The Youth Thread | U18s, U21s, Next Gen Series

My days of getting exciting about our youth prospects are well over. Too many Randalls, Hoytes, Simpsons, et al. to keep me optimistic.

 

Welcome to the wonder of youth football. Its not as if everyone is a destined star. Guys like Gnabry, Eisfeld, Akpom, and Jeffery keep people optimistic (of course we said that about Emmanuel-Thomas.)

 

Just looked up Mark Randall. He's not even a full time starter on a mid table fourth division side. That's sad.

 

Dont be mean to the English Fabregas.

 

You should look up Almunia...our senior team keeper for 4 seasons.

 

To be fair, 1-2 senior team players every 2-3 years is above average for most top level prem clubs.

 

almunia has played 30 matches in the championship and watford are in strong contention for automatic promotion. they leak more goals than most of their closest opponents though, but whether that's much to do with almunia or not is open to debate.

 

Who in the current team are certified Arsenal Academy products?

 

Only Gibbs and Wilshere. Coquelin arrived as a 17 year old.

 

Almunia spent most of his career in Spain's lower divisions, so the Championship should be about his level. Randall always looked like a good prospect, but his thin frame was a worry. I always figured he would fill out a bit and end up at a Championship/PL relegation fodder level, shame to see him struggling in the fourth division, but i guess he has been snakebitten by injury as well.

 

Theo & Ox don't really qualify then, I guess?

 

I don't know that either one ever played for Arsenal's youth teams.

 

I think Szczesny was 16 when he joined if that counts

 

Don't know why he never occurred to me. I guess Mannone could count as well?

 

I dont know what the parameters are here but Mannone never played a youth team game. I think he was turning 18 when he joined and was then loaned out pretty much straight away when he got here, I remember his first two league games for a Championship side were howlers.

 

I want to know who are the current Arsenal Academy graduates in the first team.

 

I don't know how Jamooky wants to define an "Academy Graduate", but i think playing on a youth team has to be the very minimum.

 

Frankly, I don't know how to define "Academy Graduate" either! I guess I just want to know who exactly are the guys the club produced as opposed to bought young. Even that's pretty vague though I guess.

 

Mannone was a regular for the old U18s back in 2007-08 and then regular staring around 2009-10 for the reserves.

 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/fo...Vieira-return-Arsenal-replace-Liam-Brady.html

Daily Mail suggesting Vieira could replace Liam Brady. I would like that.

 

I would have no problem if PV4, Bergkamp, or Henry came in to help the Academy.

 

nice footwork and pass by 11 on the second goal. love the composure from akpom.

 

just looking at the people arsenal.com lists as first team and i know he's fringe (also on loan) but frimpong?

 

Wenger said: ''Patrick can be a candidate if he wants to do it. All the former players are of course candidates''.
Typical f***ing Wenger speak.

 

we forgot campbell too.