Arsenal produce tons of English talent

[billyho96]

from football365.com

Maybe Arsenal do produce tons of "English" talent.

One relevant point missed by those who, like Pardew and Gordon Taylor, lamented the absence of Englishmen in Arsenal's ranks as they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League is that the Gunners' production line is still regularly churning out young English talent for the professional game.

Thomas is a former Arsenal trainee. So too are David Bentley (Blackburn), Jay Bothroyd (Charlton), Justin Hoyte (Sunderland, on loan) Steven Sidwell (Reading), James Harper (Reading), Julian Gray (Birmingham), John Halls (Reading), John Spicer (Burnley), Jason Crowe (Brentford), Adam Birchall (Mansfield), Richard Hughes (Grimsby), David Livermore (Millwall), David Noble (Bristol City), Russell Milton (Bath City), Lee Canoville (Boston United), Neil Kilkenny (Oldham), Dean McDonald (Ipswich Town), and Tommy Black (Gillingham).

Arsene Wenger’s difficulties with his English signings, all of whom, without exception, have proved to be expensive flops, is well documented. But there’s less recognition that the youngsters the club have produced over the past eight years have, with the exception of Ashley Cole, not been good enough to play for a club with Champions League aspirations.

Bentley, released by Wenger to further his career, may buck the trend, as could Sidwell. Yet the list of players, and specifically their current places of employment, demonstrates that none of the players have proved themselves to be of sufficient quality to claim - as Pardew and Taylor implied - nationality counted against them at their parent club.

Wenger could pick English youngsters for the sake of picking Englishman. But, as Thomas painfully confirmed on Saturday, such a policy would be to the detriment of the player as well as the club and the English game in general.

As one must point out, when fully fit Arsenal boast two full fledged England internationals, which is two more than Pardew's West Ham.

[smilyfs]

you missed out one very talented Jermaine Pennant and apparently Ryan Smith on loan to Leicester City at the moment is a really hot prospect as well. What about Kerrea Gilbert eh??? :)

[Rick B]

Good find Billy. As we are always being told by Liverpool and Man U fans that their "home based players" also include Irish and Scottish, I thought I'd also mention Graham Barrett who has 7 caps for Ireland and plays for Livingstone now.

[jpatel1508]

Letting go of Sidwell was the biggest mistake. The guy is Premiership class and literally dominated against our midfield of Flamini and Song when we played Reading. He's also Reading's most influential player and we'll see them next season in the Premiership.

[Leto]

Good find Billy. As we are always being told by Liverpool and Man U fans that their "home based players" also include Irish and Scottish, I thought I'd also mention Graham Barrett who has 7 caps for Ireland and plays for Livingstone now.

And Graham Stack, who presumably will play for the senior team at some point.

[Kaizen666]

from football365.com

Maybe Arsenal do produce tons of "English" talent.

One relevant point missed by those who, like Pardew and Gordon Taylor, lamented the absence of Englishmen in Arsenal's ranks as they reached the quarter-finals of the Champions League is that the Gunners' production line is still regularly churning out young English talent for the professional game.

Thomas is a former Arsenal trainee. So too are David Bentley (Blackburn), Jay Bothroyd (Charlton), Justin Hoyte (Sunderland, on loan) Steven Sidwell (Reading), James Harper (Reading), Julian Gray (Birmingham), John Halls (Reading), John Spicer (Burnley), Jason Crowe (Brentford), Adam Birchall (Mansfield), Richard Hughes (Grimsby), David Livermore (Millwall), David Noble (Bristol City), Russell Milton (Bath City), Lee Canoville (Boston United), Neil Kilkenny (Oldham), Dean McDonald (Ipswich Town), and Tommy Black (Gillingham).

Arsene Wenger’s difficulties with his English signings, all of whom, without exception, have proved to be expensive flops, is well documented. But there’s less recognition that the youngsters the club have produced over the past eight years have, with the exception of Ashley Cole, not been good enough to play for a club with Champions League aspirations.

Bentley, released by Wenger to further his career, may buck the trend, as could Sidwell. Yet the list of players, and specifically their current places of employment, demonstrates that none of the players have proved themselves to be of sufficient quality to claim - as Pardew and Taylor implied - nationality counted against them at their parent club.

Wenger could pick English youngsters for the sake of picking Englishman. But, as Thomas painfully confirmed on Saturday, such a policy would be to the detriment of the player as well as the club and the English game in general.

As one must point out, when fully fit Arsenal boast two full fledged England internationals, which is two more than Pardew's West Ham.

Good read. There's a few names I forgot about. Liverpool and Man U fans won't care though. They'll just say they that those poepel aren't playing on the suqad currently, then bring up the trebble, winning europe last year, and then regurgetate the same old tired arguments.

[deeplennon]

Letting go of Sidwell was the biggest mistake. The guy is Premiership class and literally dominated against our midfield of Flamini and Song when we played Reading. He's also Reading's most influential player and we'll see them next season in the Premiership.

I agree that Sidwell is a sweet player and that he will make an impact next year in the Premiership - but when we let him go he just wasn't ready. It's debateable if he could even start for us today.

It would've been nice to loan him out all that time (we did send him to brentford and beveren), but that would've hardly been fair to him.

[Kaizen666]

Well, you win some you lose some.

Some are overrated by far, like Bentley who had a hat trick Vs. Man U, and since then everyone makes it seem like he would have gotten us 10 extra wins this season. I mean, he may go one tobecaome a solid talent, but geez, how would he have saved us this year?

[Thierry_Is_God]

All i know about the home stupid comments pardew made if you looked at the arsenal fans when we knocked madrid out it didn't seem like anyone gave a ******** that there wasn't an english player playing.

[0-Point]

http://soccernet.espn.go.com/news/story?id=361745&cc=5739

[footykid]

Thats funny. But, I think the comment has more to do with Job security than anything else. I mean if they were superior how much less do you think he would get paid.:p

[n4100]

I don't know if anyone caught the EPL Preview show on FSC yet, but I watched it last night, and guess who was on...Pardew. He was talking about his young squad, yadda yadda, and then all of a sudden the ******** says he was in for Adebayor but that Manu chose Arsenal so he had to go sign Ashton. Hypocrite!

[InTheSun]

I don't know if anyone caught the EPL Preview show on FSC yet, but I watched it last night, and guess who was on...Pardew. He was talking about his young squad, yadda yadda, and then all of a sudden the ******** says he was in for Adebayor but that Manu chose Arsenal so he had to go sign Ashton. Hypocrite!Yeah I caught that also. I thought the same thing.

[No1ArsenalFan]

Pardew is scum. I thought he would be good for the England manager but now I hate him as much as I hate that fat bastard Sam Allardyce so I want neither of them in as England manager.

No1ArsenalFan aka Rich Smith

[topcatcole]

Wouldn't Matthew Upson qualify too? I can't remember if he was a trainee or not.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

I thought I'd also mention Graham Barrett who has 7 caps for Ireland and plays for Livingstone now.

(1) He doesn't play
(2) Because he's a crock
(3) Drop the 'e'
(4) We are going down
(5) Thanks to an idiotic ex-manager
(6) And players that don't give a shit
(7) Meh :(

[Leto]

Wouldn't Matthew Upson qualify too? I can't remember if he was a trainee or not.

He was signed from Luton.

[billyho96]

England 23

Goalkeepers: Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich)

• Defenders: G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)

• Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham)

• Forwards: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

again the Foreign Arsenal squad - 3
(chelsea) the wealthest club in the world -3
(spuds)the club full of young English talent-3
(west ham) bright future of young english stars-0
(ManU) the pride of english football- 3

no english talent in Arsenal ,et 1 in every 7 or so players in the national side are Gunners, my god where would we be with some real english talent.;)

[daedalus]

That's, uhh, 4 for Chelsea, by the way.

But I'm with you on your point anyhow. :D

[No1ArsenalFan]

England 23

Goalkeepers: Robinson (Tottenham), James (Manchester City), Green (Norwich)

• Defenders: G Neville (Manchester United), R Ferdinand (Manchester United), Terry (Chelsea), A Cole (Arsenal), Campbell (Arsenal), Carragher (Liverpool), Bridge (Chelsea)

• Midfielders: Beckham (Real Madrid), Carrick (Tottenham), Lampard (Chelsea), Gerrard (Liverpool), Hargreaves (Bayern Munich), Jenas (Totenham), Downing (Middlesbrough), J Cole (Chelsea), Lennon (Tottenham)

• Forwards: Rooney (Manchester United), Owen (Newcastle), Crouch (Liverpool), Walcott (Arsenal).

again the Foreign Arsenal squad - 3
(chelsea) the wealthest club in the world -3
(spuds)the club full of young English talent-3
(west ham) bright future of young english stars-0
(ManU) the pride of english football- 3

no english talent in Arsenal ,et 1 in every 7 or so players in the national side are Gunners, my god where would we be with some real english talent.;)

Dare I say it it is also 4 for the Scum as well.

No1ArsenalFan aka Rich Smith