Loan Out Eddie by Dan Smith
So, I should be delighted how our youngsters are getting on In America, but something makes me uneasy …. who our owner is? When I hear gooners say Eddie Nketiah could be Welbeck’s replacement, I bet that is music to Stan Kroenke’s ears? At a time when he is saving money on the wage bill, you bet he likes the idea of not having to spend money on a new striker.
While we are at it, why fork out 70 million on Zaha when Saka is developing so well? Who needs Ramsey when Willock looks so good? Throw in the fact it’s a marketable dream to have British talent come through your academy, and the American can go back to his ranch having saved money, not caring if it’s too soon for these rookies or not.
Now don’t get me wrong, promoting youth is smart when you are a self-sustained model but there’s got to be a balance. Don’t throw them into the deep end without correcting the issues from the last campaign. It’s less than a month till the Prem kicks off and we are weaker than the squad we had in Baku.
The Kroenke family would love you to not notice that and be blinded by the romantic notion of one of our own breaking though. In reality, there is a reason Eddie ‘s senior goals have been in a cup tie against lower League opposition and in pre -season. Yet in the Europa League, he was trying to force things because he wanted it too much. We know he can finish; he’s proven that in the Under 23 but it’s about building his mentality gradually.
Very few have a Rooney or Owen who you can fast track into the first team. Even when we knew Wilshire was special, we loaned him out to get that taste of playing weekly.
That’s what Eddie needs next, scoring loads in the Championship will be better in the long term then 10-minute cameos. Smith Rowe and Nelson can now be trusted because they went abroad and proved they could handle with what comes from being in a first team. We have 5 or 6 kids who could be the heartbeat of our club for the next decade. Future leaders/captains who will understand the values of the club who as fans will never want them to leave and be the face of Arsenal FC.
I just want them to have the correct pathway and not rushed into the first team for the sake of saving money for Kroenke…
Dan Smith