Arsenal’s youth set up rated the very best in the BPL?
Arsenal football club have today announced that the club has received a ‘category one’ rank when it comes to producing and recruiting future players of the professional game.
I must admit before the announcement today, I was never aware of such rank being granted to the academies, but it’s important to realise that this is how Arsenal manage to attract so many up and coming talents like Reine-Adelaide, Bielik and Zelalem to the team. The status lasts for three years and being category one rated means that Arsenal come accross as one of the best rated sides for young players to develop at in the country.
The Gunners announced: “Our academy has been awarded top tier status ahead of the 2016/17 season. The youth setup of every Premier League club is independently assessed as part of the Elite Player Performance Plan. The review looks at the quality of coaching, training facilities and education amongst other factors. We were granted ‘Category One’ status for the next three seasons. The elite ranking enables us to continue to recruit and develop the best young players in the country.”
Academy manager Andries Jonker showed his delight and appreciation by saying: “We’re pleased that our academy has once again been recognised with Category One status this year.”
Admittedly a large part of this status is being able to attract young players looking to move up to a higher level in youth football, however it does slightly concern me about how many more young talents we ‘recruit’, rather than produce ourselves. There’s that famous banner at the Emirates that states “We don’t buy superstars, we make them!” but is that really the case?
Arsenal have been known to give young players a chance and Alex Iwobi and Hector Bellerin are the latest talents that can prove that. In the past we shouldn’t forget the likes of Cesc Fabregas and Jack Wilshere, but for every Fabregas, there’s two Sanchez Watt’s or Craig Eastmond’s. Would you really say that Arsenal are a top level academy for producing the talents of the future? Or is it more likely that we are obtaining players like Bellerin, or even Chamberlain or Chambers from other clubs when they are young, before turning them into first team talents?
Personally in my opinion it’s certainly the latter. The odd exception of Iwobi, Gibbs or Wilshere may come all the way through the ranks at Arsenal before becoming a valuable member of the first team, but more often than not its the Bellerin’s, Szczesny’s and the Fabregas’ that are taken from other clubs at a young age and then put through as our very own players. I’m not suggesting that Arsenal shouldn’t be granted with such a title, because along with the likes of Southampton and West Ham, I do think our youth set up is fantastic for developing young players into real potential stars. But even with this in mind I don’t think we can really class ourselves as ‘making superstars’ like they are our own.
What do you think Gooners?
By AH
Why is this even an issue?We make some we buy some like we’ve always done.It’s not like we’ve ever had a full team or first eleven playing for Arsenal where all the player actually came through our ranks and were not bought from foreign countries to come through our ranks.The fact is Arsenal give youngsters a chance time and time again such that even if they’re average and were destined to be world class and they become world class then that’s where the saying that ”We don’t buy superstars, we make them” arises.They continually give youngsters a chance that’s the reason and we are unlike so ma ny teams out there.
so boring …..everything bout Arsenal transfer
slow news days…..no activity….only Links upon Links…. Ant tales of snubs and rejection
then it’s even harder trying to Log into Justarsenal.com with all these “Cannot Locate remote server” alerts
why always arsenal????
I am seriously trying to fix the server errors. Success brings it’s own problems. ..
I am ready to test my new server but after the last misjudgement I will make sure it is 100% better before I make it live. But I am addressing the problem. …..
But I can’t help with wengers transfer activity!!!
Admin;
How Many Superstars Arsenal Academy produced lately? Sanchez? Ozil, Chec, ???? Even Bellerin, or Walcott, Ox, Ramsey came from other clubs and with the exception of Ramsey with destroyed their future.
Other teams produced, Ibe, Sterling, Marcus Rahford, Inehacho, all within their club what Arsenal do? Sold Benik Afobe for 10 Mil !!! with became man power supply, head hunter, for Arsenal Inc rather than Arsenal FC.
Last year no outfield player bought, just because Abramouvich promised to keep Chec in London. This Year Jst Zhaka? and unkown Japanese, and Bolton, Youngster. if 4th place is taken away from Arsenal, then Kroenke, and Wenger will be thrown out and Arsenal club will saved, since there will be no TV revenue for this greedy bunch.
Ezat, I appreciate the sentiment but how exactly can kroenke be thrown out when he owns over two thirds of arsenal.
Jonm;
As a major share Holder no one can throw them out, but with no profit, from ECL TV revenue, less TV revenue from EPL, and class come player willing to come to Arsenal like last year Aubumeyang refused and Vardy snubbed, 2 years ago Suarez refused to come, pretty soon they are forced to sell and get out or buy and compete with big clubs like MU,MC, CHELSEA LIVERPOOL SPURS and even LEICESTER .
Looking at the title.
My first impression was that davidnz wrote this
@ Ramterta…
Exactly, I was about saying this article is for Davidnz…smiles*…
The thing is, we make some and buy some, it depends on how each person sees it, it is not possible we groom ALL our fist team players from age 7 or more, so it varies…
IMO, we have made these players:
Bellerin
Iwobi
Coquelin
Woj
Wilshere
Walcott
Fabregas Gibbs,Ox, to name a few….
And some are almost made: Adelaide,Willock, Zelalem,Mavidid,Gnabry,Toral,and many more…
If we can get 5 of these ones into the first team, I would say we make more stars than we buy…
Lol . Nope.
Joke you bought Wolcott, and OX, 12 M, Bellerin, Fab came from Barcelona, Academy.
Arsenal is the grave Yards of the talents. under the Wenger.
Why is this even an issue?We make some we buy some like we’ve always done.It’s not like we’ve ever had a full team or first eleven playing for Arsenal where all the player actually came through our ranks and were not bought from foreign countries to come through our ranks.The fact is Arsenal give youngsters a chance time and time again such that even if they’re average and were destined to be world class and they become world class then that’s where the saying that ”We don’t buy superstars, we make them” arises.They continually give youngsters a chance that’s the reason and we are unlike so many teams out there.
Well name a top club that is doing any better? Even doors took harry kane from us. When do you decide an academy player is one of your own? Does it really matter if they join at 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16.
Also lets not forget many kids change clubs as kids because their parents move house change jobs, etc. All that matters is that Arsenal find the odd bellerin to keep the status and to help kids into the game. Yes it would be nice for an 8 year old to join the club and become a superstar at arsenal, but realistically where does that still happen? Did Ronaldo start at real? Suarez at Barcelona? Neymar?
I actually think that the development of iwobi and wilshire is a fantastic result, whilst the purchase of other academy players such as szczesney,martinez, gibbs, gnabry,bellerin, etc shows the academy has a good eye for young talent and is continuing their development
Arsene Wenger can must get Ben Yedder as long as he’s clinical and can beat his man.I’d take him over Giroud any day and I think if Giroud is put in that Toulouse squad he won’t score more goals than Ben Yedder and denying this fact would mean you choose to be blinded.We had better get him quickly.I’ve said it here time and time again the reason why Arsenal are not winning things with Giroud is because he’s not clinical.If you guys were to ever watch his misses in every season by season since he came here you would be shocked at the kind of striker we have.But as usual he’s always forgiven and people continually rate him basing it on statistics and forget he’s playing for Arsenal with the likes of…….
We are still world class at producing young talent.
However, for every 1 Wilshere we properly produce 20 Sanchez Watt, but that is part of the game and expected.
Sometime I feel the stature of a elite football club can/will have negative affect on young talent, even playing at the academy level young players are stars at their local level and will attract negative influences… and at such a young age people do tend to gravitates to those influences..
Who’s synthiagoCazorla..HUMVN,Machine?He made a funny comment in one of the justarsenal stories earlier.He said Arsenal don’t need a new CB.Can someone slap me.I was even shocked at the thumbs up he got.I feel so sorry for Arsenal and fans as well.We are really suffering.Till today how people rate Mertesacker is beyond me.The guy is not even a leader by example.I wonder why Hayden was sold as I think he could have surely done better and if Isaac Hayden solves his injury problems we gonna regret selling him.Even aliens know arsenal needs a CB.Aren’t you guys tired of always starting the season short of players in positions where needed.It’s like some of you want failure but you don’t know you want.Arsenal should complete the squad this season.It’s a must.
Of course not, it’s all hogwash.
Arsenals preferred starting X1
based on last seasons form is
Cech Bellerin Monreal Koz Mertz
Coquelin Cazorla Sanchez Ozil Ramsey Giroud.
No English players, and only one (Bellerin) is young.
The majority of the English players but for the home grown quota
would not be any where near the 1st squad.
Wenger has always said English players especially
white English players are clumsy Klutzes which is why
he has avoided white English players except for the quota.
Take a look at the academy and you will see it is full of black youth.
If he was promoting youth why was he chasing Higuain a 29 year old
70 mill Argentinian striker, a 25 year old 40 mill Algerian winger/striker Mahrez.
or a 30 mill 25 year old black French striker Lacazette?
Why is he promoting a Nigerian midfielder (Kaleechi) or a French winger (Adelaide)
or a Japanese 21 year old Asano or French striker Yedda over English youth?
The only bright spot is Holding at 22, not youth and not an Arsenal youth product.
The sign on the stadium should read “The future for young English youth is all black”.
i can give you an answer cause the average nigerian, french talent is more talented than the average english talent 😉 and… you are too patriotic stop thinking about the skin color and nationality.. its irritating
Irritating but true. 🙂
I feel sorry for the white
English youth for whom the dream
of playing top pro football
will soon be nothing more than that a dream.
The white majority will be spectators to an essentially black spectacle.
Look at the French National team mostly black and North African decent players.
Even the German team becoming blacker and more Turkish influenced.
There is a massive ethnic transformation
taking place in the EPL European and world football in fact world sport.
I am not saying its wrong but just that it is happening.
These fake reports and the sign on the stadium need to tell the truth.
you are sorry for an ethnic part which has got everything one need??? do you know why there are more secondos in those teams than the ones who were born with that nationality? be it england german or france, cause the citizens of the famous european countries dont have as much fire or will to fight as the immigrant of war countries/ financially “handicapped” sub-countries like sanchez put it rightly, these spoiled kids of the rich countries have bee too long in their comfort zones, while the secondos are had to fight for a lot of things while a lot of the citizens helped them another side of the citizens (people like you) confronted them with racial views and ridicule.. every black (how you call them) nd turkish, basically the immigrants has fought off the majority of “white” engish/french/ german/ swiss players so nothing to feel sorry about them who were either less talented, so just hadn’t luck or had less hard work so hadnt deserved the place anyway
I don’t understand how race even comes into the topic at all but I’ll play along… Yes, perhaps black players are more athletic, but they generally lack the skill/technical ability to compete with the top top players, with one or two exceptions (namely Pogba). If football is becoming a ‘black spectacle’ then why are there only 2-3 black players in the top 30 footballers right now? I could say Aubameyang, Pogba and maybe Yaya Toure (his form the past season has dropped substatially)
Personally I don’t see his comment as racist just commenting on a trend that has definitely been increasing. It is a fact that black races are far more athletic in body than Europeans. And don’t all him too patriotic!I are pretty sure that the nz means he’s from new Zealand and are Maoris black or white? I know their rugby team are called the all blacks. Is that racist?
normally i would agree with you, i dont like to take out the racist card too 🙂 i think nowaday its overused (my skin tone is brown too) nd he indeed talks about a ethnic shift but i’m getting a feeling that he’s too patriotic.. imho if somebody crosses the limit of being patriotic he can be racist pretty fast, cause he thinks of his own race as something better, and davidnz is a nice guy but sometimes he goes overboard with the mentioning of skin colours and ethnics, i still think that the intolerance towards a pretty normal competition in sports is racially motivated, he could just be a normal patriotic but i think he’s bipolar like muff rightly called him ^^
He definitely takes sarcasm or “irony” to another level…..
But as I said he is from new Zealand and who understands them? Uh oh was that racist lol!
Why on earth are you bringing race into it? Can’t tell if you’re trolling or just being dense
he isn’t trolling i still remember when josh37 who always writes sensible comments almost flipped out cause davidnz was literally a racist
@davidnz……… This is so lame…….this is so so lame of you that krish has to step out and Lecture u on it!
haha i think this is the first time that we are ‘indirectly’ supporting each other 😀
David I agree that not many english layers make first team. But not many of them are black either…
@davidnz………and it’s even worse when u got thumbs up for it…….who are these guys encouraging you behind the scenes?
HAHAHAHAHA someone actually thinks Giroud is better than Lacazette.I’d even do better than Giroud if I ever had the chance and to be honest I’m not bluffing.I’m a Ghanaian sensation as many of you would like to call it.Giroud is not and will never be better than Lacazette and I specially dedicate this comment to Robin Vanpayslip and Joe.
Hahahaha
It’s been a while but NONE OF THE ABOVE!