Gedion Zelalem to Arsenal

Discussion in 'Youth National Teams' started by Clichyftw, Aug 21, 2011.

  1. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    There is nothing quite like taking a player out of his comfort zone to see what he is made of. We already know plenty about him technically and tactically. Now we get to find out how strong he is psychologically. They say that David Beckham went to Preston North End a boy and came back a man. It will be interesting to see how Zelalem comes back to Arsenal.

    Other than Fulham, there isn't a more American friendly club in Great Britain. A lot of Americans have succeeded at Rangers. A few haven't. Here's to one more success story.
     
  2. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    Rangers are on their way back. They are much, much too big of a fish in a tiny pond to not come back to where they were. Apparently you and I are two of the few people that are looking forward to this loan.

    For those who are skeptical, there is A LOT of time and space in the Scottish Championship. Watch a few games on Fox Soccer Plus - the bonus being that the vast majority of their televised Championship games involve Rangers.

    I believe that this is the loan where they want Gedion to prove that he can go out on loan successfully. If he passes this test, he will be given a harder test. He is a long, long way from starting for Arsenal.
     
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  3. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Yup. There's quite a long list of Americans that have played there (Bedoya, Edu, Reyna, Bocanegra, Beasley, etc.] We've never had a youth player there (as far as I can remember), so we'll see how that goes..........................
     
  4. Scotty

    Scotty Member+

    Dec 15, 1999
    Toscana
    However, Beckham was just a couple of months away from turning 20 when he went to Preston, and his stint there was a short one (only played five games).

    When he was Zelalem's age he was still a full-time player with Man Utd's youth teams.
     
  5. Balerion

    Balerion Member+

    Aug 5, 2006
    Roslindale, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Rangers' first four matches so far:

    @hibernian 6-2 W (challenge cup)
    Peterhead 3-0 W (league cup)
    St. Mirren 3-1 W
    @Alloa Athletic 5-1 W

    17 goals in four matches is hopefully an indication that they can afford to take on a kid like Zelalem whose youth and inexperience could render him a "luxury player" in other (more tense + defensive) contexts.

    He's going to be playing against NASL-level opposition, but if he does well other opportunities at higher levels will materialize. In the UK especially it just seems so important to get your foot in the door with regard to first team soccer somewhere. Success on loan can propel players much faster than success at the U21 level. Loans are also riskier, of course...

    Here's hoping Gedion has a good run at Ibrox.
     
  6. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    If you are going to get caught up in details, you could also say that Beckham's challenge was much greater in the English Championship. One could argue that the length of the loan is designed to give Zelalem time to succeed. It all depends on the details that you choose to pay attention to.

    Details aside, I don't understand the negative attitude about this loan. I get the impression that Arsenal went out of their way to give him the best possible chance to succeed, but still challenge him. Nobody knows if he will be successful, but they are giving him a good chance to progress, and that is positive. If he can't succeed in the Scottish Championship with Rangers, I don't think that he is as good of a prospect as we thought that he was. Personally, I have high hopes for him. I think that he will succeed, but that it won't be easy because of his age/maturity as a pro - that is a working definition of a perfect loan spell.
     
  7. Scotty

    Scotty Member+

    Dec 15, 1999
    Toscana
    Just saying that if you're going to make a comparison to the path Beckham took, in Zelalem's case it would mean spending this entire season with Arsenal's U-21s and then doing the loan stint in the next one.

    I don't consider those to be minor details when you consider how the physical differences between ages 18 and 20 can often be drastic, and we're still talking about a skinny teenager here. Even Olivier Giroud stated that Gedion still needs to put on some muscle before he's ready for the big time.
     
  8. beerslinger23

    beerslinger23 Member+

    Jun 26, 2010
    Good move at age 18. Bad move at age 21. I hope he develops the toughness and physicality that this loan spell is intended to engender.
     
  9. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    #1409 Peter Bonetti, Aug 19, 2015
    Last edited: Aug 19, 2015
    The Scottish Championship is not the big time. There is a lot more time and space in the championship than in the big time. Again, it is all in which details are important and which details are not important. FYI, the loan is for half of a year with the possibility of turning it into an entire season. If it is a nightmare, they can always bring him back to Arsenal in the winter.

    I just took the two main details that you are latching onto and looked at them from a different perspective. We paint ourselves into a corner way too often by choosing once side of an issue and acting like we have no choice but to see things from just that side. Like any loan, this is a risk. With any risk, there is the potential for failure. I just think that this was a lot more thought through by Arsenal than you do. Of course there is risk, but they thought through the risk, weighed the potential gains, and added a contingency plan if it doesn't succeed. I believe this is an example of Arsenal acting like a top club with a prospect that they value - much like Manchester United fit David Beckham with a loan to suit his needs at the time. Yes there are differences with EVERY loan, but in both cases the clubs knew what the player had to offer technically and tactically. They wanted to see the prospect show growth in other ways (psychologically and physically). That is where the comparison comes from - if you don't get lost in details.
     
  10. bsky22

    bsky22 Member+

    Dec 8, 2003
  11. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Hyndman moves on, GZ takes over. Yes please.
     
  12. mike4066

    mike4066 Member+

    Jun 30, 2007
    Chula Vista, CA
    Club:
    Fulham FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Where did Hyndman go?
     
  13. GiallorossiYank

    GiallorossiYank Member+

    Jan 20, 2011
    NJ/Roma/Napoli
    Club:
    AS Roma
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Theoretical situation, but there's rumors of him moving on admist his lack of PT and not signing a new deal
     
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  14. ussoccer97531

    ussoccer97531 Member+

    Oct 12, 2012
    Club:
    --other--
    Then when DLT's ready, he takes Gedion's spot. ;)
     
  15. Gorky

    Gorky Member+

    Jul 28, 2006
    NYC
    Club:
    New York Red Bulls
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Takes over his bench spot?
     
  16. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I think Arsenal is looking to loan him to clubs/a league that will focus on physical play to help him adapt more....scotland is NOT pretty when it comes to contact. It's ROUGH. Would be a good move for that alone.
     
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  17. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    Its also true that while the Scottish 2nd division may be rough and tumble, new coach Warburton is trying to take Rangers in a different direction in terms of attacking style. He's also "gung-ho" about going with youth as opposed to mediocre veterans. Big overhaul going on.

    His right-hand man is David Weir, who we know actually played NCAA soccer at Evansville (before enjoying a long career at Everton and Rangers).

    http://www.cityam.com/217867/mark-w...free-flowing-attacking-football-former-trader

    Its going to be a really interesting experiment with Warburton.......................
     
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  18. Bolivianfuego

    Bolivianfuego Your favorite Bolivian

    Apr 12, 2004
    Fairfax, Va
    Club:
    Bolivar La Paz
    Nat'l Team:
    Bolivia
    I like it. He'll get the expereince of playing in Scotland where the play is rougher, not as skillful, and essentially opponent wise, everything he's not good at.

    He'll also play on a side that is looking to play more attacking, on the ground soccer which will suit his strengths. I dig it.
     
  19. bsky22

    bsky22 Member+

    Dec 8, 2003
    Everyone I've read has been positive. Brentford fans seemed to really like him. His background is very interesting. Currency trader and then decides to get back into the game and travels all around Europe on his own dime (currency trader money make that not that big of a deal) to study under some of the best in the game.

    When asked to define Warburton's style of play, Grant is emphatic: "Free-flowing, fast, exciting, attacking."

    He explains:"We thought we had an attacking manager under Uwe Rosler but he was sometimes risk-averse. Mark Warburton's definitely not risk-averse. When we played Fulham, we were 1-0, down came back to 1-1 against the run of play and then could have just locked it down and taken a point but instead he pulled on a couple of forwards and went for the win. We literally went for it and scored the winner in the 94th minute. That was our style of football."

    Indeed that cavalier attitude and attractive style (for which Brentford become well known throughout the division) is borne out in the stats: Warburton's side scored 23 goals in the last 10 minutes of matches last season - four more than anyone else.


    https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mark_Warburton

    Warburton began his coaching career in a part-time role at St. Clement Danes School inChorleywood while working as a trader.[6] He later said to his wife, "we have the money in the bank, the house is paid for, our lifestyle won't change. I want to do this: 10 years to achieve something in the game. It’s now or never".[8] After leaving his trading job in the early 2000s, he spent his own money travelling around Europe, watching coaching sessions atSporting Lisbon, Ajax, Valencia, Barcelona and Willem II.[6][8] Warburton was offered a permanent coaching job with Watford, at U9 through to U16 level and was appointed manager of the academy in 2006.[6] After a reshuffle in 2009, he became assistant academy manager for U17 to U19 age groups.[12] While at Watford, he established links with Harefield Academy.[13][14] Warburton left Watford in February 2010 to "pursue other sporting interests".[12] In September 2014, Warburton revealed he left the Hornets because he "had a fall out with one or two people. I was treated very shabbily, but they have gone now, so I've got no grudges against the club".[15]
     
  20. Clint Eastwood

    Clint Eastwood Member+

    Dec 23, 2003
    Somerville, MA
    Club:
    FC Dallas
    634750775743410176 is not a valid tweet id
     
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  21. SUDano

    SUDano Member+

    Jan 18, 2003
    Rochester, NY
    This loan has broken leg written all over it.
     
  22. ebbro

    ebbro Member+

    Jun 10, 2005
    :rolleyes:
     
  23. Bob Morocco

    Bob Morocco Member+

    Aug 11, 2003
    Billings, MT
    Car bomb because he slept with a mobster's girl???
     
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  24. Peter Bonetti

    Peter Bonetti Member+

    Jan 1, 2005
    1970 WC Quarterfinal
    Perhaps he'll transfer to Celtic and have to commute from London every day via plane because it is not safe for him or his family to stay in Glasgow.
     
  25. Werdman89

    Werdman89 Member+

    May 27, 2008
    Boston, MA
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    The loan to Rangers is now official. It'll run until January.
     

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