Is Youth the future of Arsenal FC? by Sean O’Hara
As we all know Arsenal are not going to be spending any money in January & possibly not much in the summer either as we are rebuilding this club again, but is the youth where we should be looking to invest our future in? We have a few young players who are coming up, on loan coming back, & here at the club now;
Leno, 24
Martinez, 23
Bellerin, 24
Holding, 21
Mavraponas, 20
Torreira, 22
Guendouzi, 20
Niles, 21
Nelson, 19 (loan)
Chambers, 22 (loan)
Nketiah, 19
Willock, 19
Iwobi, 22
Smith-Rowe, 19
Then;
Auba, 29
Laca, 27
Ozil, 30
Mhki, 30 (sell – replace)
Mustafi, 27 (sell – replace)
Kolasinac, 26
Monreal, 31 (extension 1 year)
Xhaka, 27 (Sell – replace)
Elneny, 27 (Sell- replace)
Sokratis, 30, (experience, settled well)
Cech (100k), Litchsteiner (80k), Jenko (70k), Welbz (80k), Koss (100k) & Ramsey (100k) all out of contract, wages freed up, so that works along with selling Elneny (50k), Xhaka (80k), Mustafi (70k) & Mhki (200k) for some sort of money plus their wages off the bill. Think about it all that money off the wage bill – £900,000 PLUS PER WEEK!
Replace Mustafi money with a young defender as we will have Chambers, Holding, Mavraponas & Sokratis all available in the summer if we can’t buy at all only what we make. Bellerin needs help along with a new LB but that won’t be until either Monreal or Kolasinac leave, but that won’t be this summer.
With money from sponsors, league & european positioning in the competitions we can at least buy a decent winger to help with Iwobi & Nelson when he returns from his loan, as we have the strikers in Laca & Auba, who can play LW, with Nketiah waiting also.
Xhaka money can be used for the likes of a Dennis Suarez if we loan him Now then pay the £14m in the summer or another target. Ramsey going to Juve, I’d ask for a player in return in January, why not?
There is ways to sort this mess out even if we are not going to spend in the market & try to take down the wage bill in the process of getting rid of the players not needed or fit Unai’s methods.. Look even deeper into the youth set up & there is a good few little un-earthed gems that can be polished up by Emery in the likes of;
– Macey
– Tutu
– Bola
– Medley
– Sako
– Sheaf
– Bielik
– Nwakali
What you guys think of all of that, is it possible at all to think this could work for us if we are to do a so called clear out. Whiskey Nose did it at Old Trafford so why not us at Arsenal with the youth, plus whatever we earn from player-sales to spend on replacing those departing players?
The Yank is going nowhere soon, neither is Arsenal… we will be fine no matter what happens. Let’s see where the rest of the season takes us!
Sean
Kolasinac is 25!
It sounds good to use the youth to fix the senior team these players will need another season or two to start challenging for championship league that is badly needed to improve the financial status of the team. As we speak Unai has started using young player in FA and even Europa League and they have done well once they have been given the chance. I am hoping that it will work I am hopelessly sad when Arsenal lose a match like West Ham and other smaller teams.
wenger tried that before with senderos and Djorou and it didnt work
Good article Sean which brings home now many Arsenal players are vastly overpaid.I’m all for giving talented youngsters a chance and given our financial situation we may have little alternative but to take this route this season or at least until such time as we can unload the players you list.Therein lies the problem of course for who would want to buy the likes of Mustafi, xhaka etc.
Thanks Grandad…. The likes of Mustafi will have to let go on the cheap. 15m for Mustafi, 20m for Xhaka along with Miki for 15m, in this day & age that’s a a bargain to some other clubs, especially now the smaller clubs are spending more & generating more each season to do so. Getting rid shouldn’t be a problem but taking a loss is ours financially is our problem.
Without a doubt overpaid players who contribute very little or nothing at all…
Good article but don’t know where your salary figures have come from? First of all none of us know exactly how much a player earns but some of your figures are completely different to those usually banded about.
Just average salaries my man, should’ve stated that also from the get go of the Article but think you understand where I was going with this. You can find out close to what they make online somewhere but it’s alot of wasted money at the club…
Had the same discussion with the lads today, this season is a trial for alot of players. Raul also said the youth is our priority now and slimming our over inflated wage bill. This summer well see alot of change from the squad that ended jan 2018. Youth needs to come through, save any of the money to buy a young 20-25 year old defender, future worldie to sort the defence out i am looking forward to Sokratis and Mavrinapos together.
We should avoid players 30yrs and over from europe as they have very little chance of succeeding in the prem. If they are quality their clubs won’t let them go cheap. Unless they are true quality like Sokratis, who has proved doubters wrong this year strong deceptively quick and tough in the tackle and should be our captain imho.
Nelson should be given a run next season alongside Auba and lacazette. Use our other youth lads as back up. Iwobi is not league winning quality to me he holds the ball far too much and takes far too many touches of the ball and slows attacks down. Sell him and use the 25+ mil to invest elsewhere.
Were in for a tough 2-3 seasons gooners so be patient
I couldn’t help but laugh after watching his press his press conference, saying Ozil was dropped at home for tactical reasons because he’s okay with the players he brought.. Lmao.
Each time I’ve questioned his decisions and tactics in my articles, I’ve been called different names and told I’m plastic for questioning him just after 6 months.
Well his stubbornness will continue, I couldn’t help but laugh after I saw Almighty Jon Fox admit the club lacks creativity apart from Mhiki and Ozil who are both inconsistent. Lol, now you know the club really lacks creativity without Ozil and Mhiki??
Well another point I’ve always pointed out was using some of the U23s, they can’t possibly play worse than some of our snr players, Fabregas and Wilshere were given the chance at tender age, and they took it. Since he knows we have no money, fine, give the young players chance so these old losers we keep paying every week would hide their head in shame, he won’t.
Most of you think I’m paranoid when I constantly ask what gameplan and style do we have? even when looking for goals today, we kept on with the sideways passes.
Yes Almighty Emery shouldn’t be questioned and criticized because it’s his first season, everybody knows this whole “tactical reasons” line is búllshït, he doesn’t like Ozil, just because he doesn’t run around the pitch like he’s a Duracell Bunny.
A coach with ego who refuses to sort whatever problem he has with his best creative player, and who constantly forces us to play from the wings when HE KNOWS WE DONT HAVE WINGERS!!….
I don’t see giving those youngsters chances in the league
It’s criminal not playing Ozil… supposedly we have no money… so then our highest paid player doesn’t even make the squad… 350k down the pan every week!! Unbelievable!
I love my team dearly, but god it’s hard work sometimes…
Oh Sue you saying it too? as long as Ozil can’t run and chase the ball like a bunny, he’s allowed to not earn his 350k?….
and the fans on here see nothing wrong with it, if it’s possible I’d love to work with Emery, after getting my salary increased, then I’ll stop running around so he stops giving me jobs and assignments?? That way I can earn thousands while I rest… Hell the fans won’t question why I’m not given jobs to do?
I want him to play Eddie… every week! In my eyes he’s one of our best players. He’s paid to play…. I just don’t understand why he’s not..and I don’t want to hear any of this purely tactical BS…
Why everbody ignore that maybe Ozil is really injured or has some cronical problem? If you are Emery and your best player has problems why would you tell everybody that there is a question mark over his future not cos he is not running like headless chicken but hes injured?
I think people are against Ozil for x reasons:
1. He does not play like in FIFA any more but they are not asking why
2. He is German, not Welsh (from U.K.) for example…
3. Welshman has to go out of the club (finally! 🙂 and fans have to blame somebody cos they can not admit that their dear aaron is going out for free cos NOBODY wanted to buy him all those years!
Yes but Maks I don’t see anyone else being left.out of the squad for ‘tactical reasons’
Again we have no creativity from midfield, please get Ozil in the team, we desperately need him. I agree he doesn’t run around like a headless chicken but we desperately need his vision.
?
We or going to be mid table team for years to come the owner the board and the manager or no good. If we rely on youth we or going down we a couple of years to come so the only way we stop this is to stop going to the game’s and stop buying arsenal goods until they all leave but if not it’s going to be sad days a head
Are they good enough?
Future will tell.
And if they are, can Arsenal resist selling them to other clubs?
…and in two years can we replace our today top players with same calibre of players?
In Raul and Sven we trust… and Emery?
Lot’s of q’s…
The way Unai Emery is handling the Ozil situation might be our biggest problem in bringing in players at the moment
Winning the Europa is like winning the Fa Cup
Winning the premier league is like winning the champions league
I say Emery is out of his league.
Best Arsenal line up, 3-5-2;
Leno
Bellerin (RWB)
Holding
Sokratis
Mavraponas
Kolasnic (LWB)
Torreira
Niles (Guendouzi also)
Ozil (ACM)
Auba
Laca
4-2-3-1 with ozil or 4-3-3 without ozil..this 3 at the back is short-term as we have no wingers, the problem with 3 at the back is it’s not Arsenal at it’s core, we are an attacking team having that one extra defender when we are in the opposition’s half removes that one extra run, or that one extra body to pass to, i always want two cb max that’s just me, i know team’s won with 3 at the back but i want that extra player as i beleive it’s more in our DNA.
no signings, momentum is gone and we won’t be getting it back now even if we sign someone europa league next season! No signings at this stage is Unbeleivable!! you can’t expect the manager to work miracles but his thing with ozil is hurting the team, the board isn’t helping either the difference is this time they could always put the blame on the manager and fire him, you should at least know this Gooners the days of us having a manager that doesn’t provide results are over!!
If the targets aren’t met he will get the sack Fact!, so No need to pretend like he hasn’t improved anything like some guy in the last article said…he has done well at the moment i just don’t see the board backing him and this is the reason why we will finish outside the top 4 it’s a mexican stand off with ozil in the middle!!
i think it’s a sevilla/psg mentalitty mix up they are having, and if he/they try to do both he/they will fail for sure!!…i’ll try to keep it short as i’m aware of the typing sorry 🙂
1) basically PSG buy WC players and wonderkids managers uses his tactics to get the best out of them, recruitment identifies top targets and buys yearly regardless, foorballers are seen as assets, Chelsea, city, monaco all do that for example!!
2) Sevilla work closely with manager to identify best targets for the manager’s way of playing, improve these players so will target young players or fringe, sell for huge sums, rebuild by doing the same process. here a player is seen more like an investment teams like dortmund, ajax, southampton, etc.
one needs time and effort, whilst the other is more buying this years top news! they both generate money but one requires huge capital… it’s basically like comparing a soverign fund to a 401 k, they are too very different approaches so which is the one at the club at the moment? and most importantly are the manager and board aware of that, or on what they expect from each other?
as i don’t see that on the field (ozil not playing) or outside of it (no signings) , we cant be making mistakes like these if we want to rebuild like the author said, i would fix today’s problem first and Asap!! Not Happy 🙁
Not the most well thought out article or hypothesis
We bought Sokaratis Lich in the last window
Lich on a one year deal & hasn’t done nothing, can’t see that being renewed. As stated above Sokratis has settled well & will be the Experince needed at the back & club!
Not thought out, how come? Think alot of players, wages & possibilities arnt fabricated or unrealistic, more realistic to be fair if we arnt spending money & freeing up the wage bill as best we can to continue to stay in good shape. Do you see Stan stepping up or Unai pulling off some miracle?
Sean I have to say Whiskey Nose did make me laugh ?
Sue that’s all its about, throwing our opinons about for a good debate & laughing because as an Arsenal Fan these days crying seems the more logical thing to do ?
I’m already on my 3rd sky remote this season
??
Well we all know what your winnings will be going on!
I thought I was bad for that ?
Lol I actually had 2 winners another treble but only half of the 1st one
But a good day only bet once a month so a bonus
That’ll do nicely!
Good article Sean ,but for me if the club goes down this route then it shows how far we’ve fallen as a club .
I’m just miffed to how we can’t afford to sign quality players ,we were promised this and the fans have been very patient with this board (apart from the last 2 years ).
We have a chance here with a new manager and a new team behind him to really make a statement but then we are left with this owner who seems hell bent on destroying everything that arsene started ,and he did give us some of the best football this country as seen …yes it went wrong but we had a really strong platform to progress from .
Now I’m reading reports about this Belgium player who Might be signing for us ,but is this where we want to be in regards to signing new players ,a player who let’s be honest as been on holiday in that league in China and earning a massive wage for it .how far we’ve fallen to even consider signing a player from the super league .and we are even trying to low ball him to save abit of cash which is arsenal through and through .
The one thing that some up it all is Paul Merson the twat actually said something very right for a change & that’s that “Arsenal are taking advantage of their fans”… have done since the promise of the Emirates move & look how that’s turned out!
I think it’s the only way we can go in all seriousness as Stan needs to go or we have no other choice but selling a few players like Xhaka etc… & the money that comes In from those sales & sponsors will only be used so 1 decent signing ever summer!
But how do you get an owner out in all seriousness?as fans, that is a billionaire in his own right? Most logical answer – NO CHANCE. Stan will ruin this clubs legacy & will be forgotten as the rest are a million miles away but as a Gooner have to take all the very rare ups with all the shitty lows these days
Seam I’m not saying we shouldn’t use youth I’m saying the club won’t
It’s all about the £
Well ………where to start. Get rid of that defence we have now. Youth that are at Arsenal are not good enough for the premiership so invest in tried and tested players. Expensive? Yes but it might do away with the embarrassment.
You’ll think our owner doesn’t care let Unai Emery finish 6 or even 7 and mis out on the Europa and see if he’s got a job
Emery has done well considering its his first season….new defence, injuries and working within a given budget like the other 15 clubs
Until we get some wide men in the side we should play a diamond midfield, Torierra in front of the back four, sitting there, disciplined. Guendouzi on the right Kola on the left and Ozil front of the diamond, in the ten position, not going out wide just staying in the middle feeding the two strikers. It’s the only way to get the best out of Ozil. Trouble is, Unai seems to like Mustafi, Xhaka and Iwobi. While he keeps playing these three players we’re going backwards
Thanks for a constructive article Sean – much needed. I can’t see Arsenal putting all its eggs in the youth basket.
As you point out, there is a lot of salary coming off the books this year and with the new sponsorship deals I expect a couple of big signings in the next few years. That coupled with at least a few of the young players stepping up and a more consistent definition of “Emery ball” will put us on the right path.
Much depends on the three wise men as unlike City, United and Chelsea, we are less able to swallow expensive mistakes. In that respect we are like Spurs and Liverpool who either haven’t made many bad transfer/salary decisions recently (Spurs) or are really good at covering them up with shrewd sales (Liverpool).