Trio land loan moves

Three of the brightest talents in the reserves at Arsenal are set to continue their footballing education after Arsenal accepted loan offers for them ahead of the January transfer window which opens tomorrow.

 

Firstly Nacer Barazite will continue to play at Derby through to the end of the season despite Paul Jewell leaving the club after their weekend loss to Ipswich. Barazite was along with Wilshere the stand out player in the reserves last season and has done pretty well so far in the Championship, and even though he has had to adjust to playing in an unfamiliar right wing role for the Rams he leads the team in assists. But with Jewell leaving, maybe whoever comes in will realise the previous managers mistake and have the courage to play Barazite up front behind a target man, or on the left of midfield to allow him to influence play more. Derby were desperate to keep the young Dutchman and hopefully he will continue to develop in the remainder of the season as Derby surely begin to fulfil their potential in the run-in.

 

A more surprising move has also been announced today, with Gavin Hoyte being snapped up by Watford, another Championship club with plenty of troubles, and with the Hornets having conceded the most goals of any Championship team so far, Gavin Hoyte should be kept busy if Brendan Rodgers decides to throw him in immediately.

 

Finally Jay Simpson confirmed last week that he would also be leaving Arsenal temporarily, and, following his excellent appearance against Wigan in the Carling Cup, there was no shortage of clubs wanting him on loan, including more than on Premiership side. In the end he decided upon West Brom, rejecting among others Peterborough, who ironically will become Jay’s first opponents this weekend as the Baggies look to progress in the FA Cup.

 

But this trio could be only the start of a mini-exodus of the clubs talent, with Kieran Gibbs, Mark Randall, Henri Lansbury and co all hoping for similar moves in the New Year to help develop their careers a step further.

 

With all three players recently signing new contracts at the club, there definitely seems to be a future for all of them at the Emirates provided they take their chances to impress at their new clubs, and I wish them all the best for the rest of the season.

 

 

Eduardo to finally return tommorrow

In what could be the only positive piece of news that will brighten an Arsenal fans day this week, Eduardo will hopefully make his comeback tomorrow night, after over half a year out following Martin Taylor’s horror tackle that ended the Croatian striker’s season while at the same time sparking the self destruction of the table topping Arsenal team from that point onwards.

The opposition will be Portsmouth reserves, and according to Young Guns (http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/12/15/arsenal-to-pack-underhill-for-eduardos-return/) there could be an amazing 4000 fans to welcm him back. It is also on Arsenal TV for those who live too far away for a trip to Barnet on a cold winter night, and with many other star talent on show it should be a good watch, Jack Wilshere, Francis Coquelin and Amaury Bischoff expected to play a part in the match as well.

It will with any luck be a comfortable and safe return to the striker whose recovery has been remarkable, and I will be writing a match report and account of the match shortly afterwards for those who cannot witness the match first hand. One thing is for sure, Eduardo is exactly the type of player we will need in the run in before May.

Bischoff continues comeback in style

I have now seen two and a half games of his slow recovery from long term injury, and I am starting to like what I see in him. He was Man of the Match in my book yesterday as a solid reserves outfit beat Fulham 2-0, thanks to a wonderful Bischoff goal in the first half followed by an assist for Fonte to slot home to double the lead.

What you immediately notice about Bischoff is the simplicity with which he plays the game. He is not the biggest and will probably need to toughen up a bit if he is going to play in the Premiership, but he rarely makes contact with other players in any case, with a fluid and simplistic style not unlike Hleb’s in some ways, although Bischoff plays even more one touch football than Hleb did it seems. However, he is still very much finding his feet and it’s a long shot to suggest whether he will ever reach the heights of the former Arsenal winger, though last nights performance suggests if he stays injury free this year there may be a place for him at Arsenal yet..

But certainly with his patient link up play I can see him being a decent option for the bench, certainly he can be a far better option for the wings than Diaby and Eboue in time. And if there was any sign that Bischoff has the talent that is needed to succeed, then it lies in the goal he scored last night. A corner was headed clear by the Fulham defence, falling to Bischoff who controlled it well enough with the first touch and with his second produced a great flick over the onrushing defenders head before half volleying a cracking effort into the net.

He grew with confidence after that and several of his cross field passes and through balls could have resulted in good opportunities. And one of those passes paid off when Bischoff, in space on the right, saw Fonte in space inside the box and picked him out with a great ball, which Fonte chose to chest down before the Portuguese striker finished with aplomb.

Overrall the reserves played slightly within themselves, with some poor performances from the likes of Lansbury, Simpson and Merida not really complimenting the good displays from Rodgers, Bischoff and the Frenchman Coquelin who again proved he has what it takes to be a tough tackling defensive midfielder with the same crunching tackles followed by that loping run while driving forward with the ball that Vieira was famous for. And if the 17 year old can become just a fraction of what Paddy was he’ll be some player.

My Ratings:

Mannone – 7 – Made a couple of good saves, messed up when trying to punch a ball at one stage though. He’s a fantastic shot stopper and sweeper, but hasn’t completely managed to get rid of his nervousness with crosses.

Hoyte – 7 – Decent performance, obviously isn’t very good in the oppositions half but great pace for recovery tackles and intercepted a good few diagonal passes out wide as well. Definitely less of a liability at right back. 

Ayling – 7.5 – Excellent positioning and good interceptions, wouldn’t be very confident about him defending a high ball given his height but a very neat and tidy game.
Rodgers – 8 – We’re slowly pushing Rodgers out of the club it seems and I just don’t understand why. He is a proper defender, exactly the style of defender Arsenal don’t have enough of. No, he isn’t the best ball playing centre half but he does make brilliant tackles and positionally he’s not bad either.
Ogogo – 6 – Out of place at left back in the 1st half, and gives the ball away a bit too much as well.

Bischoff – 8 – Very clever, technically gifted and links up play excellently. Great goal and a good assist.
Coquelin – 8 – Gets stuck in and wins tackles better than I’ve seen any young player at the club do for some time, despite the fact he isn’t actually that big he is very strong for his size.
Merida – 6 – Off and on, as always with Merida for the reserves. Over complicates things sometimes and I am not quite sure whether the determination is really there for the reserves.Lansbury – 5 -  Struggled like he has done a lot this season. Massive talent, will he fulfill it?

Simpson – 6 – Always gets a 10 for effort, he is living the dream playing for Arsenal. Unfortunately doesn’t really seem to have the talent to match the passion.
Fonte – 7 – Great finish for the goal, needs to get involved in play more.

Substitutes:
Sunu – 7 – Strong running, sometimes keeps hold of the ball too long though.
E-Thomas – 6 - Unfortunately played at left back rather than centrally (midfield or defence) so wasn’t as involved as he is for the U18s. 

Frimpong – 6 – Could be a monster in the future when he bulks up more, decent passing range as well.

If you’re good enough, you’re old enough

If there is one thing to be pleased with, more than anything else over the first three pre-season fixtures, then it is the reassurance that we have glimpsed the potential of some of our young stars we have at the club. But having seen the majority of the starlets in the first team over the last few weeks, who will bethe first to make his mark in the team?

Step forward Jack Wilshere, youngest but best of all the reserves at the club. I say reserve, but Wilshere himself has only seen a handful of reserve games so far in his career. Up until the start of 2008 Wilshere was only really involved in U18s games and internationals, where he was already making a huge impression in the academy ranks with his goals and technical ability shining through. I first heard of him at the age of 14, when he was picked for the England U16s Victory Shield games, and since then I ‘ve watched his progress with interest.

Wilshere has something about him that makes you stand up and take notice – he is the start of what hopefully will bring several English talents that have been coached by Arsenal to have the technical ability, range of passing and movement and overall football philosophy to finally start to put England on a par with countries that play “proper ” football – Brazil, Spain and the like.

Of course we don’t want to overhype the kid, and in England we tend to draw over the top conclusions about any footballer who is a) English and b) young and talented. This is because we are constantly loking for the next big thing who might help us finally achieve success in a nation where football is easily the No.1 sport.

But nevertheless, when Cesc Fabregas first played for the first team at 16 he showed us exactly what he could go on to be for Arsenal, and I have a firm belief Wilshere will do exactly the same. His movement is first class, every inch a natural footballer. If you were to compare him to Walcott, for example, who was also the “next big thing”  at 16, Wilshere is completely different. While it was the raw talent and pace that thrust Walcott into the limelight, with Wilshere it is the way he does everything so competently at such a young age. Decision making is constantly being improved in Walcott, with Wilshere its mostly already there.

I would be very surprised if Wilshere does not become a very, very good player within the next 4 years. But its all down to the way we treat him. Fabregas probably played too many games when he was too young, but he coped amazingly well. That is a risk hopefully we won’t take with Wilshere, and instead keep him in the reserves for a while, give him CC appearances until physically he has developed enough to sustain his form throughout a season by the time he is 19. We need to nurture like with Walcott, rather than fast track him. And i have every faith in Wenger to do just that.

but he has shown over pre-season that he has everything in his locker to become a fanstastically gifted player for Arsenal

Kieran Gibbs makes U19’s Championships squad; Four starlets named in England U17s

Arsenal’s promise of young English talent at the club has been proven once again with Kieran Gibbs, fresh from a spell on loan at Norwich City and an end of season appearance for the Arsenal first team, being named for the forthcoming European U19 Championships. Fran Merida is also expected to be part of the Spanish team at the same tournament.

Meanwhile, lower down the age groups there is even more young talents representing their country for Arsenal. Chuks Aneke, Jason Banton, Oliver Nicholas and former Gillingham youngster Luke Freeman all being named for the annual Nordic Tournament, where U16s first make the step up to the U17 team.

Ghanian, French midfielders on trial

While all the talk of crazy multi-million pound bids surround the Gunners, it is nice to see Wenger is still trying to persevere with his amazing scouting network, bringing the very best of footballing talent over from abroad with a view to get the next global star for a minimal price. Although a bit of quality first team signings would be more than satisfying…

The latest candidates for the Arsenal academy are a Frenchman and a Ghanian, both of whom ply their trade in midfield.

Setanta Sports claim that Accra Hearts of Oak teenager Tawrick Jibril will now undergo a trial in June to see how good the youngster really is by training with some of the very best youth talent that already train at London Colney. The 16 year old has already been linked with a move to European giants such as Atletico Madrid, and the price for the player should the trial go well is estimated at around £1m. Roma have also been acredited with an interest in the teenager.

Meanwhile the Frenchman, Francis Coquelin has already had his trial, in which he was injured and so the trial stopped short, although acording to reports by they Young Guns blog he may still sign with the Gunners. The world famous (errr..) Stade Lavallois is where he currently plays his football.

Forum topic discussing the rumours:

http://www.discussions.ghanaweb.com/viewtopic.php?t=81544&postdays=0&postorder=asc&start=0&sid=450d856f49fe693b3011bf24dbe5e535

Young Guns article on Coquelin:

http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/05/20/arsenal-in-transfer-talks-for-french-midfielder-coquelin/

Source for article:

http://www.setantasports.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/05/20/Premier-League-Arsenal-trial-Ghanaian/?facets/sport-space/great-britain-locale

Tony Adams to appear in Arsenal youth friendly

As reported by me several weeks ago, tonight Arsenal are sending an XI team, to be made up mostly of reserve Arsenal players such as Barazite, Fonte, Nordtveit, Murphy etc, will be joined by Gunners hero Tony Adams as they play in a testimonial match against Dorchester in recognition of Brian Benjafield’s contribution to the Magpies.

Dorchester, who have been relegated from the Blue Square Premier South this season, will field a side with names such as Magpie legends such as “Matt Holmes, Mark Ormerod, Andy Harris, Scott Morgan, Tommy Killick, Matt Groves and Owen Pickard take to the field. Current Magpie Darren Watts is also expected to feature, as is young keeper Sean Lillington” acccording to the Dorset Echo, who also report that Benjafield himself will only be on the sidelines for this match.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing a few old faces and I’m happy to get the testimonial because the idea has been floating around for a while now. I won’t be playing but I will be on the touchline assisting Shaun Brooks,” said Brian Benjafield.

“The draw for us is that we have got an Arsenal XI coming down and a lot of thanks should go to Stuart Morgan for sorting that out and helping to bring Tony Adams as well.”

It is not known whether or not Tony Adams, who has been made guest of honour for the game, will actually take part in the match itself.

Arsenal snap up 15 year old Dutch prospect

It has been reported today by De Telegraaf, one of Holland’s biggest papers, that Arsenal have managed to convince another youngster that his future lies with the Gunners, with Turkish born Holland U17 International Oguzhan Özyakup choosing to leave AZ Alkmaar rather than wait for a chance in Holland before getting a transfer to one of Europe’s bigger clubs.

The reason that this is possible is through the current contractual situation regarding players under the age of 16, which stops potential stars from being held down to contracts keeping them at the club. This means that British clubs, for example, can raid clubs for the biggest talents and lure them here for both the clubs stature and also for the more lucrative contracts that they get. What’s more, we then only have to pay a small fee to the clubs that have been responsible for the players football education up until we sign them, with the fee being settled at a tribunal as in the case of Fran Merida if the two clubs cannot come to an agreement.

Unsurprisingly, Özyakup is a highly technical player who can play either on the right on in the middle of midfield, and like Ignasi Miquel he will arrive at the club when he turns 16. He is currently second top scorer for the B1 AZ Alkmaar side, having been moved up to the A1 category midway throught this season I believe. He has been impressing people at Alkmaar for some time, having scored all four goals in a game for the C2 side back in 2006, as well as working his way up from the Holland Under 15s to the U17s. The move to Arsenal will also take him closer to Holland team mate Jeffrey Bruma, the starlet now plying his trade with Chelsea, who, as well as obviously Nacer Barazite at Arsenal, will help him settle in Britain next season.

Thanks to http://youngguns.wordpress.com/2008/04/22/arsenal-sign-oguzhan-ozyakup-from-az-alkmaar/, where I first found out about this story.

Jay Thomas and Rhys Murphy withdraw from England friendly to help Arsenal play-off push

England Under 18 duo Rhys Murphy and Jay Thomas have both mysteriously withdrawn from England’s friendly in Hartlepool on Wednesday, against Austria Under 18s.

Replaced by Wolves’ Kyle Bennett and Leeds United’s Tom Elliott, it seems as though they have both taken the option of dropping out in order to push for success within the Gunners fold rather than further their fledgling international careers in this latest England friendly. Both players finished the game against Millwall, ruling out any injury reasons. Rhys Murphy got on the scoresheet in that game for his sixth goal of his season after a terrible injury prone start to the season for last years top scorer. With 35 appearances in total for the reserves and youth team, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has proved to be the mainstay in Arsenal’s youth set-ups, and with vital games coming up both players have chosen club over country it seems.

Despite his two team mates dropping out, Gavin Hoyte has remained with the Enland set up for the friendly, with the young centre back obviously deciding that with him being used mainly in reserve games rather than Under 18 fixtures, he would be better off keeping with England for this match.

 

UPDATE: However, both Rhys Murphy and Jay Thomas did not play a part in the game against Bristol City in the Under 18’s league game that clinched the title for the young guns, and so there is now a possibility that they are in fact injured despite both players playing the whole game against Millwall in mid week. I will keep the story updated when I find out the true cause of them dropping out.

UPDATE 2: Rhys Murphy and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas named on subs bench for Derby V Arsenal reserve clash.

Arsenal Youth friendly announced

 

Arsenal’s young guns will get to test themselves against a Dorchester Town testimonial team as a reward for Brian Benjafield’s contribution to Dorchester Town Football Club over the last fifteen years.

The game will take place on the 6th of May at the Jewsons Stadium which is home to the Blue Square South side. Dorchester legends will make up the opposition with names such as Mark Ormerod, Andy Harris, Scott Morgan, Steve Richardson, Tommy Killick, Shaun Brooks, Matty Holmes, Matt Groves and Owen Pickard playing as well as some of the present team. I don’t know whether any of these names mean anything to you, becauseI haven’t heard of any of them personally.

The Arsenal squad will be made up of a mixture of reserves and the youth side, and if you wish to see this game tickets can be bought at £8 or £5 depending on which stand you sit in for the 7pm kick off.

It’s not exactly huge news but as it isn’t very well publicised, any gooners living near Dorchester should check this game out for a glimpse of the potential we have at the club.