Pennant gone??

[scoonie45]

The Rumour Mill on the Guardian's website claims he and 4 million pounds are going to Leeds for Kewell. Anyone heard this anywhere else??

[jegerpenge]

if this is true, this is a bad decision by wenger

[DallasGooner]

Its been rumored he is to be included in several cash + player swap deals but nothing offical.

[dwinkler]

Originally posted by jegerpenge
if this is true, this is a bad decision by wenger Why? Just curious, but what do you know about the situation that Wenger doesn't?

[jegerpenge]

well it's just an opinion. but pennant looks much more promising than kewell. he's younger, and seems to be one of the best players on the u-21 team. i think that his arguments for being included in the first team have merit, and he has come up through arsenal's youth system, so he knows the style of play. to me, kewell doesn't look like he would fit into the arsenal mold, and we shouldn't be looking at midfielders anyway. actually the last thing we need are more midfielders. kewell is a quality player, no doubt about that, but so is pennant. and to me, it would be a mistake to sell off a player with that much potential. it just looks to me like it could come back and bite us in the ass

[dwinkler]

Those are good points. Only thing I'm not sold on is if JP can cut it in Arsenal's first team. Kewell has proven he can play in the EPL; Pennant hasn't (although he hasn't been given a chance; by the same token, he hasn't forced his way in, either).

[phishy]

Kewell isn't necessarily a midfielder. .i reckon AW would use him upfront with TH14~ also, didn't we purchase pennant from nottingham as he did NOT come up thru the youth system~~ that said, losing pennant would be a massive loss IMHO~~~~~~~~~~

[DoctorK]

Pennant's performance on the last day of the EPL season was nothing short of spectacular. I hope he's given the chance to start first team with the Gunners, and not be traded/wasted away.

[jegerpenge]

Originally posted by phishy
Kewell isn't necessarily a midfielder. .i reckon AW would use him upfront with TH14~ also, didn't we purchase pennant from nottingham as he did NOT come up thru the youth system~~ that said, losing pennant would be a massive loss IMHO~~~~~~~~~~

my mistake, but he has played in the reserves and has experience with the arsenal style of play. i can also see your point that kewell could be up front with henry, or even slightly behind him. i suppose it's just trusting that wenger knows what he's doing in the end

[chicago_fan]

This is pretty interesting stuff. All kinds of things could happen, but there's a big IF. And that's whether or not Pires stays. If he signs a contract, I think we can stop talking about Harry Kewell. We wouldn't need him in midfield. Up front I don't think he'd partner well with Henry. Every time I see Kewell, he drifts into that same space left of goal that Henry plays in. That might cause some problems.

[HighburyGoon]

I'm just wondering how much of this has to do with Pennant's well-documented "attitude" problems. I'm sure everyone remembers the issues he had with England.

[martymarts]

I thought Kewell would be brought in to replace DB10, Kanu, and to fill the role that SW11 has failed to make his own, but, if Pires doesn't sign on the dotted line this could be more AW's thinking. 'Heavens to Betsy' are we after another versatile utility player?

As for Pennant's attitude, the lad gets sent home in disgrace from England U21's and, after much eating of humble pie and apologies all round, he plays one game back in the U21's and he's making ultimatums about moving on if he doesn't get in the 1st team before his birthday? Better make sure they get the right number of candles and the correct colour icing for the cake as well!

I go along with Dwinkler! Pennant has failed to force his way into the line up and this year we need tried and tested not wonderful potential.

Come on you Gunners!!!

[chicago_fan]

martymarts, I hear you for the most part. A 24 year-old who's put his name on the top scorers sheet the past couple years is more valuable than a 20 year-old who's still tagged as having loads of potential. But they're hardly apples for apples. Pennant plays best on the right side, which is already something of an anomaly at our beloved club. Bringing in Kewell and letting Pennant go would mean stacking the left side even more.

At right wing, Freddie is the best thing we've got (even though I rate him better on the left). He didn't have a stellar season and who knows if he'll copmletely shake the injuries that have dogged him for 12 months. I don't rate Parlour on the right side AT ALL and Wiltord only fractionally better. Pennant has to be part of AW's plans next year.

[jegerpenge]

i completely agree with chicago fan on all points. we need players for the right side, and kewell doesn't fit. aside from pennant's attitude problems, which AW seems to be beginning to get under control anyway, he's a good player that fits our needs. the reason he may not have been in the first team is because he was sent home from the u-21's. i remember reading something about wenger sending him an ultimatum about his attitude, and since then he has calmed down. sorry, i don't remember exactly where i read it, but i'm thinking it was soccernet. but i'm thinking we could see more of pennant next season, whether it's on arsenal or somebody else is up to him

[Jeff L]

Yes, I have heard the same rumour and have posted it on the "official summer transfer" thread.

[martymarts]

I hear what you're all saying about the right side and totally agree. We have been very left weighted; but one has to suspect that AW is aware of that?

This isn't just about Pennant though. We have a bunch of under 21 internationals who are not making a mark on the first team. Whatever Pennant's future we need to strengthen with established players, whether it's Kewell or someone else.

[michaec]

There's a lot of "we need tried and tested, not potential" type comments knocking about on this thread. Why don't we just close down the academy and try to stay at the top by buying players from other clubs? It would save a lot of money that people on this board obviously think is wasted anyway.

[martymarts]

Originally posted by michaec
There's a lot of "we need tried and tested, not potential" type comments knocking about on this thread. Why don't we just close down the academy and try to stay at the top by buying players from other clubs? It would save a lot of money that people on this board obviously think is wasted anyway.

Absolutely not so! Wenger's penchant for buying players in the age range 18-20 is what is making a nonsence of the academy system. Not only do academy players have to compete with the first team squad they are also up against all of AW's under 21 international imports; and, with the exception of Anelka, they have failed to make an impact on the 1st team.

Behind Anelka's success is Jeffers, Pennant Aliadiere, Tavlaridis, Svard, Warmuz, Volz and now Senderos. Upson was also part of this group. Is there anyone I'm missing who has already been sold on in the last 6 years? I did post a thread on this topic but it didn't draw any interest! http://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showthread.php?s=&threadid=54307

[michaec]

The only youth team players who have made an impact on the first team in Wenger's reign are Anelka and Cole. And both of those were only given their head because senior players were injured (Ian Wright & Silvinho). I think that the major problem is the way that Wenger tries to assess his youngsters. They are all thrown in at once in some Worthington Cup game. If you play a youth team against a team of seasoned professionals from the 1st or even 2nd division, they going to be beaten more often than not. I can't see how he learns anything this way. Surely it would be much better, if he thinks that a young player has the potential to be a first-teamer to have him on the bench and put him into the full side as a substitute now and again? For instance, in the case of Pennant, I'm sure he would get a much better idea of his quality if he were playing in a midfield consisting of Pires, Vieira and Gilberto, rather than, with all due respect, Jerome Thomas, Sebastian Svard and David Bentley.

[dwinkler]

Originally posted by michaec
The only youth team players who have made an impact on the first team in Wenger's reign are Anelka and Cole. And both of those were only given their head because senior players were injured (Ian Wright & Silvinho). I think that the major problem is the way that Wenger tries to assess his youngsters. They are all thrown in at once in some Worthington Cup game. If you play a youth team against a team of seasoned professionals from the 1st or even 2nd division, they going to be beaten more often than not. I can't see how he learns anything this way. Surely it would be much better, if he thinks that a young player has the potential to be a first-teamer to have him on the bench and put him into the full side as a substitute now and again? For instance, in the case of Pennant, I'm sure he would get a much better idea of his quality if he were playing in a midfield consisting of Pires, Vieira and Gilberto, rather than, with all due respect, Jerome Thomas, Sebastian Svard and David Bentley. What about Stuart Taylor? Would you count him? Even so, you're right, it was the same circumstance (injury) that got Taylor in the first team.

And I agree about the Worthington Cup approach of playing a nearly complete reserve side. It's not a good way to do it (although I could care less about the Worthless Cup, but maybe it would give some of the reserve team players a chance to play in more "competitive" games).

Bringing along youth team players hasn't exactly been Wenger's strength, but I imagine it's tough when the pressure's on to win every game. I think we were seeing signs with Aliadiere this season, but he got hurt. Don't know if you consider Toure in that group or not, but Wenger obviously likes him. But I'm disappointed that Volz, for example, hasn't been given a chance.