Gazidis wants the new Arsenal manager to promote more Academy youngsters

Arsenal used to be famous for promoting youngsters to the first team squad, especially in the years when we were struggling to pay off the debts from the building of the Emirates, and Arsene Wenger did extremely well in teaching our kids in the ‘Arsenal Way’ so that they slotted seamlessly into the Gunners first team.

Lately, although we have been spending much larger sums on the transfer market buying readymade stars, our League position has actually been deteriorating, and it would now appear that the Arsenal heirarchy are keen to get back to Wenger’s youth policy and would like a manager that will be happy to do that. When he was discussing the criteria for Wenger’s replacement yesterday, he said: “We have to go through that process. There is another value which I didn’t talk about which is young players. Our academy teams are doing extremely well and under the radar we have got a lot of players coming through into our first team, not just ones that you already know about but the next generation as well. So that value of giving youth a chance is also very important to the football club.

“I think we have got to be open-minded and also brave in the decision. When Arsene was appointed, I don’t think he was on many people’s radar screens. That doesn’t mean we have to make another appointment that not everybody is thinking about and talking about but it does mean we need to be bold and get the person we believe is the right person.”

It is true that our reserves won the Second Division of the U23’s League, and the U18s came second to Chelsea, and we have seen some promising displays already by players like Eddie Nketiah, Reiss Nelson and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, but to be honest we will still need to buy some ready made stars soon, especially in defence, or we are surely only going to drop even further behind our rivals.

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36 Comments

  1. Here we go again more youth coming though so that means no money to spend for the new manager

  2. I think Barcelona has shown the way with a good mix of promoting young players and buying to strengthen. So if it is something like that, we are trying to achieve, it could be good.
    But we need more steel and determination, and especially more ability to defend from our young players, than what we have seen lately.
    Hopefully, a new manager will make a difference there.

  3. Yeah it sounds like they’re tightening their purse strings again! Youths will be promoted when they’re ready and not before this prudent policy needs to be scrapped or we will never move forward! I don’t want to hear how we have to carry on Wenger’s legacy arsenal need to move out of his shadow and create a new identity.. Gazidis was talking yesterday like Wenger died it was cringeworthy the man will have a better life than most he has his health and is extremely wealthy.. players get old they retire no one bats an eye well managers get old and have to retire too that’s life!

    1. Gazidis is an intelligent man, Wenger is still around no need to hurt his feelings and remember that was a tribute to mr wenger so he had to be very careful for what was coming out his mouth no worries 3 more games wenger will be gone and we will see “cataliyst for change in full practice” and renaming Raul Sanlehi as Director of Football also mark my words is going to be Enrique if he lower his wage demand or Leonardo Jardim.

  4. I would think he means bring in youth players to fill out roster, get late sub appearances, domestic cups, and getting acclimated to the league and teammates.
    For example, Per 5th choice CB never plays and makes millions watching from stands. Wasting money when new boy CB Mavros (longer greek name but you know who) could be getting experience and ready to produce.

    I could be completely wrong and he could be a cheap skate after all.
    However, after spending over £50 million on another striker in January, I don’t think he’s being stingy with money.

    Lastly, if stephen blamed the fans for Arsenal’s poor form, I wonder if he will credit fans if Arsenal win the EL. Just wondering,

    1. @Durand

      Also, Ivan brought in Raul and Sven; I imagine they were not “cheap” and he had to open wallet pretty wide to get two of the best in the game.

      I’m at least giving Ivan a chance to finish his “catalyst for change”

      So far
      Sven = top signing, ✔
      Raul = top signing, ✔
      Auba = top signing, ✔

      Now finish his project with top manager. Allegri, or Jardim from Monaco. If Ivan wants a manager to groom and play youngsters, gotta be Jarxim. He’s proven; sold off many players last year, and 2nd in French league i believe.

      He fits criteria Ivan mentioned, even attacking style, philosophy, attractive football, and improving younsters. He’s my bet for the gig, but fingers crossed for Allegri

    2. Yeah, Mavropanos and Bielik could of surprised us. Certainly the first choice lads deserved to get the drop a few times already. Mislintat signed Mavropanos and some say he excelled at U23 level. Bielik, we had big hopes for him but he has not got a look in. Chambers Holding we have seen, it would’ve been nice to see what the other two lads are all about at this level. This season esp, if we’d of been competing you’d understand but youngsters won’t get a better shot than the one they should’ve had this season.

  5. I know in an earlier post I said let’s forget about ex-players but…. Alexis just scored against spurs, got to love that! Sorry!

      1. Hate Man U but don’t want spuds (small s) to win anything so it’s got to be MU and then they get beat in the final by Southampton ?

      2. Hate them both, but on balance I’d prefer Utd to win and keep Spurs in their trophyless box for another year.

        1. Wow the amount of time wasting by Man utd today was nothing short of legendary. I wish we had physically strong players like Dembele, Wanyama and Davidson Sanchez…I mean these guys no matter what kind of pressure or tackles you throw at them they just don’t give up possession! Man amazing players Spuds have got I have to admit.

  6. Is it not the top u23 division that they won, split into two groups with us winning the top group. They call it premier league 2, or did we get relegated last season whereas I thought we got promoted. I used to follow the academy games closely but I haven’t payed attention for quite a while.

      1. My bad, jezuz we went down straight away. I guess it’s not so rosy in the AFC academy, I take back what I said in earlier post. Thanks for the heads up.

  7. I do not think Arsenal would spend £50-£75 million twice to get 2 of the best CBs along with big bucks for a DM and then Jan Oblak at a record fee to replace Cech in goal… Oh and not forgetting a RB to compete with Bellerin and maybe a LB to replace the aging Monreal… Oh and potentially replace Wilshere along with potential lower fee for Rambo due to contract. They all can’t be record signings…

    This leaves the perfect opportunity to give some youth a chance.

    I’m kinda hoping this will mean we will either spend on quality or give a youth a chance, no more squad fillers, less need of signing players like Perez.

    I think we all hope for a quality GK and so many of us have dreamt about Oblak since we read Sanllehi has made him a target, we don’t have a top young GK who can step in so why not go for the best we can even if it mean spending the cash to do so? We have youth to rely on in other areas.

    The other areas also depend on the next managers formation, 3CB or 2? 2CM or 3? 1 lone CF or 2?

    1. Plenty of topics to tackle there, some good questions. Lets hope the new dude will have the answers.

    2. Excellent post with great questions. Hopefully meyer on a free to replace Wilshire, sell Xhaka or Ramsey to buy DM.
      GK will have to spend money; Cech and Ospina won’t offset cost much at all.

      Manolas was £35 million in January, hopefully same in the Summer. Sell Kos AND Mustafi and use the funds for new CB.

      AMN can challenge Bellerin for RB, and we just got best LB in Bundesliga in Summer; need decent backup, £10 – £15 million.

      Nelson on wing, Welbeck and Iwobi ( not great i know, but its coverage)

      New manager maybe get more out of our players as well. I’m not all doom and gloom regarding building squad. Our attack looks really good, its bettering the midfield and rebuilding central defense.

      Sell off some players to fund rebuild; spent over £100 million on two strikers; we can do it again with buying 2 CBs and new DM. Its not cheap i agree, but don’t need £150 – £200 million to rebuild. It’s my opinion and i could be wrong or just cheap and frugal

  8. Here we go again. If they will do it like last time and fail. There will not be Wenger covering their asses. I hope for the best. However a fear the worst.

  9. Jack can leave for free and replace him with Max Meyer free signing. Sell Ramsey for 50 million and replace him with Jorghino, sell Bellerin in case if he wants to go and replace him with Fabinho. So not much expenses and getting a fantastic 3 new addition. Buy Nebil Fekir for wings and sell Ospina and buy Leno. We are a fantastic team. So it’s not a big money involvement and great team.sell Mustafi and buy Kostas Manolas and build defense around him both Holding and Chambers will reach full potential under Kostas. Also Kos can be helpful in nurturing them both. Sent Iwobi and Elneny on loan for regular football and they’ll flourish. Right now arsenal can’t afford to play both of them week in week out. This will provide Nelson, Maitland and company more first team experience.

    1. Fekir should be coming in as Ozil replecement and Fabinho will be a great player either on DM or right back Bellerin, Kozy, Mustafi, Monreal, Ramsey, Wilshire, Webeck, Iwobi, cech Chamber all should be shown the door since we have a “diamond eye” Germany has a lot of good players in decent price there is a very left foot player his name demirbay very classic we should get him too and very sad we lost naby Keita but we should get his team mate Forsberg

  10. So the wait for a trophy for the spuds goes on…. my heart bleeds ???? FOYS
    Can’t stand United either though ?

    1. But is that what Man utd have been reduced to now? Time wasting, theatrics and counter attacks? They are playing some really negative football I don’t think any fan enjoyed watching that game. I certainly didn’t.

      1. I thought the spuds were going to hammer them after the first 20 ish minutes!
        United are really boring to watch, hopefully they’ll lose in the final, even if it is to Chelsea ?

        1. Realistically, discarding Southamptons chances of winning the cup, it is a case of who do we least hate of the other three teams. Unless Saints can pull off a miracle, which is almost impossible, I now want United to win it(Spurs having just lost to them). I despise Chelsea EVEN more than Spuds.

  11. Bonaroca:- I have said it time and time again that the Arsenal youngsters were not given enough exposure as other clubs do. In fact Arsenal got Walcott and the Ox because of the system given the chance as youngster. What I did not like in Mr Wenger’xs system is go all
    out to get a player who by nature has played in more or less one position. All of a sudden you find this poor fellow playing out of position and all the boos from the terraces. This is why Arsenal lost many matches because the defence passing the ball more backward then forward which from time to time left the whole defence exposed with the poor goalkeeper many times being blamed.
    Its nice to watch the passing game but not from one player to the other in a straight line or otherwise, which the forwards confused and many times themselves lost and out of position.
    Hope the new Manager will bring a new philosophy within the game and change the style to faster movements and not for opposing defence to close there ranks leaving the forwards just passengers.

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