan and gets some experience this season.
I agree about developing left backs, but who have we developed at RB? Eboue and Sagna were purchased past academy age. Hoyte is the only one that comes to mind.
i'm not saying that we have not or cannot produce or develop fullbacks. i just found it odd considering the amount of depth at other positions. i believe yennaris is a central midfielder who can play in the back rather than a fullback.
I guess we'll have to see how they develop, but IMO it's too early to say that we've developed a great level of depth in any position other than versatile midfielders (Wilshere, Frimpong, Coquelin, Lansbury...). I can't help but think about how just about every promising young player moves on because they aren't quite first team quality. It seems to me that aside from some very talented midfield players we're not looking amazingly deep, but I do think we're probably better off than most of the competition. (Would be nice if we had a Sturridge/Wellbeck type coming through.) Seriously, besides LB and MF have we haven't got anybody in the first team squad from the academy, have we? And of course, you're right about Yennaris but (according to an interview on Arsenal.com) he's been playing RB a lot in training... I hope he takes to that position.
Academies, other than Ajax, or Barcelona if you have one player in the academy you're doing pretty well. Look around the EPL and you'll see plenty of Arsenal products. Mouamba, Boothroyd, Larrson, Traore, Sidwell, Senderos, etc.
oh, i dig that we haven't brought very much up. supposedly, we're only now supposed to be seeing the fruits of the youth development system with wilshere's generation because, in wenger's mind, it takes 10 years to properly develop it. i'm referring more to the fact that, if you look toward the reserve and youth squad, you've got ozyakup, ebecilio, aneke and lansbury who are generally well thought of (even without including the 3 summer signings who are apparently highly thought of). and, y'know, there are those like vela (whatever we think of vela now, he is and was rated by a number of people) and afobe coming through up front. it's oddly missing amongst the fullback and, even more oddly so, given, as you mentioned, our previous pipeline of cole-clichy-gibbs. i'm not knocking them (players OR staff), i'm sure they're trying their best, i just found it odd that it would be the one blank spot.
Besides LB and MF, there's Bendtner, we have Miquel coming through, we have that one guy at keeper, and I think Afobe would have played a role if not for his injury.
Good calls minus B******. That guy's finished with Arsenal. If I were to predict, I'd be surprised if all three of Lansbury, Coquelin and Frimpong break into the first team but it's conceivable with Rosicky and Benayoun out, and Diaby's career in limbo; One of Bartley and Miquel, but definitely not both; Afobe has to compete with Oxlade-Chamberlain and Miyaichi (plus any forwards brought in) for one or two first team spots, so we'll see... Arshavin, Chamakh and maybe Walcott out? Everyone else is either too far on the fringe or too unfamiliar for me to make a guess... anyone else?
Afobe and Aneke are supposed to be the crown jewels after Wilshere left. Afobe has played up front for us out wide, but he's a striker, his competition is Park and Chamakh behind RvP.
i'd love to see bartley come back next year to be the 4th choice with squillaci out and have miquel go on loan to get a full year of first team action in the championship. as ML said, even though he can play out wide, afobe is generally considered to be for the front position. oxlade-chamberlain would be competing more with aneke (and ramsey) if he moves inside up front and walcott/miyaichi if he stays outside. ozyakup has only made two substitute appearances that i know of but he is supposedly on the fringe, probably for the wilshere spot. i would love to see him go on loan if wenger isn't going to play him.
An Arsenal fan failing to mention 'Mr Arsenal' Tony Adams and 'safe hands' David Seamen in a list of world class English players since the 80's tut, tut, tut....... go and sit in the corner of shame and think about what you've done!!
Have we seen Afobe in any first team action? He turns 19 in a month or two. Makes me wonder how highly management rates him.